Lifestyles Spring 2012

Golfer’s Guide

Lifestyles Spring 2012

golfersguide.com

Celebration Golf Managemet Celebrating the Game

Plus Celebration Golf Management

Developing a unique formula for success.

Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Rewriting the book on Southern golf

Vegas Baby – Ceasar’s Entertainment

Three of the most renowned courses in the Valley

Presented by

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

WHERE AMERICA COMES TO PLAY More Courses. More Holes. More Fun.

MAN O’WAR

KING’S NORTH AT MYRTLE BEACH NATIONAL

HEATHER GLEN

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Myrtle Beach, FOUNDER’S CLUB

South Carolina

AT PAWLEYS ISLAND

It’s Where America Comes to Play With an offering of over 100 championship courses along a 60-mile stretch of Carolina coastline, hundreds of great restaurants, affordably priced oceanfront and fairway accommodations, comfortable year-round climate and a healthy dose of warm Southern hospitality, it’s easy to see why more vacationing

SEA TRAIL PLANTATION

golfers choose Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A recent National Golf Foundation survey of golf travelers placed Myrtle Beach at the top of the leader board for Quality, Selection and Affordability of golf.

Now with affordable nonstop flights from 25 cities, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, D.C. and Atlanta, getting to Myrtle Beach has never been easier.

RIVERS EDGE Start planning your next golf vacation with a visit to our Web site, and be sure to request a custom QUICK QUOTE for the best package prices.

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Contents Spring 2012

Spring 2012 STAFF

Mike Choma

Director of Sales mchoma@golfersguide.com (904) 697-9070 or (843) 842-7878 52 New Orleans Rd. Ste. 300 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Editor

Ed Cherry echerry@golfersguide.com Production Director

Shawn P. Grimes sgrimes@golfersguide.com PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF

Rob Kaufmann Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

A Golden Bear masterpiece.

Features Florida Golf

6 Celebration Golf Management

CGM’s exciting array of courses in the Orlando area are as diverse as they are beautiful and challenging.

Gulf Coast Golf

32 Touring the RTJ

While you might not have played it, you’ve certainly heard about it. Welcome to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama..

Lowcountry Golf

44 Best of the Beach

Golf is grand from the heart of Myrtle Beach to the Carolina border.

Desert Southwest Golf

72 Ceasar’s Entertainment

With three legendary courses, eight fabled hotels and a host of perks for small and medium groups, Caesars proves that golf, like virtually everything else in Las Vegas, is a numbers game.

Sections

Contributors

Brett Borton

20 Instruction PGA Tour Academy

Lead Instructor Todd Jones works with professionals and amateurs alike and he approaches both category of player the same way when helping them improve.

42 Participation A new program

geared toward making the game easier to play and enjoy is gaining steam. Find out why it’s better to “Tee it Forward.”

53 Edwin Watts A complete guide to the hottest and best golf equipment on the market today.

Departments

40

PGA Tour For more than 40 years The Heritage has been a staple of the PGA Tour spring schedule. Thanks to the Royal Bank of Canada, that Hilton Head Island tradition will continue.

Copyright ©2011 Golfer’s Guide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Golf course rates are subject to change at any time. Golfer’s Guide is not responsible or liable for any errors, omissions or changes in rates or information. *Publisher’s data. We are expanding our network of magazines and will be adding several new regions within the next year. If you would like to publish a Golfer’s Guide magazine with us in your home region send your resume and previous publishing samples to Golfer’s Guide, P.O. Box 5926, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938-9790, ATTN: Executive Publisher.

84 Hot Spots We look at the hottest places and best deals for your next golf vacation.

A

4 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

Introducing

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Celebrating The Game

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Celebration Golf Management’s exciting array of courses area are as diverse as they are beautiful and challenging.

Photography Courtesy of Celebration Golf Management

B

ringing together years of successful golf course management and a creativity to develop a unique approach for each of their courses, Celebration Golf Management understands that every facility has its own identity, whether it’s daily-fee, resort or private. Providing design, consulting, operational and management services for a wide range of courses, and guided by an executive team with more than 75 years of experience in the golf and hospitality industries, CGM doesn’t just work for their clients, they work with them to ensure the best formula for success.

And nowhere is this more evident than at the six courses in the immediate Orlando area that are currently managed

by CGM. From the members-only Golden Bear Club to the award-winning Celebration Golf Club open to the public, the influence of the Celebration Golf Management team is evidTent in every phase of the operations.

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F L O R I D A

G O L F

The Golden Bear Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Keene’s Pointe reflects the extraordinary beauty, challenging layout and environmental sensitivity that Nicklaus courses have come to represent around the world. Surrounded by sparkling lakes and majestic oaks, this 7,173-yard 18-hole masterpiece appeals to golfers of every level. With a fully stocked Pro Shop carrying the latest in men’s and women’s apparel, equipment, shoes and golf balls, the professional staff is able to assist you with your every need.

There’s no better way to start off your day at The Golden Bear Golf Club than at

Above: Surrounded by sparkling lakes and majestic oaks, the 7,173-yard 18-hole Golden Bear masterpiece appeals to golfers of every level.

Below: From the members-only Golden Bear Club (pictured) to the award-winning Celebration Golf Club open to the public, the influence of the Celebration Golf Management team is evident in every phase of the operations.

their immaculate driving range and practice facility, and their staff of PGA Professionals will work with you to either learn the game or lower an already decent handicap.

A world-class tennis facility featuring four new lighted hard courts, the Golden Bear Club Fitness Center where classes and individualized instruction are geared to meet each member’s personal fitness goals, and a wealth of food and beverage options round out this extraordinary members-only club experience.

For more information visit our website at www.thegoldenbearclub.com or call (407) 876-5775.

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F L O R I D A

G O L F

With rolling greens and lush fairways spreading out in every direction under the warmth of sunshine from sunrise-to-sunset, the Kings Ridge Golf Course located in the

The par-57, 3,660 yard Ridge Course brings out the competitive spirit in every player, and includes scenic views of the surrounding hills and sunny skies, adding

Eagle Creek’s five par-5s, five sets of tees, and more than 90 bunkers and dramatic bulkheads are reminiscent of those found in Scotland and England.

hills of Clermont is an emerald sparkling in the Florida sunshine. There are two great courses from which to choose: the original Lloyd Clifton par-71 course, designated as the Kings Course, and the very exciting Ron Garl creation, the par-57 Ridge Course.

Designed to challenge the golfer to think and to use every club in his or her bag, the Kings Ridge course capitalizes on the naturally rolling terrain of the beautiful Clermont countryside. The seasoned golfer will enjoy the surrounding panorama while encountering the elevated tees, rolling fairways and undulating greens. The 6,269yard Kings Course has often deceived many golfers into believing this will be an easy course to play; even seasoned golfers are lured by the elevated fairways and impressed with the undulating greens. Bring your best putting game to Kings Ridge Kings Course and be prepared to enjoy some of the best views in the state .

enjoyment to the challenge of this exceptional course. Water hazards, precise landing areas, well-protected multi-tiered greens, pot bunkers, grassy hollows, and deep Bahia grass roughs will test the skills of every golfer. Come prepared to play your best golf.

For more information visit our website at www.kingsridgegc.com or call (352) 242GOLF (4653).

The Legends Golf Course in Clermont is one of the finest accomplishments of renowned course designer Lloyd Clifton.

This beautiful Clifton-Ezell-Clifton 18-hole course stretches 6,911 yards from the gold tees and is a test for any golfer. Legends is a par-72 with a slope rating of 130 and course rating of 72.9.

National golf publications have recognized Legends as one of the Top 10 golf courses in Central Florida, which has hosted the Hooter’s Tour Event and the National Football League Player’s

Association tournament.

The Legends Grille and Tavern is famous for its fabulous Sunday Brunch, and its team of event professionals will work with you to plan and host your next party or tournament.

For more information visit our website at www.legendsgolfcc.com or call (352) 243-1118.

The top-ranked golf course at Stoneybrook West Golf Club in Winter Garden has been a favorite in Central Florida since it opened for play in 2000. The 18-hole, par-72 course offers the perfect blend of challenging shots, exciting hazards and delightful scenery. Locals and visitors to the area return time after time for another round of golf at Stoneybrook West.

Designed by award-winning golf course architect Arthur Hills, every detail on the course was given careful consideration. Although enjoyable for beginner golfers who play from the front tees, the true challenge is for golfers playing from the back tees, a distance of some 7,101 yards. Water hazards are found on nearly every hole, forcing players to strategize and focus, while more than 1,500 palm trees and an abundance of sand bunkers enhance the challenge of the Orlando golf course.

Golf Digest ranked the course as one of the best places to play, and it was named the second-best golf course in Florida and Number 27 in the nation by golflink.com. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Orlando and only 15 minutes from the main gates of all the major attractions, golfers can play a round of top-rated golf while their families head to the wonders of Disney World, Epcot Center and MGM and Universal Studios.

For those who live and work in Orlando, it is easy to escape the bustle of the city, play a round of golf, and make it back to the office in time for an afternoon meeting.

For more information visit our website at www.golfsbw.com or call (352) 243-1118.

The wind is blowing, the golf course is firm and fast, and the Scottish-style bunkers are intimidating. If you want to experience a taste of Scotland, and have some fun in the process, book your 4-ball at Eagle Creek Golf Club.

Designed by world-renowned golf course architects Ron Garl of the U.S. and Howard Swan of Europe, Eagle Creek’s 7,198-yard golf

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Experience the Difference

epresenting a consolidation of the best traditions of the game combined with the latest in golf course design, Jacaranda Golf Club embodies the best of both worlds for today’s golf enthusiast. A $10 Million renovation to both courses breathed new life into a classic South Florida design. Both East and West courses have been transformed with new fairways, tees, greens, cart paths and landscaping. The restoration showcases a combination of new technology and traditional design allowing both the scratch golfer and the weekend warrior to compete on the same playing ground. Impeccable conditions paired with private club atmosphere & service provides players an opportunity to “Experience the Difference” Jacaranda’s new look brings to a South Florida visit.

R

For T-times and info call or visit…

(877) 676-2641 www.golfjacaranda.com 9200 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation, Florida 33324

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F L O R I D A

G O L F

course offers the best of both worlds. Its five par-5s, five sets of tees, and more than 90 bunkers and dramatic bulkheads are reminiscent of those found in Scotland and England. Overall, the true Scottish-style experience of Eagle Creek Golf Club stands out from other Orlando championship golf courses as a true golfing masterpiece.

Guests enjoy the spectacular 14,000square-foot, two-story clubhouse designed in a vintage, New England-manor style, which includes a fully stocked pro shop, 120-seat restaurant with private banquet space, and locker rooms and showers for men and women.

Named one of the Top 10 New Courses Since 2000 in Travel & Leisure Magazine, and selected as Pro/Pro Series Site and National Site for 2005 Buick Scramble, Eagle Creek is a member of the Audubon International Silver Signature Program.

For more information visit our website at www.eaglecreekorlando.com or call (407) 273-Golf (4653).

Inspired by its Old World legacy and located just minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort in the town of Celebration, Celebration Golf Club reflects the

combined talents of the legendary fatherson duo, who created a course unlike any other in the Central Florida area. The final collaboration between Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior is proof positive that they did indeed save their best for last. It’s lush, much like a nature preserve, with undulating swells and topography that create drama on virtually every hole The design delivers a golfing test that can challenge the pros, yet offer a rewarding experience for beginning golfers of any age. Its challenge is evinced by the impressive list of professional events the course has hosted, including the U.S. Senior Open Qualifier, the Robert Gamez Celebrity Invitational, the Florida State Public Links Championship, the Buick Scramble National Championships, and The Golf Channel’s Drive, Chip and Putt Finals. All the more reason why Celebration has been rated 4-1/2 Stars in Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play since 2004, and in the magazine’s Top 200 facilities in North America for Standard of Service and Course Conditions.

And it’s not surprising that golf event planners rate Celebration Golf Club as the #1 golf event venue in Central Florida – the

club has a wealth of experience from which to draw upon, having hosted more than 3,500 successful tournaments and outings.

Celebration’s services, value-added features and attention to detail set them apart from the all the rest. Their goal is simple: achieving excellence in every event they host.

Whether for the impeccable course conditions, the friendly and helpful staff, the convenience of the location or the surprisingly reasonable rates, visiting and resident golfers have made Celebration Golf Club a must-play in Central Florida.

And while Trent Jones Jr. is still designing masterpieces around the world, Trent Jones Sr., who designed (or re-designed) about 500 golf courses in 40 states and 35 foreign countries, passed away in 2000, just days shy of his 94th birthday.

Which means, unfortunately, that the stunning Celebration course is truly a golf experience that can never be repeated.

For more information visit our website at www.celebrationgolf.com or call (407) 566-GOLF (4653).

For more information on any of the Celebration Golf Management courses, log on to www.cgmgolfproperties.com.

Inspired by its Old World legacy and located just minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort, Celebration Golf Club reflects the combined talents of the legendary father-son duo of Robert Trent Jones Senior and Junior, who created a course unlike any other in the Central Florida area.

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Experience the beauty of the

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Building Better Golfers PGA Tour Academy works with amateurs and professionals alike with one goal in mind – Improvement Photography Courtesy of PGA Tour Academy and World Golf Village

O

n the same day, sometimes even minutes apart, Todd Jones works with talented golf professionals seeking to make a living at the game and then hard-working amateurs just trying to improve upon a passion for it.

Thing is, whether it’s a Champions Tour stalwart looking to break through or a mid-handicapper looking to figure it out, the method Jones uses to create better golfers is as consistent as it has proven to be tried and true.

