Celebrating 22 Years in the west • welComing our first edition in the northwest! PREMIERE ISSUE! www.GolfTodayNw.com • Number 1 • march 2009
Pronghorn
Experience Pronghorn, ranked “#1 Golf Community in America” by Travel+Leisure Golf Magazine Jan/Feb 2009. See pages 14 & 19.
Tom Fazio Course 6th Hole Pronghorn Bend, Oregon
| pA pAlouse louse
e Golf clu
cross rossWA WAter WA ter At sunriver resor esort t | Arbutus Goes Gre n | And, much much more on Golf!
Put yourself in this picture this May!
For only $1,495 per player you get... • • • • •
All the golf you can play in a week Your own condo in a gated community Sun - Fun & Camaraderie Spas - Pools - Restaurants 5-day Tournament
• Over $20,000 in COOL prizes! • Saturday Horse Race & lots of daily competitions • “Little Break” Skills Challenge • Sunday Mixer Competition
ACT NOW! Only 10 team spots remain You will play and enjoy these great courses. (From upper left) - PGA WEST™ Norman Course, La Quinta Dunes, PGA WEST™ Stadium, La Quinta Mountain.
All of this at the world-renown La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST™ Championship golf courses!
F
un Golf Vacations
A PNWGT.com company
Hosts the 9th Annual
206. 285. 2899 • owe n @PNWGT.c om Ful l i t i nerary at p nwg t.c om 221 1st Ave West - Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98119
2 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
Palm Springs Golf Fling May 2-8, 2009
MARCH 2009
You travel the globe, yet the best golf experience in the world is in your backyard.
Jack Nicklaus Signature Course 15th Hole
Pronghorn was ranked the “Number 1 Golf Community in America” by Travel + Leisure Golf, 2009.
Pronghorn features the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in the Northwest. Golf Digest Magazine ranked it “#2 Best Private Course in the U.S.” upon its opening in 2006. • Renowned Nicklaus Academy/TaylorMade Instructional Facility • Luxury accommodations at The Residence Club at Pronghorn • Fine Dining • Spa • Recreation • Families warmly welcomed
Packages start at $475/night, double occupancy, and include two rounds of golf per day. Single occupancy rates available/Room upgrades available/Spa service in lieu of golf available. Bend offers direct flights of two hours or less into Redmond (RDM) from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Orange County. Contact us at 1-866-372-1003 or reservations@pronghornclub.com.
MARCH 2009
bend, oregon
www.pronghornclub.com
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
3
4 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
MARCH 2009
MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
5
6 GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
MARCH 2009
MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
7
The Best in the West for 22 Years, 12 issues per year! Now in Washington & Oregon! ON THE COVER • MaRCH 2009: After living in the Pacific Northwest for the past 11 years, I’ve realized that there are worldclass golf courses available right here, literally in my own back yard. You don’t have to travel thousands of miles to experience it; in fact, you only have to travel 20 minutes from the city of Bend, in central Oregon to experience a luxury golf resort featuring two of the finest golf courses set in a pristine natural environment. Resort guests can play the The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, which is a favorite among players who enjoy strategy and challenge or the Tom Fazio Course, which is available to Pronghorn members and is less likely to bruise your confidence or ego! See pages 14 & 19 for more on Pronghorn’s luxury golf resort.
–Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor
InsIde ThIs Issue:
9 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 16 17
Welcome To The PremIere Prem Issue of Golf Today: norThWesT T edITIon! ed
by Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor
The sWam sW I 1500 GPs KnoWs all! clIcGear carT Is one of The BesT!
by Cameron Healey
World-class lass WashInGTon Wash sT e unIversITy, sTaT and noW… Palouse rIdGe Golf cluB
by Cameron Healey
Golf equIPmen quIPmenT chronIcles
by Leith Anderson
cleveland leveland Golf and srIxon Golf To sPonsor sco coTTIsh senIor oPen Ty Ter l lye ye consIders BecomInG a movIe sTar
by Ty ter Lye
c cenTral ral oreG Gon’s PronGhorn: an InTImaT TIma e TImaT communIT ommunITy y In a PrIsTIne envIronmenT WalKInG Wal nG your your Way To a BeTTer Golf sWInG
by Chris Vogt
fore orePlay
17 18 20 21 22 22 26 26 30 31
crossWaTer aT sunrIver resorT—a musT for 2009 GoT coBWeBs?
by Jerramy Hainline
PaPer TIGer: an oBsessed Golfer’s quesT To Play WITh The Pros
by Bob Weisgerber
arBuTus Goes Green Golf Today’s ‘fun TournamenT’ feaT ea ures eaT rounds ounds a aT Genoa laKes aT&T Tourney volunTeers solIcITed a my 4Th PuTT
by Jeff Brown
quaGmIre Golf Is off To a huGe 2009! chIna’s mIssIon hIlls Golf cluB recoGnIzed By GuInness World records sevIllano lInKs sa aT rollInG hIlls casIno earns favoraBle ranKInGs
by Bob Koczor
8 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
MARCH 2009
Welcome To The Premiere Issue Of Golf Today: Northwest Edition! by Cameron Healey, PublisHer/e er/ ditor er/e
If you are one of the thousands of intrepid nor’ westerners who enjoy dusting off the clubs and playing golf in the picturesque Pacific Northwest, you’ll understand and appreciate that Washington and Oregon offers some of the best golfing in the world. No joke, right. After living in Seattle for the last 11 years, most of which has been spent in the publishing business, I can proudly call the northwest home. Despite the fact that I am an expatriate New Zealander (Kiwi), I’m convinced the Northwest region is a golfing destination that matches the likes of Arizona, Palm Springs, or even Hawaii. Make no mistake, take in the incredible Scottish-link courses such as Chambers Bay in Tacoma deftly carved out of a 100-year old quarry, the Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake with its desert beauty sculpted centuries ago by glacial forces, or southeastern Washington’s new addition Palouse Ridge Golf Club, where golfers can expect to take in 100-foot elevations and a 626-yard tenth hole. Yes, the Pacific Northwest has it all
and that’s what it makes it so exciting! I grew up shanking a ton of balls at the relaxed, come-as-you-are Weedons Country Club in Christchurch, New Zealand where I learned to love and hate the game all in the space of two holes. It was a heady time when fellow Kiwis were achieving fame overseas, including elder statesman Bob Charles who plied his craft on the senior circuit and Frank Nobilo and Michael Campbell who molded legitimate careers within the International pro ranks. Now it is all about young phenoms such as 18year old New Zealander Danny Lee who, at the time of printing, had just won the Johnny Walker Classic beating the likes of Anthony Kim and Hiroyuki Fujita. For me, however, I was quite happy meeting my mates (buddies) a few times a
WIN! WIN! WIN!
MARCH 2009
week to hit the tracks decked out in our farfrom pretentious garb, including our modest club selection for what would amount to terrific lifetime memories. I fondly recall the smell of the freshly cut grass; hearing the westerly wind screaming through the trees; chuckling about one-too-many gaffs; or congratulating my playing partner after sinking a 30-footer. This is what golf is all about for me and it is this come-as-you-are mentality that has helped spur the expansion of Golf Today Magazine into my own back yard. Allow me to introduce the inaugural Northwest
you will find up-to-date golf news, feature stories, course and resort profiles, special “how-to” columns, commentary columns, and much much more. With any new publication, despite our sister publication, Golf Today: West Coast Edition enjoying 22 years in print, please feel free to contact us with your feedback, comments, suggestions, criticisms, or if you have a good story to tell our readers, we want to hear them. Better yet, we invite you to come and visit us at our double booth at the Seattle Golf Show March 13-15 where you can win a ton of prizes, including valu-
Edition of Golf Today Magazine, a monthly publication that caters to and supports the needs of the Northwest golfer where
able clubs, Stay-and-Play trips, and more. Enjoy the issue and we’ll see you on the links! n
ENTER TO WIN A ClICgEAR CART MOdEl 2.0 and A SWAMI 1500 gPS Email your name and phone number to Info@GolfTodayNW.com by March 16, 2009. Our random drawing for a Clicgear Cart Model 2.0 and a SWAMI 1500 GPS will be held on March 18, 2009. Winner will be notified by return email. GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
9
The SWAMI 1500 GPS Knows All! If you’re like most, the older you get the more visually challenged you become, right? And when it comes to judging distance to the back of the green, for example, your distance perception is not always an exact science. The good news is the folks at Izzo Golf has been busy lately and recently announced the addition of their SWAMI 1500 GPS unit. The SiRF star III chips and the INSTA-LOK Technology quickly display the distance to the Front, Center, and Back of the green, and it holds up to 10 courses at a time. If you are a traveling
golfer, don’t worry, there are over 12,000 courses available. David Witkoski, Director of Marketing at Izzo Golf stated “We have streamlined the current technology and maintained vital features in an effort to make SWAMI truly affordable for all golfers. We believe the market will be very receptive to this new GPS product.” The
SWAMI has an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery that holds a charge for a minimum of 16 hours of golf. The development team at Izzo has made PC connections simple, so that downloading your favorite courses is straight forward. SWAMI has automatic course recognition on power-up so it always knows where it is, and if you start walking or move your cart, the yardage changes instantly, so there’s no need to wait for the correct distance. If you need a little help in the opthomology department, the SWAMI offers a large, easy to read display that is very simple to operate. For more information regarding the SWAMI, please visit www.izzo.com. n
Clicgear Cart Is One Of The Best! by Cameron Healey
Over the years, I’ve tried, pushed, pulled, and damaged just about every variety of pushcarts out there. My carts tend to be well used, but I think I’ve discovered one that is both functional,
durable, and looks great too. The Clicgear Cart is the original compact three wheel
golf pushcart and winner of the 2007 Best New Product Award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. Clicgear offers a full-sized three wheel golf pushcart that moves over the fairway with ease, yet still folds up incredibly small. At only 13” x 15” and 24” when folded, it won’t take over your car trunk or garage. And with two SUVs in the garage, this is a definite plus! The award winning Clicgear Cart has even been improved for 2009, with the new Model 2.0 offering golfers much improved folding making the cart much easier to use, right out of the box. Made of solid aluminum tubing with a three-year powdercoated frame warranty, the Clicgear cart should offer years of reliable use. There are a wide selection of accessories available that include a secure cup holder for your favorite beverage, towel hooks, and wheel covers allowing you to quickly cover up your carts wheels before loading your Clicgear Cart into your car or storage locker. There is nothing wrong with trying to keep your trunk clean, right; in fact, the Model 2.0 Cart has maintenance-free, airless tires that have a wider and flatter design making rolling the cart a cinch. And if you are traversing rolling hills and valleys, the
Clicgear cart has a robust brake system that will not fade over time. The PositiveLock Brake System is easy to use. Simply pull and turn the handle to set the brake and your prized clubs will safely stay put exactly where you want them to. Unlike some other brake systems on the market, the system does not put any tension on the brake cable so it will not stretch over time and lose effectiveness. If color is your thing, there are plenty of options to choose from and includes kiwi, red, black, orange, blue, silver, and yellow! For more information about the Clicgear cart, or to view a demo of the folding and unfolding steps, please visit www.clicgearusa.com. n
GOLFHu HuMO MOr r
“Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must
subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the
”
fundamental equilibrium of the universe. 10 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
MARCH 2009
World-Class Washington State University, and Now… Palouse Ridge Golf Club by Cameron Healey
When you think of South Eastern Washington, what comes to mind? Thousands of acres of flat rural farm land? Think again! This unique area in southeastern Washington State is home to world-class Washington State University and Palouse Ridge Golf Club. From above, the Palouse appears as an endless golf course with rolling hills, green sloping mounds, and mostly treeless with windswept views as far as the eye can see. A venture of Washington State University, the $12.3 million complex, includes a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse and an expansive practice center with tees set aside for WSU’s golf teams. The new layout occupies 315 acres of rolling land on the southeast edge of the campus, and is the home course of the Cougar men’s and women’s Pac-10 golf teams. In fact, such is the appeal of Palouse Ridge the 7,308-
March 2009
yard links-style layout is slated to host the Washington State Men’s Amateur in 2009, the Pac-10 women’s championships in 2012, and the Pac-10 men’s tournament in 2014. Not bad, if you figure these were awarded within months of the course being completed. Former PGA Tour player and coach of the Sacramento State golf team David Sutherland said after seeing Palouse Ridge for the first time last fall, “This is the finest University course I have had the pleasure to play.” Palouse Ridge is built to championship standards and was deliberately designed to complement and fit the rolling topography of the Palouse offering panoramic views of distant mountains in Idaho and Or-
egon. Harbottle’s reputation for building eco-sensitive courses is further reinforced with his Palouse Ridge creation. In fact,
if you are a golfer who appreciates the “environmentally-friendly” efforts of where continued on page 12 ❱
GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
11
Golf Equipment Chronicles
by L E I T h A n d E R S o n
