Golf Vacations Magazine May 2010

GOLF THE HIDDEN GEMS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Our

8th

Year!

GOLF VACATIONS MAY 2010

THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES FAIRWAY FINDS IN MINNESOTA

N

EBRASKA’S PRAIRIE CLUB PURE, AUTHENTIC GOLF

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contents I may 2010

cover

stories

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Golf In The Land of 10,000 Lakes

16

The Donald’s Southern Cal Tour de Force

18

The Prairie Club: Pure, Authentic Golf

24

Hidden Gem Near Glacier Nat’l Park

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by David R. Holland

The land of 10,000 lakes (actually there’s 11,842) is the birthplace of that little square of yellow paper, and home to some travel golf opportunities you might not have heard of.

by David R. Holland

Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is as brash as a billionaire.

It screams Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous the moment you drive onto the manicured grounds and walk into its opulent 45,000square foot clubhouse complete with chandeliers that cost more than an average man’s vehicle.

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by Terry Ross

When Paul Schock first laid eyes on Cleve Trimble’s 2,500-acre stretch of land situated along the Snake River Canyon in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, a tingle ran up and down his spine and an obsession gripped him almost immediately.

by James McAfee

Golfers are always searching for a golfing destination that others may not have discovered, but when they do it's difficult to keep a hidden gem secret for very long. They have to tell others and the word quickly spreads.

departments

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8 ChipShots Updates From The World Of Golf & Travel

22 SpotLight

by Lisa Allen

A Big Future For North Carolina’s Cape Fear National

27 World Beat

by Terry Ross

Haesley Nine Bridges in Seoul. South Korea

on the cover: Golf Salou on the Costa Daurada near Barcelona, Spain

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www.golfvacationsmag.com

CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS David R. Holland is a former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, a football magazine publisher and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Multiple careers best describes this world traveler, who achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force reserve, serving during the Vietnam and Desert Storm eras. A former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, you can follow Dave’s travels on www.twitter.com/David_R_Holland.

James McAfee is a freelance golf and travel writer based in Wylie, TX. He was executive director of the Northern Texas PGA for 27 years and executive director of the Dallas District Golf Association for eight years. With editor stints at Golf Shop Operations, Golf Digest and Texas Golfer Magzaine he is currently the director of communications for GolfDFW.com. He has been a member of the Golf Writers of America for 37 years and was one of the founders for the Texas Golf Writers Association. Playing the game for 56 years he was recently named to the U.S. Amateur Golf Hall of Fame.

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.

Lisa Allen Lisa Allen is a golf and travel writer based in Beaufort, S.C. She has written for and edited numerous newspapers, magazines and books on a variety of topics and is city editor online for two daily newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @LAllenSC.

Executive Editor Jeffrey Diaz Associate Editor Terry Ross Features Editor Larry Feldman

Staff Writers Fred Robledo Rob Mottram For Editorial: call: (760) 774-2655 e-mail: INFO@GolfVacationsMag.com

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U p d a t e s f r o m t h e Wo r l d o f G o l f & Tr a v e l >>

chip shots

POUND RIDGE GOLF CLUB

EMERGES AS BIG APPLE’S NEW DESTINATION GOLF COURSE

P

ebble Beach, Whistling Straights, Pinehurst No. 2: There are some American golf courses every golfer must experience at least once in their lifetime. Pound Ridge Golf Club, just north of New York City, has earned itself a spot among these American classics on every golfer’s “bucket list.”

Since its opening in 2008, the Pete Dye design has garnered the reputation as the pantheon of Big Apple-area golf.

Crafted by Dye, his son Perry and long-time Dye construction manager/lead shaper Michael Langkau, Pound Ridge Golf Club is a full bentgrass facility, hewn from 172 acres of magnificent cliffs, streams and wooded hills in Westchester County.