As Jones sees it and his students buy into it, improving at the game of golf

is a dedicated process of goal setting, mechanical dedication, consistent drill work and mental commitment that will lead any golfer to the desired outcome – whether that end result is a Tour victory, a club championship or just a $5 Nassau win when painful defeat had been the previous standard.

The head instructor at the PGA Tour Academy at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla., one of several such schools located across the country, Jones is the swing coach of Champions Tour stars Blaine McAllister and Sandy Lyle and

Nationwide Tour stalwart Gary Wheatcroft. At the same time, Jones teaches low-, mid- and high-handicappers looking to improve their games just enough to better enjoy the game. While the aptitudes of the two segments of players are certainly light years apart, the program and processes Jones uses to help all his players improve are essentially the same.

“Really the key is to establish a game plan as to where we want to be and what the realistic goals are,” Jones said. “That way we have an end goal and then we put the program in place so that the improve-

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ment happens. If we stick to that plan, everything else takes care of itself.”

When discussing his professional stable, which includes Lyle, a past winner of The Masters, that program is certainly one that Jones follows almost to a tee … if you’ll excuse the pun.

Jones is hands on with his professionals during golf’s traditional offseason – November to January – where he works with them on particular phases of the game that will help drive the ultimate goal: lower scores and larger paydays. Most of Jones’ work takes place at the Academy, but the teaching professional will also travel with his players to tournament sites when immediate work is needed.

Each fall, Jones will work on specific parts of the game that are intended to improve the whole.

Driving accuracy will help greens in regulations.

Better putting will help sand save percentage.

More greens in regulation will help putts per round. Bottom line, you improve one aspect of the game for the most talented of players and it will filter through the entire round. That, Jones says, is a multiple-purpose approach to one singular focus.

Along with the World Golf Hall of Fame, the PGA Tour Academy calls the World Golf Village home.

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500 Highlands Reserve Blvd., Davenport, FL 33897

(863) 420–1724 www.highlandsreserve-golf.com

When you combine one of the best layouts in Central Florida with 120 feet of elevation change and customer service second to none, you’ll understand why golfers from all over the world have put Highlands Reserve at the top of their “must play” list of Orlando golf courses. With pine treelined holes reminiscent of the Carolinas and vast waste bunkers providing a Scottish links feel, Highlands Reserve provides a unique experience you won’t find anywhere else.

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Outside of one primary difference – playing ability – instructors put the same processes and programs in place for a 10-handicapper as they do for a Nationwide or Champions tour winner.

“The end result we are looking for is lower scores,” Jones said. “The fact is there are different ways to get there that need to be focused on.”

Ultimately, the same thing is true for the more average variety of golfers that Jones spends as much or even more of his time with on the practice range and in the video room at the PGA Tour Academy, which is located in the shadow of the famed Stadium Course. Outside of the one primary difference – playing ability – Jones puts the same processes and programs in place for a 10-handicapper as he does a Nationwide or Champions tour winner.

In fact, the conversation with an amateur golfer essentially begins the same way when Jones is on the other end of the desk.

Just as with a pro it’s about setting goals, establishing the type of player the golfers wants to be and then heading out to the range to work on the appropriate mechanics to make that plan a reality. The practice range relationship begins extremely technical, but once the player gets a feel for the new swing or different shots, it becomes more of a psychological relationship.

“I start out as the teacher but my goal is to eventually become the coach,” Jones said. “What I want to be to my players is a coach that helps them stay with the program and understand what they are doing on the golf course.”

To accomplish that, whether it’s with a tour player or a Saturday scratcher, Jones asks for a commitment from his players that keeps them working with him for months if not years.

With every aspect of the game that gets tweaked or maybe even overhauled other facets much also be addressed, meaning a long-term relationship will prove a better option than the traditional quick fix many amateurs seek.

“The goal is to make the swing less mechanical and more feel,” Jones said. “I tell the player that he can now just start to play because he if free of all the swing thoughts.”

No matter why a player comes to Jones and the PGA Tour Academy, that is ultimately the goal – to play the game free of thoughts that get in the way of a free swing and an enjoyable round of golf. For some it’s a million dollar goal. For others it’s just a desire to play better than their peers. Thing is, Jones doesn’t really care about the reasons; the end game is all the same to him.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SEC TION

Orlando’s “Bear” is Back Black Bear Golf Club returns to its former glory

I

t’s been nearly a year now that a new ownership group and a dedicated staff have been restoring Black Bear Golf Club back to its rightful place among Central Florida’s most challenging, scenic and unique golf courses. Now with summer thankfully giving way to fall, there’s never been a better time to acquaint or maybe re-acquaint one’s self with Black Bear and discover what has so many people buzzing.

A P.B. Dye-designed classic located just outside of Orlando, Black Bear is one of a very few true links style layouts located in Central Florida. The course takes full advantage of spectacular mounding, significant bunkering and challenging well-guarded greens. From the back of its four sets of tees, the course can stretch to more than 7,000 yards, providing more than a stiff test for the finest of golfers.

Since taking over the course in late 2010, managing partner Richard Horton, his partners and his staff have moved

quickly to return The Bear to its former glory – now nearly 12 months later, the results simply cannot be argued with.

From rebuilt bunkers to enhanced and well-maintained landscape, the course has simply never looked better than it does today. In addition to on-course improvements, ownership focused on improving the already-impressive 40,000-square-foot practice facility that includes a 400-yard double-ended driving range complete with seven target greens and a large practice putting green.

The work and attention has certainly helped to restore the courses best asset – its incredible design – which has been drawing both local and visiting golfers to Black Bear since day one. Visually and strategically defined by rolling mounds and deep, gorgeous bunkers, Black Bear truly is a special course. When played early in the morning and late in the afternoon it’s even more spectacular as the rising

Black Bear Golf Club

and setting sun illuminates the challenging terrain as it moves beyond the large moguls.

“Play this course at just the right time of day and it is a truly inspiring experience that you will want to repeat again and again,” Horton said.

Inspiring is a good word to use regarding Black Bear’s return to its rightful place among the elite courses in Florida. It’s a layout that needed only some attention and care and it has gotten just that during the past year.

Signature Hole

9th

COURSE FACTS Par 72 (men and women) Yardage: 7,062 from back tees 5,044 from front tees Designer: P.B. Dye, a renowned golf course designer and architect of many fine courses throughout the world.

MORE INFORMATION: Pro Shop Number: 352-357-4732 Web site: www.blackbeargolfclub.com Address: 24505 Calusa Blvd.

Eustis, FL 32736 “Black Bear is a unique, challenging, links-style golf course, said Travis Owens. As a result Black Bear plays host to several pro and major amateur events each year.

While very open, Black Bear challenges golfers of all levels with undulating fairways, monster bunkers and slippery fast greens.

It is simply different than most Florida courses, thus a pleasure to play. With our new ownership in place for nearly a year the course is in the best shape in years.”

– TravisOWENS

“This 432-yard par 4 is one of the few holes at Black Bear where trees actually come into play. Two great oaks frame the tee shot thus requiring an accurate drive down the middle. The approach shot is one of the toughest on the course. Golfers hit into a two-tiered green in an amphitheatre setting. The green is well protected by 3 bunkers on the right and one on the left making this the No. 2 stroke hole at Black Bear.”

Golf Pro

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Els’ Hall of Fame exibit includes trophys from some of his most significant victories. The display open with his inaguration in May 2011.

The World Golf Hall of Fame Time for a visit!

Photography Courtesy of World Golf Hall of Fame

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uoyed by an impressive 2011 induction class, new exhibits and plans to take one of its most popular displays on the road, the World Golf Hall of Fame is enjoying a renaissance of sorts that is shining the spotlight on the still relatively-young museum dedicated to the history of golf and those special players that made history playing it.

This past May, the Hall, which is located at the scenic World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., inducted a class led

by International golf star and three-time major winner Ernie Els, former President George H.W. Bush and famed CBS golf producer Frank Chirkanian. The diverse class and a new induction date that coincides with THE PLAYERS Championship at the famed TPC Sawgrass Stadium course brought significant attention to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“There was a lot of electricity and energy around this class and the induction,” said Travis Hill, director of communications for the World Golf Hall of Fame. “It created a huge golf week here in the Jacksonville area with such a great class coming in the same week of THE PLAYERS Championship. It’s something we are looking forward to enjoying in the future as well.”

By all accounts the headliner of the induction celebration, Els is among the most popular golfers to enter the Hall in the past decade or so. A two-time U.S. Open champion and a winner of the British Open, the South African has truly been a globetrotter, winning multiple tournaments in the U.S., Europe and in his native country as well. It’s an international style Els learned from his mentor and fellow South African Gary Player.

“Most of the people in here are idols and heroes of mine,” Els said of the hall.

“To think you are in the same group as them, well, it really makes you stop and think about it a little bit. It is truly special.”

Granted, Els has been less legendary and more ordinary the past several years on tour, but as he joins longtime greats such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Player, and contemporaries such as Vijay Singh, the man they call “The Big Easy” because of his graceful swing and easygoing personality, can forever add “Hall of Famer” to his title, even as he toils on tour to add to his resume.

“I know time is running out, but I also know there have been plenty of players that have won major championships in their 40s,” Els said. “I’m hoping to get a kick start. I need to get going.”

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One of Naples’ Signature Golf Courses has as New Name Panther Run Golf Club, formerly known as The Golf Club at Del Webb is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by noted architect Gordon Lewis located within the Del Webb Naples community.

Opened in 2007 and managed by Troon Golf, the golf club boasts an expansive practice facility with five practice greens, a short game area, which includes two practice sand bunkers and an aqua driving range with natural turf target greens. PGA professionals are on-site for individual lessons and group clinics. A pro shop also features all the latest equipment, accessories and apparel.

The golf club was recently named as a 2010 Top 50 golf course for women by Golf Digest magazine and was nominated as a Top 10 New Public Course in 2007 by Golf Magazine.

Panther Run Golf Club is within Del Webb Naples, an active community for those aged 55 and older. The community will have 2,000 homes at build out, with a 35,000-square-foot amenity center which is expected to open in 2012.

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Along with Els, the induction of President Bush gave the class a special addition. Bush was inducted into the class by the 300 voting members of the Hall that attributed the President’s contributions to the game, especially his tireless efforts to help grow The First Tee initiative, as invaluable to the sport. Like many presidents before him, Bush has long held a passion for the game both as a player and an advocate for its important role in teaching valuable life lessons to our youth. Both those traits will be on display through the hundreds of pieces Bush has donated to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“The addition of President Bush made it such a diverse and special class,” Hill said. “To have him associated with the Hall of Fame and to have him be part of the class gave it a lot of clout.”

The same can be said about the potential for next year’s class. Looking forward, another popular player in the form of Phil Mickelson could headline the 2012 class into the Hall of Fame, continuing the momentum that began this summer with the Els and President Bush induction and is being continued with some exciting things going on within the World Golf Hall of Fame itself. Mickelson would qualify for the PGA Tour ballot as he turns 40 before next year’s inauguration, the same path Els took into this year’s class.

There is, however, so much more to the current goings on around golf’s hallowed halls that has World Golf Hall of Fame officials excited about the future of the museum that is supportEls will now forever be ed so well by golf’s governknown as a hall of famer. ing bodies and several major corporations including Shell. For the first time ever, the World Golf Hall of Fame will send one of its most popular exhibits – the Bob Hope display – on the road to visit various locations of the country.

The Hope exhibit, which has received significant acclaim, will begin its five-year road trip in Grand Rapids, Mich., in February 2012 before making its way across the Atlantic to London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. While it might not seem like such a big deal on the surface, bringing the Hall of Fame out to avid golfers rather than waiting for them to find it in North Florida is a positive move forward to increasing the significance and exposure to the game’s official museum of record.

“We hope this brings at least some of the experience of the World Golf Hall of Fame to those that might not have been exposed to it,” Hill said. “Considering it will be five years on the road it is definitely a big deal for us.”

Considering the way the summer began and the way it has continued, the expression “big deal” is extremely appropriate when it comes to discussing the World Golf Hall of Fame. From its newest members to its most treasured exhibits, this is a place avid golfers must experience. Even better, if you can’t make it to the East Coast, hang tight, golf’s most treasured history could be coming to you.

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Happy Trails Golf Photography Courtesy of Mike Clemmer | Hotel Photography Courtesy of RTJ Golf Trail

Turning 20 in 2012, Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has rewritten the book on Southern golf, and jump-started the state’s tourism economy 32 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

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Capitol Hill in Prattville/Montgomery is the home of the Navistar LPGA Classic and offers three 18-hole courses: The Senator, a traditional, Scottish-style layout; The Legislator, comparable to some of the more famous courses in North Carolina; and The Judge, featuring elevation drops of more than 200 feet.

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olf course architect Robert Trent Jones saw the group of public courses he designed in Alabama as his version of the Sistine Chapel, and as The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail prepares to welcome its 10 millionth visitor next year (its 20th) golf enthusiasts can be forgiven for comparing it to Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The 26 courses, now widely known simply as “the Trail,” offer a total of 468 holes at 11 locations across the state, and its long list of accolades includes recognition as the best golf-destination value in the country, according to a recent Golf Digest survey. Golfers in the same survey put the Trail among the top eight in the nation for quality of golf.

Additionally, the Trail has been a strong contributor to Alabama’s economy: In the past 10 years, tourism dollars have

increased from less than $2.5 billion to roughly $9.3 billion.

The Trail’s artfully designed and beautifully landscaped courses, according to The New York Times, are “some of the best public golf on earth.” The Wall Street Journal said the Trail “may be the best bargain in the country.” Green fees along the Trail average $50; during peak season, the highest fee at most courses is $64.

