Golf & Tourism Magazine July to September 2014

July - September

2014 Complimentary Copy

Your Passion is Our Purpose

RAFA CAMPOS

“HAVE CLUBS, WILL TRAVEL” Learning from the masters

Course Management Junior Champion Team

Engage

Dorado Beach

Extravaganza Eduardo Figueroa

The Consummate Coach

Director/Publisher Charlie Bautista Sub-Director and Coordinator Verónica Rosario Editor, Proofreader, Translator Oscar Peñalber Art Director & Graphic Designer Laura Wood Photography José “Chico” Sosa Writers and Collaborators Julio Soto Iván O. Puig Alberto C. Medina Gil Jorge López Andres Subira Chip Koehlke Dr. Rosa Echavarría Joseph Nelson Consultant Julio Soto Executive Director PRGA Sales and Marketing Charlie Bautista Advertise your business Please contact us at:

787-503-5437 sales@golftourismpr.com

Find us in Facebook and Issuu: Golf & Tourism Magazine All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners, Golf & Tourism Magazine Published

by JVS Media Corporation. ©2014 JVS Media Corporation PO Box 9023856 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902-3856

your passion is our purpose

CONTENTS

Golf & Special Features

11 13

Learning from the Masters Course Management

By Andres Subira

24

Tourism

Cover Story Have Clubs, Will Travel

By Alberto C. Medina Gil

Regulars

6

Golf Courses Guide

8

Opening Shot Director’s Letter

22

Interview The Consummate Coach

By Alberto C. Medina Gil

23 40 44

Casa Bacardi

By Iván O. Puig Golf Gusto Interview with Nasha Fondeur

38 49

16 18

Learning from the Masters Developing Junior Golfers

By Chip Koehlke

32

52

Tournament Member & Guest

Junior Golf Junior National Team to Defend its Title in Puerto Rico

57 58

Starbucks to the Rescue with New Energy Drink Rain Forest Zip Line The Magical View

Fitness & Health Golf Performance Training

By Joseph Nelson Fitness & Health ...I Have a Mental Issue

By Dr. Rosa Echavarría Mixology Bubble of Life

By Jorge López Albarrán Meeting on the Greens Golfing for a Good Cause: The Ricky Martin Foundation Off the Course Puerto Rico Regatta Duet Ends Successfully

GOLF COURSES GUIDE Aguirre Golf Club Road 705, Km 3, Aguirre, Salinas Type: Public

Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club $125 - $225

$125 - $275

PUERTO RICO Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach & Golf Resort 201 Dorado Del Mar Boulevard, Dorado

Fort Buchanan Golf Course Building 171, Fort Buchanan

Las Bambuas Golf Course Route 187 Kilometer 4.2, Rio Grande Phone: (866) 529-3996

Berwind Country Club Road 187 Km 4.7, Rio Grande

Caguas Real Golf & Country Club $65 - $110

$65 - $110

700 Alhambra Blvd., Caguas Phone: (787) 653-4653

Club Deportivo Del Oeste Carr. 102 KM 15.4 Int., Joyudas, Cabo Rojo

Coamo Springs Golf & Tennis Club Road 546 KM 1, Coamo

Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club Ponce, Porta Caribe

Dorado Beach Resort & Club East Course $100 - $210

$100 - $210

West Course $70 - $160

$70 - $160

Road 189 Km. 10.1 Jardin, Gurabo

Palmas Athletic Club The Flamboyan Course The Palm Course $145.00 Non members / $28.00 Members - 7 days a week #1 Country Club Drive Humacao, PR 00791 Phone: (787) 656-3000

Punta Borinquen Golf and Country Club Base Ramey, Aguadilla

Rio Bayamon Golf Course $25

Verdes Carr. 177, Bayamon Type: Public Phone: (787) 740-1419

Trump International Golf Club 100 Clubhouse Drive, Rio Grande

The Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort Ocean Course River Course $150

100 Dorado Beach Drive, Dorado Phone: (787) 626-1010

El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa

$25

$200

6000 Rio Mar Blvd., Rio Grande Phone: (877) 636-0636

1000 Conquistador Avenue, Fajardo

El Legado Golf Resort Carr. PR-713, KM. 2.5 Bo. Jobos y Pozo Hondo, Guayama 6

Note: Fees subject to change without notice during the course of the year.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

“Insight and strategy from the best caddy�

Be a part of Golf and Tourism Magazine and let our readers cross paths with you (787) 503-5437 / charlie@golftourismpr.com

Opening Shot

Dear Reader

S

ummer has arrived, heat intensifies, and we at Golf & Tourism Magazine will bring you the most refreshing information about golf from the masters, tourism from local experts, cuisine and mixology from top Chefs and Barmen, and much more.

Our commitment is to offer new alternatives to bring you closer to the world of golf and tourism. Our articles are designed to provide new and exciting knowledge about the game, from the fairway to the runway, and to promote the discovery of our beautiful Puerto Rico and its people.

Discover why Puerto Rico is unique this time of the year and why golfers from around the world make it a preferred destination.

Our thanks to all the people that contribute to this magazine, and our special thanks to Steven Pauli for making this issue’s cover possible.

Cheers,

Charlie Bautista Director and Publisher

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Golf Course Showcase

OVERVIEW

East Course

The tradition of golf at Dorado Beach is as rich as the property’s history. Beginning in 1955, renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. set out to create the finest golf resort in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, culminating in four spectacular, 18hole layouts that have played host to celebrities, world leaders, golf legends and PGA tournaments. Today, Dorado Beach is still the only golf venue in the Caribbean offering 72 holes.

EAST COURSE

WEST COURSE

SUGARCANE COURSE

PINEAPPLE COURSE

The Re-Opening of Dorado Beach’s East Course is the first in a series of events signifying its resurgence as one of the premier golf, leisure and private resort membership experiences in the world. Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s restoration of the historic East Course to the original vision put forth by his father brings this classic seaside course into the 21st century with a subtle rebirth as a modern masterpiece.

On the West Course, opened in 1958, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed holes running in different directions, making the everpresent breezes off the ocean a challenge to negotiate.

The Sugarcane course, also built in 1972, is the more challenging of the two Plantation courses although it boasts larger fairways and greens. The course demands you to negotiate forced carries and deep bunkers. The back nine is surrounded by newly created rivers and lakes and offers a much different look.

The Pineapple Course, built in 1972, was designed to be the more-friendly course for golfers.

It has fewer forced carries. The bunkers are not as deep and the greens are slightly larger.

Original panoramic site lines to the ocean have been restored on 15 of 18 holes. Native sand harvested from surrounding beaches highlights the contoured bunker complexes. New ultra-dwarf Champion Bermuda greens support double-digit speeds with a number of hole locations on every green. And now, playing over 7,200 yards, Dorado Beach East is as formidable from the championship tee as it is forgiving from the forward tee.

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The four par-3 holes are considered the toughest of Dorado Beach’s four courses. Ranging from 150 to 200 yards, these four holes feature sloping greens and plenty of bunkers.

The 175-yard 13th hole is lined with palm trees and the green is in an oasis of rolling sand that seems to run directly into the ocean.

The Raymond Floyd Group renovated this course in 2002 keeping the original layout and vision of Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Today, the West Beach course is temporarily closed for renovations.

Players have an opportunity for birdies early in the round, but by the 8th hole the course begins to show its teeth. Par is a great score on most every hole on the back nine, with a few birdie opportunities mixed in!

Good thing the new Plantation clubhouse awaits golfers after their round, whether it’s for a cold beverage, a magnificent meal cooked to order, or to just relax on our deck that provides great views of the course.

The back nine of The Pineapple Course consists of four holes with ocean views, followed by a tough five-hole stretch culminating with a fantastic parfour 18th that finishes up on a green just below the clubhouse terrace.

For those seeking a challenge, this course will provide all you can handle from the back tees.