Does He or Doesn’t He? Regular readers of the Chronicles are expecting my annual record of exploration at the PGA Merchandise Show. Alas, I changed my plans at the last minute. One of my goals since day one has been to cover PGA Tour events as a member of the “Establishment”—as a card-carrying, official, industry reporter. Thanks to my long-time association with Golf Today Magazine, that finally happened. Look for the first installment of my new adventure—“Inside the Ropes”—in the April edition of Golf Today. I will be covering the Northern Trust Open (formerly the Los Angeles Open) at Riveria CC the week of February 16-22. Since I can only afford a few days a month away from the Golf Lab, I made the choice to go to the PGA Tour… inside the ropes. The Incredible Story about Tiger and his PUREd™ Clubs It was a blockbuster article published February 9th in Golfweek Magazine. One of the most respected reporters in the golf
industry, James Achenbach—in a story about Strategic Shaft Technologies (SST) reported that Tiger Woods was able to pick two sets of PUREd irons out of 12 sets that he was testing. His source was “Nike insiders.” Achenbach reported that those two sets are now Tiger’s primary and backup set for his return to golf— hopefully in a few weeks. I write one or more electronic newsletters each month that are distributed to the Golf Lab customer list, vendor contacts, competitors and anyone who wants to keep abreast of what’s happening on at the “bleeding edge” of club fitting. I don’t restrict distribution. Registration through www.calgolftech.com is open to anyone who wants to get my stories. I don’t go looking for readers. I thought that Achenbach’s story was big news. Anything about Tiger is always big news—maybe the only truly big news in
the golf industry. So, I wrote a newsletter about the SST article and about Achenbach’s scoop that Tiger Woods not only plays SST PUREd™ golf clubs, but that he could feel the difference between PUREd™ and “other” clubs. You can find the full article on the Golf Week website. Before the earth circled the sun one time, I was contacted by the Nike PR depart-
ment and informed that the information in my newsletter and Achenbach’s article was incorrect. The “correction” was unequivocal: ”Tiger did not test 12 sets of Nike irons and then pick two sets that were PUREd™. He has never done a blind test of PUREd™ versus non-PUREd™ iron shafts in Nike clubs, and continued on page 24 ❱
Palouse Ridge Golf Club ❰ continued from page 11
you play, Palouse Ridge should factor at the top of your list, as they recently enrolled in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, offering public-access and a wildlife habitat that will serve as a research center and recreational outlet for WSU students and staff. The 7,000-square-foot clubhouse overlooks the 18th green and uses a geothermal heating and cooling system, which reduces its energy needs, while local restaurateurs Mike Byrne and Frank Maryott are the owners of Banyan’s on the Ridge, a British Colonial-themed steakhouse offering visiting golfers and locals alike a top quality menu and a combination of indoor-outdoor seating. Of course, along with prime steaks, a selection of Washington State wines and Pacific Northwest microbrew beers are also available. Card-carrying WSU Alumni Association Members receive a 10% discount off the Peak Non-Resident rate and merchandise purchases. With a weekday (Monday
12 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
– Thursday) rate for residents (i.e., those within a 40-mile radius of the club) of under $50 and weekend rates only a fraction more, Palouse offers golfers great value for money. Palouse Ridge and Pullman are becoming a golfing “destination” and draw card for traveling golfers. If you want to spend a weekend golfing in the region, you can take in two outstanding resort courses in nearby Idaho: Circling Raven, an excellent course operated by the Coeur d’Alene Indian tribe; and Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort, a property famous for its floating island green. Three area hotels promote stay-and-play golf packages with Palouse Ridge: Holiday Inn Express, Pullman, WA (509) 334-4437 www.hiexpress. com/pullmanwa; Hilltop Hotel, Pullman, WA (509) 332-0928 www.hotelonthehill. com; and Best Western University Inn, Moscow, ID (800) 325-8765 www.uinnmoscow.com. For tee Times, please call 509-335-4342 or visit their Website: www. palouseridge.com. n
MARCH 2009
Cleveland Golf and Srixon Golf To Sponsor Scottish Senior Open The Fairmont St Andrews, a 5-star cliff-top resort, in St Andrews Scotland, the Home of Golf, will host the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open on their newly redesigned Torrance Course from August 21–23, 2009. Srixon Sports Europe, the leading golf manufacturer, which operates both the Cleveland Golf and Srixon brands in the UK and Europe, has been named as the new title sponsor of the Scottish Senior Open for 2009. The sponsorship agreement marks another illustrious chapter in the history of one of the European Senior Tour’s longest running events, which celebrates its 17th
year in 2009. It also strengthens the Senior Tour’s association with Cleveland Golf, the Official Club of the Senior Tour, and Srixon, the Official Ball Supplier of the Senior Tour. Having re-sculpted the course earlier this year, designer Sam Torrance will be among those keen to perform well at Fairmont St Andrews and improve on his runner-up place in 2008 behind Peter Mitchell, who sealed the second of his three Senior Tour victories in 2008 at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. Torrance, of course, won the Scottish Senior Open title in 2006, following in the footsteps of fellow Scots David Huish
in 1998 and muir in the 2002 Cup winning Captain is certain to have strong competition from what promises to be another impressive field. “ We a re e x tremely excited to become the title sponsor
Bill Long2004, but Ryder
of the 2009 Scottish Senior Open,” said CEO of Cleveland Golf and COB of Srixon Sports Europe, Greg Hopkins. “Our continued association and strong presence on the European Senior Tour is an important element of the marketing strategy for both Cleveland Golf and Srixon brands.” “Within Europe we have very big plans for both Cleveland and Srixon brands over the coming years and this highlights a small part of our increased marketing and Tour spends to get to our goal of becoming the UK’s No. 1 ball and wedge brand,” continued on page 31 ❱
Ty ter Lye considers becoming a Movie Star My many fans, on and off the golf course, have been paying me so many compliments that I am beginning to be convinced myself! You readers know how shy and serious I am, but you don’t see the other half of me: that’s the handsome, man-about-town me who is slowing down a little. No longer is a whirling dervish, Ty ter Lye becoming a bit jaded. After all, how many parties can you go to before you see the same people over and over again? So I didn’t attend the red-carpet at the recent Golden Globes—
(I think that was the one) and I have ceased attending the opera. Too many flashbulbs. You know how it is—escort a beautiful woman who is dressed in a form-fitting gown that is in danger of falling off, wearing borrowed jewelry, and adorned with a hair-do that could hide spies. The paparazzi elbow me out of the way and FLASH! There goes another photo into People Magazine. Now REALLY! Is that any way to treat a semi-famous golfer? Nope. Maybe they
b y T y T E R Ly E
should elbow their way to get an unobstructed view of ME! So I take decide to take stock… If I made tons of money would they change their tune? You bet. Look at Clint Eastwood, for example. He’s an old guy like me. He has more friends than he can remember (by the way, I’m real good at forgetting names), and Clint plays golf. Not great but nothing to be ashamed of either. Of course he plays at several courses, including Cypress Point (as I have
on a number of occasions) and the Tehama course he owns (yeah, I played this fine track, too—once). Clint shows up at the annual AT&T at Pebble Beach to chair the PGA tournament. I show up and head to the media tent for a free lunch. So you can see we have a lot in common—except our bank accounts. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t becontinued on page 14 ❱
I N N O V AT I V E I R O N R E P L A C E M E N T
Shank Resistant... Straighter Line... Higher Flight
Hey! Try Me Out
The Wedgewood patented hybrid head design combines the most sought after characteristics of traditional irons and woods into a single design. From the fairway, off the tee, in the rough or sand the Wedgewood will give you confidence to hit with accuracy and power!
Try the Wedgewood
38º Original Series Special $3999+sh Innovative Hybrid Design from 2 iron - Sand Wedge! Always 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
O r d e r s a n d I n f o : 1 ( 8 8 8 ) 8 3 3 - 7 3 7 1 o r w w w. w e d g e w o o d g o l f. c o m MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
13
Central Oregon’s Pronghorn: An Intimate Community In A Pristine Environment In Bend, Oregon “rustic” living is highly valued and the term “luxury lifestyle” is more often related to the outdoor environment, not the indoor one. For the developers of Pronghorn, the vision of building a luxury golf resort community in Central Oregon was innovative. They knew the Central Oregon climate afforded opportunities to play golf in the Northwest year round, and that the city of Bend’s evolution to sophisticated mountain town offered a valuable destination experience for a national audience. Pronghorn received acclaim early with the announcement of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio as the designers for its two golf courses. It was the first pairing of these two designers in the West. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course was rated “#2 Best New Private Course” by Golf Digest Magazine immediately following the grand opening in 2005 and the Tom Fazio Course was rated “#4 Best New Private Course” by the same publication after the grand opening in 2007.
Both courses continue to receive accolades from players of all ability levels as well as industry leaders for immaculate conditioning, blending beautiful rock outcroppings and dramatic landscaping to provide a unique and memorable experience. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course is available to play as a resort guest and is a favorite among players who enjoy strategy and challenge. The Nicklaus course is very playable but will test your skills and leave you wanting to turn around and play it again to better yourself. The Tom Fazio Course is available to Pronghorn members and is inventive, artful in design and easier on the ego. In addition to providing a rare golf experience, Pronghorn offers accommodations for visitors in the Residence Club, a beautifully furnished townhome situ-
The 55,000 square foot Clubhouse at Pronghorn Golf Club ated along the 18th green of the Nicklaus instructional facility currently offering the course. Other amenities include a 55,000 Taylor Made MAT system and the Jack square foot Clubhouse located behind the Nicklaus Academy certified curriculum 18th green of the Fazio course and offers a and technology. These technologies are relaxed bar, fine dining, spa/fitness center something to experience, and once you don and the newly opened Jack Nicklaus Acad- the suit for the MAT system you will feel emy of Golf. The Academy is the only golf continued on page 23 ❱
on choked freeways. Likewise, what’s the point of living in a hillside mansion if you can’t see beyond the far end of the pool? I also did some broadcast television but that was in the topic of science for young people. That was before hip hop ruined their brains. Wait a minute, you probably think I was wasting my time—far from it. I was learning how to moon walk and spin on the dance floor. You see, I HAD to protect my image with the young ladies. Now, where was I? Oh yes, how to become a celebrity. I wasn’t born into the Hilton family and I lacked (NOT licked)
the built-in accessories that Paris flaunts. I had more brains though, and that may be why I didn’t shave my head when Britney Spears tried to become a monk. Frankly I think she just wanted to get into the boys dorm. All is not lost, however. There’s always the lottery, but then you have to give it back in taxes. When I started to plan for my celebrity status, I checked with Arnold Palmer. After all, neither of us can sing worth a darn, but that didn’t keep him from becoming a playing partner to a string of US Presidents going back to Eisenhower and even
Ty ter Lye ❰ continued from page 13
grudge Clint his success. Especially when he has a great big gun in his hand! In fact, I kind of look to him as a model to pattern myself after (except for the gun part). Don’t laugh—I have actually made several motion pictures that were distributed nationally. Trouble is, I was a grad student at the time and these products were for the education market, not commercial-for-profit films. Anyway, I chose to stay away from Hollywood—can’t see the reason to voluntarily breathe in smog. nor engage in daily fender-benders at 15 miles an hour
up to today, with Tiger Woods, who is likely to become Chairperson at the United Nations, which requires no political expertise at all, as we all know. If that doesn’t appeal to him, I suggest putting Elin to work someplace where she will be the focus of much attention, which is well deserved, you’ll no doubt agree…. Quite frankly, I’m in the market for a Swedish au pair, in case she decides to return to her previous occupation. Well, that’s enough of this nonsense. The more I think about this celebrity stuff, the less it appeals to me. Let’s face it, if you don’t read People Magazine, you won’t know how to act. And if you do read People Magazine you can’t help noticing that most of the big stars are tying to hide their faces under coats and such. I can’t see that would do for me—I’m much too handsome! n
GolfHumor
“Counting on your
opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.
”
14 GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
MARCH 2009
The LPGA Girls Are Back In Town by robert straHan H Han
The LPGA has officially started it’s season in the Australia Tour where Katherine hull won the Australian Masters with a five shot victory over Tamie durdin and Se y yeon Ryu it was a star studded field of world class women golfers, she took home $400,000 and qualified for some of the worlds best women’s tournaments with this win. Remember Katherine Hull finished 2008 with a hand full of top five finishes and I look for her to step up on the US LPGA Tour this year as she did at the Australian Masters with a very impressive win. As I’m writing this article new member Michele Wie and veteran Angela Stanford are tied for the lead at the SBS Open, going into the third and last round at 8 under par, both players cruising along on this wind swept day in Hawaii with pars then Wie takes the lead when Angela Stanford makes a bogey on #6, her first bogey at the event, Wie takes the lead to two up with the aggressive shot making skills she learned here on Oahu, Hawaii with a great birdie on the par five 9th hole!
