OUR 11th YEAR!
THIS MONTH: SweetStuff • Golf Trends • ChipShots
GOLF VACATIONS APRIL 2013
WESTIN LA PALOMA TUCSON REJUVENATED
CRYSTAL SPRINGS
GROWING THE GAME Plus: PGA GOLF CLUB I GRAND GOLF RESORTS1 www.golfvacationsmag.com
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Florida’s Reunion Resort
APRIL 2013
GOLF VACATIONS
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ChipShots Tools Of The Trade by Tom LaMarre Westin La Paloma Rejuvenated by David R. Holland TUCSON, Ariz. – They are calling it a “rejuvenation” – a recent $30 million resort-wide renewal of The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.
And it wasn’t just the hotel and its countless amenities that were spruced up. The three nines – Hill, Canyon and Ridge -- of the Jack Nicklaus’ signature La Paloma Country Club got a facelift too.
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New Jersey’s Crystal Springs Resort
by JD Latorre Nestled in the Kittatinny Mountains of northern New Jersey – just one hour from the bright lights of Broadway – Crystal Springs Resort (crystalgolfresort.com) is the best-kept secret in golf.
Grand Golf Resorts of Florida
by Andy Reistetter Starting with Innisbrook on the Gulf Coast in 2008 and adding Reunion in Orlando and Hammock Beach on the Atlantic Coast in 2011, Sheila Johnson has assembled the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida and created a Legends of Golf Trail that is quite impressive.
PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie
by Andy Reistetter Located an hour north of West Palm Beach, PGA Village is home to 54 holes of Championship golf – 36 from Fazio and 18 from Dye. Owned and operated by The PGA of America, PGA Golf Club is one of the premier public-access resort facilities and the “home course” for the 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals.
SweetStuff by Terry Ross Golf Trends 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, FL. 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 at AndyReistetter@gmail.com
Associate Editor Terry Ross
Features Editor Larry Feldman
Senior Writers David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Holland, whose favorite golf moment was teeing it up with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, splits home time in Colorado and Texas. He has written for GolfWeek’s Superintendent News, Colorado AvidGolfer, Midwest Golfing Magazine, South Central Golf Magazine, and Fairway to Green (UK). He also worked for the Dallas Cowboys Weekly, United Press International and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. JD Latorre is a freelance travel 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 Angles and Southern California Golf Newspaper.
JD Latorre Andy Reistetter Fred Robledo
For Editorial:
call (760) 774-2655 e-mail: Info@GolfVacationsMag.com
Regional Advertising Los Angeles Terry Ross • 949-279-7801 terryr@GolfVacationsMag.com Atlanta Harold Chambliss • 770-239-7500 haroldc@GolfVacationsMag.com
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portsMedia publications
President Jeffrey Diaz
455 NE 5th Avenue, Suite D-151 Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (760) 774-2655
and
Destiny Media, LLC President/CEO James A. Diaz
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 2013 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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GOLF TO END CANCER OFFERS FANS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A VIP EXPERIENCE FOR TWO AT THE 2013 MASTERS
MALIBU, CA – Those seeking the ultimate golf fan experience need look no further than an online raffle being run by Golf to End Cancer in which the grand prize is a VIP experience for two to the 2013 Masters Tournament. Raffle tickets are just $20 (three for $50, 10 for $150), and the grand prize includes: • Accommodations for four days and three nights in a condominium or townhouse two miles from Augusta National • Two Masters badges for both the Thursday (April 11) and Friday (April 12) rounds • Three days of hospitality at Club Magnolia just outside the gates of Augusta National – including five-star dining, premium open bar, a beer garden, putting green, massages, a poker room and more • Masters gifts • Transportation Fanscanenteratwww.augustatrip2endcancer. com or at www.GolfToEndCancer.org. The total estimated value of the prize package is $8,500, and the online raffle ends April 2 at 1 p.m. Central Time.
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Masters week is April 8-14, 2013. Golf to End Cancer has no official of implied affiliation with the Masters Tournament or Augusta National Golf Club. All funds generated by the online raffle will go toward supporting the work of Golf To End Cancer, a program of the Marathon Of Miracles (a 501c3 non profit on a mission to help end cancer in our lifetime through wellness and cancer prevention education). Golf To End Cancer includes a social media presence, a membership program and events such as Miracle Wellness Days, The G2EC Putting Challenge and golf tournaments held across the United States to promote wellness and cancer prevention education among individuals and families around the world. Golf to End Cancer is supported by Celebrity Charitable Network, the non-profit foundation run by Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Doleman, who played 15 years in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons. “I have partnered with and support Golf To End Cancer because of the meaningful work they are doing to promote healthy lifestyles and the help they provide the many families affected by cancer. Please join me in supporting their life changing mission.”
OLD AMERICAN GOLF CLUB, NYLO HOTELS DEBUT STAY AND PLAY THE COLONY, TX – Old American Golf Club – a pure golf experience from award-winning architect Tripp Davis and PGA TOUR player Justin Leonard – and NYLO Hotels announce a new stay and play starting at $213 per player. This original pairing of a classically designed course and ultra-modern boutique hotels includes one round per player at Old American and one night at any of three NYLO metro locations (double occupancy). A complimentary yardage book, water, snacks and a pro-shop gift complete the offering, which can be booked for multiple nights. NYLO Hotels are equal parts passion, service, design, and fun. Guests can choose from the Las Colinas, Plano or new South Side (downtown) locations. NYLO South Side graces a restored, 102-year-old building, showcasing walls with works from local artists and guest rooms with original concrete floors and exposed ceilings. Its rooftop “Soda Bar,” infinity pool and casual grill and have become one of the city’s most popular hang outs. Reserve online at www.nylohotels.com/ nylo-specials-stayandplaygolfpackage.aspx; tee times are booked by calling (972) 370-4653.
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SWING INTO ACTION WITH HYATT REGENCY CHESAPEAKE BAY’S UNLIMITED GOLF GETAWAY
CAMBRIDGE, MD. – Tee-off amid stunning vistas of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and a private wildlife refuge. Warm up your swing this spring – and all year long – with Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina’s Unlimited Golf Package. Now through the end of 2013, the luxury four-diamond resort is offering an incredible deal for golfers – limitless rounds on River Marsh Golf Club’s 18-hole championship course for a day, starting at $269 per night, available midweek. Named one of Maryland’s “Best Courses You Can Play” by Golfweek, the Keith Fosterdesigned course offers two of the region’s most memorable finishing holes. The par three 17th stretches 200 yards, framed by majestic trees and stunning vistas of the Choptank River. The 18th hole is a classic risk/reward par two with a vast coastal bunker on one side and stately oak trees on the other. For more details on the course, please click here. Events are held throughout the year at River Marsh Golf Club, such as the recent First Annual Ice Breaker Open. Private lessons and group clinics are available upon request with PGA and LPGA professionals. And the resort’s Family Loop Program offers four hole rounds for a low cost after 4pm, to encourage the entire family to get on the course and play. The Unlimited Golf deal at Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay includes luxurious accommodations, unlimited golf (for one person, for one day) and 20 percent off services at the newly renovated Sago Spa & Salon. Available through December 30, 2013, Sunday – Thursday nights, the package rate starts at $269 per night, based upon double occupancy, and excludes tax and resort fee. First round of golf must be reserved before check-in. For more information
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay
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and to make hotel reservations, please call 800.633.7313 or visit www.chesapeakebay.hyatt. com. For more information on River Marsh Golf Club, please visit www.rivermarshgolfclub.com.