Dorado Beach Resort & Club 500 Plantation Drive, Suite 1 Dorado, PR 00646 Phone: 787.626.1001 Fax: 787.626-1011 www.doradobeachclubs.com JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Learning from the

Course Management

By Andres Subira

How many of us go to work every day without knowing what to expect when we get there?

Do we know what we need to tackle first?

Do we know where our responsibilities start and where they end?

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H

ow we manage our job, day, and lives dictates how successful we can be and how far we can go. Managing the way we play on the golf course is essential to reaching our goal. Most golfers reach the first tee wishing and hoping to have a good day. How will this happen? Only God knows. If you didn’t prepare, don’t expect to play well; in fact, prepare to have a disappointing day. It does not matter if you’ve been playing for years or just started playing. If you finish playing your round and feel frustrated, you are going about your game the wrong way. Good course management is the key to an enjoyable golf-playing day.

process that can take a while to create and implement, but is a worthwhile effort.

Knowing how to practice so you can execute on the course, creating a reliable routine, recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, knowing how far you can hit each club in your bag or what golf ball works best for your game, are essential factors towards good course management.

Through the process you have learned to hit your driver, your irons, and your putter.

Some can hit the ball a long way and some not so long. You have spent your fair share of time practicing and feel confident about your game; however, almost every time you play you go home somewhat frustrated.

You can hit the shot well while practicing but not so much on the course. Why? The simple answer is lack of course management. The solution: setting a game plan.

What is your goal for the day and how do you intend to go about it? Plan your game and work your plan. Know your limitations.

To set your game plan shot by shot and hole by hole you have to create a plan that fits your abilities. Work the percentages. Do not try to hit “the shot of the day” every time; odds are that it will not turn out. You cannot expect to make a par on every hole when every other time you have played you have only had two or three of them. If you shoot double bogy on most holes regardless of the golf course, then, that should be your goal.

Course management is a complicated

If you look at it from a pure logic standpoint and put aside your ego, there is a simple solution. If you play a par 4 whole that is 340 yards long and you are expecting to shoot a 6, this is the way to do it: you need four shots to get on the green. You divide the 340 yards by 4 and that gives you 85 yards. Find a club you can consistently hit 85 yards and reach the green in the amount of strokes you intended, 4, then putt two times and you just shot your “par”. Even the most inexperienced golfer can hit a six iron 85 yards. Now let’s look at it differently. Say you can hit a 5 iron 150 yards, and then you hit a 5 Iron twice adding to 300

Weather you always play on the same golf course or you like to mix it up by playing at a different course every week, you have to plan your strategy on how you will play the course.

11

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yards covered, there are only 40 yards left; that distance can be covered with a number of different clubs including the putter. This puts you on the green in three strokes and leaves you with three puts to achieve your goal of six strokes. If you only putt twice, you get a five, which makes it one under your goal. If you play this way consistently your game can only improve.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;To set your game plan shot by shot and hole by hole you have to create a plan that fits your abilities.

Work the percentages. Do not try to hit â&#x20AC;&#x153;the shot of the dayâ&#x20AC;? every time.â&#x20AC;?

Did you know that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parâ&#x20AC;? on a course varies depending on the course condition and weather? So why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you set your own â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parâ&#x20AC;? to fit your game? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parâ&#x20AC;? is a rating made to standardize the game and is rated for the average, proficient or better yet professional golfer, and how much the player should shoot on a given hole. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parâ&#x20AC;? is like a suggested retail price. No one pays retail. Some pay more and some pay less. The better you can negotiate, the better the price you get.

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Establish a game plan, a strategy. Know what club you plan to hit on every tee. The driver is not always the best choice. Know where and where not to hit the shot. Know where you can also miss the shot and still recover. Learn which pin positions you can attack. Learn to recognize the â&#x20AC;&#x153;suckerâ&#x20AC;? pin placements. Know that it is better to shoot for the middle of the green regardless of the pin placement. Learn that there is a premium in putting the ball on the fairway off the tee regardless of distance.

Always give yourself the chance to hit the ball to a place where you can find it and be able to hit it again. Eliminate the penalty shots by making good decisions on the course. Lastly, set your expectations in accordance with your abilities. Remember that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do this for a living and you are supposed to do this for fun. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take yourself too seriously and you will enjoy this wonderful game every time you play. Work on your course management skills and your game will improve.

Andres Subira is a Master Golf Coach with the United States Golf Teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Federation. Currently, he is the Director of Instruction, Master Club Fitter and Club Maker at Rio Bayamon Golf Course.

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Interview

The Consummate

Coach

By Alberto C. Medina Gil

Few things are more important to a young athlete than a good coach: someone who not only teaches the game, but can guide a promising young player through the trials and tribulations of winning, losing, and always striving to be better.

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A

nd while that’s surely the case in every sport, it may be especially true in golf, a game that demands so much physically and mentally, and requires the steady direction and counsel of a talented instructor.

Eduardito Figueroa is one such coach. The veteran player, head golf pro at Palmas del Mar Golf Club, is one of the top instructors on the Island, working with junior players of all ages and helping to mold many of them into young champions. His secret: a successful blend of experience, technical know-how, and a vital personal touch that engenders trust and brings the best out of his young charges.

Figueroa has been a golf instructor for nearly 20 years, during which time he has worked with some of the Island’s best young players. But his experience with the

game goes back much farther than that.

“I started playing when I was seven years old,” says Figueroa, who won multiple local championships as a junior and had success as a player in Puerto Rico Golf Association (PRGA) events. He has seen everything there is to see on a golf course, and he credits those decades of experience with allowing him to relate to young players and dispense sage advice.

“It’s very important, and there are a lot of coaches who just haven’t been in those moments in tournaments when you’re winning, or losing; all those moments in the heat of competition when a lot of things go through your mind,” says Figueroa. “I’ve been there many times, and I know how to explain how they should handle those situations when they encounter them.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;I teach them about confidence, not just in the game, but in their daily lives. I care about their studies and about their lives, not just about golf.â&#x20AC;?

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Interview Figueroa’s focus on teaching his players how to handle adversity is part and parcel of the way he prioritizes the mental part of the game. Concentration, discipline, selfassuredness; those, he says, are the key to unlocking a young golfer’s potential.

willingness to make sacrifices and put in the effort to get where they want to go,” says Figueroa, who adds that he wishes there were more local tournaments to allow these developing golfers to play and hone their skills.

“The hardest thing for any player, not just a young player, is the mental game,” says Figueroa. “If you don’t have confidence in your swing, even if you have the talent, it’s going to be very difficult to execute when you need to. Golf is 70 percent mental and 30 percent the mechanics.”

Figueroa is working tirelessly to instill that desire and work ethic in the next generation of Puerto Rican golfers. Furthermore, he is working with the generation that follows that one. The coach accepts pupils as young as five or six years old; one of his most precocious students, six-year-old Adrian Miller, is playing this summer at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships. “That boy’s ability level is just astonishing,” he says.

Of course, he does not neglect the physical aspect, doing age-appropriate work with his young players in the gym. “I work a lot on core strength, because your swing comes from the hips,” says Figueroa. “Cardio work and flexibility are also important.”

The results of his coaching techniques and philosophy speak for themselves. Along with his instruction duties at Palmas del Mar and as coach of the Cupeyville School golf team, Figueroa works individually with a handful of young players, some of whom are now among the top junior golfers in Puerto Rico. One of his pupils, Mitzel Chevres, recently won the 15 & Under category at this year’s PRGA Junior Island Championships.

The runner-up, Ian Aldarondo, is also a student of Figueroa, and had the lowest scoring average in that age group during the 2013-2014 junior season. Both play with Puerto Rico’s junior national team.

“There’s a lot of talent, especially in the 15 & Under age group.

The big factor is their willingness to make sacrifices and put in the effort to get where they want to go, says Figueroa”

Figueroa is proud of his work with young players like Miller, Chevres, Aldarondo, and many others who have grown as golfers under his tutelage. He feels gratified that he can contribute to their lives and to the sport he loves so much.