Dramatic rock formations and boulders were left onsite, creating one of the most visually stunning settings for golf in the U.S. More than 14,000-linear-feet of rock wall surrounds trees, wetlands and water hazards.

Contoured fairways which wind through hardwood forests and fescue mounds lead to open meadows with picturesque green complexes. The property features some of the highest points in the region, with a number of tee boxes offering expansive vistas of the surrounding country.

Pound Ridge Golf Club requires demanding tee and approach shots to navigate the myriad of rock outcroppings, boulders and the occasional wetland. Must-see-it-to-believe-it holes include: the par5, 13th, home to “Pete’s Rock,” a giant boulder that rests in the middle of the fairway; and the par-3 15th hole, dubbed “Headstone,” which is flanked on the right by a large rock outcropping that protrudes into the elongated, 9,000-square-foot green.

Playing at 7,154 yards from the back tees with a par of 72 and a slope of 146, Pound Ridge features five sets of tee boxes that

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make it appealing to short and long hitters alike. Pete Dye’s wife, Alice, has a say in her husband’s work and like she has done for Dye courses across the world, Alice made sure Pound Ridge included fair, yet challenging options for people wishing to play from the front tee boxes.

While many classic courses don’t send out messages beckoning golfers to return, Pete Dye’s layouts have the opposite effect, and Pound Ridge Golf Club may be the most magnetic of the bunch.

After playing it once, golfers want to go right back out and tackle its myriad of strategic puzzles.

Dye disciples who have sojourned to PGA West, TPC Sawgrass, Harbour Town, Kiawah Island Resort and the American Club take notice: Pound Ridge Golf Club is an essential part of any golfer’s collection of Dye-designed courses, and even more accessible than the aforementioned shrines due to its location just minutes outside of New York City.

Pound Ridge’s proximity to New York City is another reason why its one of the most sought after playing experiences in the country.

Unlike many golf destinations, where players spend hours in hotel rooms, waiting to play their next round, Pound Ridge’s location allows golfers to take advantage of all that New York City has to offer.

Pound Ridge has stay-and-play agreements with several hotels in the greater New York City area including the Mandarin Oriental and Marriott Marquis in Manhattan; the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester; and the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa and Hyatt Regency Greenwich, in Connecticut.

For more information on stay-and-play packages at Pound Ridge Golf Club visit www.poundridgegolf.com or call 914.764.5771.

www.golfvacationsmag.com

U p d a t e s f r o m t h e Wo r l d o f G o l f & Tr a v e l >> PASSPORT TO UNLIMITED GOLF AT JW MARRIOTT STARR PASS With a 27-hole Arnold Palmer championship golf course and scenic views to match, no course in Southern Arizona offers more of a challenge than JW Marriott Starr Pass

Golf Club. As Arizona’s premier course, the resort is set to launch Starr PASSport, a golf program exclusively catering to players who frequent the resort numerous times throughout the year for its award-winning golfing. No other Arizona hotel or resort offers such a comprehensive golf program.

Start planning your next golf escape!

With the new Starr PASSport program, golf enthusiasts can enjoy unlimited golf every

NEW!

time they stay at the resort throughout one entire year. The Starr PASSport is offered for just $500 and includes unlimited golf with every resort stay. Your Starr PASSport golf privileges also include unlimited golf for one additional player. A membership card will be issued at the time of package purchase.

The Starr Pass Golf Course is truly one-ofa-kind. Golfers can experience championship golf in lush, Sonoran Desert terrain on a course that traverses canyons, ravines and desert washes. The golf facility also includes a double-loaded driving range, rejuvenating 20,000 square foot clubhouse and top-quality golf shop. In previous years, the course was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 100 Golf Resorts.

Hit the greens whenever you want with JW Marriott Resort & Spa’s Starr PASSport!

For more information on the Starr PASSport program, please visit www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com

chip shots “TEASE FOR TWO” PACKAGE AT KAUAI’S PRINCEVILLE RESORT At last, the perfect solution for couples who love traveling together but have different interests. He wants to hit the links; she wants to hit the spa. Or vice versa.