AMERICA’S FIRST GOLF CLUB CELEBRATES A HISTORY OF “FIRSTS” HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY - It’s common knowledge that The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Yonkers, New York, is the oldest continuously existing golf club in the United States, established on November 14, 1888. And that the first exhibition of golf by future members of the club was played earlier that year—on February 22, Washington’s Birthday, to be exact—by John Reid and John B. Upham over three holes laid out in a cow pasture. From such modest beginnings, golf in the United States has grown in size and stature to become the great game and business it is today. However, The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club and its earliest members are responsible for numerous other American golf “firsts.” Here are just a few: • The first photograph of golf in America (1888) • The first recorded mixed foursome was played on March 30, 1889, when John Upham teamed with Mrs. John Reid to defeat the team of Miss Carrie Law and John Reid • The first American “clubhouse,” including a rudimentary 19th hole, was the famous apple tree that Reid and friends used to hang their coats while playing in the apple orchard that became the club’s second course • The first U.S. Amateur Championship, at match play, was hosted by St. Andrew’s in 1894—and won by a St. Andrew’s member,
L.B. Stoddart • The first U.S. Open Championship was hosted by St. Andrews, in 1894. • A member of Saint Andrew’s, Henry O. Tallmadge, suggested and organized the December 22, 1894, meeting of five golf clubs that resulted in the creation of the United States Golf Association (USGA). • The first Yearbook (or Handbook) in America—containing a club’s list of members, officers, and committees, as well as its constitution and by-laws—was published by Saint Andrew’s in 1895. • The first U.S. Public Links Tournament was organized and funded by The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club. “For players who did not belong to a club in the United States Golf Association,” it was held at Van Cortlandt Park (the nation’s first public course) in 1896 with a field of 50 and officiated by John Reid. • A Saint Andrew’s member, Charles E. Sands, won the first Olympic gold medal for golf in 1900.
In commemoration of this – the club’s 125th anniversary year – a number of major events will be held including the Folds of Honor Golf Tournament (Tuesday, June 4) to support the families of deceased and disabled members of the military; Celebrating Women in Golf (Wednesday, June 5), marking the history and growth of women’s golf in America; the 125th Anniversary Celebrity Golf Tournament (Friday, June 7), featuring 24 fivesomes (four amateurs and one celebrity assigned to each group), and the Gala 125th Anniversary Dinner Dance (Saturday, June 8) at the Waldorf Astoria in midtown Manhattan. For more information visit www.125yearsofgolfinamerica.com. For more about The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club or to inquire about participating in The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club 125th Anniversary events contact Karen Degnan at (914) 4783500 or visit www.saintandrewsgolfclub.com.
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NEW JERSEY’S CRYSTAL SPRINGS RESORT UNVEILS “HOLE-IN-ONE” GOLF & STAY PACKAGE
HAMBURG, N.J. – Crystal Springs Resort – home to seven distinct golf courses just one hour from New York City – announces its new “Hole-in-One” golf and stay package. The quick and easy golf getaway includes comfortably-appointed accommodations at the luxurious Grand Cascades Lodge, recreationrich Minerals Resort & Spa or action-packed Mountain Creek; 18 holes of golf on any of Crystal Springs’ seven acclaimed courses (subject to tee time availability); unlimited driving range use; and complimentary bag storage. Access to Minerals Sports Club’s four indoor / outdoor heated pools and 80-plus weekly fitness and yoga classes or Mountain Creek’s outdoor heated pool and hot tubs is also available. As an added incentive, guests booking by Apr. 1 will receive two complimentary Waterpark passes ($80 value). Rates begin at $102 per person (weekday) and $154 (weekend) and are based on double occupancy at Minerals and golf at the resort’s Great Gorge Country Club. The package is available throughout the entire 2013 golf season (approximately March to November). “This attractively-priced package exhibits our resort’s trademark variety and convenience,” says Art Walton, Vice President of Golf Operations at Crystal Springs Resort. “Nowhere else can one choose from seven spectacular golf courses and three luxury hotels within one hour of Midtown Manhattan.” Nestled in the Kittatinny Mountains of northern New Jersey, Crystal Springs is a golf playground for all ages and abilities. Its 117 holes are exceptionally diverse: • Ballyowen – Irish links-style layout rated state’s No. 2 public golf course by Golfweek • Black Bear – Inviting mix of tumbling terrain and risk / reward options for players of all abilities • Cascades – Newest addition stresses playability and features junior tees (nine holes) • Crystal Springs – Ranked “Top 50 Toughest Course in America” by Golf Digest • Great Gorge – Vintage 70’s golf on the
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legendary Playboy course (27 holes) • Minerals – Family golf at “Top 12 Short Course” in America by Golf Range Magazine (nine holes) • Wild Turkey – Spectacular resort course with world-class amenities and vistas Crystal Springs is also a nationally-recognized leader in golf innovation and growing-the-game initiatives. They include family golf on Cascades and Minerals featuring four-person carts and two holes cut on each green (one eight inches in diameter); a “Fast Track” program that guarantees golfers finish in less than four hours; a pay-per-hole playing option; “Lessons and Links for Ladies” and more. For more information: www. crystalgolfresort.com, 973.827.5996.