“I am glad I have the opportunity to give them the best of me so that they can go forth and accomplish great things.”

Figueroa has been working with both players for several years, and has developed a mentoring relationship that goes beyond golf but contributes to their success on the course. “I’ll pick them up at their house and take them to Palmas with me,” says Figueroa. In part it is a practical consideration because most parents simply cannot drive their children to and from the golf course multiple times during the week. But it also allows for a more meaningful connection between coach and player.

“I teach them about confidence, not just in the game, but in their daily lives. I care about their studies and about their lives, not just about golf. I’m basically a father figure for them,” says Figueroa, who affirms that his constant goal for these young players is to get a college scholarship and a good education.

He believes that many young Puerto Rican players have the skills to achieve that goal.

“There’s a lot of talent, especially in the 15 & Under age group. The big factor is their WWW.GOLFTOURISMPR.COM

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Learning from the

Must-Knows About

Developing Junior Golfers

By Chip Koehlke

When it comes to developing junior golfers there are many topics to discuss and debate. In this article we will deal with two big issues which are must-knows for their parents: development pathways and the parents’ role.

DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS A development pathway is simply the steps taken to develop a junior from start to finish. Over the last 15+ years there has been some significant research done on development pathways for junior athletes. Based on the best available information this research indicates that there are three pathways for junior athletic development. However, we will treat them as two pathways with a third one as just a fork in the road.

Chip Koehlke is a highly experienced PGA Professional, with 2013 marking his 30th anniversary as a golf professional. He brings extensive experience to his clients, including developing and coaching many top professional tour players on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, European and Asian Tours. Most importantly his holistic coaching philosophy has assisted countless golfers just like yourself to truly change their game!

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EARLY SPECIALIZATION PATHWAY

deliberate play, as well as lack of fundamental athletic function, which they would have developed by playing other sports as well.

SAMPLING PATHWAY This pathway allows juniors to sample multiple sports with a high amount of deliberate play and a low amount of practice from ages 6 to 11. This is where there is a fork in the road. Some juniors will desire to become more specialized and some won’t. Both choices are acceptable and they should be the ones making that decision.

“Some juniors will desire to become more specialized and some won’t.

Both choices are acceptable and they should be the ones making that decision.”

With this pathway, the junior athlete is trained only in a specific sport from a very young age, with a high amount of deliberate practice and a low amount of play. Pictures of Tiger Woods swinging away at a young age have motivated more parents to steer their kids into a single sport at a very young age. This concept has been going on for some time in many sports, and it is even the norm in some team sports such as hockey. While this pathway may produce an elite performance outcome there are some drawbacks such as reduced enjoyment, as well as physical risks with early burnout and repetitive motion injuries. In addition, over the past 30 years I have observed that many of these athletes have less imagination and course management skills from the lack of

Those juniors who chose not to specialize can continue playing multiple sports with a high amount of deliberate play and low amounts of practice. They can focus on fitness and health, with a likely outcome of recreational performance with enhanced health and enjoyment.

Juniors who desire to specialize can do so from ages 12 to 14, with deliberate practice and balanced play, reducing their involvement in multiple sports. From 15 to 18 they will concentrate in becoming more proficient at their chosen single sport, with a high level of deliberate practice and a low amount of deliberate play. The probable outcome of this pathway, which is the one I highly recommend, is elite performance, enhanced physical health, and enjoyment of the sport.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

PARENTS’ ROLE Very frequently I see juniors playing sports they don’t really care about, just to please their parents. Speaking as a parent, I believe that our most important job is to support our children in their positive pursuits, letting them decide what to pursuit and to what extent. Once the decision is made, parents can have a positive or negative influence on their development.

Some recent research indicated that during the child’s early years, parents, for the most part, exhibited many positive behavior traits such as providing emotional support through intelligent discussions, and developing the child psychologically and socially through participation in sports.

But through the child’s middle years, the mounting pressure to produce results created conflicts with the players, and negative parenting manifested itself often. This counterproductive behavior which inhibits development includes: being negative and critical, over pushing, over emphasizing winning and talent development over other areas of the child’s life, and using controlling behaviors to reach performance goals. Sarcastic comments like “Can you three putt one more time?” or “Are you even paying attention, why am I wasting all this time and resources?” can have a huge negative impact on youngsters.

Recently I saw a special on cable named “State of the Game – Trophy Kids,” which shows just how bad things can get with obsessed and controlling parents, and should serve as a cautionary tale for parents. Most of the times, during later development stages, parents back-off and become less involved, allowing the coaches to do the work.

My advice to parents is to try to manage the process as a sort of General Manager rather than to act as the child’s training coach.

If you want to coach don’t try to facilitate training, do so by offering positive support, and don’t focus on results. Criticism rarely motivates, praise and acceptance always do. One of the fastestgrowing fields of study today is “positive psychology”.

Research supporting the effectiveness of positive feedback goes back to 1925 when Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock measured the impact of types of feedback on fourth and sixth grade students in math. In the research students who were praised increased the number of problems solved by 71%, as opposed to the group that was criticized, which increased by 19 percent, or the group who was ignored, by just 5%.

“Speaking as a parent, I believe that our most important job is to support our children letting them decide what to pursuit and to what extent.”

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Developing your junior golfer can be one of the most rewarding experiences, if you can avoid the pitfalls and positively support them. By doing so, you will also create a higher level of bonding between you and your child.

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Juniors Golf

Junior National Team to Defend its Title in Puerto Rico The 2014 Junior National Team will defend its title for 7th consecutive year competing with the best junior golfers of the Caribbean at the 27th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2014. The event will take place in Dorado Beach, in the Sugarcane Course, from July 27 to August 1, 2014.

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his prestigious tournament is hosted every year by different Caribbean countries that rotate as host countries every year, and Puerto Rico will be the host for 2014. The countries participating are Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, OECS countries, Trinidad, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

The PRGA Junior Program Season started in October 2013 and ended in April 2014 with the Junior Island Championships in Palmas del Mar. The season consisted of 4 two-day events at different golf courses as well as the Junior Island Championships.

With full participation and hard work, this group of players has achieved their most wanted goal, to be part of the 2014 Junior National Team that will represent Puerto Rico in the 27th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Juniors Golf

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Juniors Golf

The Junior National Team is composed of 14 junior golfers, 8 boys and 6 girls, between the ages of 11 and 17. The Team Coach is Eduardito Figueroa, who coached the team in 2011 in Barbados and Marilina SilĂŠn is the Team Manager.

Although the event is a stroke play format, the event will be aggregate scores of the different age groups totaling points for the overall results.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM BOYS 13 & Under

GIRLS 13 & Under

Melvin Morales (Junior Champion) Antonio Morales Emmanuel Santos (Alternate)

Camila Robles

BOYS 15 & Under

GIRLS 15 & Under

Mitzel A. Chevres (Junior Champion) Ian Aldarondo Héctor Rivera Alejandro Toro (Alternate)

Diana Vélez Paola Delgado

BOYS 17 & Under

GIRLS 17 & Under

Felipe Colón (Junior Champion) Jose Cardona Juan Díaz Jayson González (Alternate)

Yudika Rodríguez (Junior Champion) Kristina Ortíz Alexandra Vélez (Alternate)

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Fitness & Health

The importance of

Sports Performance Training

By Joseph I Nelson

Sports performance training is a system used to perform specific physical routines or procedures under the guidance of a skilled trainer. Since every sport has its particularities, specificity-exercise training is the method needed to develop specific skills in order to maximize performance.

Performance is influenced by a combination of physiological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. In our Golf Performance Training Program private lessons, students learn skills, concepts, and methods needed to achieve the high-level of proficiency required in professional performance. A good understanding of some sport performance concepts is important to lay a proper foundation for specific physical routines:

Training: a process that uses instruction and discipline to maximize skills, proficiency and performance.

Ability: competence in a sport resulting from the person’s natural skills and training to develop special skills or aptitudes.