The Trail stretches from the rolling hills of northern and central Alabama to the wetlands and woods near the Gulf Coast, and is the largest golf course construction project in history. More than 100 miles of courses have been built, with each course ranging from 4,500 to 8,191 yards. Each of the eight stops on the Trail is within a two-hour drive of the Trail course closest to it, and each is within

15 minutes of a major interstate. Courses are located in or near Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Greenville, Huntsville, Mobile, Point Clear, Prattville (near Montgomery), Hoover and Muscle Shoals/Florence.

Cambrian Ridge in Greenville features three nine-hole courses. The Loblolly exudes a stately, Augusta-like quality. The Canyon is carved from former hunting grounds where deer blinds remain nailed to the hardwoods, and offers a thrilling stretch of “target-style” golf. The Sherling’s ninth hole rises straight uphill past a deep ravine strewn with ochre boulders to a lolling tongue of a double green.

Capitol Hill in Prattville/Montgomery is the home of the Navistar LPGA Classic, and offers three 18-hole courses.

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The Senator is a traditional, Scottishstyle layout, with more than 150 pot bunkers and mounds 20 to 40 feet in height located so that the cart path or any other hole cannot be seen from a given fairway. Bent-grass greens provide exceptional conditions 12 months a year.

The Legislator features huge pine trees and has been compared to some of the more famous courses in North Carolina.

The Judge plays alongside the Alabama

green on the 15th hole might be the most picturesque on the entire Trail. More than half of the Short Course’s 18 holes touch the lake.

Hampton Cove in Huntsville also offers three 18-hole courses. The Highlands emulates a Scottish course and is planted with thousands of Japanese black pines, oaks, dogwoods and crepe myrtles. The River is the only Trail course without a bunker. Laid out on former soybean

marsh filled with lichen-dappled trees.

The Short Course has perhaps the bestputting Bermuda greens in the South.

Magnolia Grove in Mobile comprises three 18-hole courses, as well. The Falls is laced with large, liberally contoured greens and massive cloverleaf bunkers. Its 570-yard, par-5 10th hole has a waterfall that cascades across steps immediately below a green that falls eight feet from front to back. The Crossings is a shot-maker’s heaven, with several pulpit greens elevated well above fairway levels. Most of the holes on the Short Course call for forced carries over marsh to liberally sloped, bulk-headed greens.

Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear is the site of the historic Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa, built in 1847. Lakewood’s Azalea course was renovated in 2005, and the Dogwood course renovation was completed in 2004. The Grand Hotel sits on 550 acres along Mobile Bay and has 405 rooms, 23 meeting rooms, a European-style spa, multiple beaches and magnificent feature pools. Grand hotel guests have playing privileges at these two amazing tracks, and the resort consistently ranks as one of Marriott’s best hotels in North America for guest satisfaction.

At 8,191 yards from the back tees, Ross Bridge in Birmingham is the third

Cambrian Ridge in Greenville features three nine-hole courses: The Loblolly exudes a stately, Augusta-like quality; The Canyon is carved from former hunting grounds and is a target-style track; and The Sherling’s ninth hole rises straight uphill past a steep ravine to a treacherous double green.

River, with 12 water-bordering holes that provide some of the most spectacular scenery and golfing exhilaration in the world, along with elevation drops of more than 200 feet.

Grand National in Auburn/Opelika and its three 18-hole courses has been named the best public golf in the country

by Golf World readers. The Links is the cornerstone of the Grand National complex, and its 18th hole is billed as the strongest finishing hole on the Trail. The Lake course includes 12 holes that hug the lake’s shore, and its 230-yard island

fields in the flood plain of the Flint River basin, The River is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago – dirt has been simply pushed up to create the greens and tees. And 11 of the Short Course’s 18 holes have water in play.

Highland Oaks in Dothan features four distinct 9-hole courses. The Highlands is relatively open, with several lakes in play. The Marshwood is known for its notorious par-5 6th hole, a 701-yarder.

The Magnolia is graced by magnolia trees on high ground that is reached via a 1,000-foot wooden bridge spanning a

Magnolia Grove’s The Falls course is laced with large greens and massive cloverleaf bunkers. The Crossings is a shot maker’s delight, with several pulpit greens, while the Short Course calls for forced carries over marsh on many of the holes.

34 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

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longest golf course in the world. The course meanders through indigenous landscape and around the new Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. Symbolic of an old parkland style course, 10 holes play along the banks of two significant lakes connected by a spectacular water fall dropping over 80 feet between the ninth and 18th greens. Ross Bridge is the host of the Regions Charity Classic, a PGA Champions event each May. Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham is another 54-hole gem. The Ridge boasts rolling fairways, heavy tree cover and sharp, 150-foot elevation changes. Extremely photogenic, this course’s par-5 12th hole is buttressed by a shelf of exposed shale rock - a reminder of the area’s strong mining and manufacturing past. The Valley’s 18th hole – nicknamed “The Assassin” – is a 441-yard par-4 that rises to a dramatic finish. Golf Digest’s Places to Play listed the Short Course one of the nation’s Great Value courses. These courses are located adjacent to Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa. Silver Lakes in Anniston/Gadsden – and its four nine-hole courses – is currently closed due to tornado damage.

The Heartbreaker is considered by many to be the most challenging nine holes on the Trail if played from the championship tees. The Backbreaker is a photographer’s dream, with stunning views of the Appalachian foothills from the elevated tees.

Other courses include The Mindbreaker and The Short Course, both with their own unique challenges.

The Fighting Joe course at the Shoals in Florence course opened in August 2004 and is the first Trail course to break 8,000 yards. First reports indicate The Schoolmaster may be a tougher course than Fighting Joe, with narrower fairways, tree-lined greens and a length of nearly 8,000 yards. The nearby Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa has 200 luxurious rooms overlooking the Tennessee River and was ranked one of Marriott’s top hotels for guest satisfaction and golf in 2006 and 2007.

After challenging round of golf, splurge a little and enjoy the luxurious Resort Collection on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Resort Collection features six of Alabama’s Four Diamond Hotels and some of the finest spas in

North America.

With four fullservice Marriott Hotels and four Renaissance Hotels, the good life on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail just got better and more affordable.

Since 1847, The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear has maintained a gracious tradition of Southern hospitality on historic Mobile Bay. The Grand Hotel consistently receives the AAA Four Diamond Award and is a family-friendly historical hotel that is 164 years young. All 405 luxurious guest rooms were updated in 2010. In addition to world-class golf and the 20,000square-foot spa, the Originally built in 1852, the 238-room Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa, resort has a variety of renovated and reopened in May 2007, has been named one of National Geographic’s “Top activities including Places to Stay in North America.” eight rubico tennis erview Plaza Hotel in Mobile a favorite courts, a croquet for business guests. Leisure travelers will lawn, horseshoes, bikes, kayaks, sailboats enjoy easy access to the Alabama Cruise and other watercraft for guests’ enjoyment.

Terminal, the home port for the CarniOriginally built in 1852 and closed val Cruise Line’s Holiday ship. Renaisin the mid-1970s, the 238-room Battle sance Riverview Plaza also is a short House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa has been restored to its original grandeur. walk from the city’s Carnival Museum, the Museum of Mobile and the Gulf The Battle House reopened in May 2007 Coast Exploreum Science Center, which and has been named as one of the “Top also features blockbuster exhibitions 500 Hotels in the World by Travel + Leisure in 2009. The new spa and historic Having just undergone a $50 million renovation, the 374 plush guest rooms lobby, restaurant and ballrooms make are as popular as the hotel’s spectacular Battle House the perfect urban retreat views of Mobile Bay. for business and leisure guests with an The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel affinity for the finer things in life. The & Spa at the Convention Center opened hotel has been named one of National in February 2008 and brings Alabama’s Geographic Traveler’s “Top Places to Stay” capital city a great cultural, culinary and in North America. corporate hub.

The hotel features 346 A prime downtown location with a luxurious rooms and suites, several rescovered walkway to the Mobile Conventaurants and bars, an 1,800 seat performtion Center makes the Renaissance Riv-

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ing arts center and a European-style spa.

Located near the Alabama River, Renaissance Montgomery is a part of the city’s downtown revitalization. For concerts, plays and general entertainment, the hotel’s 1,800-seat performing arts centre is quickly becoming the city’s social hot spot. The Renaissance Montgomery is approximately 10 minutes from the Capitol Hill site on the RTJ Trail.

Minutes from downtown Montgomery and near the Bass Pro Shop, the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center at Capitol Hill’s 95 guest rooms were completely renovated in 2009. Seventy-four spacious guest rooms are located in the main lodge. Two eight-room luxury villas have living areas for informal gatherings and are ideal for golf groups. The Marriott’s Oak Tavern offers dining with an extraordinary view overlooking the 17th Fairway of the Senator Course. Indoor and outdoor dining options are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Birmingham has been named “One of the Top 500 Hotels in

the World” by Travel + Leisure magazine.

This four diamond resort has 259 guest rooms, with balconies overlooking the fourth longest golf course in the world at 8,191 yards from the tips. The resort has 11 spacious suites, for an extra level of comfort and indulgence. Between Ross Bridge and nearby Oxmoor Valley, golfers have access to 54 holes of golf at this luxury resort.

Overlooking the Tennessee River and historic Wilson Dam in Florence, Alabama, the Marriott Shoals Hotel &

After a day spent pounding a golf ball around the Ross Bridge Course, at 8,191 yards from the tips the third longest golf course in the world, a cool libation at the Clubhouse Bar is the “order of the day.”

Spa continues to be the Marriott leader for exceptional golf, hotel rooms, pools and overall guest satisfaction. The 200 guest rooms, including seven suites, have private balconies and riverfront views.

The Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa is a short distance from two new Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses: Fighting Joe and Schoolmaster. In addition to great golf, the Shoals area is internationally known for two things: bass fishing and a rich musical heritage.

Granted, it may be something of a stretch to compare the Trail to the Sistine Chapel. After all, as it turns 20 next year the Chapel will be turning, oh, about 800. And it is rather difficult, when you really think about it, to conflate the paint brush of Michelangelo with the backhoe of Trent Jones. But it’s apparent that they both have an eye for beauty, and if Michelangelo were a golfer it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find him teeing it up on the Trail. But since it took him nearly six years to complete just the Last Judgement portion of the Chapel ceiling, you’ll want to be sure you’re not playing behind him.

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P G A

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Tour News The Heritage Classic survives, and there’s a lesson to be learned.

Photo courtesy of Heritage Classic Foundation

Hilton Head Island, SC

T

he warm blast of air emanating from the South Carolina Lowcountry on June 16 had nothing to do with the wacky weather experienced throughout the U.S. during 2011. It was a collective sigh of relief from 30,000 or so local residents upon hearing that their PGA Tour event had a future.

The Tour and event operator Heritage Classic Foundation jointly announced that day that the Royal Bank of Canada agreed to a five-year deal to serve as title sponsor for the Heritage tournament, played for the past 43 years on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Also announced was the participation of The Boeing Company as a “local presenting sponsor” for the tournament. Earlier this year, the aircraft company opened a manufacturing facility near Charleston, Hilton Head Island’s coastal neighbor to the north.

The announcement ended 18 months of discussion, debate, hand-wringing, and more than a few sleepless nights for those intimately associated with or even remotely concerned about the tournament. Verizon discontinued its sponsorship of the event in 2010, the end of a 24-year partnership that also included the communications giant’s predecessors, MCI and WorldCom. Since then, tournament officials worked tirelessly to secure a new title sponsor against formidable odds. As the weeks and months passed, it became eminantly clear that few, if any, corporations would be willing to devote $8 million to a golf tournament in the midst of a historic economic recession.

As the 2011 tournament approached, the cautious optimism long expressed

by Tournament Director Steve Wilmot and his staff seemed to give way to quiet desperation. Wilmot, one of the most likeable guys in the golf business, admitted to Fox Business News that the tournament was strapped for cash and that “closing the doors” had become a reality. Golf Digest

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The first Heritage was won under the unfinished Harbour Town lighthouse in 1969 by Arnold Palmer.

The Royal Bank of Canada has agreed to a five-year deal to serve as title sponsor through 2016 for the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, for 43 years one of the most popular stops on the PGA Tour for both players and fans.

and Golf Magazine both hinted that the end was near for the Hilton Head Island event and that its demise was virtually guaranteed if a sponsor wasn’t secured by the close of this year’s tournament on April 24. And there was no shortage of possible solutions proposed online by the public. One wag suggested that the Heritage become a joint event with the LPGA (as if that tour doesn’t have its own problems, but more on that in a moment).

Another commentator inexplicably proposed that Augusta National take on the sponsorship role, with no viable rationale other than the fact that the Heritage has traditionally followed the Masters on the Tour schedule. Hmmm…

But, of course, the 2011 Heritage came and went without a new sponsorship commitment. It took almost two more months before a formal announcement was made, with smiles and handshakes all around among RBC and Boeing officials, Wilmot and Heritage Classic Foundation Chairman Simon Fraser, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and PGA Tour Commissioner

Tim Finchem. Indeed, it took a village, but the event that helped define Hilton Head Island won a five-year reprieve.

And this is where a valuable lesson can be learned about the future of bigmoney sponsorships in professional golf: take nothing for granted. The Heritage was certainly not alone in its arduous quest to survive. If you want trouble, take a look at the LPGA Tour. The women’s circuit began 2011 with just 23 events on its calendar, as disappearing sponsors helped shutter long-standing tournaments.

From the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open on July 10 to the start of the Safeway Classic on Aug. 18, there were no official LPGA events held. Zero.