MYRTLE BEACH SEASIDE RESORTS ANNOUNCES “PLAY THREE, ONE FREE” GOLF PACKAGES NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts (MBSR) – operator of the area’s premier oceanfront condo-hotel and vacation rental properties – announces “Play Three, One Free” golf packages featuring spacious accommodations and a free round of golf at two of the Grand Strand’s highest-rated golf complexes. Featuring five nights in a deluxe hotel-condo with beach access, and four rounds for the price of three at an impressive roster of courses by vaunted architects, packages include: • Barefoot Resort – Rounds on the Love, Fazio, Norman and Dye Courses for the price of three. Rates start at $475 per golfer and include carts and breakfast. • Ocean Ridge Plantation – Rounds on the “Big Cats” in beautiful Sunset Beach, N.C.: Leopard’s Chase, Lion’s Paw, Panther’s Run and Tiger’s Eye for the price of three. Rates start at $305 per golfer and include carts and breakfast. “These packages are perfect for golfers who want to enjoy all the perks of a beachfront, resort experience and the thrill of playing championship golf on some of the area’s highest rated courses,” says Chris Vest, Director of Golf at Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts. All lodging options provide easy access to dining, shopping, sugar sand beaches and other area attractions on the world-famous Grand Strand. Through its knowledgeable golf desk, MBSR is able to completely turnkey golf vacations for any size group to meet any budget. Rates are based on two-bedroom condos, quad occupancy and a five-night stay. One of the rounds must be played after 12 p.m. To book or for more information, log onto www. myrtlebeachseasideresorts.com or call (888) 571.4104. For additional information: www.myrtlebeachseasideresorts.com, (888) 571.4104
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ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBA PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE GOLF PACKAGE TO COINCIDE WITH THE OHL CLASSIC AT MAYAKOBA
Riviera Maya, MEXICO – All eyes will be on the stunning El Camaleón Golf Club the week of November 11-17, 2013 for the OHL Classic at Mayakoba when the world’s top PGA TOUR players will have the opportunity to compete on the Greg Norman designed, 7,000-yard, 18-hole championship course. El Camaleón (The Chameleon) is aptly named for the diverse terrain and environments it presents to players while meandering throughout the 1600-acre Mayakoba enclave. Touting a $6 million purse, the largest of any professional tournament in Latin America, the OHL Classic at Mayakoba made history in 2007 when it became the first PGA TOUR event contested outside the United States and Canada. Rosewood Mayakoba, the 128 all-suite luxury resort also located within Mayakoba, is positioned along a mile-long arc of white Caribbean sand and will be at the heart of the excitement. In celebration of the high profile tournament, Riviera Maya’s award winning resort is introducing The Ultimate Golf Package that will provide bragging rights and cocktail party conversation for years to come. The $175,000 package, de-
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signed for three golfers, boasts a private lesson with world famous golf instructor Jim McLean, a round of golf with sport legend Greg Norman at Playa Mujeres with private helicopter transportation to and from, as well as three positions in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba Pro-Am. Throughout the tournament, guests will have honorary observer positions and access to the exclusive Founders Club and will stay in the 6,272 square-foot Presidential Lagoon Suite. It is sure to be a dream come to true for any golf enthusiast and two close friends. The seven-night package that begins on Tuesday, November 12 has been thoughtfully curated to provide an exclusive golf experience with the comfort of exquisite cuisine, lavish accommodations and extraordinary amenities. By day, guests will enjoy preferred seating at the tournament’s official grand opening ceremony, sit at the VIP table at the Pairings Party,” take private lessons with world-famous golf instructor Jim McLean, sip cocktails with the PGA TOUR Players, and take part in the limelight while playing in the tournament Pro-Am. The trip culminates on Monday, Nov. 18 with a private BBQ on Rosewood Mayakoba’s pristine beach and a tequila tasting during which the resort’s resident Tequiliers will provide guests with an in-depth experience demonstrating the
art of making and appreciating the “drink of the gods,” well sampling some of the best labels. The Ultimate Golf Experience at Rosewood Mayakoba includes: Tuesday, Nov. 12 Lesson with Jim McLean Grand Opening Ceremony Pairings Party Wednesday, Nov.13 Pro-Am competition Pro-Am Awards Dinner Thursday, Nov. 14 Access to the Founders Club Helicopter to Playa Mujeres Round of golf with Greg Norman Friday, Nov. 15 Sunset Cocktails with pros Saturday, Nov. 16 Honorary Observers Sunday, Nov. 17 Meet & Greet with champ Monday, Nov. 18 Monday-After Golf Outing BBQ/Tequila tasting Tuesday, Nov. 19 Departure from Mayakoba Price is $175,000 for three golfers with accommodations in the Presidential Lagoon Suite Available for stay November 12-19, 2013
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TOOLSOFTHETRADE
F
or several years after its inception in 1986, Tour Edge did a nice, little business as something of a specialty golf club company. David Glod, who played college golf at Florida Southern with Rocco Mediate and Lee Janzen before becoming a teaching pro, started the company in the garage of his condo in Warrenville, Ill. “We were a driver and fairway wood company and then we got into the iron business,” said Glod, who now operates the company out of a 5,500-square-foot facility in Batavia, Ill. “ ... (In the beginning) my garage was the cut room and my bedroom was the finishing and painting room.” How times have changed. These days you can fill your golf bag, or everybody’s in your foursome for that matter, with Tour Edge equipment, which by the way is state-of-the-art and right on the cutting edge. “I think our product line is as big, or bigger, than any equipment company here,” said a Tour Edge rep, waving his arm to include Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Nike and Adams, all the heavyweights who had booths of varying sizes on the floor of the PGA Merchandise Show in January at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Don’t look for your favorite player on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour or Champions Tour to endorse Tour Edge equipment on the Golf Channel, because the company does not pay golfers to use its equipment. It speaks volumes that some of them do, anyway. Brandt Snedeker won the Tour Championship and claimed the FedEx Cup with the help of a Tour Edge Exotics 3-wood. “It’s definitely one difficult club to find the perfect fit for, but I did with this Tour Edge Exotics CB4,” said Snedeker, who was the
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by
TOMLAMARRE
best player in the world early this season, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in addition to finishing second twice and third once. “This is a relatively new 3-wood, its a Tour Edge Exotics 13-degree 3-wood (and) its kind of a little bit higher launch for me. It’s got a Diamana shaft in it so. It kind of helps me get (the ball) up in the air a little.” Others who are using or have played Tour Edge clubs at one time or another include Tom Watson, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar, Nick Faldo, Zach Johnson, Lucas Glover, Tim Clark, Brian Gay, David Duval, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gil Morgan, Hee-Won Han, Stacy Prammanasudh, Mika Miyazato, Sean O’Hair, Spencer Levin, Ryan Moore, Bruce Fleisher and Kevin Streelman. Tour Edge’s first big breakthrough came in 1999, with the LiftOff Iron-Wood, one of the first hybrid clubs, which was selected as ING’s “Breakthrough Product of the Year.” “I remember writing in a press release that this was the wave of the future,” said Jay Hubbard, who then was Tour Edge’s vicepresident of marketing. “I guess I was right, because now everybody has hybrids.” Tour Edge has had success in recent years with its Bazooka titanium woods and its Exotics line, which made its debut in 2005 and includes every type of club you can put in your bag--from driver, to fairway woods, to hybrids, to irons, to putters. This year, Tour Edge introduced its Exotics XCG6 line, which includes a full set or irons, hybrids and fairway woods, plus the company’s first adjustable driver. With the twist of a wrench supplied with the club, golfers can adjust the face, angle, loft and lie. Just like the big boys.
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Troon in Tucs
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son
Westin La Paloma
REJUVENATED by DAVID R. HOLLAND
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Tucson’s new Sewailo Golf Club to open this July
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UCSON, Ariz. – They are calling it a “rejuvenation” – a recent $30 million resort-wide renewal of The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.
And it wasn’t just the hotel and its countless amenities that were spruced up. The three nines – Hill, Canyon and Ridge -- of the Jack Nicklaus’ signature La Paloma Country Club got a facelift too. Opened in the golf boom days of the mid-1980s, the Westin La Paloma has luxury, state-of-the-art upgrades, and southwestern beauty. The grounds are resplendent with saguaros, palo verdes, mesquites, desert vegetation and wildlife of the rugged Sonoran Desert. Troon takes La Paloma Country Club to new heights Managed by Troon, the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing, all 27 holes of La Paloma Country Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature design received rejuvenation of bunkers and greens -- a $600,000 project that changed the aesthetics of the golf course.