MARCH 2009
Stanford made an incredible par when her drive came to rest against a rock where she had to take a one shot penalty! Where was Tiger’s guys when she needed them? Number 10 makes to be a pivotal point in the tournament when Stanford makes her second bogey of the Open and Wie with a par now takes a three shot lead! Heading into #11 with a 3 shot lead how can Wie who has been playing LPGA events since the plump age of 12 now has an official LPGA event with in her grasp. All the thoughts running around in her head would probably make anyone crumble with excitement. She heads to #11 where she makes a pivotal mistake and tees off with a fairway metal and pops it up, the wind grabs it taking it straight up into the air and straight down, right into the pond some 200 yards away from the green. Partner and chaser Stanford drives one right down the middle and some 100
yards ahead of Wie who now faces those demons in her head and promptly makes double bogey. Now her lead is cut to 1 with a par by Stanford. Playing with still a great attitude and determination. Wie regroups and comes back with a birdie to match Stanford’s birdie still a one shot lead going into #13 where Stanford takes charge with knocking down flags and dropping putts for birdies on # 13, # 14, and # 15! Total excitement. Wie now behind by two that fast. It’s not that Wie played bad coming down the stretch of the last nine holes, it’s purely Stanford’s play is just fantastic as she simply guts it out to take the lead for good with that 3 birdie stretch like the champion she is and just how she left off the year in 2008. What a great way to start the 2009 LPGA Tour! Stanford who we will see around the leader board often this year takes the SBS Open with a record tying 10 under par 65-71-70 total 206 and the $180,000 first
place check with Wie placing second, taking home $108,000 with scores of 66-7073 total 209 7 under par. LPGA Tour 2008 rookie of the year Yani Tseng takes home a tie for fifth with the hard charging Brittnay Lang and veteran Christie Kerr. Natalie Gulbis takes home a tie for tenth, rounds out the top ten for the season opener at the (SBS Open in Kahuka, Oahu, Hawaii at the Arnold Palmer Course Turtle Bay Resort where Annika Sorenstam was the defending Champion with a 10 under par 70-67-69-206 total.) Speaking of Arnold the King Palmer, his famous Golf Channel has just signed a 10 year endorsement to cover the LPGA Tours events and challenging a new Korean Broadcasting TV endorsement JGolf, a subsidiary of Joongang Daily News at approximately $4million a year, replacing SBS who had a 15 year relationship Seoul Broadcasting System with the LPGA. JGolf is a smaller operation than SBS which has the rights to the Winter and Summer Olympics along with World Cup Soccer. SBS is a National network based in Korea while JGOLF is a cable only operation. More information about this later as continued on page 16 ❱
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
15
Walking Your Way To A Better Golf Swing by CHris Vogt
Are you dusting off your clubs for the first time since your last round last year? Did you finish off last season with one final frustrating round over 100? Vowing to get better next season, practice more, take a lesson, get in better shape, and shoot a 90? Like the rest of us, the last couple days of semi-fair weather has sparked hope that winter is (hopefully) finally turning towards spring, and then a long summer filled with a lot of golf (and SUNSHINE!!!). If you’ve been working away behind your desk or sitting through meeting after seemingly endless meeting, then you’ve been involved in a few of the activities which are NOT going to help your swing, get you in better shape, or lower your scores this year. If your idea of getting ready for the golf season is going to the range and zipping through about 20 buckets of balls, then get ready to keep shooting round after
frustrating round in the 100s. All you’re Now, when you’re on these little walks doing is grooving that there are two things you same “garbaggio” swing should think about. Walk(which has historically ing is great cardiovascular produced scores which exercise and you’re defiare unacceptable), and nitely going to get that doing more damage to benefit, but that’s not what your body than to the we’re looking for here. The golf ball. first thing to focus on is What you should be breathing: In through the doing to get ready for nose, and out through the the season is working mouth. Feel your chest exsmart, not hard. Start by pand with every breath, and waking up every morntry to make each one a little ing and going for a walk. bigger than the one before Twenty or 30 minutes it. This will help your body Chris Vogt may not seem like much, relax and lengthen your but to the guy who’s stride, which in turn will been sitting around doing nothing, it’s a help stretch your hip flexors. Better hip perfect start. You don’t have to walk 10 flexor flexibility helps you stay anchored in miles a day to get the positive benefits we’re your backswing and creates a more active looking for, all we want is a start. and efficient lower body.
The second thing to focus on is posture. Feel like you’re pointing the center of your chest to the horizon, pinch your shoulder blades together and pull your bellybutton as hard as you can to your spine. This will help to get your upper body stacked on top of your lower body like it’s supposed to be. Thoracic spine mobility is the key to rotation, and getting into proper posture gives your spine the best opportunity to rotate through the full range of motion. In your golf swing, better posture equals more distance, more consistent ball striking, and a swing that’s easier on your body. n Chris Vogt is the Director of Fitness at The Gregg Rogers Golf Performance Centers located in Bellevue, Washington. A MyTPI certified instructor and specialist in customized golf fitness programs, Chris can be reached at cvogt@grgolfperformance.com or call 425.746.1655.
LPGA ❰ continued from page 15
it unfolds. We only hope that all relationships are not broken because the LPGA is loosing four events this year and about $8 million in prize money. That’s not really as bad as
Now Affordable!
it sounds as the LPGA as you will see has gone global this year and will be traveling to new places for world golf. This is what Greg Norman had in mind when Tim Finchem and Greg met for a conference many years ago about a world
The ONLY SHADE You’ll Ever Need On The Golf Course
“Excellent Golf Glasses” says Mancil Davis, “King of Aces” Retail • Sales • Tee Prizes • Tournaments • Sale Incentives
AJ SPoRTS
www.TheBestSunGlass.com
(714) 995-4500
16 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
golf tour. This is exactly what will be needed if golf is to become an Olympic Sport. Greg you were way ahead of your time and look where you are now as a golfer and a businessman, guessing Tim should have listened a little harder! Annika Sorenstam and that incredible win last year at this SBS LPGA Turtle Bay held at the Arnold Palmer Course Resort on Oahu, yes that was a great win no doubt! But how about that shot she hit at the US Women’s Open on her 72nd hole! A 6 iron in hand and 199 yards to the flag that was tucked left over bunker that protected the cup, she holed it out for eagle three! That’s the best last shot in the history of golf by any player man or woman At the last US Open they will ever play. Fantastic Finish. Tribute to Ambassador Annika Sorenstam; 72 LPGA career wins with 10 major championships! A record 8 time Rolex LPGA Player of the year awards, record tying eight time money list titles with six Vare Trophies for having the lowest scoring average of all other player that year Annika Sorenstam the Grand Slam winner, World Golf Hall of Fame Member, Golf course designer and with her new found Annika Academy she reaches out to so many and is a legend in her own time. Annika you’ve shot a 59 in competition too! Where do you go from here? Your life has been so full of memories and achievements your surely reaching for the stars in everything you do and have been such an inspiration to women’s golf
you have left behind so many that want to achieve just a small dosage of what you stand for. Congratulations for a great first part of your life. Paula Creamer is the first American to win four times in 2008 since Beth Daniel did on the LPGA Tour in 1999. Paula feels that it’s her duty to achieve all she can and she is very determined to do more. I look for her to be on the leader boards all year long for many years to come. So much to say about all the world class golfer’s on the LPGA and the sheer determination of so many that will rise to the top and be contenders for some time to come. Stars that popped out last year come to mind Angela Stanford who brought her game to a new level out of the blue last year and continues her stellar play already at the SBS in Hawaii Feb 12-14, 2009 where she was tied for the lead after the second round. I look for Angela to be a challenger at the Major championships this year as will Yani Tseng who has had a great career in such a short time. In Bee Park Rookie of the year in 2007 and youngest winner of the US Women’s Open IN 2008. I have to go now but if you would like any information about any of the LPGA events or the Players please e-mail me at masterclubbuilder@yahoo.com and I will be glad to help. In the mean time have a great day at the golf course and I look forward to next month’s article featuring the LPGA. n
MARCH 2009
Foreplay I KNOW IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD because I recently spent eight very busy days back in Orlando, Florida, at what I’ve called, for 18 consecutive years, “PGA Week.” I figure that if I live through this one week each year, I’ll get through in flying colors the rest of the year. PGA Week is worthwhile either as a vendor or as a visitor to the trade show. For me and my staff, this week consists of two days of travel cross country back and forth from California; a Demo Day; a SetUp-the-Booth Day for Golf Today Magazine; three days of exhibition for more than 40,000 visitors from throughout the world; and a special Media Day, featuring a golf round and all. This annual Media Day is sponsored by Tour Edge Golf out of Chicago, a club-making company that has paid its dues for the last decade and is taking step by step towards the top of the golf totem pole. One would have thought before leaving for this golf trade show that the last day of
by b o b Ko C zo R life was imminent: I mean with all the bad news on the economy plastered like spackle on the front pages of daily newspapers, in competition with all the doom and gloom that propels ratings ad nauseum on cable networks like CNN and the FoxNews Channel. Low and behold, however, the PGA and Reed Exhibits pulled a rabbit out of the hat with one of the most successful Orlando shows that I’ve worked at there during the past 18 years. Let’s paint the entire picture, however: there were fewer vendors than previous years, and there were fewer visitors to the merchandise show. But, the good news and most important news is that those visitors who did show up were not tire-kickers but actual buyers! After all, isn’t this the standard by which all golf shows should be held? At this show, vendors and visitors had time to talk, unlike many years ago when in beehive motion, vendors only had time for the biggest buyers or the first in line, while others were recuperating from the many continued on page 23 ❱
Crosswater At Sunriver Resort—A Must For 2009 Sunriver Resort is one of Oregon’s premier destinations for golf, serving up ample challenges for players of all skill levels. The gem of Sunriver Resort’s 63 holes of golf, a Destination Hotels & Resorts property, lies in the heathland-style course, Crosswater. Carefully designed to preserve the natural beauty of the area, Crosswater is situated on 600 magnificently scenic acres of woodlands and preserved wetlands and is threaded by the gently flowing Deschutes and Little Deschutes Rivers. Honored by Golf Digest as one of “America’s 100 Greatest,” Crosswater, a premier Robert E. Cupp 18 hole championship design golf course, is one of the only 150 courses in the United States to
be a certified Audubon Sanctuary through the Audubon Society of New York State. “It is simply not possible to find a better manicured course anywhere in the world. Period.” says Golf Digest. The layout features tremendous variety giving golfers the option of crossing the waters of the Little Deschutes River up to seven times. From the first tee to the final hole, Crosswater challenges golfers of all ages and skill levels. A few highlights include: hole five, a 460-yard epic par four where the long approach demands crossing the wetlands which makes it among the toughest holes on the course and hole twelve , a 687yard par five, which has lake in play and continued on page 22 ❱
We’ve Got You Covered!
• Increases Revenue • Boosts Lessons & Outings • Reduces Staff Fatigue • Reduces Student Fatigue • Total Protection from Sun, Rain, Heat and Cold
24’ CoverShots PTC PGA Learning Center, Port St. Lucie, FL
“We can stay out longer and increase lesson revenue, covering the expense for the CoverShots in its first season. It’s a wonderful product and a great tool for us to use here at Congressional.” —John Lyberger, PGA Director of Golf, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, MD
“My students just love the ability to have a shaded area when it’s hot outside and they’re even a little excited when it rains, because they know they are still going to have the lesson.” —Joe Plecker, PGA Director of Instruction, Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore, MD 2007 Middle Atlantic PGA Section Teacher of the Year
“CoverShots has demonstrated to the golf industry that it is dedicated to innovation and quality service, which is a supplement to the teaching skills of PGA Professionals everywhere.” PGA PGA Professionals everywhere.” —Brian Whitcomb, President, The PGA of America
by Mobile Canopies, Inc.
www.CoverShotsGolf.com
108-A South Kerr Ave., Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 794-6124 • Toll-Free: (888) 881-2433 Fax: (910) 794-8702
www.CoverShotsGolf.com ViSit our Video-enhanCed webSite and watCh teStimonialS from leadinG PGa ProfeSSionalS SPeak about the benefitS of owninG a CoVerShotS SyStem
MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
17
Got Cobwebs? by Jerramy Hainline
I am fortunate to live in the wonderful state of Arizona and our winter is limited to about three days in mid January where the temperatures dip below 60 degrees and we all stay locked up in our houses for the stint. Most of the visitors to the Hilton Golf Academy aren’t as lucky. Cold weather locations with lengthy winters and hectic lives that don’t allow time for extended golfing vacations are all factors that contribute to four or five months off from the golf swing each year. Depending upon where you live, March or April marks the month where most people are finally getting out to their golf courses for the first time in months. There might have been a time over the winter where the weather broke for a day or two, but now is the real time to start that golf swing up and see what might be left over from the fall. As you head out this spring, here are five things you can do that will assure you a smooth transition into swinging the club again. I can’t guarantee the results, but I can guarantee that you won’t hurt yourself and you’ll feel better physically if you follow a few of these ideas. Stretch – I am confident that most of
you aren’t 20 years old, 165lbs, with 3% moved the plastic from. Go to the putting body fat and in perfect physical shape… or green and putt a 1-foot putt and make it! are you? Whether Start your season you are or not off on the right doesn’t really matfoot, with a sunk ter, you have to putt, not a topped stretch your body. driver. Here, we You have to get are trying to work your golf muscles on the attitude as talking a little bit well as the moand let them know tion. Relax, get a the motion is comnice tempo and ing soon. I suggest ease into the seastretching out a son, don’t sprint couple of days beinto it! fore you head out Go with a to the lesson tee. Friend – EveryI would suggest one is going to 10-15 minutes for struggle right out three days prior of the gates, not Jerramy Hainline to hitting any golf just you. I am a big balls. Hold each stretch for about 7-8 believer that all you are trying to do is get seconds and don’t neglect the “hammy’s”. comfortable again. Practice with a friend People think that the back is the most will keep it light and relaxing. It is also fun important and it may very well be, but you to try a few putting games against each need to focus on those legs too. other. That will get the competitive juices Start with Putter – Don’t walk out to flowing and motivate you for the next time the lesson tee and break out the new $400 you come out. driver you got for Christmas and just reTake a Lesson – I don’t recommend a
18 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
lesson on the first return visit to the practice facility, but after you hit once or twice – get a lesson! I promise you, if you show up and miraculously hit it perfect for 30 minutes… it won’t be there the next time. Nobody takes five months off and comes back as Tiger Woods. Maybe for 15 minutes, but eventually your brain will start thinking about how great you think you are and then poof! Top! Top! Top! Do yourself a favor and have a professional look at your swing for just 15-20 minutes and allow them to give you a tip or two. Have Fun! – Every person I have ever taught or sent to one of our many Golf Academy locations, has been taught the same thing… This is about having fun! I tell people every week, if this isn’t fun for you, then quit! There are so many more pressing issues in every person’s life the golf course needs to be a place of escape, rest, relaxation, and fun. Make sure you head out this summer with that thought in mind. n Jerramy Hainline is the Director of the Hilton Golf Academy in Phoenix, AZ. He can be reached at 800-945-6478 or email Jerramy. Hainline@hilton.com.