Princeville’s acclaimed Prince Golf Course, located on Kauai’s spectacular north shore, offers a unique package for those who want to experience a round of golf at Hawaii’s topranked course and luxuriate with a massage at the Princeville Spa, conveniently situated in the Prince Clubhouse.

The versatile “Tease For Two” package is designed for two people, but the package can also be used by an individual who wants to enjoy golf and a massage. Or, with the purchase of two packages, a couple can indulge in a round of golf and a massage for both of them.

Price for the Tease for Two package is $275 (plus tax) through December 31, 2010.

Price may be subject to change, and some blackout dates may apply.

For more information or to book the Tease for Two package, call toll-free 1-800826-1105, direct (808) 826-5001, or visit www.princeville.com.

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G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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U p d a t e s f r o m t h e Wo r l d o f G o l f & Tr a v e l >> RENAISSANCE RESORT OFFERING SUMMER STAY / PLAY PACKAGE If you’re looking for a great value, and enjoy playing golf, you should check out the “Stay and Play Golf Package” that is being offered by the newly-renovated Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in Northeast Florida. The St. Augustine, Florida resort recently completed a comprehensive $10 million propertywide renovation, and is located right next to the impressive World Golf Hall of Fame, the ultimate destination for the celebration of golf’s greatest players, with fun interactive exhibits and historic golf artifacts.

The resort’s “Stay and Play Golf Package” includes: deluxe accommodations in a newly-remodeled room for one night; one round of golf on the resort’s popular Slammer & Squire championship course or renowned King & Bear championship course, per golfer; breakfast daily; and range balls. In addition, the package includes a World Golf Hall of Fame ticket

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for each golfer, which provides admission to the World Golf Hall of Fame, admission to a film at the World Golf Hall of Fame’s IMEX Theater; and a round on the Hall of Fame’s 18-hole championship putting course for each golfer. Based on two golfers in the room, the package is from $279 per room, per night. Based on one golfer, the rate is from $179 per room, per night. The package is available June 1-August 31, 2010, based on space availability.

“If you’re looking to take a golf getaway, this is a great package that enables you to play golf, visit the impressive World Golf Hall of Fame, and stay at our newly renovated resort,” said General Manager Mark Schwantner..

The Renaissance Resort features 301 completely remodeled guest rooms and suites, a dramatically-renovated lobby, newly-remodeled guest room corridors, an expanded fitness center, a remodeled billiard room, and a new restaurant and bar.

Guest rooms and suites feature new fur-

chip shots niture, soft goods, window treatments, lighting, flat-panel screen LCD HDTV televisions, and the Marriott JackPack, which provides complete connectivity to the guests for laptops, MP3 players, digital cameras, and video game players.

The resort also boasts a dramatically remodeled 10-story atrium lobby, which now has a Colonial/Asian theme with new furniture, carpeting and foliage, as well as a colorful new 7-story modern hanging sculpture that captures the wind and air elements, reminiscent of open Florida skies.

When visiting the resort, guests have the opportunity to visit nearby pristine Atlantic beaches, as well as explore historic St. Augustine. Founded in 1565, the area is rich with Spanish architecture, with charming cobblestone streets and many fascinating historical sites such as the historic Castillo de San Marcos fort, and The Fountain of Youth.

For reservations or additional information, call 888-740-7020 or 904-940-8000, or visit www.WorldGolfRenaissance.com

www.golfvacationsmag.com

orre T U p d a t e s f r o m t h e Wo r l d o f G o l f & Tr a v e l >>

CLUB AT GRAY’S CROSSING AND OLD GREENWOOD GC OPENING

The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing and Old Greenwood Golf Course are set to open Friday, May 14. New for 2010 is the Two Course Resort Package offering up to 40 percent off the normal rate when groups of nine or more book a round of golf at both courses.

