OUR 10th YEAR
THIS MONTH: SweetStuff • Destinations • ChipShots
GOLF VACATIONS APRIL 2012
GOLF SHOES AND RIDING BOOTS
A GREAT COLORADO VACATION COMBINATION
BLAZING GOLF DEATH VALLEY Plus: Courses That Could Host Tour Events
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APRIL 2012
Cinnamon Hill • Jamaica
GOLF VACATIONS
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ChipShots
10 • Golf Shoes and Riding Boots
by Chuck “The Traveling Guy” Miller
Golfing the US with Chuck Miller, the Traveling Guy, a new concept in golf and travel reporting, had its debut on January 7, 2012 on the nationally syndicated golf show Real Golf Radio. Each week through December 15, 2012 golf and travel writer Chuck Miller is raising awareness and contributions for Wounded Warrior Project as he visits a different state to bring Real Golf Radio listeners upbeat and informative reports about golf and travel throughout the USA.
14 • Blazing Golf in Death Valley
by Fred Robledo
As an avid golfer and traveler, the last place on my bucket list of places to visit for a golf vacation was Death Valley. I already knew it was one of the hottest places on the earth. It was the site of the highest recorded temperature in the Western Hemisphere in 1913 when it reached 134 degrees. But as the natives like to say, it was a dry heat.
20 • Courses That Could Host Tour Events
by JD Latorre
Pristine conditioning. A demanding layout. Holes that seep into the psyche and linger for weeks, months, and even years after golfers play them. Courses hosting PGA Tour events share many qualities. However, such qualities aren’t limited to the hallowed grounds of Augusta or the iconic seaside holes of Pebble. A select number of daily-fee and resort courses in North America offer a Tour-quality experience. Below is a list of playing experiences so special, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they showed up on the Tour’s schedule.
24 • SweetStuff 6 Golf Vacations • April 2012
by Terry Ross
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CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS Terry Ross has covered sports as both a print and radio journalist for more than 35 years, and also has served as a consultant to the golf industry in a variety of capacities. He has been a regular columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal and is based in Orange County, California. Executive Editor Jeffrey Diaz
Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer as well as a Spotter, Research and Broadcast Assistant for The Golf Channel, NBC and CBS Sports. He spends time on all four major American golf tours and resides near the PGA TOUR headquarters and TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Andy is a lifetime golfer and enjoys volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame and THE PLAYERS while pursuing his passion for the game of golf. He can be reached by e-mailing him at AndyReistetter@gmail.com.
Associate Editor Terry Ross Features Editor Larry Feldman
Andy Marshall Born in England, Andy has been a professional freelance travel writer for the past 20 years. During that time, he has travelled to over 50 countries including Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Barbados, Panama and Indonesia to cover a diverse range of travel-related features for various magazines around the world. He regularly works with his professional photographer brother Paul on different projects particularly golf, food and drinks features. Visit his work at www.bogey.se
Los Angeles • 949-279-7801 Terry Ross - terryross@cox.net Atlanta • 770-239-7500 Harold Chambliss - haroldcmg@ceocenters.com
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JD Latorre is a freelance travel writer currently calling South Florida his home base. He has a knack for finding himself in some of the world’s most exotic locations, including Bangkok, Montego Bay, Bogata, Havana, Cabo San Lucas, St. Kitts, Cancun and Marseilles. His past lives included working for the Miami Herald, Chicago Daily Herald, Boston Globe, Daily News of Los Angeles and Southern California Golf Newspaper.
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Golf Journeys & Culture www.golfjourneys.net
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G O L F Vacations V A C A T I O N S ••April M A R C2012 H 2012 88 Golf
“A must read for every gonzo golf adventurer.” JD Latorre, Golf Vacations Magazine
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Golf Vacations Magazine is published in digital format monthly and distributed online to over 1,000,000 golfer’s email inboxes each issue. Entire contents of this publication is copyright 2012 SportsMedia Publications, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher.
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SEA PINES RESORT OFFERS “INSIDE THE ROPES” RESORT EXPERIENCE PACKAGE
HILTON HEAD, S.C. - The Sea Pines Resort announced the “RBC Heritage Experience Package” featuring the conditions and atmosphere of the acclaimed TOUR event held on Harbour Town Golf Links, April 12 – 15. Harbour Town Golf Links was just ranked No. 2 in Golf World’s survey of TOUR players naming their “Top 10 PGA TOUR Courses.” Additionally, the acclaimed Lowcountry destination is fresh off receiving a “Gold Medal” in GOLF Magazine’s 2012-13 edition of “Premier Resorts.” The RBC Heritage Experience Package (www.seapines.com/PGATOUR) starts at $1210 for two days (one golfer per room) during high seasons (Thru May 20, Sept. 24 – Nov. 3). Low season (May 21 – Sept. 23, Nov. 26 – March 17) rates begin at $1080 for two days (per golfer, per room). There is no fee for additional guests. The offer allows golfers to walk in the footsteps of the legends of the game and includes: • Two nights’ accommodations at the Inn at Harbour Town • One round of golf on Harbour Town Golf Links w/ walking caddie • Breakfast each morning • Lunch during golf round • Practice area with customized name plate / complimentary range balls
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• One-hour of professional instruction • First-tee introduction • VIP locker room privileges “Our RBC Heritage Experience Package provides a true ‘inside the ropes’ PGA TOUR feel for our guests,” says Cary Corbitt, Director of Sports Division. “The RBC Heritage is our pinnacle event and now golfers can test their skills and nerve against Harbour Town and the genius of Pete Dye while staying at one of the premier resort hotels in the world.” The package additionally features a 10 percent pro shop discount on retail merchandise, 10 percent food and beverage discount at all Sea Pines restaurants, free wireless internet and complimentary use of The Fitness Center. An assortment of Harbour Town Golf Links branded gifts are also provided: sleeve of golf balls; tees; sunscreen; chapstick; visor or hat; golf shirt; golf towel; ball marker with divot tool; locker room plaque and desktop mount; caddie bib; bag tag; Harbour Town Golf Links yardage book; and commemorative Pete Dye coffee table book. Sea Pines also showcases two other cham-
pionship layouts. Heron Point by Pete Dye is a shot-makers’ layout that demands the same level of precision and strategy as Harbour Town. The august Ocean Course – the island’s first -is routed through wetlands, meanders through thick strands of Live Oaks, and boasts an oceanfront hole set against a dune ridge. To book the RBC Heritage Experience stayand-play package visit: www.seapines.com/ PGATOUR. For more information about the legendary destination and its wide-variety of additional golf packages: www.seapines.com, 866.561.8802.