The Heritage beat the odds, but it’s a safe bet that Wilmot and his staff have already begun plotting a strategy for 2016 when the RBC agreement comes to an end.

As anyone in the golf business will attest, the halcyon days are long gone. Running a professional golf tournament is undoubtedly a monumental task, but it’s nothing compared to trying to save one.

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Making a Difficult Game Easier Courses Embrace Tee it Forward

G

olf is anything but a game of easy.

In fact, for more than 90 percent (if not higher) of the amateurs that play the game of golf, it’s a hard damn game. The object of putting a small ball in an equally small hole some 400 yards away on average is equally nuts as it is difficult. The equipment is hard to hit.

The rules are hard to understand, remember, and, to be honest, always adhere to.

So it’s with that in mind that any idea, inclination or innovation that makes the game easier to play, more enjoyable to endure and more satisfying at the end is worth exploring at the very least. Such an innovation is taking root and being championed by leaders of the sport that promises to lower the scores of even the lowliest of players.

A joint venture between the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association, the country’s two most influential golf organizations, has spawned

a new concept geared toward making the game more “hacker friendly” (my term, not theirs). It’s one that is beginning to gain some steam and make its way across the municipal, public and resort tee boxes across the country. The idea is simple: “Tee it Forward,” and watch the game become more enjoyable and, ultimately, easier to play.

Tee it Forward is actually based on one simple concept, play the golf course from the distance that suits ability level, thus reducing the game’s difficulty while maintaining its primary challenges. The shorter you hit the ball, no matter how good the other aspects of your game are, the shorter tees you play.

For instance, most golfers hit their drive somewhere between 200 and 225 yards on average (albeit not always straight). Those players should play the course of their choosing somewhere between 5,400 and 6,000 yards to take

on what their game can essentially chew.

In creating the program, the PGA and USGA have incorporated a grid of sorts that matches driving distance with the length of course that should be played.

In the instance the distance leaves a player between tees, the program suggests they “move it forward” and enjoy shorter approach shots with easier-to-play clubs.

Following that rule, golfers will have shorter distances to navigate hazards off the tee and when in trouble will be further down the hole to help get out of it without a figure resembling a snowman appearing on the scorecard. In other words, the game becomes easier even when our swings make it harder.

“Simply put, Tee It Forward can make golf much more fun for millions of people,” said Allen Wronowski, president of the PGA of America. “We believe that by moving up to another set of tees, golfers will experience an exciting new

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approach to the game that will produce more enjoyment and elevate their desire to come back and play even more golf.”

The movement, which had its origins with Barney Adams of Adams Golf and is now being championed by the PGA and its membership, has moved somewhat slowly but is starting to gain steam, especially among players that care more about enjoying the game than feeding an ego through it.

Granted it’s never easy to beg forward a tee box when partners are playing the course back, but acknowledging the limitations of one’s own game doesn’t mean that game is unworthy of the golf course being played. Distance from tee to green and from one side of a hazard to the other is a constant challenge of the game; but it’s one made all the more easier when the proper distance is adhered to.

“The passion that golfers have for our game has the potential to be enhanced by the Tee it Forward initiative,” said Jim Hyler, president of the USGA. “This is an innovation that we think will appeal to golfers of all skill levels because it gives them a new challenge that better aligns

with their abilities. We hope that Tee it Forward will be embraced by players and golf facilities across the country.”

Not only should the theory be embraced by players of average ability but also by lower-handicap golfers that might just find the time of rounds reduced as the idea gains momentum. With middle- to higher-handicap players finding more suitable tees, less trouble might be found and more easily escaped from when it does rear its ugly head.

The end result might be more fourhour rounds of golf, which the game desperately needs, rather than the often unbearable five- or five-and-half hour weekend odysseys. It’s a fact that even one of the greatest professionals golfers of any generation agrees with.

“I love the game of golf but I will be the first to tell you that there are things about our game we need to improve,” said 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus. “Now the PGA of America and the

USGA have come together to develop ways to make the game more attractive and enjoyable.”

The program, Nicklaus believes, will also help the game continue to cultivate the positive family appeal that could help it rebound from several years of a backward slide in participation. If father, mother and

“Simply put, Tee It Forward can make golf much more fun for millions of people,” siblings can play from different tees that fit their skill and length, a more enjoyable round of golf, and even some fair competition, can well be the end result.

“I think families around the country will enjoy alternate formats like this to make the game more fun,” Nicklaus said.

At the end of the day, that’s the goal of Tee It Forward; make the game a little easier and a whole lot more fun so a whole lot more people play it and stay with it.

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BEST OF THE BEACH Golf is grand from the heart of Myrtle Beach to the Carolina border Just by its sheer size, the greater Myrtle Beach area has naturally evolved into a collection of smaller regions, each with its own character, features and attractions. But the legendary stature of this coastal destination is perhaps best defined by the exhilarating excitement of Central Myrtle Beach and the stellar resorts and courses that comprise North Myrtle Beach. Together, these two areas offer an unforgettable experience that exemplifies the allure of the “Grand Strand.”

Meadowlands

Tidewater

Central Myrtle Beach: A Seamless Blend of Old and New Emboldened by the opening of the nationally-acclaimed Grande Dunes Resort nearly a decade ago, and lifted by the redesign of the venerable Pine Lakes Golf Club, the heart of Myrtle Beach is quickly claiming the hearts of the millions of golfers that flock to the Grand Strand every year. Further en-

hancing the area’s profile is the 36-hole Myrtlewood Golf Club and longtime Strand favorite Arcadian Shores.

There’s little argument that the creation of the Grande Dunes Resort, which includes a private Nick Price-designed Members Club and a Resort Course crafted by Roger Rulewich,

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SEC TION has been the most significant addition to the Myrtle Beach golf scene in the past decade. Rulewich, a disciple of the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., crafted the Resort Course as a challenging but fair test with seven holes along the Intracoastal Waterway, 34 acres of fresh-water lakes, rolling fairways with dramatic elevation changes, and strategic bunkering throughout.

Myrtle Beach’s reputation was well established long before Grande Dunes, thanks in large part to Pine Lakes Country Club. Affectionately dubbed “The Granddaddy,” Pine Lakes dates back to 1927. A few years ago, owner/operator Burroughs and Chapin closed the course for an extensive renovation intended to return the course to its glory days and pay homage to the original design by Robert White. The course reopened almost two years ago, and the redesign has been praised for the striking balance between the original design elements and some exciting new features.

The new and the newly restored in central Myrtle Beach are complemented by the 36-hole Myrtlewood Golf Club. The PineHills and Palmetto courses, crafted by Arthur Hills and Edmund Ault respectively, offer unique challenges with strategic water hazards, mounded fairways, challenging bunkering and well-guarded greens. PineHills is Hills’ only Grand Strand design, and Palmetto has long been ranked among the finest repeat play courses in Myrtle Beach.

Speaking of impressive, Arcadian Shores has been just that for many years. Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1974, Arcadian Shores combines tree-lined Bermuda fairways, imposing lakes and dramatic bunkering into a design that has challenged and thrilled Grand Strand golfers for nearly four decades.

Bringing the past to the present and ensuring the future of Myrtle Beach golf, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes, Myrtlewood and Arcadian Shores have all built and built upon the legend of the Grand Strand.

Grande Dunes

owlands and Farmstead. Located less than a mile from one another, these two layouts are perhaps the most underrated among the classic courses that hug the South Carolina/North Carolina border.

Farmstead offers not only one of the best layouts in Myrtle Beach, but also one of the most unforgettable holes in the region.

The Grand Strand’s only par-six, the 600-yard-plus 18th hole begins in South Carolina and finishes in the Tarheel state. With five sets of tee boxes and an open, spacious layout, Meadowlands has also been cited as one of the country’s most women-friendly courses.

While just a sampling of the North Myrtle Beach golf experience, Tidewater, River Hills, Farmstead and Meadowlands are certainly representative of what golfers can expect when they “head for the border” at the upper reaches of the Grand Strand.

Your personal vacation caddy.

North Myrtle Beach: Bordering on Perfection Encompassing an area that stretches across the South Carolina border into North Carolina, the northern end of Myrtle Beach is as rich in golf as its beaches, entertainment and overall family fun. The courses of the “northern Strand” range from well-known and acclaimed courses like Tidewater Golf Club and River Hills to hidden gems such as Farmstead and Meadowlands.

Long regarded as a must-play in the North Myrtle Beach area is Tidewater Golf Club. Crafted by Ken Tomlinson, this layout meanders along the Intracoastal Waterway and around breathtaking salt marshes. The course recently underwent an extensive and ambitious redesign in conjunction with its 20th anniversary. As a result, a course deemed the “Pebble Beach of the East Coast” and perennially ranked by leading publications as one of South Carolina’s best is better than ever.

Nearby is another golf course that has earned its fair share of accolades, the Tom Jackson-designed River Hills Golf and Country Club. Noted for its design and playability, River Hills was carved from the quiet woodlands of Little River, and with elevation changes of up to 40 feet, it is as visually stunning as it is challenging.

Another strong pair on the northern end of the Strand is Mead-

THE FAB FOUR 4-round golf itinerary starting at $188. Choose from Meadowlands, Farmstead, River Hills and Arcadian Shores.

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Right on Course Golfer’s Guide tees off on its next phase In August 2011, Glenn Klepchick joined the Hilton Head Island-based Golfer’s Guide Marketing Solutions as its new Chief Operating Officer. An on again/off again resident of the Island for 30 years, his previous business experience includes senior level positions with AOL, IBM and iXL, as well as CEO of the Americas for ADPepper Media NV. Congratulations on your new job.

“Growing?” In this economy?

Glenn Klepchick: Thanks. Marc Frey made me one of those offers I couldn’t refuse — the challenge of helping to reinvent one of the biggest brands in the golf business and set a new standard for interactivity and value in the online golf-information space. And I get to stay on this fabulous island of Hilton Head that I’m lucky enough to call home. In the past, my life revolved around airline and off-site meeting schedules; now I can work from my south-end office or the golf course or the beach or wherever — it doesn’t get any better than that..

GK: It’s thrive-or-die time for businesses like ours. So we’re going to increase our print circulation, online viewership and enhance our multi-national team — that last one being the most important because we can’t accomplish the other two without the best and brightest people making it happen.

By “biggest brands” you mean Golfer’s Guide….

GK: Right. Golfer’s Guide publishes 55 magazines in 20 major golf markets in the U.S. and Canada, reaching roughly 15 million readers annually. In terms of total North American circulation, we’re No. 3 and growing.

How many people does that involve?

GK: Right now we have 10 full-time employees in the corporate office here on the island and between 25 and 30 local contractors at any given time supporting their efforts. With the managers and contractors based in our other markets, we’re over 40 people and counting.

But the success of any expansion efforts will be directly tied to our productivity here at the island office, so we’re putting together an all-star team: Matt Ondo, our new Chief Financial Officer; Fred Warren, formerly of LINKS Magazine is our new publisher for the Hilton

The Golfer’s Guide team, L-R: Ashley Hamilton, CFL Matt Ondo, CEO Marc Frey, COO Glenn Klepchick, Lisa KunkleMeyers, Tiffany Taylor.

Head magazine; Ashley Hamilton heads up our Operations and Support Organization with the help of Tiffany Taylor; Lisa Kunkle-Meyers is handling businessdevelopment opportunities on a national scale and Karen Rhodes supports our online efforts. These are outstanding folks — dedicated, creative and passionate about our future as a company. And of course, our leader is Marc Frey, who has built the Golfer’s Guide brand with intelligence and vision. With others of us taking over the dynamic day-today operations, Marc has more time to pursue new opportunities, explore new ideas to enhance our clients’ marketing capabilities and focus on expanding into new markets.

Are there really any “new markets” to expand into these days?

GK: Yes, if you know where to look for them. There’s no doubt that the golf business has been hurt like just about every business in the last few years — maybe even a little bit more than most

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because golf is a recreational pursuit that can become a luxury in the average household when times are tight. So companies like Golfer’s Guide have the challenge of creating new products and services that offer our customers better value. Now our flagship publications — the seasonal visitor guide in those 20 golf destinations — have always been free, so if you can’t reduce the price, you have to improve the quality to reach more readers. That means improving the editorial content, the advertising diversity, the number of distribution locations — and that’s just for the print publications. The opportunity for online growth is even greater.

New websites?

GK: Yes, but it’s more than that these days. We’ll be launching some new websites next year and significantly enhancing the content of GolfersGuide.com and TeeTimeSavings.com, among others. But one of the things that makes us optimistic is that, while overall economic

growth has been stagnant in recent years, there’s been a revolution in smartphones.

This creates tremendous potential if you already have an established brand name in the informationservices industry — particularly in a large niche business where the customers, by definition, are on the go. So we’ll be debuting Golfer’s Guide smartphone apps in 2012 that will make our information about golf courses and golf services and golf-related businesses like resorts and restaurants available anywhere, any time at 4G speed.

So do you think magazines will be obsolete in, say, five years?

GK: Absolutely not. They are the hook, our grassroots platform for exposure, and will play an important role for our businesses for years to come. Certainly, for those of us over 40. We’re planning to play golf and take vacations for many years into the future and part of that experience is picking up those free magazines at welcome centers and off the racks that tell us more about the courses,

hotels, restaurants, shops and so forth in our chosen destination. We’re in talks right now to add to the number of those golf destinations that we cover because there are still print opportunities in locations where we think that advertisers and visitors would benefit from a new Golfer’s Guide in their areas.

And those are just the visitors’ guides. We think there’s also a local golf community right here on Hilton Head, in Bluffton and throughout the Lowcountry that would benefit from a new kind of golf publication, one geared to club members and daily-fee players alike. It’ll have local news, interviews, community features and more, all tied in with a new online presence that will give golfers in our area a hub for the latest information and a place to share ideas and opinions.