Talent: a set of personal characteristics and traits which allow some to improve quicker than others. It exists when strong genetics and a deliberate interest to practice come together to create a superior ability for a specific activity.

Stress and arousal: stress results from an imbalance between demand and the individual’s capacity to deal with it. Arousal is the state of interest in the skill. The optimal performance level is moderate stress or arousal.

Fatigue: the deterioration of performance when a stressful task is continued for a long time. Fatigue can also be caused by overarousal, and has a negative effect on accuracy, awareness and performance in general.

Motor learning: it is a change in the capability for responding, resulting from practice and repetition. The stages to motor learning are: cognitive, associative, and autonomous.

PHASES OF MOTOR LEARNING Cognitive Phase: When an athlete is new to a specific task, the primary thought process starts with, “what needs to be done?” Considerable cognitive activity is required so that the athlete can learn the appropriate strategies to adequately achieve the desired goal. Good strategies are retained and inefficient strategies are discarded.

The performance is greatly improved in a short amount of time.

and movements become more consistent. This phase can last a long time. The skills in this phase are fluent, efficient and aesthetically pleasing.

Associative Phase: the athlete has been thought the most effective way to do the task and starts to make subtle adjustments in performance. Improvements are more gradual

Our experience tells us that success comes from determination and taking action with what we can control. The discipline of training the body follows the mind and the spirit.

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Autonomous Phase: this phase may take several months to years to reach. The phase is dubbed “autonomous” because the performer can now “automatically” complete the task without having to pay any attention to performing it.

It all begins with what you can do and can have control over.

The secret is the structure that is given by the discipline when you commit to exercise training.

The Golf Performance Exercise Training Program by Fitness Solutions consists of evaluating and then maximizing the body’s range of motion, flexibility and strength. As a result, the exercise training method allows for wear without tear, which allows you to focus your spirit and mind on your best golf.

Some of the Program main considerations and focus include:

. . . .

Development of power maximum output for distance.

How muscle restrictions affect performing the swing.

Flexibility of the spine and range of motion to enhance output.

The power house (core) strength and stability to coile steadily while creating a pivot.

For more information on Golf Performance Training by Fitness Solutions contact Joseph I. Nelson at 787-547-0296.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Fitness & Health

I need to improve my Sports Performance but…

...I have a mental issue

By Dr. Rosa M. Hechavarria

If after lots of discipline, effort, training and poor results you have asked yourself: What’s the matter with me? What should I do? I train and train and in the end… the same. And then, you hear this sudden and reckless answer: IT’S A MENTAL ISSUE… When this happens, then it is time to train for real. ¡Yes…. It is true! What I mean is that sports aren’t just physical training. Mind and body are physiologically united. For each thought (real or imaginary), the body experiences a reaction.

For instance: have you ever had a bad dream? When this happens, you wake up anxious, afraid, with the heart beating fast, dilated pupils and maybe, even sweating. After a few seconds you realize that you were sleeping and that it was all a dream; but anyhow, it takes time to shake that unpleasant sensation. Your mind was creating unpleasant images and your body reacted to it.

With this in mind, can you see how strong is the connection between your mind and your body, and how necessary is to train your mind, the same way you have trained your body for that sports event? Without that dual training you won’t be able to get an excellent sports performance.

What is mental training? A good mental training consists of training mental techniques appropriate for your needs and sport.

The first thing needed is a psycho-sports evaluation in order to determine your emotional strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, this psycho-sports evaluation must be performed by a psychologist who knows how

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to select, use and integrate those resources in your personality, learning methods, life style, as well as your trainer, to choose the techniques you’ll train. For instance: you as a sports person know that there are different styles to warm up, but you choose the set of warm-ups appropriate for that day’s practice, or the one you like the most. The same goes for mental training techniques.

In general, after the psycho-sports evaluation, training consists of: Setting your goals (motivation) Concentration (attention, concentration, memory) Creative solutions for problems (thought processes) True mental training

.. . .

The following is done in individual or group therapy: exercises using pencil and paper, technological instruments such as biofeedback, audiovisual entrainment or simply hypnosis.

There are solutions to improve low performance. If you train your body daily, you must do the same with your mind. You may be an excellent athlete, but the time may come when your resources are not enough for the sports demands you have in mind. My recommendation is that you find a sports psychologist to train you mentally, and that you allow your body and mind to work together when you play sports. That way, you’ll see your performance grow, and it will be A MENTAL THING.

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Cover Story

. Medina Gil

By Alberto C

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Cover Story

S Monday is travel day. An early flight from one South American capital to the next, and straight to the hotel for some much needed rest after six straight days of golf.

Up at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday for practice day, glad-handing sponsors at the proam on Wednesday, and then—if he’s lucky enough to be playing on Sunday—four rounds of championship golf. A few hours to savor a top-10 finish, or kick himself over missing out on a top-3. Then it’s back to the airport; rinse and repeat.

uch is the day-to-day life of Rafael Campos, Puerto Rico’s most accomplished golfer and currently the Island’s only touring pro. The 26-year-old Campos plays in the NEC Series-PGA Tour Latinoamérica, where he has established himself as one of the region’s most consistent players as he chases a singular goal: making it to the PGA TOUR. But while he’s lucky enough to be chasing his dream and playing the game he loves, he has also found that that toiling in golf’s “minor leagues” carries its own set of challenges and requires significant sacrifice.

From Pastime to Passion “Rafa,” as he is affectionately and universally known, played golf for the first time at age nine during a family outing.

He initially saw the game as a fun activity to enjoy with his relatives; he loved being out on the course, especially, with his brother and cousins. Campos soon got involved in the Puerto Rico Golf Association’s (PRGA) junior program, and just a couple of years after he first picked up a club he was already playing in international tournaments.

It was during one of those events that an 11-year-old Campos first started to think about golf as more than an enjoyable pastime. It was a pivotal moment that, a decade and a half later, he still recalls with remarkable accuracy.

“I remember when I made the Caribbean (Junior Championships) team and, in my third round, I broke 80 for the first time: 40 and 38,” says Campos, quoting his exact scores in the front and back nine. “I think that motivated me and I thought, ‘OK, this is something I want to continue doing.’”

Campos went on to have a stellar junior career in the PRGA, and had the opportunity to play college golf at Virginia Commonwealth University. He showed his talent at VCU, winning a couple of tournaments and receiving all-state and all-conference honors as a senior.

That success served as additional motivation, but according to Campos the biggest lessons came when things did not go his way.

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Cover Story “It was a good experience, and I tell all the kids now that if you don’t go to college you don’t learn a very important thing: losing,” he says. “In this sport you lose 98 percent of the time, and you have to learn how to do it.”

The structured, rigorous nature of NCAA golf also provided lessons on the more practical aspects of being a golfer; the little things away from the course that can end up being the difference between birdie and bogey on the fairways and greens.

“I learned a little bit more about how you have to prepare; I learned a lot about how to travel,” says Campos. “In college, we might be traveling for three weeks, so you learn to pack, to take care of yourself.” Those lessons would come in handy soon enough.

He felt ready to become a professional golfer before finishing school, but he was determined to get his diploma.

“That’s something that my family and I were very clear on: I was going to graduate and at least have my Bachelor’s degree,” says Campos, who majored in Business. As soon as he achieved that goal, he began the next chapter in his career by turning pro.

A Consistent Contender Campos spent the next year and a half playing primarily in the now defunct Tour de las Américas, where he had multiple top-10 finishes and, in 2012, finished third on the money list. That earned him full membership status on the newly formed Latin American circuit under the PGA TOUR umbrella. The tour, which has grown from 11 tournaments in that first season to 17 events in its third year, offers a coveted reward: after each season, the top-5 players in its Order of Merit receive a Web.com tour card and move one step closer to the highest level of professional golf.

Playing with unfamiliar equipment, he had a couple of uneven performances in the first half of this season but he also managed three top-20 finishes. In April, at the Roberto de Vicenzo Invitational in Montevideo, Campos had his best and most heartbreaking result yet.