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Wounded Warrior Project Benefiting from A New Concept In Golf Reporting
Golfing the US with Chuck Miller, the Traveling Guy, a new concept in golf and travel reporting, had its debut on January 7, 2012 on the nationally syndicated golf show Real Golf Radio. Each week through December 15, 2012 golf and travel writer Chuck Miller is raising awareness and contributions for Wounded Warrior Project as he visits a different state to bring Real Golf Radio listeners upbeat and informative reports about golf and travel throughout the USA. Miller reports each Saturday morning from a different state about courses and points of interest in the state he is visiting. His reports are helping listeners conjure up fantasies of birdies and pars and are giving those in the radio audience the opportunity to vicariously visit all 50 states. During his 50-week, 50-state driving tour of the US, Miller will be reporting about his experiences visiting and playing golf from Alaska to Florida, Hawaii to Maine. All the courses Miller is reporting on are ones open to public play. Some are in the mountains, some at the seashore, others are in the desert. Some are municipal courses, some are resort courses. In the months to come he will report on the northernmost course in the US, the highest USGA sloped course in the US, and the only free course in the US. His reports on Real Golf Radio are also appealing to non-golfing spouses and friends as he includes snippets of information about local cultural and scenic spots as well as tips on places to stay, shop, dine and just have fun. Golfing the US with Chuck Miller, The Traveling Guy on Real Golf Radio is an informal yet informative approach to golf and travel reporting, giving listeners insight into golf and travel throughout the United States.
Golf Shoes and Riding Boots
A Great Colorado Va 10 Golf Vacations • April 2012
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few weeks ago a friend asked me “Have you ever been to a dude ranch?” He knew I loved to travel to new and different places, combine sightseeing when on golf vacations and that I wrote golf and travel articles about my experiences. His timing was amazing. Last summer I had the opportunity to visit Colorado where I golfed at two courses, Pole Creek and Grand Lake Golf Course, and spent time at two marvelous dude ranches, Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch and Latigo Ranch. Before my trip I had some reservations as to how one could combine dude ranch experiences with a golf vacation. The answer it turns out is easy…head to Grand County, Colorado known as the “Dude Ranch Capital of the USA”. Although I played 18 holes a day the first two days and then headed to the dude ranches, because of the close proximity of the courses to the ranches it would be possible to stay at either ranch and take time off from the daily ranch activities to go play golf. However, my recommendation would be to plan to golf before or after your stay at either Bar Lazy J or Latigo Ranch. This would allow you more time each day to participate in horse back riding, fly fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting, 4 X 4 Jeep rides, or just plain relaxing and enjoying the gorgeous mountain scenery around you. If you have children, they will love the wonderful programs for kids
from toddlers to teens offered at both Bar Lazy J and Latigo Ranch. Many families with children return year after year because of the activities for young and old alike, the great Western atmosphere, the spectacular scenery, the excellent food, and the tremendous hospitality shown to all guests. The golf part of my vacation was at an altitude 8,000 feet higher than my home course in Southern California. The Grand Lake Golf Course in Grand Lake was at 8,420 feet and Pole Creek was 8,600 feet. Both are in majestic settings with spectacular scenery everywhere you look. Pole Creek, the first course I played, is on the outskirts of Winter Park about 70 miles from Denver. It is one of Colorado’s only 27 hole golf facilities. It has huge rolling meadows looking out at the Continental Divide and its three nines, Meadow, Ranch and Ridge showcase the best in Colorado golf. Depending on which two nines and which tees you play, the course plays from 5571 to 7212 yards with slope ratings from 118 to 145 for men and 127 to 153 for men. The Ranch and Meadow nines wander through lush fields decorated with colorful wildflowers and offer stunning views from dramatic elevation changes. They guide you along forests of lodgepole pines and past two ponds and five lakes. When you play the Ridge
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nine, considered the most difficult of the three nines, you will be playing the nine that is described as giving you “the most spectacular view in Colorado”. All three nines play to Par 36 and all three present opportunities for birdies but beware of double bogeys as severe doglegs, lakes, and fairway bunkers come in to play. The good news is that the scorecard has excellent “Pro Tips” with hints as to how to play each hole to avoid these obstacles. My favorite holes were the many holes which looked directly at the snowcapped Rockies. Pole Creek has won numerous awards from Golf Digest, Rocky Mountain News, and Avid Golf Magazine including Golf Digest’s Award as The Best New Public Course in America when it opened in 1988 and recognition in 2004 by the Denver Post as the Best Mountain Golf Course. The second course I played was Grand Lake Golf Course, an eighteen hole municipal course 98 miles from Denver and only minutes from the inviting year-round resort town of Grand Lake which is located at the western entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. The town is a great place to visit before or after a round of golf as it is known for its welcoming spirit, its rustic architecture, “its “Old West” boardwalk and its more than 60 shops, restaurants and galleries. At 6570 yards from the tips with a 119 slope, 6303 yards from the Whites with a 117 slope and 5451 from the Reds, Grand Lake isn’t long. However, with severe dog legs, six holes where water comes into play, and thick natural rough around many of the greens, Grand Lake is definitely challenging. It is also very scenic with views of the majestic Rocky Mountains from pretty much everywhere on the course. My favorite holes were the par fives, three of which played at just over