“Golf enthusiasts will be impressed by what we have to offer this year in terms of great rates, various group offers and two championship golf courses located only several minutes apart, which makes playing them both in one day very convenient,” said Bob Hickam, director of golf for The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing and Old

Greenwood. “And, at both courses, a traditional caddie service is available for those who want a true course expert accompanying them.”

For 2010 The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing is open for resort play for the first time. The course meets golfers’ demands for fast greens and tournamentlike conditions, featuring a Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy designed championship golf course that first opened in 2007. Green fees are $185 and include a golf cart and practice balls.

Twilight rate is $100. Golf reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance.

For more information, call 530.550.5800 or visit: www.grayscrossinggolf.com.

Old Greenwood, which opened in 2004, features a signature Jack Nicklaus designed course. National golf magazines, year after year, rank Old Greenwood as among the top

chip shots

public courses in the United States.

Offering the highest level of customer service and agronomic standards, Old Greenwood maintains impeccable greens and a professional staff. Green fees are $185 and include a golf cart and practice balls.

Twilight rate is $100. Golf reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance. For tee times and information about the course, call 530.550.7010 or visit www.oldgreenwoodgolf.com.

Old Greenwood is also the home of The Golf Academy at Old Greenwood™, which offers five-day Junior Camps, private and group lessons; one, two, and three-day schools and customized corporate sessions along with several other lesson options. For information about the Academy, call 530.550.2670 or visit www.oldgreenwoodgolfacademy.com.

THE CUISINE OF ITALY

“Combining Old-World Italian comfort food with personalized service, a congenial atmosphere and an extensive wine list, La Torretta excels as one of Arizona’s most impressive restaurants” — Dining Out

With a menu that utilizes the freshest and most authentic ingredients and pasta made fresh in-house daily, the restaurant’s culinary fare is consistently delicious and refreshing.Their Osso Buco,Taglio del Vitello Farcito con Quattro Farmagio and Veal Piccata have become local legends and inspired positive reviews from the Scottsdale Republic, the New Times, Guest Informant, TravelHost, and Scottsdale Magazine.

The combination of La Torretta’s sophisticated interior and authentic food make it a prime candidate for intimate dinners to group celebrations of special occasions.

LIVE WELL

•

LOVE MUCH

•

LAUGH OFTEN

LA TORRETTA Ristorante & Italian Steakhouse

16640 N. Scottsdale Rd • SW corner Frank Lloyd Wright/Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale • 480.991.2000 • www.latorrettaaz.com Lunch Monday-Friday 11:30am-2pm • Dinner Daily 4:30-9:30pm

Maddens on Gull Lake

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www.golfvacationsmag.com

By David R. Holland

Next time you pull out a Post-It Note to jot down a reminder for your upcoming tee-time, think about Minnesota.

The land of 10,000 lakes (actually there’s 11,842) is the birthplace of that little square of yellow paper, and home to some travel golf opportunities you might not have heard of. The state has hosted all 13 sanctioned USGA championships and has 703,000 golfers – more per capita than any other state in the USA. As Minnesota celebrates its 150th birthday this summer it wants to remind travel golfers that ninety percent of its 508 golf courses are public – ranging from prairie links to lakeside wooded parklands to reclaimed mining areas. Away from the links, this is a land of summer lake fun – fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, water skiing and downhill skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiles when it is chilly.

I was hoping that somewhere during my 36hole a day jaunt through the northern mining areas of Minnesota and the Brainerd Lakes resort section that I’d be matched with golfers like former governor-wrestler Jesse Ventura, or an aspiring senatorial candidate/comedian like Al Franken, or even A Prairie Home Companion’s (legendary folksy, tongue-in-cheek radio variety show -- originally broadcast from St. Paul) own Garrison Keillor.

Instead I was paired with some of the friendliest folks on the planet, and dealt with golf course staffs that must have invented hospitality.