Tied for the lead late in the final round, he missed a short putt on 17 that might have earned him a spot in the eventual

Campos immediately established himself as one of the top players on tour with top-15 finishes in his first four events, including a somewhat dispiriting result at the Brazil Open where he fell to 4th place after leading through 56 holes. Overall, he finished the year 14th in the standings before putting in another solid season in 2013. Still, he was haunted by a few more close calls; tournaments in which he squandered late leads or failed to move higher up the leaderboard when it might have made all the difference.

“I learned a little bit more about how you have to prepare; I learned a lot about how to travel,” says Campos. “In college, we might be travelling for three weeks, so you learn to pack, to take care of yourself.”

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change my clubs and use some that didn’t require so much movement and put so much pressure on my back.”

“At the end of the year I was a little frustrated, a little upset,” says Campos, who admits he hoped to have played his way into the Web.com Tour by now. “I haven’t missed by much; I’ve been in second place in a couple of tournaments and just needed to stay in the top-3, or to win just one, and I could have made it to the Web. com Tour.”

He resolved to practice harder, working on his game with coach Mariano Bartolomei in Miami, and on his body with a new training regimen in the gym. The latter may have backfired; just as he was set to begin a promising 2014 season, he aggravated a back injury and had to withdraw from the year’s first event.

playoff. He finished tied for third, one shot behind the champion.

“I could barely even chip; I couldn’t rotate my body,” says Campos, whose back soon improved but still necessitated certain adjustments.“I had to

“I had a great shot in Uruguay,” says Campos, who is still searching for his first professional win outside of Puerto Rico “It just didn’t happen.”

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Cover Story

“I tell all the kids now that if you don’t go to college you don’t learn a very important thing: losing,” he says.

“In this sport you lose 98 percent of the time, and you have to learn how to do it.”

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Cover Story

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Cover Story

“There’s not enough money in this tour to play mediocre; there’s not much margin of error,” he says. Campos is grateful to his family and a few faithful sponsors for helping ensure that there is any margin at all.

Pay to Play, and Play to Pay If those missed opportunities are frequently on his mind, so are the challenges of playing on a second-tier tour that offers neither the creature comforts nor the lucrative opportunities enjoyed by those in the upper echelons of the sport. It’s not just the grueling travel schedule (“It’s a monotonous routine, really,” says Campos. “From the course to the hotel, and from the hotel to the course. We go to these beautiful countries, but we barely ever have the chance to really visit places.”) but the fact that the hotels aren’t five-stars and the flights are coach.

“People don’t realize that we’re paying for all of these things out of pocket,” says Campos. “Plane tickets to South America are expensive and we’re spending thousands of dollars each week.”

With resources stretched in, Campos and other players on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica are often forced to make trade-offs and find creative ways to cut costs. “I might stay at a really bad hotel if it’s close to the course, or sometimes seven or eight of us get together and rent a house because it’s cheaper,” he says, an image that does not evoke ‘professional athletes’ so much as ‘college buddies on a road trip.’

As if golf weren’t a tough enough game, requiring the highest levels of mental fortitude and concentration, Campos and his peers have to contend with the added pressure of knowing that missing a putt might also mean a much lesser amount on a much-needed paycheck.

“I won’t lie: on the tour, we think about it all the time,” he says. “Guys know they need to finish in the top-10 at an event just to cover their expenses.”

Each tournament has a $150,000 total purse; for his 3rd place finish in Uruguay, Campos took home $8,700, but his 16th place finish just a few weeks earlier in Mexico netted him less than $2,500. In two and a half years on tour that have included seven top-10 finishes, he has made a total of $63,700.

“There’s not enough money in this tour to play mediocre; there’s not much margin of error,” he says. Campos is grateful to his family and a few faithful sponsors for helping ensure that there is any margin at all, and he laments that other Puerto Rican players have not had the means to try their luck as touring pros, even when they’ve had the talent.

Moving Forward Campos got a welcome financial boost this March when he tied for 29th at the PGA TOUR’s 2014 Puerto Rico Open and took home $21,300—nearly as much as what he has made in any single year on the Latin American circuit. It was also his best performance, and the best by any local player, in the tournament’s seven-year history.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even hitting the ball that well, but I did feel comfortable and under control,” says Campos, who has played the Puerto Rico Open all seven times and always attracts a faithful following at Trump International Golf Club.

He played well there again in June when he was the top pro at the PRGA Championships, an event he once won four straight times as an amateur. For the second year in a row, however, he wasn’t the tournament’s overall winner.

Amateurs Jerónimo Esteve and Robert Calvesbert finished ahead of him on the leaderboard, proving that the Island indeed has many outstanding golfers who could very well compete alongside him on tour.

As of this writing, just after that event, Campos was planning to do what he does best: head out on the road again.

With the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in recess until September, he is looking elsewhere for opportunities to sharpen his game.

“I think I’ll be playing about five PGA TOUR Canada events,” says Campos, whose top-25 finish in the Latin American circuit’s 2013 money list makes him eligible to play up north. “I’d also like to play some PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Monday qualifiers.”

There is, as the saying goes, no rest for the weary. And there’s even less for a player like Rafa Campos, who is trying to make an uphill climb to the highest level of professional golf, and who has to make his own path to the promised land tournament by tournament and step by step.

“This is my career,” he says. “And the way I live depends on the way I play.”

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entretenimiento familiar

en un ambiente seguro.

Dorado Beach es un hermoso paisaje que brinda un exótico jardín floral en armonía con tres reconocidos campos de golf diseñados por Robert Trent Jones Sr. Hogar del único Ritz Carlton Reserve en el hemisferio occidental. Lugar perfecto para disfrutar en familia de lujo y entretenimiento seguro a la altura de tus exigencias como ejecutivo exitoso. Un lugar reservado para vivir la vida rodeado de naturaleza, gimnasio, canchas de tenis, playas, parque acuático estilo hacienda, deportes acuáticos y sabrosas opciones culinarias para todas las edades. Venga de paseo y quédese para toda la vida. Es tiempo de hacerte socio.

Para coordinar un tour de las facilidades y beneficios del club puede comunicarse al 787-626-1030.

500 Plantation Dr. Suite 1 Dorado, PR 00646 | T. 787-626-1001 | F. 787-626-1011 | www.doradobeach.com

Stay & Play

Dorado Beach

Member & Guest Tournament

Golf is much more than a sport, it is a way of life. As life itself, it is challenging, demanding, sometimes tough, but always enjoyable and satisfying.

By José “Chico” Sosa Member and guest tournaments have become a tradition in golf’s lifestyle.

They provide an exceptional chance to experience one of the most important characteristics of the golf experience: fierce competition between friends that in the end may strengthen a bond that leads to a family-like friendship.

This year’s Dorado Beach’s Member and Guest tournament was a perfect example of that tradition. A great ambience, well groomed etiquette and the spicy sense of humor of participants were evident from start to finish.

It all started with easy-flowing breakfast and registration to give way to the first Shotgun and the start of a beautiful day. The course was in mint condition and the weather couldn’t be better. There were food and beverage stations offering a great variety of flavors strategically located throughout the course.

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Stay & Play

Friendship and smiles was shared between competitors during the games. Friday night’s “Bohemia in the Hacienda” provided another opportunity to enjoy “the golf lifestyle” with live music and a “Night Golf Contest” that gave birth to a surprising near hole-in-one light-filled shots.

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Stay & Play

Sunday was another fun day, which defined the players’ positions in the tournament and led to its closing with the awards ceremony, which theme was “Happy People.”

After three fun-filled days with so much competition and camaraderie, everyone expressed their appreciation and desire to do it again next year.