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500 yards and one at 470 yards. The high altitude, which seemed to give me an extra 25 to 50 yards from the tees, encouraged me to at least think about going for the greens in two. My thoughts were short lived when I realized that even with extra distance on my tee shots, my second shots would have to be very long and absolutely perfect to avoid either water, heavy rough, and/or the bunkers that surrounded the greens. I decided course management was a better concept and was able to par three of the four par 5’s. Grand Lake Golf Course is a course that offers golfers of all skill levels an opportunity to enjoy scenic beauty and a fun day in the Colorado outdoors. Following my second day of golf, it was off to my first dude ranch, the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch located in the heart of “Colorado’s dude ranch country”. Notably the oldest guest ranch in the US, its operating its 100th year this year as a guest ranch. I found it to offer everything I imagined would be available at a dude ranch...instruction in how to handle and ride horses, daily horseback rides, hiking, fishing, campfires and wonderful meals served in a rustic old west styled dining room. Owned and operated since 1995 by Jerry and Cheri Helmicki, the Bar Lazy J operates from May through September. It’s a family oriented ranch which comes across from the moment you check in. The Helmicki’s and their staff of wranglers, kitchen personnel and maintenance workers make you feel at home every minute of your stay. During my two day stay I met families who had made coming to the Bar Lazy J a yearly family vacation for many years. I also met groups of families who originally met there and had been vacationing together yearly since their original meeting. It was easy to understand why families with young children enjoyed vacationing there as each day youngsters had a myriad of activities including how to care and groom horses, riding, swimming in a heated
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pool, fishing in the stocked pond and enjoying games in the courtyard. I stayed in one of the cozy log cabins located along a three-quarter mile “gold medal” stretch of the Colorado River known for its wonderful catch and release trout fishing. Because of heavy rain and snow runoff, the river was very high and running to fast to fish, but I heard stories and saw photos of previous year’s catches and they were impressive. The second dude ranch I visited was Latigo Ranch named Colorado’s “Best Dude Ranch” by the Denver TV show Colorado’s Best. Located at 9,000 feet high up in the Colorado Rockies, Latigo Ranch has been owned and operated since 1988 by Jim and Kathie Yost and Randy and Lisa George who emphasize their goal is to develop friendships not just customers. During my two days at Latigo Ranch, I learned a great deal from Jim about how to handle a horse, about various types of flies and when to use them when fly fishing, took a lesson in how to cast and was able to try my luck in the pond in front of the main lodge. Didn’t catch anything but had a great time trying. I also learned a lot about local flowers and vegetation from Jim while on a hour long hike on the property and saw amazing scenery when a wrangler took me on a two-hour trail ride up to 10,000 feet. While on the trail ride I saw deer, including young fawns, cows in their summer grazing areas, moose and fast moving marmots which I learned are members of the ground squirrel family. All of the activities, which also included target shooting, came to a halt when the dinner bell and and meals were ready to be served. At 9,000 feet, with all the walking and riding, it’s easy to build up a healthy appetite. Hearing the dinner bell ring was a pleasant sound knowing that excellent home cooked meals were coming out of the kitchen. After dinner while viewing the snow capped mountains in the distance and listening to the
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gentle breezes in the trees, I realized how fortunate I was to be able to take a vacation that allowed me time to enjoy both golf and dude ranching. At Latigo Ranch, in addition to the well appointed guest cottages that adorn the property, there is also a large social room with an upstairs library and pool table. Since business conferences and family reunions are often held at the ranch, I suspect that in between all the daily activities that take place, these areas get considerable use as well…even in the winter. Unlike most dude ranches in Colorado, Latigo Ranch can be enjoyed all year around. In winter there is cross country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and tubing. Both the Grand Lake and Pole Creek golf courses have been played by golfers from all over the US. Both ranches have been visited not only by would-be cowboys from all over the US, but by visitors from Europe and Asia as well. They are fun courses and fun ranches run by dedicated golf professionals and owners. When contemplating your next vacation, consider combining a golf and dude ranch vacation in Grand County, Colorado. You will find this type of vacation to be a thoroughly enjoyable with challenging golf, great dude ranch hospitality and the opportunity to understand what the life of a cowboy is really like. Plus, at eight to nine thousand feet you’ll hit your golf shots longer than you can imagine. For more information about golf at Pole Creek and Grand Lake golf courses, go to www.polecreekgolf.com and www.grandlakerecreation.com or visit www.golfgrandcounty.com. To learn more about the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch and the Latigo Ranch visit www.barlazyj.com and www.latigotrails.com.