MARCH 2009
MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
19
Book Review:
Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer’s Quest to Play with the Pros by bob Weisgerber
In a sense, Tom Coyne is not unlike a golfing chameleon with a gift of capturing his ever-changing life experience in prose that rings with authenticity, and enthusiasm, and pessimism, plus sentimentality and cynicism—all strung together in one continuous search for a truly reliable golf swing. Not the one-in-a-million kind of swing that luckily lands plop in the hole following a par-three tee shot, but the kind that few golfers are blessed with, the kind that a true “stick” hits without even thinking about it, then does it over and over, seemingly unaware of each succeeding swing accomplishment. Some might call it being in the zone. While others, such as the author, Tom Coyne, might classify it as being among a select group at the very top of the golfing pyramid. For these elite few, golf seems as straightforward as whistling a favorite melody, while remaining. mostly stress free. Over the course of 18 holes it involves moving slowly and smoothly toward a total score, whatever it turns out to be, one that is accepted as routinely as tipping his or her hat to acknowledge spectators’ applause.
Some of us “regular” golfers might think that they do the same thing when they play relaxed in a practice round. But that is WAY different when there is big money depending on the golfer’s performance and a single stroke or two makes the dif difference between reaching a goal or failing as in the case of tour qualifying. In Paper Tiger, Tom Coyne decribes devoting a year of his life—a year when he commits to lowering his score to competitive pro levels, while getting in shape, physically and mentally. The book is rife with personal anecdotes that make it clear that this quest
was no lark, but a very expensive learning lesson. Indeed, the miracle of this book is not in the pound of weight lost, the scores lowered, or friendships earned, but rather in the patient loving relationship he is able to sustain with his 9-yearlong girlfriend! Talk about thick and thin! This a tale of self denial on Coyne’s part and loyal support by the near-deserted lady But I don’t mean to digress from the golf side of this book because that is really what it is about. This plan is undertaken at great expense and personal sacrifice, like being away from his girlfriend, parents, and his home in Pennsylvania, replacing them with loneliness and frustration in Florida.
The interesting thing about this whole effort is how keenly the big redhead (Coyne) remains steadfast regarding his objective, that is, qualifying to play on one of the “major” tours by overcoming ridiculous odds and multiple disappointments. But his efforts lead directly to directly to self recriminations and cumulative self doubt…. Finally, Coyne makes the best decision of his life—but I won’t reveal it here. Let’s just say it is a happy ending. Early in the book, Coyne describes his initial golfing skills. They are modest and clearly inconsistent. True enough, Every now and then he “busts” his drive, sailing by the drives of golfers he is playing against in local Country Club “tournaments” and pro-ams. He also tells how often he manages to screw up in the approach to the green or in the putts when he finally arrives on the green. Essentially, he seems to find a way to belt on OB at the most inopportune time. The decision to go for broke is not made easily, but Coyne is nothing if not a risk taker. He attempts to keep his costs down, but it proves hard to do. His “out” is that he is a writer and will be telling his story for the world to read regardless of whether he succeeds or fails. This results in some favorable helping hands along the way, continued on page 21 ❱
Anything in Print…
972-2355
• Logos • Phone Book Advertising • Theater Slides • Magazines • Newsletters • Brochures • Fliers • Books • Event Programs
(661)
email: kerri@esten.net
WE Work WoNdErS WiTh our MouSE To ProMoTE your BuSiNESS 20 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
MARCH 2009
Arbutus Goes Green Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in Southern Vancouver Island is known for its lush landscapes and ideal climate, so it seems fitting that Arbutus Ridge employees are passionate about the environment. When General Manager Jason Lowe heard—via a performance review—team member Gracie Wilcox’s concerns about making the workplace more eco-friendly, he realized that they shared a dedication for the environment, and asked her if she would be interested in chairing a Greening Committee at Arbutus Ridge. The Greening Committee has been instrumental in recruiting, connecting and inspiring employees. The Greening Committee at Arbutus Ridge is made up of five to six team members from different departments; Gracie serves as chair, and Jason takes minutes and offers feedback and progress reports. The committee meets on a monthly basis, and discusses methods for making Arbutus Ridge more environmentally-friendly.
Gracie Wilcox explains that these projects vary in size and scale, and include setting up recycling areas, replacing/fixing an old refrigerator in the kitchen and measuring the golf club’s carbon footprint. “Ultimately, our goal is to convert to self-sufficiency, to become completely carbon neutral,” she comments. Arbutus Ridge has seen benefits of the Greening Committee in many areas of the business. The physical environment (both indoors and outdoors) has been improved and made more eco-friendly; the focus on going green also attracts like-minded customers. Additionally, the current employees involved with the Greening Committee are empowered and energized about their ability to create positive change at Arbutus Ridge. “Even in smaller projects,” Gracie
www.bigdaddydriver.com
observes, “when [team members] can see results, it’s contagious.” Jason adds that the committee “gets like minds together to induce innovative ideas,” increasing teamwork and motivation. Furthermore, there were more teammember recruits this year than in previous years, and Jason believes the Greening Committee plays a big part in this. And because of these employee referrals, the company has not had to do much traditional recruitment this year. However, the Arbutus Ridge has advertised the Greening Committee to positive results in their recruitment ads, and is discussing whether to describe the committee and the golf club’s dedicated to environmentally-friendly practices during their interview process. “We want this woven into the fabric of our culture,” Jason states. Any company can benefit from a Greening Committee, and forming one is a simple process, based on bringing together those who care about the environment. Jason describes, “Once you have a chair, it’s easy…then it’s a matter of the mission statement and goals. Start by doing an inventory of what you are currently doing that is environmentally minded, and then listing future projects. When listing future projects, determine a cost (if applicable) and a payback period. This will help to prioritize.” Gracie advises to get as many people involved as possible and to start with less extensive projects so that committee members can begin green projects right away; these quick results can show all employees that the Greening Committee is improving the workplace. Jason adds, “At some point, it may be necessary to bring in third-party expertise and guidance,” especially when setting and working to achieve long-term goals. Greening Committee meetings should be structured and held on a regular basis; while scheduling these meetings can be a challenge, having motivated members will continued on page 22 ❱
The Weed Whacker Golf Club
Looking for a Funny Golf Gift? Introducing the Big Daddy Driver. The Funniest Golf Gift Ever! No, it’s not a driver with a monster head, it’s a Weed Whacker Golf Club. Not only does it look like a driver, it is FUNNY and is a great conversation piece. Even better yet it really cuts the grass!
Only $44.95 plus s & h
www.bigdaddydriver.com 866-450-8186
Book Review: Paper Tiger ❰ continued from page 20
but too often the pearls of wisdom from his mentors disappear in the heat of tourqualifying pressure. There are tons of golfers who will identify personally with the hopes and pains that Tom Coyne writes so lucidly about. A few others will appreciate a highlight of his “development period—when he ties Michelle Wie—Whooee! NOTE: I read this book AFTER I March 2009
read Coyne’s newest book A Course Called Ireland. Both are good stories about golf, telling more about Coyne the man than Coyne the golfer. Recommended for all the Wannabee heroes among you golfers! Coyne is a keen observer of himself and others he encounters and we are given many insights into the brutal world of competitive golf, where many strive and only the very few make it through the ob-
stacles along the way. He does include a couple of excellent coaches in his cadre of support. One as a swing coach ( Jim Suttie)and one as a mental coach (Dr. Robert Winters) Note: their instructional advice, as contained in this book, merits attention by readerplayers who arelooking to improve their own games. n
“…it will become THE conversation piece of your round. I guarantee it!” -Bob Koczor, editor Golf Today Magazine
GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
21
Golf Today’s ‘Fun Tournament’ Features Rounds at Genoa Lakes Because of popular demand, Golf Today Magazine will hold its most popular golf fun tournament—The 6th Annual Carson Valley Golf Classic—twice in 2009: May 31st through June 3rd and September 27th through September 30th, 2009. A maximum of 40 players per event will fill the rosters quickly on these Sunday through Wednesday events. Two rounds of golf at each Genoa Lakes Course will be played each event, and lodging will consist of four (4) days and three (3) nights at the Carson Valley Inn. Individual Tee Package Prizes will total more than $150 for each player, starting with a new Q-Link, yes—the same stress-saver and energy-booster pendant that thousands of well-known professional golfers have won for many years. The Q-Link itself is valued at more than $100. Opportunity drawing prizes will total at least $7,500 and are guaranteed as prizes at each event. Special gaming coupons and breakfast coupons will be given to all participants and their guests. A Welcome Classic Pairings Party, with hosted cocktails and gourmet appetizers, will be held Sunday evening. On Monday at 6 pm, Golf Today Magazine will feature the Awards Banquet Night, starting with a private hosted cocktail party before dinner. Several other features of this event in-
clude the “Ugly Putt Contest,” a very challenging one-shot putt whose winner gets a new and valuable putter. Before the second round on Tuesday morning, a new competition called the “Birdie Ball Closest to the Hole Contest” will be held. The winner of this 4-shot attempt with Birdie Balls will win a new golf bag valued at $199. Shotgun starts will get things rolling after breakfast on both Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday night through check-out time on Wednesday at noon is yours to rest or whatever. Please remember: there is a maximum of 40 players for each event, and the first to sign up get in. “With gas prices down and with each course at Genoa Lakes being played,” said Bob Koczor, Golf Today’s Publisher/Editor, “these may well be the best of the 57 golf fun tournaments ever sponsored by Golf Today Magazine. “Considering the hospitality, professional courtesies and warmth shown by the staff at Carson Valley Inn and Genoa Lakes during a four-day period (not three days!), I would bet these are the finest golf events offered anywhere in the West.” The price for all of this fun is $391 per golfer, double occupancy. (Only $271 for non-golfer sharing room.) n For application forms and/or for more in-
formation, call Bob Koczor at 661-823-7842. Or, email Bob at bob@golftodaymagazine.