Greens were seeded with Miniverde Bermuda, a grass sourced from Casa Grande, Arizona, a town between Tucson and Phoenix. The new grass eliminates the need to overseed in fall like most Arizona courses do. Now ground crews apply a dye when they transition to brown so the consistent, pure roll remains 12 months a year. The process saves water and avoids a wait for fall overseed to fill in. White sand from San Juan Capistrano, California was also added to the bunkers in the golf course renovation to give the three nines even more beauty from tee to green. La Paloma Country Club is open to members and hotel guests and has always been a test of golf since opening the Canyon and Ridge nines in 1984 and the Hill nine in 1985. Nicklaus was known for his high, long iron fades to difficult greens and you will find that challenge here. Par is 36 on each nine -- Hill (3,463 yards), Canyon (3,554) and Ridge (3,534) – and they will definitely show you the younger Nicklaus characteristics of elevated well-bunkered greens and some tight fairways. The Gallery Golf Club
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The Canyon seventh, a 445-yard par four, is the signature hole with a serious fall to the fairway before going back uphill to a green. The second shot requires a forced carry over a diagonal dry wash. Many think this is one of the toughest par fours in Arizona. About Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains provide the backdrop for The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa’s 250-acre property. The AAA Four Diamond hotel offers 487 guestrooms, including 25 suites and 60,000 square feet of meeting space. The Red Door Spa is another touch of luxury. Guestrooms now include accent tiled entrances, headboards with LED technology and adjustable reading lights, locally inspired artwork, 42-inch flat screen television, spacious work station with connection panel and extra cost WiFi. Bathrooms have a deep soaking tub and large showerheads they call “heavenly rainforest”. The place to dine is AZUL Restaurant, an upscale but casual restaurant with a view of the Catalina Mountains. Enjoy the breakfast buffet, lunch or take in the signature cocktails, wine list and American Continental inspired appetizers during Happy Hour in the lounge. This contemporary, upscale cocktail and dining experience is surrounded by blue lighting and lounge music. The outdoor patios are available year round to allow guests to enjoy the sunny days and cool nights. Troon spreading its outreach in Tucson Phoenix-based Troon is not only managing La Paloma Country Club, but has added a ritzy private 36 holes --The Gallery Golf Club in Marana – to its portfolio along with Sewailo Golf Club, a brand-new 18 set to open in July at Casino Del Sol in the south part of Tucson on the Pascua Yaqui Tribal land. The Gallery is across the street from the 27-hole Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Golf Club, home to the Accenture Match Play, and the first high-end golf club to come to Marana in 1998. After initiatively offering some public preview play in its opening years, the club went fully private until now.
The North Course is marked by rugged views of the high Sonoran desert landscape. Designed by John Fought and Tom Lehman, the North Course has been acknowledged as one of Golfweek’s “Top 100 Modern Courses.” The South Course, has subtle elevation changes among thousands of towering saguaros, is also designed by Fought and previously hosted the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship in 2007 and 2008. Currently, morning rates are $169 while twilight rates are $79 and can be booked on their website. The North Course checked in at No. 25 on Golf Digest’s Best-in-State rankings in Arizona for 2011-12, while the South hosted the WGC Accenture Match Play in 2007-08 before it moved to Dove Mountain. Members and daily-fee golfers rotate courses. When members play the North, daily-fee golfers play the South. Sewailo Golf Club in South Tucson The golf course, named “Sewailo,” meaning “flower world” in the Yaqui language, is scheduled to open in July 2013. The championshipstyle course, designed by Ty Butler and Notah Begay III, will remind you of a desert oasis with water features incorporated into the desert landscape. The entire property, including the luxurious, 215-room Casino Del Sol Resort, takes advantage of the surrounding mountain views. Sewailo Golf Club joins Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, Southern Dunes Golf Club and Talking Stick Golf Club, also located in Arizona, as well as Yocha-De-He Golf Club at Cache Creek Casino Resort in California, Sequoyah National in North Carolina and Lake of Isles in Connecticut to become one of seven Troon Golf properties owned by a Native American Tribe. Troon recently announced that 33 of its managed courses have been named to the list of Golfweek’s “Best Courses” in the United States. Pronghorn (Tom Fazio) in Oregon, Kapalua (Plantation) in Hawaii and The Golf Club at Black Rock in Idaho, were yet again listed on the prestigious list of the Top 100 “ Best Modern Courses” (post 1960).
Entrance to Westin La Paloma
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New Jersey’s
Crystal Spr
Hole #2 at Crystal Springs
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rings Resort
Growing the Game By JD Latorre www.golfvacationsmag.com
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Ballyowen
Wild Turkey
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estled in the Kittatinny Mountains of northern New Jersey – just one hour from the bright lights of Broadway – Crystal Springs Resort (crystalgolfresort.com) is the bestkept secret in golf. The 4,000 acre escape boasts seven golf courses, not to mention three hotels, two world-class spas and numerous other amenities and activities. There are championship and resort courses (Ballyowen, Black Bear, Crystal Springs and Wild Turkey), a 27-hole complex with a retro theme (Great Gorge), a nine-hole layout for families and juniors (Minerals), and another nine-hole track (Cascades) emanating from the lavish Grand Cascades Lodge. Ballyowen, the resort’s marquee venue (par 72, 7,094 yards) is one of the top-rated courses in New Jersey (No. 2 in Golfweek’s “Best You Can Play” rankings). Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. protégé Roger Rulewich, the links-style layout is routed through a 250-acre plateau surrounded by bucolic farmland overlooking the Walkill River. The entire site is treeless, the wind can be merciless and Ballyowen pays authentic homage to its Irish and Scottish roots. Wild Turkey (par 71, 7,202 yards), another Rulewich signature, is a strong second act blending markedly different topography (wide open basin and multi-tiered ridges) into a seamless and unforgettable circuit. Crystal Springs is rated one of the 50 most difficult courses in the U.S. by Golf Digest despite
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the par 72 playing just 6,800 yards from the back tees. And Black Bear is a meandering par 72, 6,673-yard ride through the New Jersey highlands and perfect introduction to golf at Crystal Springs. Then there’s the aforementioned Great Gorge Golf Club. The old school vibe at this 27-hole George Fazio-designed complex is unlike anything golfers will find elsewhere. Opened in 1970 as an amenity to Hugh Hefner’s famed Great Gorge Playboy Club, the retro clubhouse pays homage to this colorful history with shag carpet, psychedelic wallpaper, a disco ball and pinball machine. Staff also sports loud plaid pants and cart girls show off go-go dancer knee-high boots to complete the scene. As one can see “fun” is the operative word at Crystal Springs. Therefore, it naturally follows that the resort is a nationallyrecognized leader in golf innovation and growing-the-game initiatives. They include family golf on the nine-hole Cascades and Minerals Courses featuring four-person carts and two holes cut on each green (one eight inches in diameter); a “Fast Track” www.golfvacationsmag.com
program that guarantees golfers finish in less than four hours; a pay-per-hole playing option; “Wine and Dines” and more.
Wine Cellar
For those seeking first-rate instruction, Crystal Springs is also home to The Leadbetter Golf Academy Northeast Headquarters, featuring the world’s No. 1 golf instructor and coach to numerous players on the PGA, European PGA, LPGA and Champions tours. “Families, beginners, women and golfers of all skill levels are all welcomed with open arms,” says Art Walton, Vice President of Golf Operations at Crystal Springs Resort. Amazingly, great golf at Crystal Springs is just the tip of the iceberg. Other highlights include four luxury hotels (Grand Cascades Lodge, Minerals, the Appalachian and Black Creek Sanctuary); 15 acclaimed restaurants led by the four-star Restaurant Latour (complete with a 135,000-bottle, Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine cellar); two full-service spas ranked among Spas of America’s Top 25; the state-of-the-art Minerals Sports Club; and multiple indoor and outdoor pools (including the distinctive Biosphere Pool Complex with an underground aquarium, tropical foliage and free form nature pools).