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by Fred Robledo
DEATH VALLEY
As an avid golfer and traveler, the last place on my bucket list of places to visit for a golf vacation was Death Valley.
I already knew it was one of the hottest places on the earth. It was the site of the highest recorded temperature in the Western Hemisphere in 1913 when it reached 134 degrees. But as the natives like to say, it was a dry heat. I also knew the golf course, Furnace Creek, was 214 feet below sea level which meant my already short drives and shorter irons would be further challenged. If I wanted to play desert golf, I would rather go to the Coachella Valley where there are more than 125 courses from which to choose and the temperatures are perfect most of the year. Still, I was curious about the area, so I ventured into the great national park trying to understand why, despite its reputation, thousands and thousands of visitors were making the trek, some 290 miles from Los Angeles and about a two –hour drive from Las Vegas, every year. All it took was a brief 5-day trip to change my mind about everything I thought I knew about Death Valley.
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The first part of my trip did nothing to change my mind. Driving in from the Los Angeles area, I drove to Baker, then turned north and drove for a little more than an hour across the vast expanse of desert and rock formations. There was nothing but nothingness on the horizon, yet my GPS in my van told me I was less than two miles from the Furnace Creek Inn, where I was scheduled to check in. I thought the GPS was wrong or that I might soon become a desert statistic because I didn’t know where I was. Less than a half-mile away, I went around a curve and there rising in front of me what appeared to me a mirage, but was, in fact, the Furnace Creek Inn. The first day was to settle in and the second was to see the sights of the Death Valley National Park. It was eye-opening. “It’s not what you knew about Death Valley, it’s what you didn’t know that will bring you back,” said Phil Olson, the tour guide who took us to see many of the park’s attractions on days we weren’t playing golf. I would urge all golfers who like something a little different and challenging to play Furnace Creek, but also to allow some time to see what
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the rest of the region has to offer. The golf was as much as a pleasant surprise as the side trips. Kip Freeman, the director of golf at Furnace Creek, said what surprises most visitors about the golf course was the weather, the condition of the course and the layout, which was redesigned by Perry Dye in 1997. Throughout most of the year, the climate is ideal. I played the course during the first week in March and it was never above 80 degrees. From the middle of one fairway, lined by tamarisk and date palm trees with two mountain ranges on the horizon, one could imagine being on a course in Palm Springs. The history behind the Furnace Creek Golf Course, an area attraction for the Furnace Creek Ranch since 1927, is pretty fascinating. Furnace Creek Ranch started as an adobe house for the Borax miners in the area. There was already spring-fed water for the alfalfa and shade trees for the miners, but they wanted a diversion so Murray Miller, a date palm caretaker, designed a three-hole course for them. It became so popular, it was expanded to 9 holes in 1931. Then noted golf course architect William F. Bell (Torrey Pines, Industry Hills, Sandpiper and Bermuda Dunes among others) added another 9 holes in 1968. It wasn’t designed to be a resort course, but as more and more visitors poured into the area, there was a need to upgrade it and Perry Dye was hired for that project. “I’ll never forget the time Perry saw this course for the first time,” said Freeman. “It was pretty flat and he asked us what we charged for a
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round of golf. Back at that time I think it was something like $20 and that included the golf cart. He told us we were cheating the public.” So Dye and his crew went to work. They re-routed the fifth and sixth holes, they added mounding to many of the fairways and undulations in the greens. He also added an irrigation system to keep the fairways lush and green. The course is now truly a resort course in every sense of the word. Although it measures out to only 6,236 yards from the blue tees and 5,873 yards from the white tees, the course plays about 500 yards longer because it is below sea level. “It really fools a lot of people,” Freeman said. “By the second time around, they have it figured out.” I learned the hard way to judge the distances. When I played the course the first time from the blues, I shot a 96 as many of my approach shots kept coming up short. The Bermuda greens were also a bit tricky because how can you judge which way the ball breaks when you are below sea level. Does it break up toward the water? There’s no Indio near this desert. The following day, playing from the whites and using an extra club on every approach shot, I improved to an 88, which was pleasing to an 18-handicapper. I also ignored the breaks on the greens and hit everything firm. The putts held their line just fine. “It really fools a lot of people,” Freeman said. “By the second time around, they have it figured out.”
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There is no shortage of water on the course. It comes into play on eight holes.
are an extremely long hitter, you will be hitting your fourth shot into the small green.
“We actually have too much water,” says Freeman. “The water comes from underground springs and feeds more than 600,000 gallons of water each day into our course which needs only 100,000 gallons daily. That’s why this time of the year there are a few damp places on a couple of the fairways.”
The sixth hole is 440 yards with a drive that must carry 200 yards to reach the fairway. You can bail out to the right, but the fairway isn’t very wide on that side.