Saturday’s day at the course was another unforgettable golf experience. A hole in one brought a Lexus home for Mr. Quique Rivera. At night, beauty made its appearance. All the ladies wearing beautiful and elegant attires turned the Surf Room into a high fashion runway, and the guys showed off their GQ looks. The theme of the night was “Ode to Heritage,” and a Scottish skirt won first prize for its originality. The 80’s were also alive that night inviting the crowd to dance, sing, jump and shout. Free spirited members and guests turned into wild dancing machines, it was really fun.

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Stay & Play

FLIGHT

CHAMPIONS

RUNNER-UP

Overall Champion

Armando Nazario Jenaro Scarano

Ramon Martinez Juan Rios

Dorado Beach

Armando Nazario Jenaro Scarano

Pepe Suarez Fernando De Zengotita

Carnoustie

Jeff Nevenfeldt jeff shlink

Eric Gripentrog Jim McGuiness

Loch Lomond

Emilio Diaz Jose Ortiz

Jose Medina Jorge Rodriguez

St. Andrews

Santos Rivera Richard Martinez

Alberto Ocasio Jose Berrios

Turnberry

Carlos Garcia Manuel Muniz

Humberto Quintana Enrique Perez

Muirfield

Edgardo Gonzalez Leslie Vega

Urbano Martinez Raul Colon

Royal Troon

Fernando Ledesma George Brady

Sajo Ruiz Pedro Hernandez

Kingsbarns

Magdel Mayol Gabriel Colon

Carlos Varona Shawn Avcoin

Prestwick

Ruben Valdes Mickey Nieves

Freddy Fernandez Jeff Andrioff

Gleneagles

Alfie Martinez Robert McCloskey

Luis Rivera Fernando Bonin

Royal Aberdeen

Ramon Martinez Juan rios

Wiwi Maldonado Hector Santiago

Royal Dornoch

Todd Gensler Mateo Lucyk

Jaime Marti Mandy Villanueva

Castle Stuart

Luis Ramirez Jorge Tirado

Tony per Ossenkop Max Sosa

The Carnagie Links

Rey Zequiera George Gonzalez

Jairo Estrada Danny Garza

Gullane Golf Club

Kiko Rivera Pancho Rivera

Josue Andrades Manuel Maldonado

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Mixology

Take a sip of this refreshing elixir of bubbles, and buzz with life. Healthy and perfect for a steamy summer night.

Bubble of Life

1.5 oz Wild Hibiscus 1.5 oz Monin Raspberry Tea 1.5 oz fresh squeeze lime juice 12 cl Mattoni sparkling water PROCEDURE Mix all ingredients, add ice and serve into a 12oz Collins glass.

Garnish: Lime, lemon, hibiscus flower and raspberry Method: stir

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Mixology

Puerto Rico Well Represented at

Prestigious Mixology Events

Jorge A. Lopez Albarran and José Felix Colón

Directly from the Hotel Ambassador, across from Wenceslas Square, in the heart of Prague, Jorge A. Lopez Albarran, President of the Puerto Rico Bartenders Association and EDC North America Representative of the International Bartenders Association, talked to us about his involvement in the 17th Mattoni Grand Drink World Champion and the 4th IBA Mattoni, also known in Czech as Mattoni Koktejl Festival.

“This is the second time that a Puertorrican Bartender participates in the Mattoni Grand Drink World Champion, the world largest competition in the Mocktail category (alcohol-free cocktails), and the fourth time that the International Bartender Association - IBA is directly involved in the event in which 35 countries were represented. “Last year I was the first Puertorrican Barman who participated in this prestigious event, with the Life in Motion Mocktail, and this year we were represented by the young Barman Jose Felix Colon, a/k/a “Quenepo,” with his refreshing and healthy Bubble of Life Mocktail. Colon is a member of the Puerto Rico Bartenders Association, and Barman at the restaurants of the renowned Chef Daniel Bass in Palmas del Mar Humacao and Caguas.”

Lopez Albarran added “This prestigious event required a high level of knowledge from the participants and much ingenuity to harmonize all the elements expected

by Mattoni this year: best innovation, best decoration, best technique, easy preparation, and low calories, with special focus on health, since we are what we eat and drink.

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UPCOMING MIXOLOGY PAN-AMERICAN AND WORLD EVENTS FOR 2014 -2015 That’s why we invite those who want to increase their knowledge about drinks and gastronomy to join our organization, because we are focused on offering and strengthening local and international opportunities to our young professionals, members and anyone hoping to grow in our profession and to represent Puerto Rico. We also offer continuous education with workshops, seminaries, tasting, and our International Program of Social Responsibility with international certifications.”

PAN-AMERICAN 2014 Leon, Mexico WORLD 2014 Cape Town, South Africa PAN-AMERICAN 2015 Mendoza, Argentina WORLD 2015 Sofia, Bulgaria 39

Tourism

Casa Bacardi

“Bacardi Brand Home”

By Iván O. Puig González

If you wish to find out why Bacardi rum is the world’s favorite and most awarded rum, you must visit Casa Bacardi, located at the Bacardi Distillery and Rum Plant at Cataño, Puerto Rico.

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A

t Casa Bacardi Visitor Center they blend contemporary architecture and modern technology with heritage and tradition dating back to 1862, when Don Facundo Bacardi Massó revolutionized the rum-making process. The Visitor Center, which recently celebrated its 152 anniversary, continues to reflect the consistent high quality, excellence and heritage of the Bacardi brand.

At Bacardi Hospitality the team of Brand Ambassadors offers a variety of services and experiences to visitors. Their goal is to “provide an unforgettable Bacardi experience to all visiting guests and convert them into Brand Advocates”. Visitors can participate in an interactive tour through history, observe that process and experience Bacardi’s “Spirit for Life.”

While at the Pavilion Information Desk, visitors can also buy tickets for the following classes and tours:

Sensorial Experience with four of Bacardi rums, in which visitors learn about the rum-making process and get to taste each product with the Brand Master or Specialist.

Bacardi Mixology Seminar Duration: 1 hour (11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.).

Bartending interactive class, in which a Mixologist or Brand Specialist shares with you the secrets to make a perfect cocktail.

During the fun and entertaining seminar you will learn to prepare and taste three of their most famous and well known Bacardi Cocktails.

Bacardi Gold VIP Tour Duration: 2 hours (By reservation).

A private VIP tour with an assigned Personal Tour Guide with access to certain restricted areas at the Bacardi Distillery Plant, such as the Rum Cathedral, and a Regular Tour of the Bacardi Visitor Center.

Bacardi Reserva Limitada VIP Tour & Rum Tasting Duration: 4 hours (By reservation).

Bacardi Hospitality also offers its facilities for events and activities such as meetings, special and corporate events, destination weddings, “team buildings”, seminars, and cocktails.

As visitors register at the Pavilion Information Desk they are provided with two complimentary cocktails and a Regular Tour ticket, which normally takes about 45 minutes.

The Regular Tour takes visitors in a trolley through the facilities and some areas of the Distillery Plant and Visitor Center. At the Visitor Center visitors learn about the history of the sugar cane, how the rum is made and watch a short ort film. Part of the Tour is through a reproduction of the original factory, which ch is filled with memorabilia ia and a replica of the once ce famous Havana Bar. Before or after the Tour, r, visitors are welcome to o spend as much time ass they want at the Bacardii Brand Store, Snack Barr and Mojito Bar.

The options are endless and there is no creativity limitation, but the best thing is that the location and venue offer great security, affordable pricing and spectacular views and landscaping which will take your breath away. During the events that take place at Casa Bacardi you can be served with the entire Bacardi portfolio of more than 200 brands.

Bacardi Distillery

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Tourism

There are different options to get there: Boat Ferry from Old San Juan Pier #2 It is an 8-10 minute boat ride, for $0.50 cents, which is a true experience on its own and provides true local flavor. Once you arrive at Cataño it takes about 5 minutes to get to the Bacardi Corporation facilities.

The only transportation option is a station wagon, known as “Pisa y Corre” which costs about $3.00 each way. To return to the Cataño Pier to take the ferry back to Old San Juan you must take a taxi from the Distillery. The trip costs about $3.00.