To learn more about Golfer’s Guide, visit their website, www.golfersguide.com or call 843-842-7878.

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WATTS TIP: Don’t buy irons based on aesthetics. While you need to be comfortable with their looks, opt for the models that fit your player type. So if you’re a high-handicap and are considering blades because of their classic, timeless attraction, think again. Go with cast cavity backs bearing perimeter weighting.

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PING designers engineered extreme forgiveness and predictable distance control into the G20 irons { 4-PW, UW, SW, LW } RH LH Sr 4-PW $612.50 STL $787.50 GRA UW, SW, LW #29162 $87.50 STL $112.50 GRA

c. TITLEIST AP2 | irons #29566 Advanced performance, multi-material irons that offer playability, the traditional solid feel of a forged iron and contemporary yet classic looks for the skilled to highly skilled golfer { 3-PW } RH LH 3-PW $1099.99 STL d. CLEVELAND MASHIE | irons #30606

Optimized for distance, forgiveness and versatility, Mashie irons are ideal for beginners and all players looking to score better { 3H, 4H, 5H, 6-PW, DW, SW } RH LH Sr 3H, 4H, 5H, 6-PW $599.99 GRA/STL $649.99 GRA/GRA 4H, 5H, 6-PW $524.99 GRA/STL $569.99 GRA/GRA DW, SW #30607 $74.99 STL $84.99 GRA

e. MIZUNO JPX-800HD™ | irons #29239 MAX COR pocket construction and Multi-thickness Hot Metal face deliver the highest allowable COR for amazing distance { 4H, 5H, 6-PW, GW } RH 4H, 5H, 6-PW, GW $699.99 STL $899.99 GRA f. ADAMS IDEA A12 OS | irons #29551

The Idea a12 OS hybrid irons are built with ultra thin faces, perimeter weighting and low CG’s throughout the set { 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 5-PW, AW, SW, LW } RH LH Women’s #29552 { 4H, 5H, 6H, 7-PW, GW } W 4H, 5H, 6H, 7-PW, GW $599.99 GRA/STL $699.99 GRA/GRA 4H, 5H, 6H, 7-PW, GW (Womens) $699.99 GRA

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PING NOME™ 355 #31757

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WATTS TIP: Be cognizant of the new belly putter when selecting a putter, it’s gaining momentum at every level of play.

The putter is the most-personal club in your bag. On every hole, you need to be precise and comfortable with it.

Thus, you want it to feel just right in your hands. Most golfers are just starting to realize that they can get a putter fitted to their unique stroke. Let the Watts Guys do the same for you, finding you a model that will help you roll the ball more often directly on target.

We analyze your stroke and can suggest the ideal model for you. Or you can have a model tailored to your alignment, impact sound and feel, face type, length, loft, lie and weight. Alignment is key – most golfers are actually not aiming the ball where they think they are. We will get you on track. Sound and feel at impact are also key, as they combine to give you the sensory feedback that helps you determine how hard you need to stroke the ball. Different face types will affect this factor, and we will help you find the one that’s best for you. Then there’s a matter of length.

With long and belly putters becoming so popular in late 2011 because of their ease of use, many golfers want to try them. Edwin Watts Golf has a great selection of longer putters. We can show you how they’ll fare for you, as opposed to a standard-length model. And of course, no matter which model you choose, we fit you for the proper loft, lie and weight so that the ball gets on a true roll as soon as it leaves your putter face, allowing you to experience consistency in distance and directional control.

a. TAYLORMADE GHOST MANTA | putters

Easy Alignment and Fantastic Forgiveness in a Simple Shape Ghost Manta #31185 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH LH Ghost Manta CS #31189 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH LH

$179.99 ea Ghost Manta Belly #31184 { 41 & 43 } RH Ghost Manta CS Long #31186 { 48 } RH

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$199.99 ea b. CLEVELAND CLASSIC BELLY | putters #30050 Longer length allows it to be anchored to your mid-section for better stability and more consistent setup and alignment { 39”, 41”, 43” & 45” }

$129.99 ea c. ODYSSEY METAL-X | putters

Dual layered insert designed to put a consistent, true roll on the ball with amazing feedback and feel 2-Ball #31285 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH LH D.A.R.T. #31286 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH LH

$179.99 ea d. TITLEIST SCOTTY CAMERON SELECT GoLo | putters

Elegant rounded profile and racy soleplate with Select weighting technology for modern balance and stability GoLo #31752 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH LH GoLo S #31753 { 33, 34 & 35 } RH

$349.99 ea e. YES! BELLA-12 | putters #31300 Features C-Groove technology with new TPU 65D face inserts for improved feel, alignment and increased accuracy for off-center hits { 34 & 35 } RH LH

$149.99 ea f. RIFE BARBADOS | putter

Features RIFE’s patented RollGroove face technology that produces a quicker roll and a softer feel.

HS Silver #5205 { 34 & 35 } RH LH $149.99 ea $169.99 ea Tropical #24526 { 34 & 35 } RH LH CS Belly Silver #32016 { 41 & 43 } RH $189.99 ea HS Long Tropical #32017 { 50 } RH $199.99 ea

edwinwattsgolf.com | 800.874.0146

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approaching your target

Many golfers fear those daunting wedge shots the most.

These types of strokes require you to sometimes be delicate while taking a full swing, or to other times take an abbreviated swing and loft the ball up quickly before stopping on a dime. Not an easy task. But we can make things a lot easier on you. Through a state-of-the-art fitting system, we will determine which wedges bear the proper lofts, bounce angles, sole shapes and loft gapping for your game. We’ll watch your swing, ask you about the types of short shots you typically hit, and then work with you to find your Utopian wedges.

Without a doubt, you want consistency from your wedges, in terms of distance, feel and performance. This type of control improves your confidence in your short game so you can attack the pin more often.

Black Pearl #32235

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WATTS TIP: Wedge shafts play stiff because they’re shorter, the clubheads are heavier, you swing them at the slowest speed of any club so they won’t bend, and the high lofts take away impact force. Also know that a soft wedge shaft tip lowers ball trajectory a bit, and increases spin, to optimize control.

a. CALLAWAY FORGED WEDGES | wedges The Tour-inspired shape has a higher toe and straighter leading edge for a square look at address { 52˚, 54˚, 56˚, 58˚, 60˚, 62˚ & 64˚ } RH { 52˚, 56˚, 60˚ & 64˚ } LH Forged Copper Wedge #30691 Forged Dark Chrome Wedge #30692

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b. TITLEIST VOKEY SM4 | wedges

The new SM4 wedges feature tour-validated shapes and sole grinds with enhanced Spin Milled face technology for maximum spin and even greater shot control { Call for availability } RH LH Tour Chrome #29562, Black Nickel #29563 Oil Can #29564

$129.99 ea c. COBRA TRUSTY RUSTY | wedge

Traditionally shaped wedges designed for versatility and shot making { 49˚, 51˚, 53˚, 55˚, 57˚, 59˚ & 61˚ } RH { 53˚, 55˚ & 61˚ } LH Rust #29928, Satin #29924, Black #29926

$119.99 ea d. MIZUNO MP R-12™ | wedges Patented Grain Flow Forged™ 1025E “Pure Select” mild carbon steel for a soft, solid and consistent feel White Satin #29236 { 50˚, 52˚, 54˚, 56˚, 58˚ & 60˚ } RH { 52˚, 56˚ & 60˚ } LH Black Nickel #29237 { 52˚, 54˚, 56˚, 58˚, 60˚ & 64˚ } RH

$119.99 ea e. WILSON FG TOUR | wedge #27181 An additional milled pattern is etched into the face at the optimum angle of impact to deliver greater ball control from wet and long grass Wide Sole and Low CG { 50˚, 52˚, 54˚, 56˚, 58˚ & 60˚ } RH { 52˚, 56˚ & 60˚ } LH

$99.99 ea e. TOUR EDGE TOUR PROTO V1.1 | wedge#30856 The Exotics Tour Proto wedge features a 303 milled stainless steel face for the softest feel. { 50º, 52º, 54º, 56º, 58º, 60º & 62º } RH { 52º, 56º, & 60º } LH

$99.99 ea

edwinwattsgolf.com | 800.874.0146

S L L A B F L O G CALLAWAy Hex bLACk tour #30718

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where various balls help you

It used to be that you could find a hard-feeling ball for longer tee shots, or a softer ball that spun more around the greens for backspin. It was a trade-off. Not anymore.

These days, distance balls feel softer and spin balls can fly further. Manufacturers have miraculously come up with balls that can soar higher and, based off the launch angle, will be able to spin as needed so that you get the optimal combination of tee-shot distance with greenside spin and feel. In fact, some models rev up performance for slower swing speeds, too, to help add some distance to those who need it. That’s why it’s key to get fitted for a ball, whenever possible. Ultimately, it comes down to trial-anderror, but the Watts Guys can help you eliminate a lot of bad choices right out of the chute.

WATTS TIP: There are two main ball cover materials: urethane and ionomer (Surlyn). Urethane is generally used in three-piece balls and is softer. Because ionomer is better at returning energy – it’s firmer, thicker and durable -- it makes an ideal cover for two- and three-piece distance balls since it maintains ball speed.

a. TAYLORMADE PENTA TP5 | golf balls #31157 New Softer Core - High COR for speed/low compression to ease driver-spin u Inner Mantle - Resilient-yet-supple composition boosts speed yet feels soft u Middle Mantle - Works with inner layers to build speed and outer layers to manage spin u Outer Mantle - Works with middle mantle to maximize speed and with soft cover for high greenside spin

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$45.99 dz b. TITLEIST VELOCITY | golf balls #31043 Fast ball speed and low spin for explosive distance. u Deep downrange peak trajectory u Playable feel in the short game u Tight, consistent ball flight Double Digit #31044

$26.99 dz c. SRIXON-STAR SL | golf balls Tour feel and control u Less than 95 mph swingspeed u High approach wedge spin Pure White #31743, Tour Yellow #31744

$44.99 dz d. BRIDGESTONE TOUR B330-RXS | golf balls #28260 Designed for players who prefer maximum Tour spin Tour Performance optimized for AMATEUR swing speeds under 105 mph

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$44.99 dz e. NIKE 20XI-X AND 20XI-S | golf balls Revolutionary to its core u The revolutionary RZN core delivers more distance off the tee and better control around the greens 20XI-X #27500, 20XI-S #27499.

$45.99 dz f. PINNACLE GOLD | golf balls Bolder Long Game, Sharper Short Game u Long, straight distance tee-to-green u Short game control for improved scoring White #30447 & Yellow #30448

$15.99 15 ball pack

edwinwattsgolf.com | 800.874.0146

L E R A P P A adidas COLOR BLOCKED POLO #X23956

Golf apparel pertains to way more than just fashion these days. It’s also about comfort and function. No matter if you’re looking for shirts, skirts, shorts, pants, outerwear, hats, visors, caps, or even socks, there are plenty of products with built-in performance advantages. For example, did you know that many golf jackets these days feature removable sleeves, for play on cooler mornings? Most jackets are whisper-quiet these days, as well, and give you complete freedom of movement during your swing. And cinch straps make jackets and wind shirts fit you to a tee, which prevents them from bulking out as you stand over a putt. A majority of golf garments also sport moisture-wicking technology that keep you cooler and drier throughout your round, by drawing sweat away from your body. Some shirts have built-in SPF, to guard you from the sun. Edwin Watts Golf stocks top clothing from all of the major labels.

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WATTS TIP: Many golf shirts these days have UV protection, which is a nice preventive measure to help you stay skin cancer-free. But it’s always still a good idea to apply sunblock underneath.

a. PUMA VARIEGATED | stripe polo #96705 62% Cotton, 38% Poly Moisture wicking { Sizes: M-XXL } White/Surf

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$69.99 ea b. NIKE STRETCH UV | stripe polo #2510

Solid knit collar, open sleeves u UV protection to 30UPF u 88% Poly, 12% spandex { Sizes: M-XXL } Green #317 (pictured) Black #010, Red #607, Pink #641 Blackened Heather #017, Blue #479 u

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$69.99 ea c. E WHITLEY LADIES PERFORMANCE PIPED | polo #299615 100% Polyester Moisture wicking { Sizes: S-XLG } Italian Rose (pictured) & Marsh

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$24.99 ea d. FOOTJOY STRETCH LISLE STRIPE | polo 88% Poly, 12% Stretch u Moisture wicking, easy care fabric u Anti-microbial

{ Sizes: M-XXL } Yellow/Navy/Ocean #20501 (pictured) White/Navy/Ocean #20500 Coral/Navy/White #20503FJ

$67.99 ea e. OAKLEY STROKE POLO | polo #432271 Self collar, open sleeves Moisture wicking u 100% Polyester { Sizes: M-XXL } Fluid Blue u u

$64.99 ea f. TGIF TOUR ENGINEER | stripe polo #399101 92% Polyester 8% spandex Moisture wicking { Sizes: M-XXL }Black (pictured) & White

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edwinwattsgolf.com | 800.874.0146

T O O F

R A E W it all begins with comfort The key to finding a good pair of golf shoes starts with comfort – it should fit right out of the box with no break-in period. While you’re trying on pairs – which by the way should be in the morning before your feet swell, while you’re wearing your usual golf socks – make sure that the ones you’re considering have intact stitching, a comfortable footbed, and an abrasion-resistant rubber outsole. Also, bend them to ensure that they flex at the forefoot, and not in the middle.