The course is a brilliant mixture of short and long par fours that range from 304 to 445 yards, two monster par fives at 571 and 573 yards, and an all-you-can-hit par three that is 226 yards to a well-protected green. The doglegs run in both directions and even the short holes make you think about where to hit your drive. The first hole that gets your undivided attention is the second hole, 178 yards from the blues and 144 from the whites. The green is slightly elevated but the bank in front of the green feeds into a lake if your tee shot is short. “Most players take an extra club on the hole, just to make sure they carry that bank,” said Phil Dickinson, a year-round resident who played with us both days. Holes five through eight are the highlight holes of the front nine. The fifth fairway on the 573-yard hole is crescent-shaped and hugs a tree-line as it moves from left to right. You have to keep the ball on the left side of the fairway to have an angle at the small green and unless you
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The seventh hole is only 351 yards, but you must try to put your ball between two trees about 200 yards away. Once past the trees, you have to hit a green that slopes to the left where there is a lake waiting for pulled shots. The eighth hole is a 152-yard par three that has a stream that crosses the fairway and protects the green on the left side. The back side opens with two difficult holes, a 573 yard par five and a 435-yard par-four before a series of short par fours (from 304 to 334 yards) sandwiched around the 226-yard par-three fourteenth hole. The short par fours are deceiving because they call for precise drives around trees or to specific sides of the fairway to avoid having to go over tall trees to reach the green. The course closes with a 414-yard hole to a small green that is right in front of the 19th hole, where fun-loving diners are liable to kibitz you as you finish your round. After the round you can enjoy one of the giant mouth-watering grilled hamburgers at the 19th hole on the patio overlooking the 18th green or inside while watching one of the big-screen plasma TV sets. Although the population of Furnace Creek is only 24 (mostly Shi-
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hone Indians living on a reservation), the golf course gets a tremendous amount of play. “We get a lot of tournament groups that come up here,” Freeman said. “We also have a lot of play from the guests at the Furnace Creek Inn and Furnace Creek Ranch. Freeman leaves during the summer months, but that doesn’t mean there is no play on the course. “We have an event our here called the Heat Stroke Open,” Freeman said. “We just wanted to see how many people would show up to play, and we were surprised. A lot of people want to try it.” The crazy people can play it all they want in the summer. I prefer the cooler weather for my desert golf and the Furnace Creek Golf Course is one place I am looking forward to playing again. WHERE TO STAY There are two places to stay while enjoying the golf and the amenities of Death Valley – the Furnace Creek Inn or the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort. If it’s comfort, luxury, the finest dining and total pampering, the place for you is the Furnace Creek Inn. Built in 1927, the four-diamond resort features a natural spring-fed swimming pool, cascading palm gardens, tennis, golf, massages, hiking and touring. The Inn sits high on a hill and overlooking the vast desert with the
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Panamint Mountains in the background and has 66 classically decorated rooms that include suites, pool bungalows, and standard single and double rooms. Every room is non-smoking and all have air conditioning, TVs with HBO, refrigerators, free wireless internet, irons, ironing boards, hair dryers and terry robes. Some rooms have decks or terraces, others have spa tubs. You can enjoy a spectacular meal in the elegant dining room which has a beamed ceiling, fireplaces and panoramic views of the desert. You can also enjoy late afternoon cocktails on the patio just outside the bar lobby, enjoying some the finest sunsets in the world. Those who prefer simpler surroundings can opt to stay a mile away at the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort. Originally built as a working ranch in the 1880s and later the home of the famous 20-mule teams, the Ranch offers resort amenities guests who stay there. The Ranch has 224 guest units, three restaurants, a saloon, a general store, the Borax Museum, a world class golf course and a 3,040-foot airstrip for pilots who like to fly in just for the Sunday brunches. The Furnace Creek Inn and the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort are operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which is the authorized concessioner in Death Valley.
Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort
Highway 190 Death Valley, CA 92328 Phone: 760-786-2345; Fax: 760-786-2514 Website: http://www./Furnacecreekresort.com
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THINGS TO DO Before listing some of the many activities available in Death Valley National Park, you should understand how vast it is. The park is comprised of 3.4 million acres of some of the most rugged, yet some of the most scenic terrain in the world. You should make sure you car is in good working condition and bring plenty of water. If you ever have a breakdown, never set out on foot looking for help. The park rangers will find you. We spent two days touring some of the sites and had an excellent tour guide with us. This is highly recommended. The tour guides can offer you tidbits about the region you would never have otherwise known. Some places you shouldn’t miss: Scotty’s Castle. It is about an hour’s drive from the Furnace Creek Inn to Scotty’s Castle and a good tour guide will regale you with a history of all of the vegetation, the mountains, the desert animals and anything else you want to know about during the ride to the castle. The first thing people want to know is who built the massive ranchstyle home in the middle of nowhere and what was it used for? When you tour Scotty’s Castle, you will learn all about Walter Scott, who was later known as Death Valley Scotty, and his strange friendship with millionaire Albert Johnson and his wife, Bessie. Scotty was hustler, a scam artist who conned people into thinking he had a secret gold mine hidden far away in Grapevine Canyon in a northern corner of Death Valley. He would convince people to invest in his mine, then use the money for wild spending sprees in Las Vegas where he claimed his wealth came from his secret gold mine. It was easy for him to attract for investors that way. Johnson fell for the con and kept giving Scott money. Johnson, however, wanted to see the gold mine, so Scotty led him through the valley in the middle of the summer, hoping Johnson would give up and turn away, but after several days of going around in circles, Scott had to admit it was all a con. To his surprise, Johnson wasn’t upset. He was embarrassed, but by then he and Scott had become close friends. Johnson decided to build a vacation home for he and his wife and Scotty used the sprawling home as part of his con. Your trip to Death Valley wouldn’t be complete without a trip to