AT&T Tourney Volunteers Solicited Volunteer positions are still available for the 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Marshals, transportation and other key committees are looking to increase their ranks. Those interested in working on this long-standing, charitable event are asked to view the tournament Web site at www.attbpgolf.com for information or call the tournament office at 831 649-1533 or 800 541-9091. The 2009 tournament gets underway at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills the week of February 9–15 and will feature fan favorites Huey Lewis, George
Lopez, Ray Romano, Kevin James and Bill Murray. Top PGA TOUR professionals competing for a record $6.1 million purse include Jim Furyk, Mike Weir, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Davis Love III and Kenny Perry. A complete player list is available on the tournament Web site, www.attpbgolf. com. Tickets for the tournament are on sale through the tournament Web site and the tournament box office, 831 644-0333 or 800 541-9091. n
Arbutus Goes Green ❰ continued from page 21
Look up replays on ESPN from the Holiday Championships!
com, or fax to Bob at 661-823-7942.
help the committee to thrive. Both Jason and Gracie voiced that their personal enthusiasm for a green life has renewed their appreciation for Arbutus Ridge. “It has changed my perspective as an employee because it has incorporated my passion into the workplace,” says Gracie. “It has prolonged my desire to work here because I can feel a difference and see our growth.” Jason adds, “It adds value to the workplace for me.” Arbutus Ridge is located in the seaside community of Cobble Hill within
the Cowichan Valley amongst nine of Vancouver Island’s finest wineries and 10 minutes from the cultural city of Duncan. The terrifically scenic 40 minute drive from Victoria or Nanaimo prepares you for the pure natural charm of the country setting. The Arbutus Ridge Golf Club has a Four Star Golf Digest Rating and was voted the Best Destination Golf Course in British Columbia by Golf Nerve Magazine in 2006. Check them out online at www.arbutusridgegolf.com or call 250743-5100. n
Crosswater At Sunriver Resort ❰ continued from page 17
provides a beautiful view of Mt. Bachelor. Not only will golf enthusiasts experience the unparalleled breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains, they can also test their skills on the same course graced by seasoned professionals. Crosswater is home to the JELD-WEN Tradition, an official event on the PGA Tour Champions Tour—Oregon’s larg-
22 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
est golf tournament, and one of the five major championships on the Champions Tour. The seventh annual JELD-WEN Tradition, Oregon’s biggest professional golf tournament and one of the five major championships on the Champions Tour, will be held at Sunriver Resort August 17-23, 2009. For more info or to book a tee time please visit www.sunriver-resort.com. n MARCH 2009
Foreplay ❰ continued from page 17
corporate parties the night before. This year, prompted by the tight economy, everyone was more serious, parties were mostly an attraction of the past, and hangovers were mere memories of past shows. I’VE TALKED WITH LOTS of vendors since the end of this PGA Show and none complained. Golf Today Magazine itself did extremely well in its move to expand, and that’s why on March 1st the new editions will appear in both Oregon and the state of Washington, making their official debut at the Seattle Golf Show March 13-15th. I heard other success stories that were not in tune with the news, as well. There was Urbane Innovations which featured the Golf Hanger. It was Jeff Keller’s (inventor and owner) first PGA Show, and believe you me, Jeff will be back next year. He picked up more than 200 sales leads for his “Product of the Year” Golf Hanger. Unfortunately, in Denver on a change of planes, Jeff lost his contact book, organized with all his notes and business cards he collected on those who expressed deep interest in selling his product. Fortunately, he has a good memory and is sorting the rolodex in his mind. A generous reward for the notebook’s return is available by calling Jeff at 435-881-0124 or email at jeff.s.keller@ gmail.com. MERLIN PUTTERS, created and owned by Pat Simmons (inventor of the Alien Wedge), was in Booth #1409, proud as any man with his accomplishments on the Senior Tour and in the Golf Industry. At 77, Pat still hits a cool 71, which gives us all a great role model. This man is gentleman throughout, not loud-mouthed nor WWW-like as with some people we meet. TOUR EDGE GOLF showed, once again, that it owns rights to the very best Media Day held each year. (Believe me, I’ve been to hundreds of them during the past 22 years, and this is tops!) This special day each year at the PGA Show is a sunrise-
to-sunset day, including a round of golf at a private golf course. After continental breakfast, and sample handouts from several golf companies i n cluding SkyCaddie, Sun Mountain, Q-Links and more, there were half-hour confabs explaining these products. After the round of golf, there’s a fabulous buffet during which awards are presented. Golf scribes who don’t know about this one are really outsiders and, now, don’t say you never heard of it. You snooze, you lose. This one is the finest in no small part because Leonard Finkel, under the direction of Jay Hubbard of Tour Edge, organizes this event and makes all their guests truly feel at home and like they learned something about GPS systems, about new golf firms, and about the new Exotics clubs which, in my opinion, have hit another higher plateau in making golf more enjoyable and less frustrating for golfers. AND THEN THERE WAS ALAN BRADEN, veteran of all things golf. I’ve met Alan at more than 20 golf shows and it just wouldn’t be a golf show unless I did. He brought Steven Schwartz over to Golf Today’s booth—yes, Steven who with his wife moved to France about eight years ago from Northern California. Now Steven is back, doing those good things in golf that get little mention even though they should get front page headlines (more later on this). THE REAL WORK AT THE PGA SHOW is not in preparation, important
as it is, nor is it during the Show itself. The key to this golf show’s success is the follow-up time spent afterwards, and sometimes this takes up to two weeks. So, the likes of Mark Wisner, Strahan Hodgson, Stephen Ross, Ed Washeleski, Darren Gess, Colin Cromack, Dennis Baca, Travis Lynch, Chuck Miller, Robert Tas, Lisa Tam, David Fleischmann, Lisa Fitzgerald, Ralph Steinbarth, Douglas Grier, Michael Norton, Jim Rouke, Dove Jones, Michael Pardo, Scott Warne, John Darling, Steve Demeo, Denny Spencer, Fred Greiner, Michael Wargo, and Steven Schwartz… I still have to call you and follow-up with our discussions at the PGA Show. I have not forgotten you. MY INTENT IS TO WRAP UP the PGA Show matters before March comes along, because March itself marks the start of golf through three large golf shows at which Golf Today Magazine will have double booths: Seattle Golf Show March 13-15th; San Jose Golf Show March 6-8th; and San Diego Golf Show March 13-15th. Now, if only I can get through the month of March. THE GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE-sponsored fun event at the Carson Valley Inn with two rounds of golf at Genoa Lakes will be held May 31st-June 3rd. This is almost sold out, so I suggest if you want the best of the year, sign up now. The courses are the best, and CVI is topnotch, and you get four days there, not three, as in years past. And the prizes presented by Golf Today Magazine are still the most generous outside of any stimulus package passed by Congress. Call Bob at 661-823-7842 for more info, or email bob@golftodaymagazine.com for an application form. See you at on the course if I can ever get caught up! n
one of the finest places in the entire world to play golf Custom Golf Packages For People Traveling From San Francisco To Monterey Peninsula Golf packages that are appealing, affordable, high quality, played on incredible golf courses and offering players the ultimate golf experience Accommodations at the award-winning Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley Tee times set up through Hilton’s Golf Coordinator Green and Cart Fees
Pronghorn Golf Club ❰ continued from page 14
like TRON in your virtual golf world. The city of Bend is a short 20 minute drive and is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. The Deschutes River runs through the middle of a vibrant downtown area with art galleries, restaurants and boutique shops. Biking, Fly Fishing, River Rafting, Kayaking and Rock Climbing are all MARCH 2009
within a 20 mile radius of Bend. Skiing and snowboarding at nearby Mt. Bachelor of offers year round recreational entertainment. Bend is one of those rare places where you can ski, golf and fish in the same day. Members and guests at Pronghorn enjoy this “trifecta” experience during the months of April and May. For people in the West, Pronghorn offers
a world class golf experience in a stunning natural environment, in our own backyard. During a time when people want to explore closer to home, the journey to Bend and Pronghorn is a true retreat. For more information on Pronghorn visit www. pronghornclub.com. n
For information and reservations
6001 La Madrona Drive • Santa Cruz, CA 95060
888.445.3010 www.santacruzscottsvalley.hilton.com Travel Should Take You Places.™
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
23
Golf Equipment Chronicles ❰ continued from page 12
their holy grail.
he has never asked us to put PUREd™ shafts in his irons.”—Nike PR. That got my attention. The quicker the denial, the more interesting the reason for the denial. The story wasn’t really about Tiger in the first place. It was about Strategic Shaft Technologies and their quest to improve consistency and feel of golf clubs by analyzing and then re-orienting the shaft in a club. The Tiger brouhaha obscured the real point of the story. The Achenbach article was about the “new” SST PUREing machine that is automated, accurate and lightening quick. If there is a problem with the SST PURE technology today, it is that PUREing a shaft is a meticulous process that requires a trained operator. The first generation PUREing machine can be temperamental. The process takes several minutes to complete. All of those factors have worked against acceptance by mainstream manufacturers who are not interested in adding time and expense to the process of building golf clubs. Strategic Shaft Technologies hopes if they can take the time, cost trained operator out of the equation, the PUREing process could be offered as an option by companies that build hundreds of thousands of golf clubs a year. That’s
Strategic Shaft Technologies—the Company SST PURE™ has a long and controversial history. The roots go back well over ten years to a time when Howard Butler was working for True Temper. The fundamental question: “Is there a way to optimize the consistency and feel of a golf club by orienting the shaft in a specific way?” That quest was joined by Dick Weiss who founded Strategic Shaft Technologies and has been the champion of SST PURE™ development—guiding the company, patenting the technology, and (no small investment) defending the patents. An early hurdle was to get past the USGA. Seeking approval, the SST was devastated when the USGA declared that orienting a shaft in a club to influence performance was against the rules of golf. Most people would have been daunted by such a setback. But eventually Weiss and SST prevailed—by arguing that PUREing™ a golf shaft eliminates inconsistencies and that all shafts are imperfect anyway. Trying to get the SST PURE™ understood and accepted has been a long and expensive slog. Despite the fact that hundreds of PGA Tour Professionals have had their clubs PUREd™ in the SST Tour Van
Play Before Twilight at Paradise Valley or rancho solano
1010 - 12 Off
and receive $
$
*
$10 oFF o Mon-Fri $12 oFF FF Weekends excluding holidays
Mon thru Thur: $28 walking, $44 with cart • Fri: $32 walking, $48 with cart Weekends (excluding holidays): $41 walking, $57 with cart These special prices valid For up To 4 players ExpirEs Expir Es March 31, 2009 not valid for tournament play or to be combined with any other promotions. *discount is off the regular non resident posted rate.
Rancho Solano (707) 429-4653 Paradise Valley (707) 426-1600 www.FairFieldGolF.com 24 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
GOLF TODaY
Must bring coupon in order to receive special
at tournaments over all these years—there has always been that nagging question: “If it’s so good, why doesn’t Tiger do it?” It’s like the only opinion that counts on the PGA Tour is Tiger’s. Since that’s the key question in the golf universe, that’s undoubtedly why Achenbach tried to answer it. Hence, putting the question to “Nike insiders.” That’s also what made the Golf Week article so surprising. If Tiger really uses PUREd™ shafts it would be an extraordinarily valuable endorsement—potentially worth millions of dollars in business to SST. Alas, that just doesn’t happen in the golf business—at least not for free. Endorsement Contracts Nike pays Tiger tens of millions of dollars a year to endorse Nike golf clubs, shoes, shirts, balls and anything else that is big enough to show the “Swoosh”. But Tiger is just at the head of the class. Any PGA Tour Professional with a good chance to get on television Sunday afternoon (and show the company logo) commands a million or more a year just to play a manufacturer’s clubs. Extra credit for wearing their hat, playing their ball, walking in their shoes and keeping dry under their umbrellas. Also-rans pick up a few hundred thousand a year on the outside chance that they’ll make a cut once in a while. Some parts of a player’s bag may not be covered by the equipment contracts. Except for Taylor Made, companies don’t really care too much what shaft a player uses in his clubs. Taylor Made insists that their Tour Players use shafts that are painted with the official colors. Every Monday morning companies large and small that survive on the fringe of the Tour fight for a little recognition in the
wire services. If, just by chance, a player happened to finish in the top twenty or thirty with a certain shaft in his driver or irons, the lucky company buys a press release on “The Golf Wire” to trumpet the fact that the “tenth place finisher in the XYZ Open played our shafts.” It is strictly forbidden to actually name the player—that requires a contract and a payment. Here’s an example of press release from the recent Buick Invitational. MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Despite a dramatic backdrop of cliff top views and the Pacific Ocean, all eyes were on the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts which won the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The win marked the fourth week during which shafts designed and manufactured by True Temper delivered victory on the early 2009 PGA TOUR. That’s a nice piece of writing that doesn’t give Nick Watney much credit for winning the tournament. The shafts did the work by themselves? Now we know, when you tune in to the tournament it’s to watch the shafts, not the player. The ridiculous prohibition against saying who uses what equipment is an example of how “play for pay” has impeded the free flow of information. Why is it that if a player used a product, and everyone knows because it was on television, you can’t say it in print? My opinion? The side effect of endorsement contracts is that players look a little bit greedy. But maybe it’s not the players. Maybe it’s that the rich companies that pay millions for those few minutes of airtime and don’t want anyone else butting in on their investment.