These amenities ideally complement the golf offerings, making Crystal Springs a favorite venue for hundreds of weddings, special events and corporate outings every year. For more information, including seasonal stay-and-play packages, visit crystalgolfresort.com or call 973.827.5996.
Grand Cascades Lodge and Biosphere Pool
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Golf Vacations • April 2013 23
RESORTREPORT
Lady Trump Outshines The Donald in Florida
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GRAND GOLF RESORTS OF FLORIDA
by ANDY REISTETTER
Golf Writer Andy Reistetter recalls being at the Innisbrook Resort in 2008 for the PGA TOUR’s Pods Championship and hearing of its new owner Sheila Johnson. Now five years later it was recently time for the Tampa Bay Championship on the famed Copperhead Course. While Donald Trump had the televised stage at Doral, no one expected to see anywhere near as much of Sheila. But don’t be surprised if you come to learn that she has hired, not fired, someone you know. Who is building and opening new golf resorts in America these days? Johnson is, and she has also purchased others and put them together like a necklace around the neck of Florida to shine and attract us to unique and pleasurable golfing and resort experiences. Join Reistetter as he recalls his recent and finest golf resort experience in Florida.
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he history of the Innisbrook Resort with professional golf goes back almost 50 years. At first it was couples golf starting with Jerry Pate and Hollis Stacy winning in 1977 to John Daly winning with Laura Davies in 1999. With the new millennium came the regular PGA TOUR and then later in the decade came Sheila Johnson debuting as golf’s newest visionary lady. Since then major champions Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk have won at Innisbrook and so too has the golfing world with the contribution of this media silent though quietly effective woman What she has done in the last five years is quite remarkable. Starting with Innisbrook on the Gulf Coast in 2008 and adding Reunion in Orlando and Hammock Beach on the Atlantic Coast in 2011, Johnson has assembled the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida and created a Legends of Golf Trail that is quite impressive. But that is not all as her new Salamander Resort & Spa will be opening in August amidst the scenic horse country of Virginia. With exclusive golf privileges at The Club at Creighton Farms, another Jack Nicklaus Signature Design, and the personal touches by Sheila, it is a grand opening not to be missed. Even in Florida, the state with the most coastline there is only one golf course with six holes that border the Atlantic Ocean. There may be other ocean courses but Hammock Beach’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Design is the only one with “Florida’s Ocean Course” on the front of the scorecard. The second course, a Tom Watson Signature Design, The Conservatory has earned the distinctive “Golf Masterpiece” on its scorecard. While I will remember the sound of the surf in my backswing in the morning and a non-conservative 3-birdie fun round in the afternoon, my lasting impression of Hammock Beach is the comfort of its beds, the tranquility and beauty of its accommodations and the rich taste and texture of its food. My recollection of time spent at Reunion is captured with the faces on its scorecard- Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Annika Sorenstam. “Nowhere Else in the World”- 4 legends, 3 courses and one incredible golf experience. The combined scorecard unfolds to a length of 24 inches and while the penciled- in numbers aren’t as low as I would like the memories golfing with friends there cannot be any higher or more inspirational. We played the rounds in three formats- a scramble, a better ball and a shame (my own individual ball), not shamble. With Annika’s Academy located there along with 320 villas and suites and a rooftop bar for sunsets can there be a better place for corporate events? While we don’t yet know who the winner at Innisbrook we do know the Snake Pit and the Copperhead Course will produce a deserving champion who can play every club in his bag on a course full of variety.
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Golf Vacations • April 2013 25
Larry Packard, who designed all four courses, may not have the notoriety of other golf architects but he has the talent proven around-the-world and something else we all want- longevity, as he celebrated his 100th birthday last November. I guess the gist of the Grand Golf Resorts of Florida is their longevity and variety in golf. In addition to the Tampa Bay event, Hammock
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Beach has hosted PGA TOUR and Champions Tour events and Reunion has hosted the LPGA. If you want that type of variety there is a package that features six nights’ accommodations and nine rounds of golf which can be used in one trip or split up into three. A composite course called the Ultimate Legends of Golf has been created and you can track your score over the nine courses to see how you compete against others on Florida’s
most famous necklace (I mean trail). I admit to one error in the writing of this piece. The state of Alaska has more coastline than Florida but is there a golfer in Alaska? I will also admit to another mistake- that it took me five years to intimately discover the Hammock Beach, Reunion and Innisbrook resorts. Please don’t make the same mistake, surely you can do better.
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Golf Vacations • April 2013 27
A Legendary E
F
abled golf architects Tom Fazio and Pete Dye have designed some of the world’s most renowned golf courses, such as Pinehurst No. 4 (Fazio) in North Carolina and Kiawah Island Resort (Dye) in South Carolina. Ranked as one of America’s best golf resorts, PGA Golf Club at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Florida offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of two iconic designers at the same property. Located an hour north of West Palm Beach, PGA Village is home to 54 holes of Championship golf – 36 from Fazio and 18 from Dye. Owned and operated by The PGA of America, PGA Golf Club is one of the premier public-access resort facilities and the “home course” for the 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals. Tom Fazio’s Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club is named in honor of department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, who inspired The PGA’s founding in 1916. He is also the namesake of the Wanamaker Trophy, awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship. Best, you can view this trophy at the on-site PGA Museum of Golf. The Wanamaker Course is a classic Florida layout that enables
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golfers to enjoy a stunning backdrop set against breathtaking wetlands, palm trees and palmettos. The course re-opened last fall with 18 new TifEagle Bermuda grass greens and TifGrand tee boxes, which flourish in tropical climates. The Ryder Course is named for Samuel Ryder, who established the Ryder Cup in 1927. The playing experience features Fazio’s distinct Carolina touch in a Florida setting, with rolling hills, majestic pines and challenging water hazards. The Dye Course emphasizes native surroundings with pine straw rough, vast coquina waste bunkers and grass-based bunkers. Weaving through 100 acres of wetlands, the links-style layout offers pure Florida surroundings with a British Isles flavor. In addition to daily fee options, PGA Golf Club memberships are available with exclusive access rights to nearby PGA Country Club, featuring yet another 18 picturesque holes by Tom’s Uncle George Fazio. Private club memberships also include access to tennis and swimming as well as special member-only areas in the PGA Golf Club clubhouse, scheduled for more than $5 million in upgrades.
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Hole #13 tee on the Ryder Course
Experience
PGA Golf Club Providing the ultimate learning environment for players of all levels, the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance is a 35-acre, leading-edge, golf practice facility with 100 full swing stations and nine bunker types to simulate play from around the world. As the home of PGA of America Golf Schools, it employs world-class technology – such as the Sirgul Golf Simulator, inxTracker/PGA PAR System and TrackMan Shot Performance game analysis programs. International golf teams train at the award-winning facility, while budding golfers enjoy the Center’s new PGA Discover Golf Course.
to find in a golf museum. A local favorite from the menu is the Rachel Sandwich with tender pastrami on marble rye, served with swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.
Not to be missed, the PGA Museum of Golf is located steps from the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance. Trace the history of the game with complimentary admission to see the four major Championship trophies of golf. The Museum periodically features a Speaker Series with iconic PGA Professionals and golf industry experts such as 1958 PGA Champion Dow Finsterwald and legendary PGA teaching Professional Bob Toski.