Scotty’s Castle. Harmony Borax Works This is where you will see wagons that were used to haul tons of borax more than 150 miles to the railroad town of Mojave. To pull the oversized wagons, they created the famed 20-mule teams (actually 18 mules and 2 horses). You will wander between what’s left of the buildings and machinery, tanks and pipings of the Harmony Borax Works, one of the few products that actually paid off for miners in the 1880s. Devil’s Golf Course Some people have actually tried to make reservations to play the Devil’s Golf Course, but there is nothing there but miles and miles of gnarled crystalline salt spires. The lumpy pinnacles are the residue of Death Valley’s last significant lake, which evaporated more than 2,000 years ago. There are no hiking trails through the Devil’s Golf Course, but people are allowed to walk through it at their own risk for a closer look at the spectacular formations. Zabriskie Point Located only a few miles from the Furnace Creek Inn, Zabriskie Point is one of the most photographed landscapes in Death Valley. Part of the Armargosa Range, Zabriskie Point is noted for its erosional landscape which was formed from the sediments from a lake that dried up five million years ago. Artist’s Palette The second most photographed area are the colorful valleys and hills of Artist’s Palette. The best time to visit is at sunset or sunrise when the colors change shades depending on the position of the sun. Stovepipe Wells Another great place for a sunset are the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells. Some people are going to recognize the vast dunes because they were used in the filming of the original Star Wars. The Race Track The dry lakebed is the site of one of the most mysterious landmarks of Death Valley. On the north end of the lakebed is a rock formation known as the grandstand. Rocks, not boulders, but large rocks nonetheless, have broken from the grandstand and landed on the lakebed. But what makes them mysterious are the tracks left behind when they move. Yes, they actually move, although nobody has ever witnessed a rock moving. One can see the direction of the movement by the trail on the lakebed. There are theories about how they move, sometimes in different direction, but nobody has ever explained it to anybody’s satisfaction. Dante’s View Rising about a mile above the floor of Death Valley, the panoramic view gives you an idea of what settlers saw when first encountering the area. The mountain ranges in the distance range from eastern California to central Utah. From Dante’s Peak, you can see the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States.
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Courses That Could Host Tour Events P
ristine conditioning. A demanding layout. Holes that seep into the psyche and linger for weeks, months, and even years after golfers play them. Courses hosting PGA Tour events share many qualities. However, such qualities aren’t limited to the hallowed grounds of Augusta or the iconic seaside holes of Pebble. A select number of daily-fee and resort courses in North America offer a Tour-quality experience. Below is a list of playing experiences so special, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they showed up on the Tour’s schedule.
Heron Point by Pete Dye (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) For most resorts, having one TOUR quality course would be enough. Sea Pines Resort, home of Pete Dye’s legendary Harbour Town (host of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage), has two. In 2007, Dye began his work on what is now Heron Point by Pete Dye. The course was reshaped to feature dramatic angles, shifting elevations and plenty of Dye’s signature risk-reward holes. As much as the pros love Harbour Town (it was voted No. 2 in a recent Golf Digest poll of TOUR pros’ favorite courses), it wouldn’t be a surprise if a second Sea Pines event was added. More Information: (866) 561-8802, www.seapines.com
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Camp Creek Golf Club (Panama City Beach, Florida) Camp Creek Golf Club on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast has the reputation as a true player’s course; a place where even the best sticks will be tested. From the 7,159-yard back tees, Camp Creek plays to an eye-popping 152 slope, one of the highest in the entire country. While designing Camp Creek, Fazio set it apart from its flat Gulf Coast contemporaries through the creation of elevated greens, large mounds and sloping fairways. More Information: (850) 231-7600, www.campcreekgolfclub.com Kiva Dunes (Gulf Shores, Alabama) Long considered one of the Southeast’s best tracks, Kiva Dunes is a links layout hugging the Gulf Coast. The Jerry Pate-design stretches to 7,092 yards from the tips, and while its fairways are inviting, the ubiquitous Gulf Coast winds give the course some serious teeth. More information: (251) 540-7100, www.golf.gulfshores.com
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Old American Golf Club (The Colony, Texas) Old American Golf Club is to golf as Cowboys Stadium is to football. While both are relatively new, they are already being hailed as a one-of-a-kind experience. The Dallas-area layout is the work of vaunted designer Tripp Davis and PGA TOUR star Justin Leonard. Old American is a regular stop for TOUR professionals in DFW. Nathan Green, winner of the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, holds the course record. Green fired a 4-under-par 67 in February, breaking the previous record of 68 held by Leonard and K.J. Choi. Other pros who’ve played Old American include Y.E. Yang, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Steven Bowditch, and Paul Stankowski. Being smack-dab in the middle of one of the country’s golf hotspots, and easy access to ample hotels also makes Old American an attractive venue. More Information: (972) 370-4653, www.oldamericangolfclub.com
TPC Myrtle Beach (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina) Tom Fazio is a name that’s synonymous with championship golf; his work at TPC Myrtle beach is among his finest. The course ventures through the towering pines and expansive wetlands of the “South Strand” Lowcountry, providing a stern test for even the best sticks. TPC Myrtle Beach is no stranger to championship golf. It hosted the 2000 Senior Tour Championship. More Information: (843) 357-3399, www.tpcmyrtlebeach.com
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Pound Ridge Golf Club (Pound Ridge, New York) In the shadows of New York City sits Pound Ridge Golf Club, Pete Dye’s only Empire State design. Stretching to more than 7,100 yards from the back tees, Pound Ridge demands the coalescence of power and accuracy. Dramatic rock formations and boulders left on-site by Dye send errant shots caroming into Pound Ridge’s innumerable water hazards and wetlands. More Information: (914) 7645771, www.poundridgegolf.com
Cinnamon Hill Golf Course (Montego Bay, Jamaica) Montego Bay, Jamaica’s Cinnamon Hill Golf Course’s picturesque surrounds can lull golfers into a trance. The course was re-designed by celebrated architect Robert von Hagge in 2001 and is frequently cited as one of the Caribbean’s best layouts. The 489-room, all-inclusive Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa www.rosehallresort.com would provide a place for players, their families and fans to stay. More Information: (876) 953-2984, http://cinnamonhilljamaica.com