This journey began heading north to the Iron Range, home to Giants Ridge, for 36 holes of award-winning golf. The Legend and The Quarry, both near Biwabik (3.5 hours north of Minneapolis), were designed by Jeff Brauer. The latter is No. 56 on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play List and No. 19 on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.

00 LAKES www.golfvacationsmag.com

G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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Giants Ridge

Fortune Bay Resort

Folks, this is North Country, remember the movie with Charlize Theron in the lead role? It’s not that far from Thunder Bay, Canada, so you might hear some put a “boondocks” label on it.

“The first year of The Legends (1997) they logged 30,000 rounds,” Brauer recalled. “We sodded the course so it was ready almost instantly.”

the Villas at Giants Ridge.

“For years the Brainerd Lakes area was the best known for a northern Minnesota golf vacation,” said John Kendall, director of golf. “But now Giants Ridge in on the map.”

And thanks to some successful marketing and photos by Mike Klemme, the naysayers, those who said nobody would drive all the way up to Biwabik, were silenced. Doubters got even quieter once The Quarry opened in 2003.

Next stop, about 30 minutes from Giants Ridge in Tower, is Fortune Bay Resort Casino, home to another Brauer gem, The Wilderness. Owned and operated by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the $10.8-million course measures 7,207 yards at par 72 and snakes through white and red pines, along Lake Vermilion, marshlands, and granite outcroppings. Some holes have rock ridges that serve as dividing points between upper and lower fairways.

How good is The Quarry? One critic said it is better than famed Minnesota major championship venues such as Interlachen Country Club, home to the 2008 Women’s U.S. Open, and Hazeltine National, home to the 2009 PGA Championship and the 2016 Ryder Cup.

Like The Quarry, The Wilderness, with its GPS carts, also was an instant award-winner, getting tabbed as one of Golf Magazine’s Top 10 Best New Places To Play in America one year later. Golf Digest named it No. 2 on its list of best casino courses and among America’s Best New Upscale Public Courses.

Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort is also home to a downhill skiing, but golf is luminary. The Legend at Giants Ridge (6,930 yards, par 72) is imprinted adjacent to Superior National Forest, features evergreens and birches, boulders, waste areas, and massive bunkers. Look for the “giant’s” footprint bunker on No. 3, a 501yard par five. Aim over one of its “toes” to cut the corner on this dogleg left.

Brauer, who makes his home in the heavily populated DallasFort Worth Metroplex, was impressed with the beauty of the land and Lake Vermilion, and took notice with every wildlife sighting -from bald eagles, bear, fox, timber wolves, white-tailed deer, and even an occasional moose.

The Quarry (7,201 yards, par 72), which ousted The Legend for best public access course in the state (Golf Digest), zigzags through an old rock and sand quarry, finishing along a 550-foot deep mine-pit lake that also serves as a Department of Natural Resources trout fishery.

The project, developed by Minnesota's Iron Range Resource and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), changed the face of scarred taconite mine lands with rock, gravel and sand pits, with raised tees, bent grass fairways, deep bunkers and waste areas, wetlands, ponds, marshes and contoured greens. Name an award and The Quarry, managed by Troon Golf, has won it from all the major publications. After golf bunk down at The Lodge at Giants Ridge or 14

G O L F VA C AT I O N S • M AY 2 0 1 0

The Wilderness General Manager Tom Beaudry says, “We play golf to get away from it all and there is no better place to escape than on these lush, scenic fairways. Golf here will clear your mind and Fortune Bay will facilitate your productivity.” What else can you do? Try the casino, dine, use the marina, exercise room, or pool.

After getting refreshed in the Minnesota backwoods head next to Brainerd where you will find a mecca for golf and outdoors vacations. Madden’s on Gull Lake and Grand View Lodge are ideal oldtime resorts with up-to-date modern conveniences.