Want to try your luck? PGA Village offers a “Dream Vacation for Two” sweepstakes throughout the year. The grand prize includes two rounds of golf at PGA Golf Club, two-night stay and a complimentary two-hour golf lesson at the PGA Center for Golf Learning (video analysis of full swing, short game and fitness evaluation). To enter, visit www.PGAVillage.com/sweepstakes.
After your round of golf or lesson, unwind at the Champions Grill in the Clubhouse at PGA Golf Club with daily food and drink specials. Patrons will enjoy PGA memorabilia and relics one might only expect
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For the transient golfer, stay-and-play packages are available through June 30, starting at $110 (per person, per night) and include one round of golf. Guests can choose from luxurious cottages through Perfect Drive Villas or elite hotel accommodations at the Hilton Garden Inn or Homewood Suites.
To book times or request a quote, visit www.PGAVillage.com or call 800-800-GOLF. • • • • • Turn page for more
Golf Vacations • April 2013 29
Hole #5 green on the Wanamaker Course
Hole #1 bunkers on the Dye Course
Hole #18 green on the Wanamaker Course
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PGA Village: Heart of the Florida Swing Golf Writer Andy Reistetter and Merri Daniel stopped by the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Florida and did something they have never done before- a couples’ golf lesson. How did we get to this point in our golfing relationship? Should we be more mechanical or passionate in our form? How do we find the right golf professional? After all you can’t do a threesome with just anybody. What’s next, a couples’ massage? Everyone knows it’s Florida Swing time on the PGA TOUR but it is really time to swing better with your own golf game and partner. Join Merri & Andy, who some now call The Swinger & The Hooker, as they visit a place where anyone can learn, improve and celebrate the game of golf, especially golfing couples!
“What was I thinking, how did I get myself into this?” That is what I thought Merri was thinking. Everyone knows me as the analytical type, always thinking and planning. Whereas she is “The Swinger;” she does it naturally, without effort, carefree, living and swinging in the present moment on and off the golf course. Everyone knows me as “The Hooker,” I go left, left and then further left. Most people hit condos when they play in Palm Springs, I hit Jack’s house on the 9th hole when I play at Muirfield Village. The Florida Swing has been around forever. Like the song lyrics “Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahama, ooh come on pretty mama” but in golfing tempo the PGA TOUR swings around Florida- PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Doral in Miami, Innisbrook near Tampa and climaxes at Bay Hill at Arnold Palmer’s tournament. What people don’t realize is what is at the center of all that professional golfing activity. It swings around the heart of golf, the organization of golf professionals from your home course- the PGA of America. Their flagship facility is the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie. Like the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, it is right off I-95, but another 200 miles south, below the frost line, a half hour north of West Palm Beach. This was no “Hope Springs Eternal” couples venture as we don’t see ourselves going down the road of Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. We stayed where people usually stay when they visit the PGA Village- Hilton Garden Inn which is literally right across the street from the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance. As members for a day, we had dinner at the Champions Grill at the Clubhouse at the PGA Golf Club which is located within the PGA Village. Totally misnamed as a grill, this was a dining experience to remember. Chef Juan Serrano prepared a tasting of all the new dishes for 2013. Starting with a Grilled Caesar Wedge (what was grilled was chicken), we sampled Eggplant Milanese, Healthy Primavera (grilled vegetables with whet penne pasta) and Lobster Mac and Cheese (secret is Gouda and Sharp Cheddar cheeses). Other than the fabulous desserts, what stands out at PGA Village and the Champions Grill is the friendly, professional and personalized service. With their innovative name tags we will always remember that Jessica’s passion is her three kids. After a scrumptious dinner and restful night we played the Wannamaker course as a warm up to our afternoon lesson. Who has a concierge waiting for you when you enter a clubhouse? PGA Village does and she was quite helpful pointing us in the direction of a sale with complimentary wine and cheese. Though a bit too early I was impressed with the “Shop, Eat, Drink & Be Merri” signage. We all
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want to be like Merri! Merri was impressed by the temporary bridge over a wet area (it rained the night before) leading to the forward ladies tee on the third hole. Thus confirms my suspicion that for women golfers it is all about the shoes, and keeping them clean. We were a bit confused over which green and flagstick (checkered blue left or yellow right) to take aim for our approach shots on the 8th hole. We figured out the cart GPS number was the one to the right and played that green (it was also easier). Merri revealed her pre-shot thoughts on the 13th tee- “just swing, just be free, just breath and then whacked one long and straight down the middle on the par-5 13th hole. A hole we both parred but she won with a stroke. How do you tell a woman she is getting too many strokes and you are not getting as many as you need? Does she really win the match when after being 2-up she takes a cell call and does not play the last two holes? Needless to say we needed some kind of therapy, I mean couples’ golf lesson. Our teaching professional for the afternoon was Lead Instructor Eric Hogge. He let us decide who he would work with first. The lady had the option but deferred to let the man go first. We were present for each other’s instruction, taking notes and as the lesson went on we were both participating whether student or observer. We are sure Eric is a marriage counselor on the side but won’t tell anybody at PGA Village. The Hooker (Andy) went first. What’s your miss? On a good day it is a slight draw, on a bad day it is a pull hook that is difficult to find. Quite quickly Eric determined that I “was feeding the monster.” To keep from hitting it left I would align and aim more right. More left, more right. Perception is not reality when it comes to self-alignment. After a few adjustments and doing everything swing wise to not hit it left I started to hit the ball consistently straight and even with a little high power Nicklaus- like fade. Longer term I need to work on my posture a bit (yes Merri was right, is always right, and never wrong) and make some changes to transition from a timing based, hang back and flip my wrists to a more repeatable movement. The Swinger (Merri) went next. What’s your miss? I feel like I take it back too far, don’t get my lower body into my swing or release the club. Eric connected with Merri quite quickly and used baseball and boxing analogies to make certain she understood what he was saying. He is not big on using props as they may hide the something else that is allowing the fault to happen. He demonstrated how a pitcher pushes off the rubber and then, surprisingly to me, had Merri start punching him to get a feel for releasing her lower body power yet still be balanced. The last thing I want is to encourage Merri to take a few swings at me. Longer term Merri needs to feel more tension in her swing and have her weight moving forward while making her turn to the impact position. Our best takeaway tip from Eric for couples playing golf together is that a good playing companion is like a good caddie- shows up, shuts up and keeps up. If she or he hits a bad shot, wait for a few holes to offer suggestions if warranted. After all I am not trying to be the golf coach; I want to be the boyfriend. Better to leave the instruction to professionals like Eric Hogge at PGA Village. Maybe hope does spring eternal; in our opinion Eric is as good as Steve Carrel and deserves a golf Oscar for our lesson. Taking a couples’ golf lesson was an endearing and useful pursuit and has increased our enjoyment of the game and of each other. And by the way we did do the couples’ massage thing at The Spa at PGA National Resort during the week of the Honda Classic. That was a foursome to remember for sure. We have to reflect on when it is appropriate to moan, groan and speak during a couples’ massage before w write that article. Suffice it to say it is endearing to both the relationship and the golf game. Gary Player says that “if you love golf, you got to go to the Hall of Fame.” Merri & Andy, a.k.a. The Swinger & The Hooker, say “if you love your golfing partner, you got to go get a couples golfing lesson at PGA Village and a couples massage at PGA National Resort & Spa.”