Longaberger Golf Club (Nashport, Ohio) At 7,243 yards, Longaberger Golf Club is a meaty parkland-style layout about a 50-minute drive east of Columbus. Consistently cited as one of the U.S.’s premier public courses, Longaberger is chock-full of dramatic holes, including No. 4, a 565-yard par-5 with a 150-foot elevation drop from tee to green. More information: (740) 763-1100, www. longabergergolfclub.com
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SWEETSTUFF I n many parts of the country April is the start of golf season with the first major tournament of the year—the Masters—heralding the beginning of the primary spring and summer months. In celebration of the season’s first major championship, FootJoy is spicing up its topranked shoe lineup with the availability of a limited edition green sting ray printed leather offering through the custom MyJoys® program that will highlight the traditional color of the Masters and give players lucky enough to be among the first 200 to order the shoe the chance to have a pair custom built to their specifications. Consumers can customize their Augustainspired golf shoes beginning April 2 on www. myjoys.com and through authorized FootJoy retailers. The special leather is available while supplies last. Just 200 pairs can be built with this exquisite leather, including the following styles: FJ ICON™ Traditional; FJ ICON™ Shield Tip; FJ ICON™ symmetrical; FJ ICON™ Sport BOA; FJ ICON™ Wave; DryJoys™ Tour; Women’s DryJoys®; Women’s LoPro Collection™; and Women’s LoPro Sport. A complementary green patent leather print is also available in limited quantities. MyJoys® offers consumers more than 1.4 million ways to customize their FooJoy shoes, including exotic print leathers, personalization, country flags and NFL, MLB and collegiate logos. Men’s and women’s cleated and spikeless options are available. And don’t forget the socks… FootJoy has also introduced a new accessory
for those looking to slip something different into those MyJoys. The company’s new Merino Tour Golf Sock is a new line that features fine, natural merino wool yarns—something you don’t often
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see in a golf sock—that provides top-level moisture management and temperature regulation to keep feet dry and comfortable during a round. Merino Tour golf socks are specifically designed for the right and left foot for added fit and comfort, with specially designed padding and stitching contoured to complement the unique shape of each foot. Merino wool is a natural fiber that is highly recommended for active wear and possesses temperature-regulating qualities that keep feet comfortable and dry in a wide-range of temperatures—cool or warm conditions. The fabric provides a cushion for the feet and doesn’t itch. In addition to keeping feet dry, Merino wool also prevents dirt build-up due to its natural antistatic properties. These socks also feature a breathable mesh insert to boost ventilation, double-layered heel for added durability and targeted cushioning in both the ball and heel for added comfort. The soft, cool feel is really a departure from the average golf sock. Merino Tour golf socks come in black and charcoal crew design, and a black and natural sport sock. For more information, visit www.footjoy.com
and has been teaching for the past five is one based on a simple concept in today’s technical world—feel. “Our teaching concept is based on 90 percent feel,” said Sweeney, who is based out of the Waldorf-Astoria in Orlando Florida. “We explain in our classes what controls the break and how to read it by feel using your balance and the tilt of your body that just about anybody can do—even a 24 handicapper. We teach people how to identify the slope using some very simple methods and we don’t rely on the eyes or other methods that have been used. “ Interestingly, Sweeney’s teaching methods will most likely speed up the game of golf— something that the industry is attempting to do on many levels these days—because he teaches students how to read the break and prepare for the stroke in 15 seconds. “Our goal is to be able to read the green, determine the slope and the aiming point in 15 seconds,” Sweeney added. “The average tour pro takes between 40 and 60 seconds to read a putt—that is an eternity. We teach how to use a sense of feel instead of looking a putt over from a bunch of different angles, which can confuse the matter.”
utting is the part of the game of golf that can appear so simple, yet it can be the one thing that can be the difference in millions of dollars to those that play it for a living at the highest level--and can be equally as frustrating to the weekend hacker. It is the part of golf that might be dissected more than any other aspect and have more theories on how to do it better than there are students to learn. For many players it might be the most complicated part because it involves not only a stroke with a club, but the outside influence of the terrain, the grain of the grass and the influence of architecture and building of greens on the way the ball rolls. There has been no end to complicated lessons and theories on putting. Yet one instructor has developed a system that is taking much of the myth and confusion away from this very important part of the game, and in essence has created a simple system to help players of all levels simply read the greens in a fast, efficient method while finding the proper aiming point to begin the stroke. Since even the best putter and stroke of are little use if the aim and direction is off, the system that Mark Sweeney, CEO of AimPoint Technologies has developed over the past nine years
One of his prized pupils-- Scott McCarron-was 60th on the PGA Tour in “Strokes GainedPutting” before he turned to the AimPoint technique. In his first full year implementing the AimPoint principles he moved to 23rd on Tour. He is currently number one on Tour in 2012 The LPGA’s Stacey Lewis began her meteoric rise up the World Rankings after learning the AimPoint system, moving into the top 10 world rankings in less than a year and winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011. “The world’s best players buy into the same false perceptions about putting that a weekend amateur does,” added Sweeney. “Watch any Tour event; commentators will reference that every player has missed a certain putt the same way. It is because they are fooled by an optical illusion on the green and they don’t understand what
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SWEETSTUFF by TerryRoss
happens to the ball on its path to the hole.” Sweeney’s system is taught in two-hour glasses conducted by certified professionals— mostly at green-grass courses—in more than 800 classes conducted around the world. The classes last two hours where Sweeney says that 85 percent of his system is taught, with the remainder of the teaching conducted through follow-up online instruction. AimPoint’s predictive putt technology also powers a live graphical insertion of optimal putt overlays into golf broadcasts that has been seen on the Golf Channel since 2007, powering over 1500 insertions into live golf coverage and earning Emmy Award for the innovation. It is the first operationally feasible solution to the putt prediction problem and provides a groundbreaking illustration of putting that adds drama to golf broadcasts and provides an unparalleled opportunity for the viewer to understand green-reading, putting difficulty, and approach shot strategies. For more information on AimPoint and to find an AimPoint certified trainer, visit www. AimPointGolf.com.