Best course in the area is The Classic, designed by superintendent Scott Hoffmann, and part of Madden’s portfolio. Back in the mid-1990s, Madden’s already had 45 holes of fun golf, but decided they wanted a truly modern championship course. Among www.golfvacationsmag.com

Grand View Lodge

Deacons Lodge

its many awards are No. 42 on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses and Best New Upscale Public Courses in North America for 1997.

it. If your approach doesn’t find the putting surface you might be in trouble.

"We wanted to offer our guests the experience that a professional golfer would have every weekend on tour," Hoffmann said.

"We wanted a championship course, but one that was very fair and a good test of golf." Throw in one of Minnesota’s best teaching pros, Chris Foley, and The Classic would please anyone.

The Classic rolls out at 7,102 yards, par 72, and has elevation changes up to 60 feet with fairways that dip and roll. Maple trees, red oaks, flowering crabapple and others line the fairways and create scenic contrast with more than 50 bunkers filled with "Ohio's Best" white sand. Water comes in to play on 15 of 18 holes creating plenty of decision-making.

Madden’s got it all started in 1926 when it opened Pine Beach East, the first 18-hole resort course in the state. Pine Beach West followed along with The Social 9, an ideal place for juniors and beginners with awesome views of Gull Lake.

Located on more than 1,000 acres, Madden’s is going on eight decades, and spans miles of Gull Lake shoreline with all kinds of accommodations, dining and recreational activities. Madden's has three full-service restaurants and four casual eateries with an inhouse bakery for breads, pastries and desserts. Walleye prepared blackend or broiled is popular as is top sirloin with sherried mushrooms and onions.

Grand View Lodge will take you back in time with its classic old-time resort look. But the amenities are truly 21st century with golf, spa, boating, fishing, and 1,500-foot natural sand beach on Gull Lake.

Deacon's Lodge, designed by Arnold Palmer, is its highest ranked golf course, ranking No. 52 on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses and No. 76 on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play list. This 6,934 yard, par 72 flows through 500 acres of lakes, wetlands and forest with wide fairways and devilish approaches. When they tell you the second shot is key they mean www.golfvacationsmag.com

Opened in 1999, Deacon’s Lodge was preceded by The Pines in 1990 and The Preserve in 1996. The Preserve, rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest, measures 6,601 yards at par 72, and includes rolling terrain lined by birch, maple, ash and oak trees and 40 acres of wetlands. There are 11 elevated tees and the clubhouse sits on a lofty clearing with panoramic views. The Pines is a totally enjoyable adventure of 27 holes – Lakes, Woods and Marsh nines, with lots of doglegs, tree-lined fairways and one green with church-pew bunkering. There’s also an executive nine called The Garden.

Grand View Lodge has accommodations that range from its Historic Main Lodge dating back to 1919 to luxurious cabins with lake views. Six restaurants offer such specialties as walleye and Minnesota wild rice soup, as well as an upscale steak house, Sherwood Forest, located in a 1920s timber lodge.

Bet you never dreamed that golf in Minnesota could be so high-ranking with so many options from upscale to earthy. Now you know, for Midwesterners there’s no need to fly to Pebble Beach or Bandon Dunes or Myrtle Beach. Save travel money and try Minnesota – it might be the best bargain around.

As Mr. Keillor would say: “That’s the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men good-looking and the golf courses are above average.”

Where to Stay, Play, Dine Giants Ridge www.giantsridge.com (800) 688-7669 Fortune Bay Resort Casino www.fortunebay.com (800) 555-1714 Maddens on Gull Lake www.maddens.com (800) 233-2934 Grand View Lodge www.grandviewlodge.com (866) 801-2951 G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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ANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. -- Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is as brash as a billionaire. It screams Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous the moment you drive onto the manicured grounds and walk into its opulent 45,000-square foot clubhouse complete with chandeliers that cost more than an average man’s vehicle.