Wear them around our shop for 15 minutes, and take a few practice swings wearing them and make sure that they don’t slide up and down on your feet. Finally, if you tend to play in hot weather, opt for breathable models that vent air through the shoe, to cool down your feet.

FootJoY contour casuals Brown #54275

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WATTS TIP: A general rule of thumb: The pricier the shoe, the better quality its materials. To ensure you’re buying a durable pair, make sure that the stitching is intact. Also peek inside the shoe: Inlay soles and sock liners that are molded and contoured will last longer than the flat ones. Next, bend the shoe: It should flex at the forefoot, and not in the middle.

a. adidas POWERBAND 4.0 | shoes

u FitFOAM速 insole provides ever-lasting cushioning, support and comfort

{ Size: 8-13 Med/Wide }

White/Slime/Black #675057

$149.99 pr b. NIKE LUNAR PREVAIL | shoes #483838 Full-grain waterproof leather Lunarion cushioning in heel { Sizes: 7-12, 13, 14, 15 med } { Sizes: 7.5-12, 13 wide } White/Grey/Blue #101 (pictured) White/Silver/Black #100

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1 year waterproof warranty { Sizes: 8-12, 13, 14 med/wide } White/Vibrant Orange #18592606 (pictured) White/Black-Amazon #18592603

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$89.99 pr d. CALLAWAY LADIES SOLAIRE | shoe #W480 Breathable breeze mesh & Ortholite molded insert { Sizes: 5-10.5, 11 med } White/Pink #13 (pictured) White/Silver #17 , White/Blue #16

$69.99 pr e. ECCO BIOM GOLF HYDROMAX | shoes Superior performance fit and ground feel with remarkablesupport and comfort u Uppers made of high performance and breathable Yak leather { 40-46 } White/Blue #13100457208 (pictured) White/Concrete #13100454322 Black/Steel #13100450598

$234.99 pr f. ASHWORTH CARDIFF | golf shoes

A golf shoe with playability, wearability and a sure-footed spikeless sole { Sizes: 7-13 Med } Navy #G54169 (pictured) , Black #G54170 White #G54168 , Chocolate #G54171 , Iron #G54212

$119.99 pr

edwinwattsgolf.com | 800.874.0146

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Edwin Watts Golf Gift Cards - The perfect gift for any occasion.

To order, call 1.800.874.0146, visit edwinwattsgolf.com or any retail store location

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y ur fashion destination The Watts Guys | edWin Watts GoLf

You already know that Edwin Watts Golf is a phenomenal place to buy golf equipment such as clubs, balls, bags and accessories. But it’s also an excellent apparel destination, as well. In fact, we have a special initiative in 2012 to make a complete commitment in providing our customers with the best apparel and shoe choices in the industry.

Not only do we carry every major name golf apparel brand, but we also recently incorporated two new house brands -TGIF TOUR for men and E Whitley for women – into our shops, website and catalog offerings, to bring you top-notch fashionable clothing made of high-quality performance fabrics at affordable prices.

We will always bring you the hottest and latest trends and fashion. These are apparel products armed with the latest advanced technology built into the garments, such as moisture wicking, breathability, stretchability, SPF, odor control,

and easy care. We’re very much in tune with the pulse of golf fashion. So when you see a Tour Pro wearing something you find attractive on a televised tournament, you can be confident that we stock it in inventory and you can be wearing it quickly.

And then there are shoes. We offer an amazingly thorough selection of shoes and sizes from all of the top shoe manufacturers, to satiate any taste. Again, these include the latest technology features and styles, such as the slew of comfortable and causal cleatless shoes that’s all the rage among golfers this year.

Best of all, you know that Edwin Watts is synonymous with outstanding customer service. We pride ourselves on giving you guaranteed satisfaction every time you call, click or visit us.

Just ask us any questions about apparel and shoes via our call center department or at our retail stores, and you will receive the Watts Guys expert advice.

edwinwattsgolf.com us 800.874.0146 | int 850.244.2066

fit for y ur Game The Watts Guys | edWin Watts GoLf

You would never buy a business suit off the rack and wear it untailored. You’d have to first get it custom-fitted, before ever wearing it – making sure it fit your body well. Buying golf clubs isn’t too different. You find the clubs you like on the rack, then take a few minutes to have them customized to your swing. At no extra charge. Just as the customized suit would look much better on you, customized clubs will perform much better for you.

If you played off-the-rack clubs, you might very well need to adjust your swing to make the clubs work best. But when the Watts Guys fit you for clubs, you can be completely confident that you will be swinging clubs which optimize and enhance all aspects of your game. They’ll be built for your unique swing – from the way you load and unload the club, to the launch conditions you need to get your shots soaring high and far, to the size of your hands, to your clubhead speed, to

the feel you’re looking for, and more.

Playing custom-fit clubs, you’ll find that shots will come easier to you. As will the fairway and green. You’ll no longer obsess if mis-hits were your fault or the club’s. You’ll achieve your desired ball flight much more often. Balls will land softly on the green when you want them to, and target the pin more often. Your scores may very well lower, and so will your frustration level. Your drives will go longer and straighter more often. You’ll get the bragging rights among your friends. Best of all, you will play with more confidence, which will exude in your swing.

The Watts Guys are veterans at custom-fitting clubs. And we’re armed with state-of-the-art technology that makes the process interesting, informative and successful. Come let us show you how properly fit golf clubs will transform your game to the next level.

Visit our tayLormade fittinG Centers LoCated in orLando, fL & Cedar raPids, ia or Get fit at any of our retaiL LoCations.

Offering a true parkland golf setting with abundant greenery and water features more often found in Southern Florida than Southern Nevada, Las Vegas National has hosted Tour events, celebrities and athletes from around the world, and the infamous Rat Pack â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dean Martin and Peter Lawford are rumored to have routinely picked the pockets of pals Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and The Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra.

(Score –)

Card Counting With three legendary courses, eight fabled hotels and a host of perks for small and medium groups, Caesars proves that golf, like virtually everything else in Las Vegas, is a numbers game

By Ed Cherry Photography Courtesy of Cascata and Rio Secco Golf Club

S

ince the halcyon days of Bugsy Siegel’s mid-1940’s Las Vegas, marketing gurus have successfully promoted the fabled Sin City with an extraordinarily large and diverse group of marketing campaigns. Some of these, by turn, include playground for the stars; getaway for the rich and famous; gambling mecca; playground for adults; convention mecca; playground for families; etc.; etc. The one exception: Despite dozens of top-tier courses concentrated in a relatively compact area, Las Vegas has never successfully positioned itself as a golf destination. Remarkably, only about 40% of golf rounds are booked prior to guest arrival, unequivocally the lowest percentage of any true golf destination in the U.S., and in many cases less than half of that of resorts such as Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst, Scottsdale, Palm Springs and Hilton Head Island.

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Caesars Entertainment intends to reshape that dynamic, and with an array of legendary casino hotels and three of the most renowned courses in the Valley, there’s a very good chance they can pull it off.

The flagship of Caesars Golf Las Vegas is undoubtedly Cascata Golf Club, located about 30 minutes from the southern end of the Strip in Boulder City. Billed as “a tranquil oasis ... and quite simply Las Vegas’ ultimate natural golf experience,” Cascata has, since its opening in 2000, either received or been nominated for every major accolade from every major golf publication or web site on the planet. “Number 1 Golf Facilities in the U.S.” from the 2009 Zagat Survey; “Top Casino Courses in the U.S.” (No. 4), Golfweek 2007; “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” (No. 49), Golf Digest 2010; “Best Resort Courses in the U.S. (No. 16), Golfweek 2005. The list goes on and on.

Designed by renowned golf course architect Rees Jones, the par-72, 7,137-yard championship layout features stunning vistas at every turn, including the 3,600-

74 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

foot peak at Red Mountain, lush fairways, lakes and streams. One of those many streams emanates from a 418-foot waterfall that flows down the mountainside, over mammoth boulders, cascading into a river that roars through the clubhouse.

(Cascata, after all, is Italian for “waterfall.”)

Although Cascata’s total golf experience begins at its private gates, arrival at Above: With an interior design and atmosphere reminiscent of a Rodeo Drive boutique, the stunningly beautiful Golf Shop at Cascata offers the very latest in equipment, stylish apparel and accessories. Below: The 566-yard, par-5 eighth hole at Rio Secco, with the Las Vegas Strip looming in the background, culminates at the well-protected green, with strategic bunkering front and right and virtually no bail-out areas for errant approach shots.

the Tuscan-style, 37,000-square-foot clubhouse is where golfers truly begin to realize they’re in for something very special. Offering an Old World ambience of unpretentious luxury, the clubhouse comprises a dining room featuring an appetizing menu sure to impress every taste; a Cigar Lounge with an excellent collection of rare and fine tobaccos stocked in the customdesigned humidor; a stunningly beautiful Golf Shop offering the very latest in equipment, stylish apparel and accessories; and

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Men’s and Women’s lounges equipped with every conceivable amenity, including sink-side flat-screen TVs. Class A PGA professionals attend to equipment, fashion and instruction needs, and players are accompanied on-course by a mandatory Tour-class caddie. Even the rental clubs are top-of-the-line Callaway Razr irons and Diablo Octane woods. The cost is $75 per set and includes two sleeves of balls or one sleeve of premium balls; advanced reservations are recommended.

Cascata Golf Course is the ultimate in privacy, luxury and uncompromising service. From the moment you arrive to the moment you depart the accommodating staff is there to ensure you have an unforgettable day. Few places on Earth offer such extravagance. The air is pure, the silence nearly deafening. It’s no wonder Sports Illustrated called Cascata “golf’s hidden treasure.”

For more information or to book tee times call (702) 294-2005, Ext. 1. Rates range from $225 to $375; forecaddies are mandatory and $50 per player for caddie fee and gratuity is the recommended rate

Guests of Rio Secco have the option of reserving a T-Mate, who serves as golf concierge and hostess during the round. T-Mates’ caddie skills have been tested through an intensive training program, and tee to green match up with any traditional caddie program anywhere.

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f Cascata was “woven” among the foothills, then Rio Secco – the second jewel in the Caesars Golf Las Vegas triple crown and another renowned Rees Jones design -- was carved (chiseled, actually) from the canyons, gorges and arroyos that surround it. Located in the foothills of the Black Mountain Range in Henderson, just over 13 miles southeast of the Strip, Rio Secco plays to more than 7,400 At just under 400 yards from the back tees, the par-4 fourth at Rio Secco would be a relatively simple exercise, were it not for the deep pot bunkering surrounding the tiered green, where three putts (or more) are not uncommon.

yards and can be exceptionally challenging for even the best golfers.

Design features at Rio Secco include six holes twisting and turning through steep canyons, six on a plateau overlooking the Strip, and six holes set in a broad desert wash. Extremely popular for group business, including corporate and association outings, PGA Section and private-club tournaments, and local and league play, Rio Secco is now host to the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge, as well as the Western Athletic Conference Golf Championship, an event that brings some of the best college golfers West of the Mississippi to Las Vegas.

The 30,000-square-foot Europeanthemed Rio Secco Clubhouse is tastefully understated in its decor, featuring dark woods and natural stone throughout.

Overlooking the seventh, eighth and ninth holes – with multi-million-dollar estates on the adjacent cliffs – clubhouse facilities include a private locker room and club-room for VIP guests; a 2,000-square-foot Golf Shop offering the latest in name-brand golf apparel and equipment; and Janelas Restaurant & Bar, one of the finest golf course dining experiences in Las Vegas.

Rio Secco is home to the Butch Harmon School of Golf (see sidebar page

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All 3 Courses ranked in the “Top 50 Public Golf Courses In The Country” – GolfWorld Magazine

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rom a tropical paradise at Bali Hai, and holes inspired by the British Open at Royal Links, to the sandhills of the

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11), and offers the world-famous “T-Mate” Program. Golf guests have the option of reserving a T-Mate, who serves as golf concierge and hostess during the round. TMates’ caddie skills have been tested through an intensive training program, and tee to green match up with any traditional caddie program anywhere. T-Mates are outgoing, physically fit, reliable, attractive and, above all, supportive. They’ll register their assigned guests in Golf Shop, assist with Golf Shop purchases, keep the score, replace divots and fix ball marks, move the carts as required to maintain a near-perfect pace of play, and provide expert information on the course and help direct strategic play.

Come see for yourself why Rio Secco has become the favorite Las Vegas course for discriminating golfers. To make reservations call (702) 777-2400 Extension 1, or book online at www.riosecco.net. Peak season rates typically range from $140-$225; off season rates are in the $60-$175 range. Green fees include shared golf cart, practice balls and a divot tool. Individual golf reservations are taken 90 days in advance, and group reservations are taken up to six months in advance.

Golf where the air is pure, the silence nearly deafening. It’s no wonder Sports Illustrated called Cascata “golf’s hidden treasure.”

Tee times are every 10 minutes.

Just minutes off the Strip and perfect for arrival- or departure-day rounds, Las Vegas National Golf Club is a traditional, oasis-styled golf course with thousands of trees placing a premium on ball position.

Two beautiful lakes come into play on four holes, enhancing their challenge; five intriguing par-3s offer a stern test to even the best golfers; while four mid-length par-5s offer a good chance at birdie. Greens are typically smallish, and are usually flanked by strategically located bunkers. While affording a relaxing and pleasurable round for highhandicappers, The National is certainly no pushover.

The National has a long and storied history in the Las Vegas Valley. Just after completion in 1961, the course, then called Stardust Country Club, hosted its first professional golf event, the LPGA Championship. The layout, designed by Bert Stamps, has subsequently hosted the Tournament of Champions, the Sahara Invitational, and,

from 1993 to 1996, the Las Vegas Invitational. Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Lanny Wadkins, Al Geiberger, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk have all hoisted the winner’s trophy. Tiger Woods won the event in 1996, his first-ever win on the PGA Tour.