Taxi cab Depending on your location, a taxi may cost between $16.00 and $45.00.

Private or pre-arranged tour (arranged through your hotel concierge desk or Cruise Activities Department).

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Starting at $45, this is probably the most expensive option. Prices vary based on private tour arrangements and packages made in advance and designed by the different tour operators or DMC’s (destination management companies) providing the transportation services, logistics and activities of your choice.

Public Transportation It may be the most economical alternative, but certainly the most challenging and adventurous. For specific directions, instructions, pricing and other details you may wish to speak to the Concierge or Front Desk representative at your hotel.

Own Personal Car (For locals or residents)

Rental Car There is always the option of renting a car and this alternative may be the best one if you are looking to better manage and control your time during your stay. Prices will vary based on your vehicle preference and rental duration or agreement.

Regardless of the transportation alternative you choose, next time you are in Puerto Rico and wish to have an unforgettable experience, or are looking for a unique and authentic venue to host an event, enter the Bacardi World, stop by Casa Bacardi and enjoy an unforgettable Bacardi experience.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Golf Gusto

Interview with

Nasha Fondeur Pastry Chef at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel

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Golf Gusto

How did you start in the kitchen and developed a passion for pastries. Was it voluntary?

I started in 2004 with Evelyn Lopez, of Sweet Creations. She gave me a chance to create various desserts and cakes for different occasions. She really opened the door to the world of confectionery to me.

It was totally voluntary. Ever since I was a little girl I love baking sweets and cakes.

Who do you consider your mentors in and out of the kitchen and what have you learned from them?

One is Janet Berrios, the Executive Chef at Hotel La Concha. Since I started there as Cook Pastry 3 she guided me and taught me many basic things. Later I would climb to Pastry Cook 1. Hector Crespo has also taught me a lot, and it was an honor for

me to work with him. Now I’m at Hotel Vanderbilt and since the beginning, Chef José Cuevas has been my teacher and mentor. I’m very grateful to him for allowing me to be a part of his team.

What’s your favorite dessert and why?

Tiramisu…without a doubt. I love coffee, and I also like anything I can combine with chocolate and tropical fruits.

What’s the best food or kitchen-related gift you’ve been given?

I have two gifts from two persons who are special to me. One is a simple thing, a kitchen rag given to me by Chef Lorraine Colón. But I remember that she gave it to me as a good luck charm for a competition for the Puerto Rico culinary team tryouts.

The other gift was from Chef Héctor Crespo. I’ts Kitchen Aid blender, because I was always complaining that mine was too old.

What was the food you hated the most as a kid?

I have to say vegetables.

But now I love them.

What three things are always in your fridge?

Manchego cheese, Serrano ham and hummus. I love them!

What advice do you have for young chefs?

I would tell them to keep searching and studying.

To always look beyond, to try everything they prepare. To be creative and to try something nobody has dared doing before, and finally, to always work as a team.

What’s the thing in your pantry you can never have too much of?

Berries, but only when they are in season.

What ingredient you’d always splurge on?

Vanilla bean and truffle oil.

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Golf Gusto

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It is a center of La Rioja Government that combines in its approach three functions: the productive, institutional and informative regarding the Rioja wine.

Located at La Finca Grajera, in Logroño, in an environment of vineyards, olive groves and countryside. The building furnishes a pioneering geothermal utilization system making it a model of energy efficiency.

A BUILDING IN ITS ENVIRONMENT

INTERIOR OF THE WINERY IN LA RIOJA

The facilities have been constructed taking into account elements of environmental sustainability and architecture fleeing the visual impact to camouflage in an environment with high landscape value.

A CELLAR, THREE FUNCTIONS Institutional Area - Ample reception area, which can also be used as an exhibition space, an auditorium with capacity for 100 people and other quarters with great versatility of use.

Production – Here, “Viña Grajera”, the institutional Government of La Rioja wine is produced, and commercial winemaking winery is also performed in order to be able to undertake testing and oenological research projects related to ‘I+ D’ in the wine sector.

ELEVATION OF THE MAIN BUILDING AND BARREL AREA

Service area - The dissemination of Rioja wine has been thought when designing the facilities contemplating visits to the cellar to see the wine making process and spaces for tasting.

COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF GEOTHERMAL UTILIZATION The winery is equipped with a comprehensive system of geothermal utilization, energy saving, low maintenance cost, safety or the least environmental impact, in addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and non dependency of fossil fuels are some of the advantages that brings this energy system.

For harnessing the energy emanating from the ground 55 holes of more than 100 m were performed. The transfer of heat from the earth to the warehouse is via geothermal exchangers and through heat pumps the water is distributed through all the rooms, extracting heat from the ground in winter and transferring it to the building and, in summer, transferring the heat from the building to the ground.

FOR MORE WINE&FOOD GO TO:

BODEGA INSTITUCIONAL DE LA GRAJERA FINCA LA GRAJERA | LOGROÑO | LA RIOJA | WWW.LARIOJA.ORG

[Wine Grapes] Chardonnay

Introduction to the world of wine vinification.

Starting with the most known white wine grapes. pes. s.

Chardonnay wine grapes are some of thee most mo popular and easiest to grow. These grapes aree originally round the from Burgundy, France, but are now grown around ca and world in places such as California, South Africa Australia. Generally produce full-bodied dry wines with lemon, fruit and nut overtones.

Chardonnay wine grapes are usually agedd in vorr, vo oak barrels, a process that adds additional flavor, complexity and depth. Chardonnay can be blended ended de with i pagne.

Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir to make champagne.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc, also known as White Pinot or Pinot Blanco, grapes are originally from France's Loire Valley but are now grown in Mexico, South Africa, the United States, es, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

Chenin Blanc grapes produce light, fruity wines that are generally bottle-aged for at least ten years.

However, in other regions such as South Africa and the United States, Chenin Blanc grapes are primarily used as blending agents for fortified spirits and wines and generic table wines.

Chenin Blanc grapes produce delicate citrus, melon, spice and peach notes, making it a natural dessert-style wine.

BY: Betsy Annabelle | WINE AND FOOD REPORTER @

Meeting on the Green

Successful 6th Annual

Ricky Martin Foundation Golf Tournament On June 20, the Ricky Martin Foundation successfully held the sixth edition of its renowned golf tournament at Trump International Golf Club located in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

The event exceeded expectations attracting almost 250 golf enthusiasts as well as great sports figures like international golf legend Chi Chi Rodriguez.

The awards ceremony was hosted by radio announcer Ali Warrington and model Bebe Maldonado. One of the most emotional moments during the ceremony was the tribute paid to comedian Luis Raul for hosting Match of the Ricky Martin Foundation for four years, with the introduction of the “Luis Raul Award”. Bibiana Ferraioulli, the Foundation’s Executive Director gave special thanks to players and sponsors.

The goal of the Ricky Martin Foundation Golf Tournament 2014 was to raise funds to combat human trafficking, which is the Foundation’s main mission. Those funds are to be invested in all the Foundation’s initiatives, such as the Tau Center, which will open soon in Loiza, Puerto Rico, to provide children and young adults a safe environment for developing education, health and social justice initiatives.

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Meeting on the Green

The winners in the various categories were:

Championship Golf Course GROSS CATEGORY 2nd Place Mario Pagán & Jeffrey Fina (67) 1st Place Dr.Nayip Rodríuez & José Ojeda (66)

NET CATEGORY 2nd Place Charles Surface & Héctor Ramos (65) 1st Place William Del Valle & Martin Ramos (59)

International Course GROSS CATEGORY 2nd Place Jorge Blanco & Humberto Fragelas (67) 1st Place Roberto Rodríguez & Anthony Morales (65)

NET CATEGORY 2nd Place Esteban Ocasio & Jorge Martínez (61) 1st Place Wallace Rodríguez & Carlos Vázquez (61)

SPECIAL PRIZE Closest To The Pin (Championship) Jorge González (International) Daniel Millán

LONGEST DRIVE (Championship) Erick Morales (International) Tirso Vélez

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

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Off the Course

Puerto Rico

Regatta Duet Ends Successfully After two days of great weather and hard competition (May 13-June 1) by 40 boats in the Puerto Rico Heineken International Regatta (PRHIR) and 17 in the Puerto Rico International Dinghy Regatta (PRIDR), both regattas, which took place simultaneously at The Yacht Club at Palmas del Mar, in Humacao, ended with great success.