Even better -- it calms you with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island that’s as good as California gets. One can find solitude here gazing out over the rugged, soothing views of this scenic coastline.

The façade is spectacular, but there is a hidden second life.

This is the most expensive golf course ever built ($264 million just to get it opened) -make that re-built, complete with three fake waterfalls purists cringe over. Trump, however, thumps his chest saying those that don’t like fake waterfalls can’t afford them.

Born as Ocean Trails Golf Club Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles was born as Ocean Trails Golf Club, a Pete Dye layout that was all set to open when the 18th fairway slid into the Pacific Ocean on June 2, 1999. After bankruptcy and Trump “stealing” it for $27 million, the “re-design” began. It is now known as a Donald J. Trump Signature Design.

“I know for a fact that Mr. Trump walked the land countless times envisioning a new, better golf course,” said David Conforti, general manager, who says No. 10 is a favorite with the surf noise in the background.

“Since it was Ocean Trails some of green complexes were softened, bunkers placed more smartly and he took out some of the forced carries,” Conforti said. “It is now a par 71 (7,242 yards) with No. 11 playing as a 225-yard par 3. I think it is very playable with added tee box options.”

Other “volcano” tee boxes were built to add a sense of the panoramas and also superior views of some fairways.

“I think Mr. Trump gave it more carry character, with the waterfalls, the crushed white marble sand, and the flashed up bunkers. I think he softened or took out most blind shots, and improved the sightlines,” Conforti said.

By David R. Holland courtesy WorldGolf.com

Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles: The Holes So here’s No. 1, a plain Jane par-4 opener that made Trump cringe when he first gazed upon it. You can hear him say it – we are going to make this a great hole, 340 yards -- just add a pond in front, then the green, then the waterfall, made of natural Palos Verdes stone. Presto. Great architecture? Not quite. But it is a shaky knee approach when you have 80 yards over water with water behind.

The 17th is another scenic 240-yard bomb par 3 waterfall hole surrounded by coastal scrub, cascading bunkers to the left and if you go too long you are in the froth of the waterfall runoff.

The 18th, the one I never played when I was here for Ocean Trails, has an elevated tee and a 512-yard par 4 that climbs uphill on a rumpled carpet with bunkers left and right. Go too far left and you are tumbling down to the surf. It took $61 million to rebuild this hole.

Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles: The Verdict Like a portrait on the wall in a scary movie, wonder how many golf purists rolled their eyes when Trump said Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is “much” better than Pebble Beach? And then added the kicker: it is much better than Bandon Dunes.

Love the Trump Golf Empire or hate it – you have to check it out. Even The Golf Channel is airing its new series “Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf”.

You are even reminded of The Donald’s greatness when you pick up your Trump Ice natural spring water – the bottle even has his face on it. I just don’t buy that it is the best golf course in California.

There are many things I love about Trump National LA -- the views, the lushness, the exclusiveness -- ability to be out almost in solitude since it is so expensive. But there are some things I don’t like – the few stair-stepping fairways that cascade down the hillside and a smidgen of a hook or slice gets you into deep unrecoverable coastal scrub.

I did have fun. It is one of those check the box courses. You either love it and check the box to come back. Or you hate it and check the box saying you never have to come back.

But I spent the next day playing the hallowed grounds of Riviera Country Club and spent the night in the Ben Hogan Suite. The “historical experience” at Riviera was heads 16

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and shoulders above “The best golf course in the entire state of California”, as Southland Golf Magazine calls Trump National LA. Two other courses I’ve played in California, Cypress Point and Pebble Beach, would also rank above Trump.

Where to Stay: Terranea Resort, just a mile from Trump Terranea Resort (www.Terranea.com) is a 582-room luxury resort

that includes a 360-room hotel with 32 suites and even closer to the Pacific are its Villas, Casitas and Bungalows. There are seven restaurants, but I picked Nelson’s, named for the Mike Nelson character Lloyd Bridges played on the popular television series Sea Hunt, filmed on-site at the old Marineland of the Pacific. The restaurant features old Sea Hunt promotional posters, a bar countertop made of recycled wine bottles and a menu that is Southern Cal.