But it was during the 1960s that The National hosted its most revered golfers: The Rat Pack frequently played golf, then spent time carousing in the bar around the piano, entertaining guests with songs and stories. Although all of the Rat Packers were good players in their own right, it was widely known that Dean Martin and Peter Lawford were the ones to beat. Locals tell great stories about late night matches under the glow of the driving range lights.

Over the years The National has become a truly unique and historic site.

Come play The National, and start making a little history of your own. For more information or for tee time reservations call (888) 584-6531.

THE ONE F O R G O L F 6 F O R T E N N I S 6 F O R F I T N E S S 6 F O R C LU B S E RV I C E S FOR SECURITY 6 FOR ACCESSIBILITY 6 FOR CONGENIALITY F O R NAT U R A L B E AU T Y 6 F O R S E R E N I T Y 6 F O R P R E ST I G E

10040 East Happy Valley Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85255 • 480-419-3745 • www.deserthighlandsscottsdale.com

GAME The instructor at the top of his game ON! will take you to the top of yours Not surprisingly, for the 12th straight year Butch Harmon has been named the Top Golf Teacher in America in a recent Golf Digest poll of 1,500 of his peers. Harmon, who teaches some of the game’s best players including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney, among others, and who coached Tiger Woods during his heyday, has a teaching facility at Rio Secco that offers one-, two- and three-day Golf Schools with Butch and his staff; corporate schools and appearances by Butch may also be arranged based on availability.

The ultimate offering is the Three Days With Butch Harmon school, which at $5,900 per person includes: • 4 nights accommodations at Caesars Palace • Three days of instruction with Butch and his Staff Professionals • Computerized video analysis PLUS official personalized student handbook with swing photos and action items

• One nine-hole playing lesson at Rio Secco with Staff Professionals • One eighteen-hole playing lesson at Cascata Golf Club with Staff Professionals PLUS a breakfast with Butch, interaction on the course with Butch, and clinic • Lunch each day of the school with Butch and Staff Professionals • Transportation between Caesars/Golf School/Cascata Golf Club Using his time-tested approach to instruction that spans more than three decades of success, Butch and his staff will refine your game through personalized attention. With only 8 students and 4 instructors per class, you’ll receive focused attention on the unique needs of your particular swing.

For school availability, rates, and other information, please visit www.butchharmon.com, or call (888) 867-3226, option 2 to speak directly to a Team Butch Harmon staff member to get started on your way to better golf.

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go l f 2 . 0

The Digital Game

The number of applications currently available for golfers is more than

100,000...

There’s an App for That

F

irst of all, let’s get one thing clear: We wholeheartedly believe that the best way to improve your golf game is by consulting with your local PGA professional. With that said, there is nothing wrong with referring to a few “quick fix” pointers to tweak your game mid-round.

We’re assuming you have some make or model of a smartphone, which also means you have access to myriad golf-specific applications that can help improve your game in more ways than simply preventing your next chili-dip.

Our crack team of digital duffers reviewed the top-rated golf applications for Apple and Android platforms and found far more than basic swing tips. These programs can help improve your game, give you exact yardages to the pin, compute your handicap and clarify a tricky rules question… though not all at once. Technology has only come so far.

GPS/Rangefinders Golfshot: Golf GPS Compatible with: iPhone 4, iPad, iPod Touch, Android Cost: $29.99

Golfshot’s claim as the “No. 1 golf GPS application worldwide” is hard to dispute given its array of features, strong graphics and high customer ratings. More than 35,000 courses worldwide are mapped, and the program automatically charts statistical data such as fairways hit and missed, greens in regulation, sand saves and putts per hole. The graphics are outstanding, but like most GPS apps, it can be a serious battery drain depending on the device. Info: www.golfshot.com.

Golf Card Pro Compatible with: iPhone 4, iPad, iPod Touch, Android Cost: iPhone, $9.99; Android, $10.99.

Maybe the best value among golf GPS apps. Versatile and easy to use, the Golf Card Pro can handle all of the tasks that most golfers need – distance measurement, club 82 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

tracking, scoring and handicapping – with a database of more than 23,000 courses worldwide. A more stripped-down version, Golfcard GPS, is free and also compatible with Nokia and Windows 7 phones. Info: www.senygma. com.

Swing Analysis/Instructional Golf SwingPlane Compatible with: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation), and iPad Cost: $3.99

This app has gotten a lot of press for its ease in analyzing your swing using frameby-frame advance and rewind, slow-motion playback and repeat. Match your turn sideby-side against those of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els; additional swing videos of players such as Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood are available for purchase.

The most obvious downside: The app is only available on Apple platforms. Info: www.igolfapps.com.

V1 Golf Compatible with: iPhone, iPad (iOS 3.2 or later), iPod Touch w/camera; Android.

Cost: iPhone, $4.99; Android, Free but also requires Premium Unlocker app at $2.99.

Convenient and functional, the V1 Golf app allows golfers to easily record and playback their swing and use one of the several drawing tools to analyze their work, in both vertical and landscape views. A library of game improvement video drills from PGA professionals is included, and split-screen comparisons with a library of top Tour players is also available. Users can store their videos in an online “locker” for future reference. Available for both Apple and Android mobile devices. Info: www. v1golfapp.com.

GolfPlan with Paul Azinger Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch; Android.

Cost: $.99; in-app purchases of updated instructional videos from $1.99.

One of the most popular instructional

apps on the market, GolfPlan offers more than 80 drill-based instructional videos, including indoor drills that are appropriate for home or office use. The app takes user data from various handicap ranges to help create a personalized practice plan specifically tailored to the weaknesses in one’s game. Critics have played the “get what you pay for” card (the basic app is just $.99), but then again, there seems to be more reward than risk in working under the tutelage of one of golf’s most likeable stars. Info: www.golfplanpro.com; www. shotzoom.com.

Rules & Rulings USGA Rules of Golf Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch; Android; Blackberry.

Cost: $3.99

The “official application” for golf rules and decisions was released last year by this country’s ruling body and also includes “Decisions on The Rules of Golf” and “Rules of Amateur Status.”

The app provides instant access through simple navigation and a convenient word-and-phrase search function. A great program for impressing your buddies and settling on-course disputes without slowing play. Info: www.usga.org.

The R&A’s Official Rules App Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch; Android.

Cost: Free

For a more global perspective, the Royal and Ancient’s free app summarizes the most fundamental rules while also providing access to the complete Rules of Golf from 2008-2011. Also included is a section on etiquette – in which two-time Open Champion Padraig Harrington explains pace of play, course care, and consideration for other golfers– as well as an interactive rules quiz that, unfortunately, never gets updated. Still, a nice package for free. Info: www.randa.org.

h o t

s p o t s

Trio Elevates all Five Senses

Y

ou just shot three better than your handicap and you want to elevate your “feeling lucky” mood to the next level. There is no better place than Trio on the Bay to celebrate. If, on the other hand, none of your shots went quite the way you envisioned them, you will soon forget your game, because the minute you step into Trio everything is forgiven and the pulsating positive energy will soon have you enthralled.

Trio on The Bay is Miami’s premier high-energy event space, restaurant, and ultra lounge, where dinner, drinks and dancing merge at this stunning 23,000-sq.ft. space, which includes a stylish indoor dining room and outdoor terrace space with breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay. What makes Trio such a unique place is that it appeals to all five senses at the same time. As a starter, for the eyes you have the “smart” looking people, the engaging interior, the sumptuous terrace and the

84

Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

magical water-view over the bay. For the ears you have the sounds of a professional DJ going from mood to dancing later at night. Your taste buds will explode savoring the plates super chef Klime Kovaceski is preparing from his stunning kitchen.

And the aromas emanating from Chef Kovaceski’s kitchen will positively put you in trance-like state. Finally, for your sense of touch there is the velvet, wood and steel of the interior and exterior spaces, and the cool drinks flooding past your palate.

Trio is of one of these rare places that makes you immediately feel welcome.

Regardless if you are by yourself, a romantic couple or are coming with your entourage, it all effortlessly mixes on this world stage that simply elevates every occasion to an unforgettable experience.

Trio’s New American Cuisine flaunts a bright Mediterranean flair. A late night tapas menu runs until 3 a.m. With its stateof-the-art sound system and dining room

capacity of over 200, Trio on the Bay provides an ideal setting for corporate events, private parties and weddings. Conveniently located at 1601 79th Street Causeway, just minutes from South Beach and Bal Harbour, Trio is South Florida’s most unique and talked about new venue.

Overall rating: Definitely worth the drive Crowd: Relaxed, smart, sexy Food: Mediterranean taken to the next level Atmosphere: Miami magic Theme: Dine, Drink, Dance (in any order you feel like) Awards: 2011 “Best Outdoor Dining” by My City Eats!

Website: www.trioonthebay.com

The accolades keep coming.

Desert Canyon was just named “Best Places To Play” by Golf Digest! This honor, combined with Market Surveys of America’s award of “Best Public Golf Course” seven years in a row (2005-2011), means that Desert Canyon should be on your golf agenda. Desert Canyon is a challenging yet playable experience. The course winds its way through wonderful desert terrain up and down the natural arroyos and canyons that occur in the Sonoran Desert

Desert Canyon Golf Club 10440 Indian Wells Drive, Fountain Hills, AZ

480-837-1173 | www.desertcanyongolf.com

International Incident

We polled five of the top golf tour operators in the country to find out why international golf travel has rebounded faster than U.S. packages.

Their answers may surprise you.

Despite the down economy, upper-tier international golf packages have come back faster than less-expensive domestic golf travel, and we wanted to know why. We allowed the GTOs to remain anonymous, so their conversation was candid, and compelling.

If you had money then, you probably still have money now.

GTO1: The ongoing recession has undoubtedly been a punch in the gut to most Americans, but, far and away, Main Street has absorbed a much harder blow than Wall Street. Recent fluctuations in the stock market aside, the Dow is nearly double what it was in 2008-09, so if you’re living on income that’s market-based, and you’re paying a much lower tax rate – capital gains tax is currently 15 percent, I think – than everyday working people, you’re getting to keep more of it.

GTO5: Discretionary spending by wealthier Americans, in general, has returned nearly to pre-recession levels. Everything from luxury automobiles, jewelry, clothes, even Sweet 16 birthday parties – you name it. The wealthy are spending money like there’s no tomorrow.

GTO4: If Congress and the Administration don’t pull it together soon, there may not be.

A golf trip of a lifetime has become the golf trip of a lifetime.

GTO2: For years we’ve marketed our international golf trips, especially Scotland and Ireland and the exotic golf cruises, as a “once in a lifetime experience.” Whether it’s solely financially based or that people are feeling more vulnerable – fragile, even – now than ever, many believe that if they don’t take the trip now they may never get another chance.

GTO3: Part of that is what we’ve been calling

that the Bucket List effect. In many cases it’s the age of the golfer that is the primary determining factor; affordability is a distant second. A few months back I had one of my clients tell me that he ate a hot dog at the snack bar when he made the turn at his home club, and by the 12th hole he had indigestion so bad he thought he was having a heart attack. He swears that his first thought wasn’t of his family or friends or his career or of the person he wished he had been, but that he was consumed by the thought of never having played the Old Course at St Andrews. Can you imagine?

It’s like nowhere I’ve ever played.

International golf travel is still dominated by men, comprising as much as 85 percent of golf tour operator business.

Scotland is by far the most sought-after destination, but Ireland, Spain and Portugal, as well as Asian destinations such as Vietnam and Thailand, are quickly making up ground.

GTO2: I think the overheads (camera shots from blimps and airplanes) during the majors have been responsible for a lot of my international bookings. Looking down on those layouts provides a much different Photography Courtesy of PerryGolf

86 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

perspective of the courses and their immediate surroundings than a flat camera angle ever could. Look at this year’s tournament at Royal St Georges, for example. During the flyovers the camera showed a landscape that probably hasn’t changed much since the course first opened in 1887 or ‘88. The deep pot bunkering more resembles a moonscape than anywhere here on earth, and if during the broadcast they told the TV audience that the grass was trimmed by goats, who wouldn’t have believed them? Face it, most Americans regularly play in a parkland setting. Leaving the country virtually guarantees an environment that few would experience here at home.

GTO1: You know, same goes for my Canada groups. The mountain golf experience is pretty darn good right here in the U.S., but the Canadian Rockies are just bigger, higher, more majestic. Who doesn’t want to play in the most dramatic surroundings possible?

GTO3: New Zealand? South Africa? China? Even Vietnam and Thailand. Unbelievable!

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No one’s going anywhere without me (us).

GTO2: I think you’ll find that even high-end domestic travel has rebounded faster than normal, and that may have something to do with the annual family vacation. Or lack of it, actually.

GTO5: Exactly. Spouses who sat at home while their mates went off with their friends two or three time a year on golf trips are no longer willing to wait “their turn.” I’ve had couples in my office arguing about the time spent and the cost of these trips, and wondering out loud why they, and the rest of the family, may not be able to take a vacation this year, or next, while the boys (or the girls) are jetting off to Las Vegas or Myrtle Beach.

GTO3: A couples or family golf vacation is more likely to be closer to the high-end than the low. Golf cruises, especially, have become a particular favorite. There’s more to see and do in more places, and that’s proven to be a very valuable commodity these days.

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If Tom Watson can still do it, so can I.