continued on page 25 ❱
MARCH 2009
Golf Equipment Chronicles ❰ continued from page 24
SST PURE™—the Process Golf shafts are imperfect objects. Cosmetic finishing hides manufacturing irregularities. It is a simple process to reveal those irregularities. All shafts exhibit a “hard side” or “spine” that is the point of maximum resistance to bending. The SST PURE™ process finds that point with sensitive instrumentation. For maximum shaft stability, the “hard side” is located on the leading edge of the shaft at impact—the 9 o’clock position. A second operation tests the shaft by horizontal oscillation to find the exact point—within the window of stability— where the shaft oscillates in the most stable plane. That position is then marked and the shaft is installed in the club. Independent testing, funded by Strategic Shaft Technologies and performed by Golf Labs in San Diego showed that SST PUREd (clubs) produce longer and straighter shots. The fact that SST funded the research invalidates the results for anyone who believes that testing should be totally independent. But SST was stuck. What independent company or person would step forward to pay for the testing? Ten years ago, if you talked about “spines”, “flo” and “shaft orientation” in a group of club makers you would have been laughed out of the room. Only the polite club makers called it “voodoo”. Over time, small groups arose—connected by the Internet—to develop, test and understand the “art”. One of the original groups was “Spinetalkers”—still active today. In 2009 opinions have changed dramatically. Shaft orientation has gained a strong following among club makers. Now, it’s only the minority that eschews shaft orientation. Some claim that they can achieve results similar to SST PURE™ by hand and by eye. I disagree. The SST PURE™ process requires sensitive electronics and sophisticated software. If you want to judge for yourself, visit the SST website: www.sstpure.com and find a licensee near you. All are happy to demonstrate the PUREing process. Powerful Enemies The reason that SST has had such a hard time gaining acceptance is that there March 2009
are powerful constituencies that don’t want to admit that any kind of shaft orientation is necessary. Who are they? Well, all shaft companies and (almost) all golf club manufacturers. It should not be surprising that any company that manufacturer shafts doesn’t want to admit that their product is imperfect. Companies are fond of saying that their products are built to very tight tolerances and don’t need any special tweaking. Sometimes they boast about plus or minus one CPM (cycle per minute) of oscillation frequency in any position. The same goes for golf club manufacturers. It would not be a welcome development if it became a common belief among golfers that the first thing that you need to do after you buy your new golf clubs is to take them apart and rebuild them. The “party line” has always been against shaft orientation of any kind—and especially against a proprietary process that requires costly equipment and the payment of a royalty. You won’t find a golf club manufacturer that will admit that their factory processes could be improved. The reasoning behind that fiction is that the companies want buyers to believe that the clubs you buy at Golfs m i t h or Dicks Sporting Goods are just the same as their PGA Tour pl aye rs play under their endorsement contracts. If you truly believe that, I’ve got a bridge for sale. The only player that I’ve ever heard of that gets a box of off-the-rack clubs from his sponsor and puts them straight into his bag is Craig Stadler. Some players take their clubs very seriously. I’ve read that Tiger has a fully-equipped club making shop in his house. The tradition of constantly buying, testing, and tweaking golf clubs is a tradition among professionals that goes all the way back to Arnold Palmer, famous for his collection of golf clubs. With Tiger’s respect for tradition, it’s not hard to imagine that he has a pretty substantial collection himself. The action on the range and Tour Vans at every tournament suggest most players are looking for something a little better all the time.
So why is what Tiger does with his clubs more guarded that a nuclear secret? The obvious theory is economic—but that’s a little too simple. Maybe the real reason is that Tiger—in his quest to be the best in every respect—from preparation and concentration to conditioning - has taken the same deep interest in the tools of his trade. Could it be that Tiger knows more about clubs and how they work than any other player—as he knows more about winning than any player—and considers his clubs to be yet another competitive advantage? Why not? Such a conclusion would certainly be in character. Optimistic Allies Just the same way you can draw conclusions about a companies’ enemies, you can also check out who’s in support. There is one golf club manufacturer that PUREs™ every club it builds. That’s Henry Griffitts. They’ve long been a strictly cus-
tom operation—relying on PGA Professionals and teachers for their sales. Since every club is custom built for a specific customer, it’s not too hard to put a cherry on the whipped cream by offering SST PUREd™ shafts. A while back, UST took a flyer with SST and offered a certain shaft model— “pre-PUREd”. UST gave up selling that shaft after a few years. My view is that the reason is that clubmakers came to believe that any kind of testing aimed at shaft orientation should be done with the shaft at playing length. The theory is that the correct alignment may move after the shaft is trimmed. It may also be that UST just had a hard time selling a premium product. UST couldn’t give ACCRA shafts away and then a couple of Canadians transformed the ACCRA line into the premier custom shaft line in the world. Go figure. One of the most telling endorsements continued on page 28 ❱
GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
25
My 4th Putt by Jeff broWn W Wn
Every golfer wants to play better, or at least we say that we do. We buy gizmos, take lessons, practice, read and listen to tips, but mainly we complain. Let’s face it, golf has a culture of complaint. The game is so inherently complicated and non-intuitive that we have to have the psychological safety valve to blow off the steam of frustration. Yet we go back. After all, even when we are “vexed”—as my golfing buddy, World Famous Larry, says—the sky is blue, the grass is green and we are out for a nice walk in the park with the amiable sorts who frequent these sorts of places. So why don’t we collectively actually get better? The stats tell us that in spite of all that technology has brought to bear in learning and in equipment, handicaps essentially haven’t budged in the last ten years. Why not? Here is where the eyebrows and blood pressures go up. Yes, the equipment and balls are measurably much improved, but it doesn’t make as much difference as you
might hope for we-of-slow-swing-speed and casual play. The pros who have the swing speed, the time and the dedicated effort now routinely hit their tee shots 350 yards. I remember when it was rare for even the likes of Jack Nicklaus to hit his drive 300 yards. So the people who need the help the least get the most benefit, as it often happens. Reminds me of Wall Street. The other area that is even less discussed in the open is how difficult it is to effectively teach golf and even more to learn well. I’ve had a lot of lessons over the years from national names to driving range hustlers and even in retrospect I don’t think there was much that sank in. These folks are good players who work hard to communicate skills, but out of frustration with me they sometimes resorted to just “watch me.” And, not unreasonably, “practice and
26 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
come back.” And as students, we generally aren’t great shakes, either. Few notes, little follow-up and only casual practice. I’ve been to a couple of schools where I was taking notes and the instructor asked me why I was doing that. I explained that the course was expensive and my mind is a sieve. Amazingly, they both mused that they had never had students take notes before. To be fair, I still have those expensive notes and I can’t say they made a difference, either. Are there exceptions? Of course. Some
improve a bit, just enough to allow them to play. Others find almost a calling and a natural ability that can lead right up to a career in golf. Most of us though, muddle through, grumbling about the greens, the weather and our aches with only occasional break-throughs for our pains. Finally, sometimes the last line in Jack Grout’s book (he was Nicklaus’ childhood instructor) comes to mind; “Some people never can learn this damn game.” What do you think? n
Quagmire Golf is off to a HUGE 2009! When Quagmire Golf launched four years ago, many people doubted how such style could ever last in the game of golf. While golf will always remain a traditional sport, it doesn’t mean people can’t dress well and feel great. It seems these days all anyone talks about is the struggling economy yet Quagmire seems to be thriving in such conditions. Over the past three years the Quagmire brand has climbed into some of the greatest stores and proshops in North America. Quagmire was a hit on the tradeshow circuit across Canada and at the PGA Merchandise
show in Orlando last month. “People are looking for something fun, cool and funky.” says Bobby Pasternak co-owner. “They are more apt to spend their money on something new and fresh rather than the same old golf shirt that they have three of already.” Quagmire Golf is not your typical golf brand: it is truly unique as it appeals to a stylish and trendy growing demographic of intermediate golfers. The line targets the young at heart golfer that wants to look good both on and off the course. “It’s not just for the young, it’s for everyone who still likes to continued on page 30 ❱
MARCH 2009
MARCH 2009
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
27
Golf Equipment Chronicles gained a following. In 2009 Steve came out with the “half heavy putter” to very positive reviews. Changing weight and balance has also been slow to catch on but is gaining momentum. Tour professionals have less incentive to change their equipment in radical ways. Most of them have achieved success by doing exactly what they’re doing. Even a little change might require recalibrating a very sensitive system. Most amateurs are way more open to changing their equipment in the hope that a miracle is always possible. Tour Pros don’t believe in miracles.
❰ continued from page 25
is the recent licensing of the SST PURE™ system by Art Sellinger and the Long Drive Association (LDA). At the Golf Lab, we’ve had quite a record working with LDA competitors, including Eric Jones the 2003 Senior Division World Champion. We spent weeks tweaking Eric’s competition clubs and he tested every shaft in every orientation. In the end, he decided that all of his competition clubs would be SST PUREd™. For the leading supplier to long driver competitors to license the SST PURE system shows that there’s a demand among a very discerning clientele. And then there’s the “man on the street”. In seven years as an SST Licensee, we have seen players return time and again to have their brand new clubs “retro-PUREd™. They don’t do that because they like to waste fifty dollar bills. Optimizing Performance— Blueprinting A term that is gaining recognition among golfers who what to know the exact specifications of the clubs that they’re playing with is “blueprinting”. At a physical level, blueprinting golf clubs involves taking them apart, weighing and measuring all of the parts, checking flex, orienting the shafts, adjusting weights
and balance and installing grips. The final step is to adjust lofts and lies to a player’s swing. The essence of blueprinted clubs is that the specifications have been verified. The reality is that commercial sets are mass produced. They are built in a factory where the goal is speed, efficiency and cost savings. When speed is the goal, precision is always sacrificed. Blueprinted golf clubs are what you would get if factories operated in slow motion and employed skilled club makers who checked all of the components in advance and tested and measured their
Want more Golf equipment ChroniCles? MANY YEARS’ worth of archives of columns by the Guru of Golf Club Making, Leith Anderson, can be found on our website...
G olf T oday M aGazine . coM 28 GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
completed work. Alas, no time for that. Optimizing Performance—Tuning There’s another aspect that goes “beyond blueprinting.” A good description is “tuning”. Tuning is only going to be interesting to a small percentage of golfers. For those who are willing to go through the testing, the results could yield measurable improvement. Changing Weights and Balance For over a year, we’ve been working with a variety of counterweights that used to be located near the butt of the shaft. Recently, new designs permit locating the weight at a position down the shaft. The most notable example is the Balance-Certified Shaft Stabilizer. Tour Lock recently entered the market with a weight that can be located at any point down the shaft. Why? Launch monitor testing shows that players frequently increase ball speed a few miles per hour by counter weighting their golf clubs. More importantly, launch monitors can measure and compare swing path, face angle at impact and a variety of factors that indicate consistency such as variance in launch angle. For most players, consistency improves in measurable ways by re-balancing both “woods” and irons. So, you ask, if counterbalancing your golf clubs is such a good idea, why aren’t the PGA Tour professionals doing it? To some extent they are. Balance-Certified lead the movement toward adding weight to a putter—the company’s very first product—on Tour. They attracted Scott Hoch as an endorser and V.P. of Sales John Cranston has personally fitted hundreds of players with Balance Certified putter weights. There’s the other example of changing weight theory: Heavy Putter. Steve Bocciari introduce the Heavy Putter (really, really heavy) four years ago and
Moment of Inertia Matching Among the “old ideas” that are under attack is balancing clubs by swingweight. The concept of swingweight was “invented” in 1922 and never changed. How about that for sticking with tradition in golf? A significant minority of custom clubmakers has moved to matching clubs by “Moment of Inertia” (MOI). Customer satisfaction with the new technique seems to be high and many club makers are using MOI matching as a differentiator for their business. The essence of matching by MOI is that an electronic gizmo is employed to measure the clubs while they are in motion. You place the club in an arm and rock it back and forth. A number pops up and you’re there. Conversely, swingweight matching is accomplished by laying a golf club on a scale. There is some good logic behind MOI matching. To begin, many players including Tour Players (I wonder about Tiger? LOL) seem to play with heavy wedges. It’s not uncommon to see wedges in the D-6 to D-9 swingweight range. Well, if a heavy wedge feels good, how about your nine iron? Do you want a feel gap between your iron set and your wedges? What’s the difference? In an MOI matched set, each club will increase in swingweight approximately half a swingweight point through the set. If you like your three iron at D-1, you would see your swingweights rise gradually to D-4 for your nine iron and D-4.5 for your pitching wedge. When you see Tour players with lead tape all over their irons to try to get the feel they want, you wonder if they haven’t accomplished the same thing by feel alone. Anyway, MOI matching is another idea that’s on the rise. Shaft Tuning—Length Length, weight, flex and bend profile are the key variables in shaft tuning. continued on page 29 ❱
MARCH 2009
Golf Equipment Chronicles ❰ continued from page 28
For many years, the concept of standard length has been just that—standard. From club to club there was a half inch progression in length. Well, not always. Many club fitters found that players got better results if all of their wedges were the same length, then Dave Pelz joined in and decreed that the progression should be ¼” from wedge to wedge. At the other end of the set, many players got better control over their long irons by trimming them a bit from the standard. At the Golf Lab, it’s long been our practice to build out long irons on a ¼” progression from the five iron. There is no longer a standard length. Now there’s a new idea that’s been endorsed by the Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP) as the best idea that’s come down the pike in the last year. It’s “True Length Technology” (TLT). TLT is a mathematical model for club length fitting and length progression that promotes a more consistent stance from club to club. There goes that old ½” from club to club standard. Will TLT become a new “standard?” Probably not. It’s a little too fussy. But there’s no doubt that players will pay a lot more attention to finding the length that works the best for them. Weight Not long ago, if you wanted a steel shaft in your irons it was going to be a Dynamic Gold from True Temper and it was going to weigh about 130 grams. Then Rifle came along and the weight dropped to 115 grams. Some players grew to like Rifles— especially the Project X that became the darling of the European Tour—and Phil Mickelson. For amateurs, the weight range that works best for all but the strongest is a little lower—105 grams for the Nippon 950 and all the way down to 70 grams for players who are looking for a little spice in their life. The benefit? Most players think that lighter weight equals longer distance. It turns out that the main benefit of lighter overall weight in an iron is better control of the club. Flex One of the other standards—this one for setting flex—has been to relate swing speed to some kind of flex measurement technique. Originally, players trusted the “A,R,S,X” designations of the manufacturers. Now everyone knows that the letter for flex doesn’t matter. Then, the method switched over to trying to match swing speed to a frequency measurement—cycles per minute or CPM. Now, even that techMARCH 2009
nique is highly suspect at a minimum and probably also obsolete. Clubmakers with a lot of experience know that some players do very well with CPM readings that don’t match their swingspeed. Whether the advanced test is load, tempo, torque or some other invention, the only reliable way to know what club works for any player is to build it and test it. When you find the specifications that work, figure out how to match the spec. bend Profile In the last few years the ability to measure and test shafts has improved a lot. Some club fitters have electronic gizmos that can tell the “bend profile” of a shaft that will work best. The Max Out Shaft Max is the best example of that technology. How do you know if you’ll do best with a very stiff tip Project X in your irons or if you might do better with a softer tip Matrix 30+? Same goes for drivers. Some players need the very stiff tip Mitsubishi Diamana Whiteboard. Others will do better with the Graphite Design YS—6+ series. When you find your fitter, ask him how he can determine the best bend profile for your swing. That is a key question. bottom Line In the so called “Big Picture” what dif difference does it make what Tour Players do? Each one of them is a rare species. To compare any amateur game to what happens in the Big Leagues requires a controlled hallucination. Log into Bombsquadgolf.com and see the frenzy to buy a driver head that’s been “hot melted” for some Tour Player. Why would you want that? The fact that it’s for sale tells you that it didn’t work. Then, why buy a driver head that was hot melted for someone else who didn’t like it? Sooner or later, amateurs are going to face the fact that they’re amateurs. If an amateur buys a “Tour” club, there is a high probability that it won’t work for him any more than the guy who gave it back to the Van—and then the guy who sold it out the back door. If you want to try to figure out what specifications will work for you, you’re better off to find a guy that you trust to analyze your swing, measure and test your clubs, and then give you a bag full of demos to take to the range or your course so you can figure out for yourself what works best FOR YOU. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.