“Competition was great during these two days,” said Eric Tulla, President of the Puerto Rico Sailing Federation. “The weather conditions were perfect and this was evident out in the field, especially in the Melges 32 competition. We are grateful to Mendez & Co. and other sponsors not only with the production of the event, but also for the financial contribution they make to the sport of sailing. We know it has been a difficult year financially and this contribution greatly helps to further promote the sport, especially toward Veracruz 2014.”

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Off the Course

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Off the Course

RESULT S PUERTO RICO HEINEKEN INTERNATIONAL REGATTA In the CSA Spinnaker Racing A category, the winner was the boat “Soca” captained by Luis Juarbe, while first place in the Spinnaker Racing B category went to the team sailing the “Dark Star”, led by Jonathan Lipuscek. In the PHRF Jib & Main category, first place went to “Crystal,” owned by Jerome O’Neill. The first place for the category CSA J24 was won by Gilberto Rivera and his boat “Urayo.”

PUERTO RICO INTERNATIONAL DINGHY REGATTA In the Optimist Advanced category, the winner was José Arturo Díaz; the Optimist Green category (Beginners) was won by youngster Marc Thais; first place in the Sunfish Open went to Pedro Luis Fernández and his ship “Pedruco;” Patricia Corujo won in the Laser category; the winner in the Multi Hull Open Class category was Enrique Simons, and the finalist for in the Nativo category was Xavier Méndez Mateo with his boat “Don Cholito.” Finally, in the Hobbie Cat 16’ category, the race was again clinched by the Heineken team captained

by Francisco “Faccio” Figueroa and Jolliam Berríos, Senior Trade Marketing Manager, Mendez & Co. and national team sailor.

More information: www.heinekenregattapr.com Final results: www.yachtscoring.com

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Magical Casa Lola Celebrates a New Anniversary

EL MEJOR SABOR CRIOLLO EN CONDADO. Deleita tu paladar con el mejor sabor criollo gourmet de Chef Treviño.

Exquisitas creaciones que fusionan la cocina creativa nuevo latina con el gusto boricua. Celebra tu actividad en uno de nuestros salones con vista al mar Atlántico o a la laguna del Condado.

THE LEGEND OF LOLA Lola Milagros Cedeño, better known as Lola, was a grand woman who devoured literature and had a firm character but a big heart and a vocation to love. The García family raised her in their unique house in the Santurce County peninsula and enjoyed her intelligence and mischievousness. The family let her win their hearts and respect from the kitchen. In everything she cooked, she put her talented condiments and herbs. So many people were delighted

by Lola’s stew that they would send her what she called “the magic ingredients” from all corners of the world. Her recipes grew and her flavors spread up to far places, bringing blessings to the family. Lola took care of the entire García family until their last days. She inherited the house, and today, Casa Lola celebrates the recipes she left for us.

THE LEGEND CONTINUES Chef Roberto Treviño

Today, world-famous Chef Treviño continues her tradition, adding new gourmet Creole recipes, which fuse new Latin cuisine with traditional Puertorrican flavor, as the restaurant celebrates its third anniversary with an exciting new menu.

Casa Lola is the only restaurant in San Juan with views of the sea and the Condado Lagoon. With its famous variety of award-winning sangrias and its Mofongos praised by Food & Wine magazine, Casa Lola is a perfect place for any celebration.

With a variety of spaces like the Garden Room, Gran Salón Laguna, Cava Luis Garcia (private meeting hall), Balcony, Bar, Party Hall (with ample terrace), and Board Room (with private terrace), the choices are endless to have a memorable dining experience or hold private events.

Reserve su mesa o actividad al 787-998-2918 o en opentable.com Ave. Ashford #1006 Condado, Puerto Rico. Abrimos todos los días desde las 11:30am hasta las 12pm. Síguenos en Facebook/CasaLolaCriolloKitchen y Twitter: @CasaLolaPR www.CasaLolaRestaurant.com

Every night, Casa Lola provides the best ambiance with tropical music, and Thursday nights, its live jazz night!

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Casa Lola is a must visit restaurant!

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

Tourism

Starbucks to the rescue with

New Energy Drink In a fun event at Laguna del Condado, and together with Vela Uno, Starbucks Puerto Rico announced its new Valencia Orange Refresher, a new invigorating refreshment with green coffee extract.

“Once again, Starbucks revolutions coffee, using its energizing properties in an innovative way, without roasting it,” said Cheryl Harvey, General Manager of Starbucks Puerto Rico, referring to the mixture of natural juices from three varieties of oranges – Valencia, Clementine and a slice of Navel Orange – combined with floral and fruity notes from orange peel, cardamom, jasmine and apricot, lightly caffeinated with green coffee extract, served over ice. As well as other Stabucks refreshers, such as Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus, Valencia Orange is low in calories and available in Puerto Rico year-round.

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Tourism

Rain Forest Zip Line

The Magical View!

Rain Forest Zip Line offers an enchanted place to enjoy the zip line experience. Located at the top of a hill, surrounded by beautiful views, one of them, from the Atlantic Ocean to El Yunque National Rain Forest, leaves our participants and visitors delighted.

We offer two levels of difficulty; each one has nine lines, nine different experiences waiting for you…, all in one place! Control and high speed lines, between trees, in areas completely open at the top of the hill, over the top of the trees’ canopy level, parallel lines…, make your experience one to be remembered. Enjoy the Magical View Line, the Jump into the Depth and the Jump of the Braves, and fulfill the experience with high adrenaline.

A group of well trained, mindful, safetyfocused, and a highly motivated team that enjoys sharing their passion for the zip line adventure will be with you all the time. Our system and processes have been designed to delight beginners and experienced zipliners!

A combination of the zip line experience and a guided tour to El Yunque National Rain Forest can also be scheduled. The magnificent fly of the “guaraguao” and of the “pitirre”; the song of the “reinita” and of the “ruiseñor”; the visit of “San Pedritos”, “Pajaro Bobo” and the “zorzal” give many of the tours a unique touch to complement an unique experience. The colorful flowers contrast with the green of the nature around and the blue of the sky above. Walking around trees that have different fruits like mangoes, star fruit, sour fruit, bread fruit, “zapote mamey,” and bananas help us to teach our participants and visitors about the importance of protecting nature.

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Our facilities are located on Road 191 (goes to El Yunque National Rain Forest) at Palmer, Rio Grande, in the North-East part of the island. Our entrance is at km.

0.9. We are open seven days a week: 10 am, 1 pm or 3 pm, by reservation only calling (787) 370-1010.

Come alone, with friends or with your family group and have fun with us! Discover why many people and families return to enjoy the zip line experience with us! Visit our website rainforestzipline.com to find more information about us or send an e-mail to info@rainforestzipline.

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2014

¡ABIERTO YA PARA ALMUERZO Y CENA! Ven con tus amigos a disfrutar de nuestro auténtico sabor. Nuestros ingredientes son frescos y el ambiente es festivo.

Paseo Caribe, Condado, al lado del Caribe Hilton. Valet Parking en la entrada. Reserva tu mesa llamando al

939-338-7344 / 7345

o a través de opentable.com Abiertos de domingo a miércoles de 11:30 a 11pm. Jueves a sábado de 11:30 a 12pm.

Siguenos en facebook/rosamexicanopr y twitter: @rosamexicanopr

July - September

2014 Complimentary Copy

Your Passion is Our Purpose

NASHA FONDEUR

PASTRY WHIZ Barcadiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spirit for Life

Rain Forest Zipline the magical view