GTO4: This may be part of the Bucket List theory we spoke of earlier, but remember back in 2009 when an about-to-turn-60 Tom Watson was on the green of his 72nd hole with a chance to win the Open Championship at Turnberry? That was a full 32 years after winning his first Open (also at Turnberry) in 1977. In the first weeks after that nearly monumental event we had more 60-something men book golf trips to the U.K. than we’d had in the entire 12 months beforehand.

GTO5: Same thing happened with us. We’re still booking predominantly men – 80 to 85 percent of our business, probably – and Watson showed that getting around a links course requires as much guile as guts. Male golfers, perhaps to their detriment, are more aware of their limitations on a golf course than most female golfers are. Middle-age men realize that they can no longer stripe it 275 or 280 down the middle of the fairway, if they ever could, but Watson proved that keeping it in play – even when you’re 60 or 70 yards behind the big hitters for your second shot – usually means you have a better-than-average chance of posting a decent score.

GTO1: We should have all sent Tom a thank you note for that little boost in bookings.

GTO5: What do you mean, “Should have?” (Laughs.) I sent him candy and flowers.

Discover the Sun ‘n Lake difference!

Welcome to the refreshingly inclusive Central Florida golf community you’ve always wanted – with value and lifestyle that set it apart.

• 12 square miles of conserved green space & custom homes • 2 championship golf courses with island green • Community and fitness centers • Clubhouse with restaurant, banquet facility and pro shop • New Recreation Complex with pool, bathhouse and picnic area • Tennis/pickleball courts, basketball and outdoor activity area, island pavilion, picnic area and miles of walking/biking trails To discover Sun ‘n Lake for yourself, call (863) 386-9135 or visit us online at www.LiveSunnLake.com WIN Enter to PIN A SET

OF G Just visit IRONS! our w and ebs co conta mplete th ite ct fo rm. e

5306 Sun ’n Lake Blvd Sebring, Florida 33872 PH (863) 386-9135 | contact@LiveSunnLake.com | www.LiveSunnLake.com Come for the Sun. Stay for the Play.

Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles 87

New Zealand –

Golf, Grandeur & Grapes

5

Photography Courtesy of PerryGolf

Golf down under is over the top.

How many reasons do you need to take the golf trip of two lifetimes?

Here’s five: 1. Our winter is their summer. (Florida is fine but New Zealand is phenomenal.)

2. Their golf is played among some of the most dramatic and diverse landscapes on earth.

(Keeping your head down is not an option.)

3. New Zealand is unique for its collection of boutique luxurious lodge-style properties.

(Think Four Seasons gets back to nature.)

4. Fly fishing here is absolutely second to none. (The ladies will catch Art Deco City.)

5. Their dollar exchanges favorably with our dollar. (Start packing!)

T

he marvel of New Zealand has always been its stunning, varied and pristine natural beauty. Every imaginable landform is at hand including vast snow capped mountain peaks, steaming volcanoes, cliff hanging coastlines, and deeply indented fjords.

Comparable in size to California or Japan, New Zealand has a population of just 4 million making for a refreshing change of pace. As a people, the Kiwis are among the most relaxed and engaging in the world.

88 Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles

It is no wonder that thrilling golf is abundant in such a place. More than 400 courses exist today, with roots dating to 1871.

Local hero Sir Bob Charles has authored perennial favorite Millbrook offering a “big sky” golf experience on the South Island set against the stunning alpine backdrop of The Remarkables mountain range. The North Island is home to astounding World 36 Cape Kidnappers whose seaside holes are perched 500 feet above the Pacific and played along fingers of land separated by deep chasms ex-

tending tee to green. Further north is World 78 Kauri Cliffs, another scenic extravaganza routed through 800 acres of strange fern forest, marshland and along cliff tops 200 feet high.

Away from the golf course you’ll find one of the most respected wine producing nations in the world. Hawke’s Bay is one of the country’s three major winemaking regions, and New Zealand’s premier destination for food, wine and lifestyle leisure. Relax on golden sand beaches, swim with dol-

Special Advertising Sec tion phins, visit the National Aquarium or tour the largest mainland gannet colony in the world. Nearby Napier is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of Art Deco architecture. Leveled by an earthquake in 1931, the city’s re-founding fathers built what looks to be a Jazz Age movie set but it is quite real and uniquely charming with excellent shopping and restaurants.

Ninety miles west is world fishing famous Lake Taupo. (Ask Jack Nicklaus) The pristine lake is prized for the quality of its Rainbow and Brown trout, legendary for their condition and size. The Tongariro River at the southern end of Lake Taupo is one of the best fly fishing rivers in the world. This area of the North Island is also famous for its boutique lodge style accommodations.

Fifteen minutes south of Napier is prestigious Mangapapa Lodge. This 1885, colonial-style homestead with a wraparound veranda and with just 12 individually

decorated suites is surrounded by more than 20 acres of lush, green, manicured gardens brimming with roses, established trees and orchards, it is one of the country’s very finest small hotels.

Hidden on the banks of the Waikato River below Lake Taupo is Huka Lodge, just 300 meters up-stream from the mighty Huka Falls. Started some 70 years ago as a simple fishing lodge, today this luxurious property lures anyone seeking an extraordinary retreat. Huka has just 20 guest rooms and suites; each set privately in native bush, each overlooking the swift flowing Waikato. The Lodge’s own fishing guides will steer you to some of the finest Rainbow and Brown trout spots in existence.

Fly fishing is available on 23 nearby streams and rivers. Wilderness areas are offered by helicopter and off-road vehicles.

On Lake Taupo, boat fishing will explore the many isolated coves and inlets fringing the edges of the great lake.

The South Island is home to New Zealand’s other two wine regions, Marlborough and Central Otago which is home to 75 wineries serving 177 vineyards. Pinot Noir from this region is widely recognized to be among the best in the world. You can visit over 200 ‘cellar door’ operations under your own steam or with a wine tour.

West of the magnificent Millbrook Resort and deserving a full day of your attention, is stunning Milford Sound. Located in 3 million acres of the Fiordland National Park and reaching nearly 10 miles inland from the Tasman Sea, sheer rock faces rise more than 1,300 feet about the water on either side.

In Maori legend, the fiords were created not by rivers of ice, but by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who came wielding a magical adze and uttering incantations. By any measure, Tu Te had quite a swing.

PerryGolf can be contacted at www.perrygolf.com or 800.344.5257.

Top left: The Main Lodge at Kauri Cliffs affords spectacular 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean over Cape Brett and the Cavalli Islands. Each of the 22 guest suites offers a private porch, bedroom with sitting area and open fireplace, walk-in wardrobe and bathroom.

Above: New Zealand wine is distinctive for its purity, vibrancy and intensity. The long ripening period - a result of cool temperatures - allows flavor development whilst retaining fresh acidity, a balance for which New Zealand wines are renowned.

Bottom left: Kauri Cliffs plays to a par 72 from five sets of tees to challenge every skill level. Fifteen holes view the Pacific, six of which are played alongside seaside cliffs. The beautiful inland holes wind through marsh, forest and farmland. Golf Magazine ranks the club among the World Top 100 at No. 78.

Golfer’s Guide Lifestyles 89

AlAbAmA

Hoover • 1694 Montgomery Hwy., Ste 102 205.979.8560 brook Highland • 5235 Hwy 280 South • 205.991.8511 lakeshore • 189 State Farm Pkwy • 205.942.7083 Dothan• 175 Jones Drive • 334.792.0055 mobile• 168 West I-65 Service Rd S. 251.343.9059 montgomery • 7421 E. Chase Pkwy., Unit 60 • 334.272.0841 Huntsville • 7628 S. Memorial Pkwy. • 256.883.2992

ArkAnsAs

little rock • 2602 Shackleford Rd, Ste G • 501.227.0539

floriDA

boca raton • 1200 Yamato Road Shoppes of Blue Lake II • 561.995.7887 Palm beach Gardens 3889 Northlake Blvd. • 561.625.6430 Wellington • 10530 Forest Hill Blvd. • 561.333.8033 naples • 3980 Tamiami Trail North • 239.403.0615 orlando superstore 7501 Turkey Lake Rd • 407.345.8451 Waterford lakes-East orlando 12400 Lake Underhill Rd • 407.351.1444 orlando Clearance Center 7024 International Dr • 407.352.2535 orlando near Airport • 7149 Frontage Rd • 407.812.7080 Casselberry superstore 398 East State Rd • 436 407.260.2811 kissimmee • 2956 Vineland Rd • 407.397.4600 The Villages • 3503 Wedgewood Lane • 352.633.3270 Destin • 34898 Emerald Coast Pkwy • 850.654.0363 fort Walton beach 957 Lewis Turner Blvd • 850.862.3922 Panama City 9212 Panama City Beach Pkwy. • 850.235.0391 Port Charlotte • 2000 Tamiami Trail #217 • 941.613.1400 ocala • 3131 SW College Rd., #407 • 352.873.7176 ft. lauderdale superstore 5600 N. Federal Hwy • 954.771.3256 sawgrass/Plantation 2001 W. Sunrise Blvd • 954.916.6565 Jacksonville • 7111 Bonneval Road • 904.332.0933 Jacksonville beach 4082 South 3rd Street • 904.246.7893 orange Park • 1540 Wells Road • 904.264.9801 n. miami beach • 15100 N. Biscayne Blvd.• 305.944.2925 miami-Doral • 8484 NW 36th St., Ste 200 • 305.591.1220 south miami • 6254 S. Dixie Highway • 305.667.4023 Pensacola • 5711 N. Davis Highway • 850.477.0519 Port st. lucie 1465 NW St. Lucie West Blvd. • 772.871.6540

lakewood ranch 6230 Lake Osprey Drive • 941.907.1060 sarasota • 4014 S. Tamiami Trail • 941.922.1006 Tallahassee • 2423 Capital Circle NE • 850.383.6935 Tampa • 1921 N. Dale Mabry • 813.960.5330 Palm Harbor • 32257 US Hwy 19 North • 727.787.3370 Tampa-brandon • 9329 East Adamo Dr • 813.621.7775

floriDA GrEEn GrAss Pro sHoPs The Country Club of mt. Dora 1900 Country Club Blvd. • Mt. Dora, FL 32757 • 352.735.4059 rock springs ridge Golf Club 625 Rock Ridge Blvd. • Apopka, FL 32712 • 407.814.7474 Twin rivers Golf Club 2100 Ekana Drive • Oviedo, FL 32765 407.366.1211 Wekiva Golf Club 4100 Wekiva Club Court • Longwood, FL 32779 407.862.5113

GEorGiA

Atlanta • 3150 Piedmont Road, NE • 404.816.2166 Johns Creek 10070 Medlock Bridge Road 770.622.5040 buford • 3480 Financial Center Way Bldg. L Mall of Ga. • 770.271.7877 milton • 13069 Hwy. 9 N, Suite 2520 • 770.442.3033 marietta • 1581 Cobb Parkway • 770.955.9500 newnan 9 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd., Suite D • 770.683.9771 savannah • 7700 Abercorn St. • 912.355.0815 Columbus • 901 Manchester Expressway • 706.317.9911 leesburg • 1366 B Hwy. 82 West • 229.889.0350 martinez • 592 Bobby Jones Expressway • 706.855.5153 macon • 2954 Riverside Dr. • 478.474.3673

ioWA

Cedar rapids• 1961 Blairs Ferry Rd NE • 319.294.3304

kAnsAs

overland Park • 6824 W 119th Street • 913.491.4653

louisiAnA

baton rouge 5235 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. 225.295.1408 kenner • 2436 Veteran’s Memorial Blvd. • 504.467.1991 lafayette • 5421-B Johnston Street • 337.989.9192 shreveport • 820 East 70th, Ste 300 • 318.797.7518

missouri

manchester • 13986 Manchester Rd • 636.779.5979 kansas City • 8321 NW Roanridge Rd. • 816.505.1022

mississiPPi

ridgeland • 820 East County Line Rd • 601.956.8784

norTH CArolinA

Charlotte • 5418 South Blvd. • 704.523.7262 Charlotte • 8500 Pineville Matthews Rd 704.541.6950 Concord • 7940 Lyles Lane NW • 704.979.0330

oklAHomA

Tulsa • 6006 South Sheridan Road • 918.388.4580

souTH CArolinA

Charleston • 946 Orleans Road • 843.763.1995 Greenville• 175 Woods Crossing Rd • 864.281.7735 bluffton • 1 Buckingham Plantation Dr. • 843.837.3399 Columbia • 7814 Two Notch Rd. • 803.699.0911 Columbia • 89 Harbison Blvd. • 803.732.6164

TEnnEssEE

knoxville • 11360 Parkside Drive • 865.675.3340 memphis • 4625 Poplar Avenue • 901.767.1244 Cordova • 704 North Germantown Pkwy. • 901.757.1886 nashville• 2510 Music Valley Drive • 615.883.0125

TExAs

Allen • 209 North Central Expressway • 214.383.3001 Arlington • 901 West Lamar Blvd. • 817.861.6677 north Dallas 14999 Preston Road, Suite 400 • 972.404.4424 inwood Village 5370 West Lovers Lane • 214.352.9431 ft. Worth • 5805 Camp Bowie Blvd. • 817.731.4441 southlake • 2801 E. Northwest Pkwy • 817.310.6492 Corpus Christi 4526 South Padre Island Drive • 361.852.0358 Houston Galleria • 5395 Westheimer • 713.627.2411 Houston Willowbrook 6920 FM 1960 West Suite A • 832.249.6133 round rock • 3107 South IH 35 Ste 700 • 512.671.3939 san Antonio • 1050 NE Loop 410 • 210.822.4060 san Antonio• 9360 IH 10 West • 210.349.7575 Tyler • 10 West SW Loop 323 • 903.561.8851

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