does he or doesn’t he? There is no subject that inspires more emotion that an argument about what Tiger does and doesn’t do. In seven years, I’ve not had more feedback on anything that I’ve every written than the email about whether Tiger PUREs™ his irons or he doesn’t PURE™ his irons. It got so ridiculous that I received an anonymous, threatening, phone call warning me to “check my sources”. What was that about? Who was that guy?
For his part, Jim Achenbach has said all he intends to say. Now, I know one thing. The only person who knows for sure what Tiger is doing is Tiger. And he’s not telling. He’s the “Phantom”. Ask yourself. Why do you care? n Leith Anderson is a partner in the Golf Lab, Palo Alto, CA. He will answer any and all questions related to club fitting or club making. Contact: Leith@calgolftech.com.
only $29.95 pros to Hackers – Grooves any stroke – easy-to-use
Tempo
Follow-Thru
TAkeAwAy
AlignmenT
• Is my putter square to the target line? • Do I have the nice tempo in my putting stroke? • Is my takeaway smooth and correct? • Am I setup properly? • Do I have an Arc Stroke or Straight line stroke? • Can I consistently make putt after putt? • What are the issues with my putting? • Is my stroke grooved like it should be? • How is my follow-thru?
Find out more about this awesome putting device that will help you to cut 3 to 4 strokes per round at
www.
4Ballpro 4Ballp ro.com
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
29
China’s Mission Hills Golf Club Recognized by Guinness World Records Mission Hills Golf Club—the world’s largest collection of premier golf courses with 12 layouts designed by many of the greatest golfers and golf course architects from five continents—announces its recent recognition as the “World’s Largest Golf Club” by the Guinness World Records for the fifth straight year. In May 2004, after an unprecedented feat of engineering that saw five courses built within 16 months, it officially sur-
passed eight-course Pinehurst for title of “World’s Largest” when its 10th layout opened. In Summer 2007, an additional
••• Index of Advertisers for March 2009 ••• 4 Ball Pro ................................................................................................................ 29 Alzheimers Association of Western and Central Washington State...................... 10 Auto Lifter .............................................................................................................. 25 Big Daddy Driver .................................................................................................... 21 Carson Valley Golf Classic ....................................................................................... 27 CoverShots ............................................................................................................. 17 Furnace Creek......................................................................................................... 26 Golf Lab ................................................................................................................ 6, 7 Graphic Expressions ............................................................................................... 20 Grip 18.................................................................................................................... 26 Guru of Golf ............................................................................................................ 28 Hilton Academy of Golf .......................................................................................... 35 Hilton Santa Cruz Scotts Valley.............................................................................. 23 iSwing Golf............................................................................................................. 15 Loews Lake Las Vegas .............................................................................................. 5 Macro Golf .............................................................................................................. 34 Muckleshoot Casino ............................................................................................... 36 Palouse Ridge ........................................................................................................ 34 Paradise Valley/Rancho Solano ............................................................................. 24 Pronghorn Golf Club ......................................................................................1, 3, 19 Q-Link..................................................................................................................... 33 Remax World Long Drive........................................................................................ 22 Seattle Golf Show .................................................................................................... 2 Siena/Arroyo .......................................................................................................... 18 Silver Cloud/Jimmy’s.............................................................................................. 11 SunCoast Resort....................................................................................................... 4 Sunridge Golf Club ................................................................................................. 20 True Golf Sunglasses .............................................................................................. 16 Wedgewood Golf.................................................................................................... 13 Wildhawk Golf Course............................................................................................ 12
30 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
two courses—the Pete Dye and Zhang Lian Wei—were completed to bring the club’s grand total to 12. Located 30 minutes from Hong Kong, Mission Hills also features courses designed by golf luminaries like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, among others. “It took Pinehurst nearly 100 years to construct eight courses,” says Tenniel Chu, Executive Director, Mission Hills Golf Club. “Our ability to build 12 in less than 15 years is a stunning achievement and indicative of our sincere belief in China as the breeding ground for golf ’s next generation of champions.” Mission Hills is not only about golf, however, as it’s rapidly developed into Asia’s premier sports and lifestyle destination resort. The club’s other outstanding amenities include three world-class spas featuring an array of treatment options; a 317-room, five-star hotel; a wide variety of restaurants offering succulent cuisine from around the globe; golf academies from renowned instructors David Leadbetter and Cindy Reid; 51 tennis courts and a professional tennis academy at Asia’s largest tennis center, pro shops with a comprehensive selection of golf gear and apparel at the world’s largest clubhouse, and more. “We invite you to visit Mission Hills in 2009 to indulge in the unmatched experience and service we offer,” says Chu. “There isn’t a club in the world that combines our exotic locale, variety of golf, luxurious accommodations, rejuvenating spas and delectable menu options.”
AboUT MISSIon hILLS GoLF CLUb Stretching across the lush, rolling hills of Shenzhen and Dongguan in southern China, Mission Hills is China’s highest rated golf club, and the largest golf club in the world according to the Guinness World Records. The property is home to 12 resort and championship courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Annika Sorenstam, Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh, David Leadbetter, David Duval, Jumbo Ozaki and Zhang Lian Wei. Mission Hills is a full-service, luxury resort, featuring four clubhouses, three spas, a five-star hotel, three golf academies (including schools from world renowned instructors David Leadbetter and Cindy Reid), 51 tennis courts with a professional tennis academy, and numerous fine dining establishments serving cuisine from around the world. It has hosted more than 50 international tournaments, including the 1995 World Cup of Golf and the Tiger Woods China Challenge in 2001. In 2007, Mission Hills began its role as host of 12 editions of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. Getting There: Mission Hills Golf Club is a short drive north of Hong Kong International Airport, www.hongkongairport. com. Flights on most major airlines from most major cities are available into Hong Kong. From the airport, Mission Hills transports golfers in luxury shuttles across the border to the resort hotel. n
Quagmire Golf ❰ continued from page 26
look stylish,” Geoff Tait Quagmire’s other co-owner claims. Quagmire Golf in 2009 has not only teamed up with some of the greatest golf clubs in the nation such as Glen Abbey, Banff Springs, RedTail, and St. Georges—to name a few—but have also landed into some great golf retail stores such as Golf Town. For Spring 09 Golf Town has chosen a great
selection of menswear for 15 of their ‘A’ stores across Canada. Other great retailers include Sporting Life in Toronto, Bernard Tortier in Quebec and a handful of Nevada Bobs in the West. Watch out for Quagmire Golf in 2009. It’s going to be a great season and The Quag Crew will be spreading some laughter, fun and great golf throughout. For more information, contacct geoff@quagmiregolf.com. n
For reviews of golf products, contact Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor, at 425-941-9946 or email him at cameron@golftodaynw.com. Golf Today Magazine, now in its 22nd year, publishes 12 times per year, and is expanding to other states. Interested in being part of this expansion? MARCH 2009
Sevillano Links at Rolling Hills Casino Earns Favorable Rankings When it comes to the “best in golf courses” Sevillano Links at Rolling Hills Casino has now found itself ranked amongst national favorites. The highland links-styled course has earned special recognition for its pristine track by both Golf Digest and Golfweek magazines. The course is currently ranked No. 7 on Golf Digest’s national list of Best New Public Courses. In addition, Sevillano Links appears on Golfweek’s list of 50 Best New Public Courses and on the list of 30 Best Casino Golf Courses in the United States. With its naturally rolling terrain, everso-luscious fairways and well-manicured greens, Sevillano Links continues to receive positive attention from golf enthusi-
asts locally as well as from afar. Besides the traditional 18-hole golf experience, Stay and Play Packages are available for golf enthusiasts interested in a high-quality yet affordable golf experience (in the North State region of California) 90-miles north of Sacramento. Sevillano Links, with its five sets of tees will test the talent of any player up for the challenge. This resort golf facility has a spectacular all-grass range, with practice bunker and putting green areas ideal for honing-in on one’s short game. “We’re extremely pleased about the recent accolades surrounding our course and resort,” stated course superintendent Matthew Hoyt, CGCS. “From day-one we’ve been committed to providing exceptional
service and a premier playing surface for golfers and resort guests. The rankings we’ve received from respected publications such as Golf Digest and Golfweek let us know we’re on the right track.” After a memorable round of golf guests can relax and retreat at an on-site hotel as well as enjoy the Rolling Hills Casino, all conveniently located next to the course. The resorts Stay and Play experience is enhanced by an array of amenities at Rolling Hills Casino which include: fine dining and/or full buffet, lounge and sports bar, coffee café, arcade for kids, and even on-site pet care. Gaming options include everything from slots and video poker to a variety of popular table games. Outside the casino, there are recreational opportunities
such as fishing, hunting, and hiking. To book a tee time or for more information about golf getaways, tournament services (for business or charity), and player development clinics & classes call the course direct at (530) 528-4600 or visit http://www.sevillanolinks.com/. For more information about Rolling Hills Casino and gaming, dining, and/or lodging, visit http://www.rollinghillscasino.com/. Sevillano Links (located at 2657 Barham Ave. in Corning, CA, 96021) is a proud supporter of Play Golf America, an industry-wide player development initiative designed to bring new golfers to the game and former players back to the sport in a fun and vibrant way. n
Cleveland Golf and Srixon Golf To Sponsor Scottish Senior Open ❰ continued from page 13
said CEO of Srixon Sports Europe, Leslie Hepsworth. “The Senior Tour events are becoming increasingly popular with consumers and Tour players alike, the chosen venue is second to none and I have no doubt the event will be a major success for all concerned.” “We are delighted to have Cleveland Golf/Srixon as title sponsors of the Scottish Senior Open. It is a major coup for us to have such a renowned golf manufacturer onboard for what is one of our longest running events on the European Senior Tour,” said Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, Andy Stubbs. “It shows the developing relationship of Cleveland Golf/ Srixon with the Senior Tour and we look forward to a superb Scottish Senior Open
played on the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews. We would also like to convey our thanks to the Management at Fairmont St Andrews for agreeing to host the tournament and to EventScotland for their on-going support of golf in Scotland.” “I am delighted that the Scottish Senior Open is coming to Fairmont St Andrews. This is an iconic event with some of the most recognized and revered names in golf participating,” said General Manager of Fairmont St Andrews, Charles Head. “After a £17 million investment in both our championship courses and hotel, it is wonderful to see such a prestigious European Senior Tour event coming to the Torrance Course. There are dramatic storylines and synergies associated with this; not the least of which is Sam Torrance
challenging for the Scottish Senior Open title on his very first course design. The Torrance is one of the finest new courses in Scotland, and already recognized as an Open Qualifying Course when The Open Championship returns to the Home of Golf in 2010. We look forward to welcoming both players and officials alike to our hotel in August 2009.” “The success of the Scottish Senior Open lies in its creation of successful partnerships and I am confident that its partnership with Srixon Sports Europe will continue to go from strength to strength,” said COO at EventScotland, Paul Bush. “The tournament is an outstanding example of Scotland’s ability to not only attract the world’s biggest golf events but also to generate and sustain tournaments of real
STAFF
calibre which EventScotland is proud to support.” The Fairmont St Andrews, ranked No. 18 in Conde Nast’s Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World, sits on 520 acres of stunning open coastline overlooking the North Sea and the historic town of St Andrews. In addition to exceptional golf and a worldclass spa, Fairmont St Andrews includes award-winning dining, luxurious guest accommodations and exceptional service, as well as unfettered access to the charms of St Andrews itself. For reservations or more information, call 1 (800) 257-7544 or visit www.fairmont.com/standrews. n
REGIONAL EDITORS / AD REPS
PubLIShER / EDITOR � � � � � � � Cameron Healey
cameron@golftodaynw.com PRODucTION DIREcTOR � � � Kerri Esten…kerri@esten.net GOLF ExPLORER EDITOR� � � Hal Gevertz GcSA & NORcAL PGA � � � � � � Emmy Moore Minister ASSOcIATE EDITORS: � � � � � Bob Weisgerber, Bob Fagan cONTRIbuTING EDITOR � � � � Leith Anderson leith@calgolftech.com
cONTRIbuTORS � � � � � � � � � � � John Berkovich,
Don Carlson, Dan Hruby, Tom Kubistant (PhD), Tom LaMarre, Bill Nestor, Rick Newell, Barry Salberg, Ron Salsig, Pat Simmons, Robert Strahan, Terry VanderHeiden “AcE” EDITOR � � � � � � � � � � � � � Mike Mc Colgan LMccol3525@aol.com cARTOONISTS � � � � � � � � � � � � � Randy Evert for Finkstrom… Jonny Hawkins…Rich Newell for Life in The Trap…Frank Roberson
NORThERN cALIFORNIA/RENO/TA /T hOE /TA
Charley Coppola…916-427-3441 RENO/TA /T hOE /TA
Bob Gee…775-741-5300
ccgolf@comcast.net geeforce@prodigy.net
NORThERN cALIFORNIAREGIONAL EDITOR
Robert Strahan, former Tour Pro cENTRAL cALIFORNIA
Mike Hamiel…209-499-8779 LAS VEGAS
Xavier Basquez…702-408-8658
707-673-7206
michaelhamiel@comcast.net basquezxman@aol.com
MAxwELL INTERNATIONAL INc�
Christopher (CB) Maxwell…209-533-8291cbmaxwell@sonnet.com
Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor • Golf Today Magazine Northwest Edition (425) 941-9946 phone • (425) 949-3090 fax www.GolfTodayMagazine.com • Cameron@GolfTodayNW.com
ISSN 1524-2854
MARCH 2009
Golf Today Magazine, The Best in the West for 22 Years, 12 issues per year, is published monthly. Golf Today Northwest Edition is Washington and Oregon’s only statewide golf magazine. Subscriptions are available at $29 per year, $39 for two years, or $49 for three years. Golf Today is protected under the copyright law. Contents of this publication cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited articles should be sent via e-mail and photos are welcome. Correspondence should be sent to Golf Today Magazine.
GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
31
CLASSIFIEDS HOUSE OF KANGAROO GOLF SHOES
You PICK YOUR
CATEGORY!
Email your classified ad to us at:
GOLF TODAY MAGAzINE NORTHWEST EDITION
info@GolfTodayNW.com
Or fax it to us at: (425) 949-3090 Pre-Payment P Payment required on all classifieds
Classified ad ra raT es: Up to 25 words: $70 - 1 month • $100 - 2 mos. 25-50 words: $90 - 1 month • $130 - 2 mos.
Call (425) 941-9946 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
GOLF VACATION RENTALS
LEARN TO TEACH GOLF. The Profession of a Lifetime.
wAiLEA, MAui - GRANd Champions Villas on Blue Course,
Call for a certification course near you. United States Golf
7th Fairway. 1 BR, 2 bath, Discounted golf and tennis
Teachers Federation. Please call toll free 1 (888) 346-3290 for more information. Or log on to www.GolfTeachingPro. com
fees to tenants. $805 per week. $3000 per month, plus tax. Call (916) 408-1049. Or, Grandc181@sbcglobal.net
REAL ESTATE
OwN THE RiGHTs TO manufacture and market one of the most popular golf aids on the course, that has been promotional industry for 3+ years. Steady and profitable growth. Interested parties, please call 830-896-1598, or send e-mail to raikman@easiergolfing.com for more info.
5130 King Road • Loomis, CA $925,000 2.3 acres, 3,084 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths
corporate outing with Lucky golf accessories. Custom logo program available Visit us online at www.luckystroke.com. Inquires - 408.313.0081.
Ample room to safely practice golf shots and putt on private putting green!
GOLF PACKAGES sTARTiNG AT ONLy $59, treat yourself to comfortable lodging and great golf (including cart!) at 10th Green Inn at La Contenta. Visit www.10thgreeninn.com for more information. Or, call 1 (888) 727-8705.
LOOKING TO TRAVEL OR WINTER NEST? 2005 27’ TRAiLbAy TRAvEL trailer. Barely used, and beautifully kept. Slide-out living room and bunk house floor plan. Sleeps eight comfortably. Fully equipped with awning, stabilizer tow bars, two 10 gallon propane tanks, great stereo, many other extras. Only $25,000. Call (530) 308-7482 or email kristineF@ttlco.com
NEW GOLF PRODUCTS! dO yOu HAvE A new golf product? A new golf service? Can’t re-mortgage your home to get the money it costs for national promotion in the 18-color high gloss slicks? Give Bob or Tammi a call at Golf Today Magazine. Start promoting your new golf product/service throughout four states (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona) for pocketchange. We’ve been doing this for 14 years and the results for new golf businesses are absolutely great! Get results with us and grow. For more information, call (661) 823-7842 … FAX (661) 823-7942. Email: bob@golftodaymagazine.com.
REAL ESTATE
This may well be your opportunity of a lifetime.
NEEd THAT EdGE? OuTFiT your golf game, tournament or
LEFT HANDED GOLF CLUBS dEMOs ANd NEw CLubs, some good used ones, men’s and women’s. Many name brands and knock offs at 50% below retail. I’ll email you the list. Shipping at the true cost, not inflated: duferdon@sbcglobal.net.
NEEd THAT EdGE? OuTFiT your golf game or tournament with Lucky golf accessories. Visit us online at www.luckystroke.com and enter Coupon Code “GolfToday” - 15% off! Inquiries call 408-313-0081.
growing in name and sight recognition in the retail golf an
GOLF ACCESSORIES
HOusE OF KANGAROO GOLF shoes are made from kangaroo leather which is one of the lightest & strongest leathers! Walking 18 holes feels like walking a few blocks. Try a pair today! Phone#: 1-800-597-9091www. hoknorthamerica.com
30+ courses within 35 minutes! For more information and your tour call Kelly • (916) 532-6404 or visit http://kellybaker.point2agent.com
REAL ESTATE
Affordable Golf Community Lot in Cool Pacific Northwest Home lot for sale in Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club on the Hood Canal in Union, Washington. Walk to clubhouse and fairways. Dues only $170 per month and come with full privileges for two on beautiful 18-hole course consistently ranked among top 25 in the Pacific Northwest. See www.alderbrookgolf.com for community details. 1/3 wooded acre on cul-de-sac. Electric and water in street. Septic required.
$85,000 Contact Sharon Roseme at sroseme@garlic.com • or (916) 663-3450
32 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
AFFORdAbLE GOLF COMMuNiTy LOT in Cool Pacific Northwest Home lot for sale in Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club on the Hood Canal in Union Washington. Walk to clubhouse & fairways. Dues only $170 per month & come w/ full privileges for 2 on beautiful 18 hole course consistently ranked among top 25 in the Pacific Northwest. See www.alderbrookgolf.com for community details. 1/3 wooded acre on cul-de-sac. Electric and water in street. Septic required. $85,000. Contact Sharon Roseme at sroseme@garlic.com or 916-663-3450.
LAKE LAs vEGAs GOLF RESORT: Live in this beautiful golf community with three golf courses, two major hotels with gaming, plus a wonderful 320-acre lake full of fish. Chose from custom homes or custom lots to build your own dream home. Play a round of golf free, this being our way of saying thanks to qualified people looking for the right location. Call Earl or Anne at 702-460-2192 for an appointment. (Re/Max Pros.) Check our virtual tour at wwww.yourvegashome.com. sEA viEw HOME siTEs, championship golf course, beach club, vacation, retire, affordable, full ownership, title insurance, Baja, Mexico. Free information: bill@terrablaze. com, (408) 690-8429. CA DREA01029353
SqUAW VALLEY CONDO FOR RENT/PURCHASE spENd A wEEK, TwO, winter or summer, at the OLYMPIC VILLAGE INN in Squaw Valley. Plenty of activities, new clubhouse, free bikes for the family or just relax in the hammock or in one of the five hot tubs. Take a swim, take a hike, take a gondola ride to High Camp. This Kitzbeuhl unit is a one bedroom, one bath with mini-kitchen that sleeps four. It is available for rent or purchase. The week available this winter is December 7-14. The summer weeks are in June and August. It fills up fast, sold out early for 2008. Rent for a week for $850, two week for $1,500 with half the rent to apply toward the purchase at $4,500 a week. Get the full story from their web site www.olympicvillageinn. com. Don Thompson, duferdon@sbcglobal.net.
SWING ANALYSIS swiNG RECORdER! THE 4viEw Digital Swing Recorder is a powerful digital video capture system available at premiere driving ranges. Complete self-service, golfers can use it to record, play back and analyze their swings. Look for it at your favorite range! For more information, call 510-471-3900. Or, visit www.inpractis.com
VALUABLE CLASSIC GOLF CLUBS 5 sETs bEN HOGAN 25th Anniversary Personals; 15 WD 2-PW 1 in box $1,000 each. 775-356-1892. Set #318 Nicklaus Ltd. Edition 1-SW, 1345, 13 w woods. Mint Condition $4,000. Hogan 50th Anniversary 2-PW in Display Box. $500. 10 Tommy Armour Ben Hogan Model/Ref $300. Call 775-356-1892 for more info on these and many others!
FREE
CLAssIFIED ADs IN DIGITAL GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE! Sell your old golf clubs. Sell your new golf bag (you received two for birthday!). Sell your the framed golf picture you got with Sam Snead shaking your hand. Sell whatever you want when it comes to new or used golf equipment, golf memorabilia, golf apparel, golf whatever. Got a Gift Certificate for four to play at Pebble Beach? Got certificates to play free rounds at Bajamar Country Club’s Course? Pay for only first time ($99) and Golf Today will run your classified ad FREE until it sells before a year passes! 50 words maximum. This is for individual golfers, not commercial. No golf stores. No pro shops. No golf businesses.
ThIs Is GOLFER TO GOLFER MARCH 2009
QLINK_GolfTodayNOV.indd 1
March 2009
10/27/08 10:43:16 AM
GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
33
Golfing Paradise.
Pullman, WA
•
509-335-4342
•
palouseridge.com
Home of the 2009 Washington State Men’s Amateur Championship
34 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN
MARCH 2009
“Helping people receive more enjoyment from the game of golf” www.hiltongolfacademy.com
Hilton Golf Academy - Starting at $999* per person! “Playing Weekend” golf school for 2 people. Package includes: • Two days of personalized instruction with afternoon playing lessons • Three rounds of golf • Three nights' suite accommodations • Food and beverage: three breakfasts, two lunches • Adidas® golf shirt and a pair of Adidas Golf Shoes • Hilton Golf Experience Instructional Manual • Mention Special Code: GTNW • 1-800-945-6478
*Rates are per person based on double occupancy. Rates vary depending on location. Offer is valid through December 31, 2009 and based on availability. Minimum of 2 people must register together to receive this offer. Offer is not valid to groups of more than 8 people.
March 2009
GOLF TODAY Magazine – Northwest Edition
35
DRIVE FOR SHOW... IT’S ALL HERE! Home to the BIGGEST Rewards program offering monthly promotions, cash back and exclusive gift catalog shopping; offering the BEST Dining experiences with 7 different restaurants to choose from, including Spice Bay, a Whole New Way to Buffet; home to the BIGGEST Poker Room in the State; and offering the BEST in Live Entertainment seven nights a week in Club Galaxy! So come and enjoy the Northwest’s most exciting place to play Muckleshoot Indian Casino in Auburn!
The Biggest and Best in the Northwest!
2402 Auburn Way S. | Auburn, WA 98002 | 800.804.4944 muckleshootcasino.com