T
he latest high tech innovation from the company that has built a reputation for producing ground-breaking new products in the metalwoods category of golf clubs over the past decade-plus carries a funny name— but very serious new performance features when it comes to distance. RocketBallz, the new full-line of woods and irons from TaylorMade Golf, has made an immediate impact not only on the professional tours but with everyday players since their introduction earlier this year with some industry-leading features that have increased the ball speed and thus distance for many players. The RocketBallz (or RBZ for short) fairway woods and Rescue hybrids have been especially popular across a wide-range of player types— from the high handicappers who like the increased playability to Tour players who are also using these clubs to grind out even more distance than they already have. Dustin Johnson his a RocketBallz 3-wood a whopping 331 yards during one testing session, and TaylorMade has been quick to note that in its extensive testing and development that these new fairways and hybrids resulted in an average of 17 yards more distance than its previous generation of clubs. “The RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescues represent a game-changing breakthrough in performance comparable to few products in
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the history of our industry,” said Sean Toulon, Executive Vice President of TaylorMade. “To hold a RocketBallz metalwood in your hands is to possess confidence, power, speed and distance potential that will regularly and quite literally redefine the long game for golfers.” Probably the key innovation is the “speed pocket” located in the sole behind the face plate of the club that adds speed and face flexibility. To achieve these qualities, the RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescues were developed with a high-strength 455 steel face plate welded to a cast body. They incorporate improved sole geometry and a slightly deeper face with a further-forward CG location than traditional designs. RocketBallz fairway woods and Rescues combine RocketBallz technology with increased face size, low CG location, advanced playability features and a lightweight shaft and grip. The combination of these elements promotes a noticeable increase in distance. The heads are shaped more traditionally (compared to Burner Superfast fairways) yet are still extremely forgiving. TaylorMade lowered the CG and pulled it forward to promote a higher launch angle and lower spin-rate – launch conditions that promote greater distance. Compared to the company’s previous fairway woods, RocketBallz fairways and hybrids have a new ultra-thin wall casting process and thick-thin crown construction is used to achieve a lower CG combined with a lighter clubs that run only 315 grams for the fairway woods and less than 350 grams in the Rescues. The incorporation of deeper face, low-andforward CG and RocketBallz technology has allowed TaylorMade to create the first steel fairway that reaches USGA/R&A speed limits, the company noted. The pull-face construction, and a high-strength steel face help to create a high MOI with an exceptionally large face/hitting area, and more area for mis-hits above the center of the face. The flat white crown color and black PVD face provides optimum contrast to make it easy to align the face accurately at address. The white crown color also eliminates the glare and “hot spots” that are a common issue with gloss-finish metalwoods. Both the fairway and the hybrids have a tour model with a similar shape and face size but a few teaks for the better player. The Tour versions have a slightly smaller address profile, a more open face angle, and toe weighted center of gravity and come equipped with a tour-grade shaft that’s heavier and stiffer compared to the stock
shaft in the standard RocketBallz clubs. The RocketBallz fairway woods come standard with a Matrix Ozik XCon5 50-gram graphite shaft in four flexes (S, R, M, L). It is offered in three lofts for right-handed golfers (Lofts: RH: 3-15°, 3HL-17°, 5-19°, 7-21°, 9-24°) and three for left-handed golfers (LH: 3-15°, 5-18°, 7-21°). The RocketBallz Tour fairway woods come standard with a Matrix Ozik RUL 70 75-gram graphite shaft in three flexes (X, S, R). It is offered in three lofts for right-handed golfers only (Lofts: RH: 13°, 14.5°, 18°). Additionally, a selection of 25 custom TP shafts is available for upgrade. The RocketBallz Rescues come standard with a 65-gram graphite shaft in four flexes (S, R, M, L). It is offered in four lofts for right-handed golfers only (Lofts: 3-19°, 4-21°, 5-24°, 6-27°). The RocketBallz Tour Rescues come standard with an 85-gram graphite shaft in three flexes (X, S, R). It comes in four lofts for righthanded golfers only (Lofts: 2-16.5°, 3-18.5°, 4-21.5°). Custom TP shafts are available also. With many players looking for a driver substitute on shorter, tighter holes, the increased distance available with the RBZ line of fairways and Rescues is bringing an entirely new strategy to the long game. For more information: www.taylormadegolf.com
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