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SWEETSTUFF P
acking as much as you can in as small a space as you can is the key to efficient traveling by air these days, especially if you want to carry on as much as possible to avoid extra charges and keep things simple. Club Glove, a world-wide leader in the design and manufacture of premium luggage that is used by more than 90 percent of players on the PGA and Champions Tour, has continued to develop new innovations with its latest lineup of choices for travelers and golfers. The company was selected to provide the luggage for last year’s USA Ryder Cup squad, including its ultra Ballistic lineup that is water resistant and has up to five times the tear resistance of standard polyester. Included in the luggage for the American team in Chicago was the Carry on II that can handle much more than you ever imagined in a carry on with today’s restrictions. It has a patented high-impact plastic wheelbase with in-line skate wheels and bearings with a telescoping, adjustable and retractable 42-inch handle. Lightweight and with loads of handy compartments and two packing organizers, this carry-on is light-weight, yet strong—even when packed to the brim. Designed specially with Ryder Cup logos, but available in a number of colors and styles from Club Glove, the luggage ensemble for the US team also included Last Bag XL and TRS Ballistic Check-in XL, as well as the protective
Stiff Arm Device. The Last Bag XL is one of the more popular golf club travel bags on the market, while the Check-in XL features five packing modules for easy, wrinkle free clothing and accessories organization. With its unique rigid, yet soft-sided design, the luggage carries dimensions never before seen in the industry. Extremely functional and durable, all pieces in the collection are U.S. woven with military-spec INVISTA CORDURA® 1050 denier Ballistic Nylon fabric for unmatched abrasion and tear resistance. Available in all black or a fashionable two-tone black and bronze color scheme, the line has a new camouflage colorway called “Digital Camo.” This design scheme features a modern camouflage pattern of green, tan and brown, and is offered in select golf and lifestyle pieces. “Our creations are in a category of their own thanks to incredible functionality and durability that eases the lives of our customers on every trip they take,” says Club Glove founder Jeff Herold. “Digital Camo is not only cool; it celebrates our pride in helping American families by manufacturing in the United States.” The unique feature that Club Glove has used to make navigating airports easier with multiple pieces of luggage is the exclusive Train Reaction system that allows users to quickly and easily connect bags and drastically reduces the amount of effort needed to pull or push gear by creating a perfect center of gravity and weightless feel. This allows for three pieces and over 90 pounds of luggage to be rolled with just one hand with an assembled luggage “train” that selfbalances without toppling over. For more information on the Club Glove line of luggage: www.clubglove.com
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imple, yet effective training tools always seem to work best in golf, and a brand new device invented and promoted by one of the top-ranked teaching instructors in America—Mike Bender—uses some old school elements like a stick and foam for the Benderstik. Uniquely designed to help players build a consistent golf swing that can last for a lifetime, the Benderstik provides the kind of feedback that Bender says leads to “perfect practice,” where the carrot is a smoothly sublime golf
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swing and the stick is what helps a player develop it. The flexible Benderstik is easily positioned to influence at least eight major elements of the golf swing—from takeaway to a hip turn and follow through—essentially imparting “practice range truth” to what a player thinks he or she has learned in a lesson. That is, unless that part of the swing is executed properly, the yellow ball will interfere with the arms, head or hips. A swing that doesn’t contact the ball begins to build the muscle memory of a proper takeaway, plane, downswing and follow-through. Among the swing faults that can be unlearned with the Benderstik are swaying, sliding, over-swinging, flipping the ball and losing one’s posture. It is best used in conjunction with alignment sticks, or a pair of clubs. Bender, named as one of the Top Five Best Teachers in America by Golf Digest Magazine, who for more than a decade has been on GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teacher list, and in 2009 was named the National Teacher of the Year by the PGA of America, has utilized his tinkering abilities to develop a tool that most golfers will find very useful. “It’s perfect practice that’s the path to perfection,” he adds, “and to get that you need physical feedback. At the start of my career in the early 1980s I had what I thought was a good swing, until I saw what I was doing on video. My takeaway and backswing were way too vertical, and I had a high finish like Jack Nicklaus, because he was the best in the game. I, of course, wasn’t Nicklaus, and needed to start with a backswing more like that of Doug Sanders. But after a week of practice with what I thought was a new swing, I’d come back to the video and see that it didn’t really change. Feel, as Greg Norman once said, is not necessarily real.”
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SWEETSTUFF by TerryRoss
Thus, both the auditory instruction and visual reinforcement of the video were failing Bender. A jury-rigged system of sticks helped the young professional mold an on-plane and repeatable swing, which eventually led to this new training device. What the Benderstik provides is negative feedback; that is, swing incorrectly and the foam ball is bumped, harmless but instructive. The device is thus a tool for creating instant feedback showing that a particular element of a swing is correct, by far the most efficient way to engrain it into a repeatable motion. A solid, quality product, the bottom half of the Benderstik is rigid, and comes with a screwin spike for use on grass. (A separate stand is also available.) The upper half, which screws into the base segment, is made of flexible metal, which enables one to put it into the various positions that Bender describes in a DVD that accompanies the product. Golfers may also put the device in their golf bag to accomplish many of the drills demonstrated by the inventor. For more information, visit: www.benderstik.com
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here is an old saying that if you look like a good golfer you will play like one. This may or may not be true, but one of the most respected golf club companies in the business—Mizuno USA-- is giving consumers the chance to find out with a contest that will equip 12 lucky winners from head-to- toe with a full line of golf equipment, bag, apparel and instruction, not to mentioned a tournament to show all of these goodies off. Named after its popular JPX-825 Irons, the winners to become members of Team JPX will be selected through an online contest called Play Famously at www.playfamously. com where golfers are encouraged to try the new JPX-825 irons at a participating retailer and provide their feedback on the high performance game-improvement irons through a brief essay, photos and/or videos demonstrating their passion for the game and why they deserve to be on Team JPX. Winners will receive a complete JPX-825 golf package including custom fit JPX-825 irons, JPX-825 woods, JPX wedges, a Mizuno staff bag personalized with their name, a season’s worth of Mizuno apparel and accessories and customized instruction from Team JPX’s “Swing Coach” and PGA Master Teacher, Dr. Gary Wiren. The Team JPX season will culminate with the ultimate tour experience at the
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JPX Invitational, the first “tour level” event for amateurs at the home of Mizuno’s R&D Center, the Country Club of the South in Atlanta. At the heart of the Play Famously campaign is the newest addition to the JPX line of game-improvement irons, the JPX-825. The JPX-825s utilize an ultra-thin, hot metal face which delivers an enhanced ‘trampoline effect’ for the extra distance that all players desire. But because distance is nothing without forgiveness, the JPX-825s also feature an enormous sweet area, providing players with more consistent results that will leave even their mis-hits closer to the pin. “A lot of people still view Mizuno as a brand for only elite players, but that’s a misconception,” said Dick Lyons, Vice President and General Manager, Golf Division for Mizuno USA. “We know that we have the longest and most forgiving irons on the market in the JPX825s, but we’re not asking golfers to take our word for it. We challenge any mid to high handicap players to put the JPX-825s up against anything they are playing now, and they will see for themselves.” The first of the 12 members of Team JPX has already been selected with the announcement that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Lee Baughman was named as the first of the 12-member team of Mizuno “game-improvement professionals” to be given the opportunity to be treated like a pro and will champion the cause and determination of the “everyman” golfer using Mizuno equipment. As the official spokesman for Team JPX, Baughman participated in his first “tour” experience in South Florida with fellow Mizuno professional staff members Luke Donald, Charles Howell III, Jonathan Byrd and Stacy Lewis, the top-ranked women’s golfer in the world. Applications for a coveted spot on Team JPX will be accepted through May 2013. Among the apparel offerings to be included in the prizes for the Playing Famously contest, the Mizuno DryLite™ QuickDry Golf Shirt--an engineered stripe design featuring Mizuno DryLite® moisture management technology and constructed of 100 percent Drylite Polyester-and the Mizuno ImpermaLite Flex SS Rain Top--a lightweight, quiet and flexible soft shell fabric that features ImpermaLite flex technol-
ogy, providing superior water protection and breathability, in a short sleeve rain top styling. Mizuno, long known as a company that produces clubs for better players also has a top line of irons available for more accomplished players in the MP-H4 lineup that offers serious golfers the most forgiving and playable MP irons in Mizuno’s storied history. These utilize a seamless blend of hollow hybrid long irons and half-cavity scoring irons with Mizuno’s patented Grain Flow Forging process that provides players with a soft, solid, consistent feel throughout the set. These clubs have a solid, light feel and high launch and are extremely easy to hit with super forgiveness in a better player’s club. Additionally, the MP-H4 delivers excellent turf interaction for ball striking ability from all types of lies, and the modified U-grooves produce an optimal spin rate for ideal trajectory. More information on Mizuno products is available at www.mizunousa.com/golf
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GOLFTRENDS
by
TERRYROSS
Spikeless Golf Shoes: A Quiet Revolution
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lthough many new trends have emerged in the world of golf clubs and accessories over the past few years--from adjustable clubs to web-based tracking devices--nothing has taken over like the simple new-found popularity of spikeless golf shoes. Although they have been around for decades, golf shoes that do not have removable spikes but are made of rubber or other types of synthetic soles that have molded nubs or soft spikes built directly into the shoe bottom—much like football turf shoes—have found their way into the mainstream golfing public and are exploding in sales and choices. Whether you call them spikeless, hybrid or even lifestyle shoes, footwear without removable cleats looks like it is here to stay and is growing faster than perhaps any new trend in the game. One manufacturer predicts that these types of styles will soon command 75 percent of the golf shoe market, and that number is hard to debate considering what has already taken place. Footjoy says that currently 30 percent of their sales are from spikeless shoes while Taylor-Made adidas predicts that in less than two years that the market share for these shoes will be at least 40 percent. Many industry watchers say that the sight of Fred Couples being among the leaders at the Masters in 2010 wearing a pair of Ecco Street Premier shoes that looked like casual tennis shoes with rubber nubs ignited the trend, but there are a number of other reasons for this growing phenomenon that took off in earnest in 2011. “The primary catalyst would have to be recreational golfers
placing a value on golf footwear that offers the versatility of usage both on and off the course - a phenomenon that, not surprisingly, coincided with the economic recession,” said Mike Foley, Director of Footwear Marketing at Foojoy. “Recreational players enjoy the comfort and versatility of the product and will continue to wear spikeless footwear on and off course. This type of footwear has established a reason for being, and will settle into a consistent level over the next couple of years.” There are probably as many reasons as spikeless styles as to why this trend has taken off in such a short time. Comfort and convenience are at the top of the list. Not having to change shoes in the locker room or in the parking lot is a huge plus, in addition to the fact that most of these new styles are made of softer leather and by the nature of their rubber spikes are easier on the feet—especially when you leave the course. Being able to golf, have lunch in the grill room and then run some errands on the way home in the same pair of shoes is probably the biggest selling point. Many players end up hitting balls off of artificial mats—either in a warm-up or practice situation, and rubber, spikeless shoes are definitely better suited to these surfaces than removable spikes that won’t grab as well. Lifestyle and geography are also playing big roles in the growth of this segment. Footjoy’s Foley notes that the popularity of spikeless shoes in warmer, drier areas of the country is clearly evident because of the climate and the way people live in these areas with a much more casual, outdoor style. Many of the spikeless styles are built to look like loafers or casual walking/running shoes, so they fit in
Contour Casual
FJ Sport
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perfectly with the lifestyle. On the other side of the spectrum, it is not hard to argue that the full-blown removable cleats that are worn in tournaments by top amateurs and professionals are the best when it comes to traction and stability, especially in wet conditions. Many everyday players wear these cleats also for superior traction. But what has happened is that both recreational and competitive golfers are now finding that for practice, a casual round or just convenience, spikeless shoes have found a new niche that is growing rapidly. “The spikeless shoe is a supplemental category that is continuing to grow,” adds Chris Garrett, the Senior Manager of Consumer Marketing at Footjoy. “It is a supplemental product so that even the player that will use a cleated shoe in his club championship will have a second or third pair of shoes that are spikeless.” Footjoy’s top shoe in the spikeless category is the Contour Casual that has the look and feel of a tennis shoe and is extremely soft and comfortable. It features a DuraMax™ rubber outsole that provides turf gripping and performance and durability, together with super-soft premium leather uppers that offer outstanding lightweight comfort and is very durable. Offering more traction but still very versatile in the spikeless category is the FJ Sport Spikeless lineup that looks and feels more like a traditional golf shoe, but can be worn anywhere. In addition to the DuraMax™ rubber outsole, this shoe also features full grain leather uppers for outstanding comfort, breathability, and durability. The external heel stabilizer increases heel stability, by minimizing any teetering that may occur during the golf swing, while a mesh liner provides additional breathability. The molded EVA fit-bed provides lightweight underfoot cushioning and the Proofguard membrane provides total waterproof protection. This is a great shoe
for those that want maximum stability in a spikeless shoe. One of the other big names in the spikeless golf shoe market— adidas—has taken the market by storm with its adicross II line of golf footwear that resemble some of the best-selling adidas tennis shoes. This is very versatile footwear is designed to deliver all the performance benefits of a traditional golf shoe with the off-course versatility and updated style to go anywhere. This lightweight, spikeless collection is engineered to promote greater natural movement and help reduce fatigue when it’s needed most with the adiWEAR abrasion resistant rubber outsole that provides full-length spikeless traction, comfort and off-course versatility. The advanced Traction Technology with a traction pattern utilizes 100 strategically placed traction lugs in varying sizes provides a grip in all conditions. Other features include PLUSFLEX 4 Channel Flex grooves in the forefoot for increased flexibility, a natural feel and ground contact throughout the swing; a lightweight EVA sock liner for long lasting comfort; a full-grain leather upper that provides a rich look and feel and two shoe lace options (tonal and contrast). The Crossflex is another popular adidas model in its spikeless lineup with more of a standard golf shoe look. Designed to deliver enhancements in climate control, performance and comfort, this collection is ultra-lightweight to help reduce fatigue and enhance energy. It has a lightweight EVA spikeless outsole; strategically-placed pods and zonal traction elements adapt to varying ground conditions to deliver stability and traction; a CLIMAPROOF® mesh upper that provides waterproof protection with athletic functionality and is built on a lightweight running last for athletic performance, fit and feel. For more information on spikeless shoes from Footjoy and adidas: www.footjoy.com; www.taylormadegolf.com/adidasGolf
adiCross-II
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