The Donald’s Tour de Force: Trump National Golf Club

LOS ANGELES

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G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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The Prairie Club Clu Pure

W

hen Paul Schock first laid eyes on Cleve Trimble’s 2,500-acre stretch of land situated along the Snake River Canyon in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills region, a tingle ran up and down his spine and an obsession gripped him almost immediately. Where most people would see rolling hills carpeted in prairie grass and scrub brush, dotted with enormous sand dunes, Schock saw a place where he could completely lose himself in a passion that has engulfed him since he was a young man growing up in South Dakota.

“The land seemed to be teasing and taunting me,” said Schock, a venture capitalist from Sioux Falls, S.D., “daring me to pull out my golf clubs right there and then.”

Originally attracted to Trimble’s River Ridge Ranch for what Schock had heard was some world-class trout fishing; Schock soon became entranced with Trimble’s vision for his ranch.

Trimble, a retired surgeon, wrestled with his legacy and the future of his land. Having rescued it from heavy grazing, which had eroded the banks along the river, and abhorring the idea of his land becoming another housing development, Trimble, 18

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inspired by conservationist Aldo Leopold, considered another, low-impact, environmentally friendly possibility: championship golf courses.

Created over thousands of years and located dead center in the annual migration flight path of the Sandhill crane, there’s a magical quality to Trimble’s land that seems to have a way of casting a spell over its visitors. Over time, Schock became obsessed with Trimble’s vision, which matched perfectly with Schock’s love for the land and his passion for golf. This passion, by the way, had already led Schock to memberships in five other golf clubs and pilgrimages to many of the world’s greatest golf courses.

But there was one more thing that burned deep inside Schock. He envisioned world-class golf courses that would always welcome those who have an almost unquenchable fire to challenge their golfing skills, regardless of their income or their ability to afford a private membership.

Knowing his land would be in good hands Trimble decided to sell a significant portion of his beloved ranch to Schock. With Trimble’s blessing and encouragement, Schock launched a drive to allow those pristine acres to fulfill their purpose and become a renowned golf destination. After purchasing the land from Trimble, Schock purchased two adjacent parcels of land, one www.golfvacationsmag.com

b Story ub

by

Terry Ross

Golf…Authentic Prairie from the Sawyer family, and one from the Nebraska Board of Educational Lands and Funds, which brought even more incredible variety to the “golf-ready” landscape.

The result? The Prairie Club, created with the intention of delivering a pure, prairie-style golf experience, opening in May 2010.

Rediscovering the Game “We want golfers who come to The Prairie Club to rediscover the game in a way that is truly soulful and authentic,” said Tyler Swedberg, general manager, who is overseeing the day-to-day development of The Prairie Club. “Everything the Prairie Club does will be about the golf and touching the soul of the golfer in a way that The Prairie Club can uniquely provide.”

Schock and Swedberg readily believe there is a demand for truly exceptional, world-class golf experiences that few properties can provide and that are readily available to the discerning golfer.

Pilgrimage may be a more apt word, but Schock believes that part of the attraction for guests is the adventure of traveling to a relatively remote, quiet and pristine area. The new club is located about a five-hour drive from a number of major metro areas, and commercial air flights are available through nearby Pierre, S.D., and North Platte, Neb. The nearest town, Valentine, Neb., popu-

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lation 2,650, about 17 miles to the north of The Prairie Club, was recently voted by National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the nation’s best wilderness towns.

“This place offers you the silence and the stillness to truly concentrate on your game,” Schock said. “It’s just you, the ball and the prairie. It’s as simple and as authentic as that.”

When it opens, The Prairie Club will offer two, championship-length 18-hole golf courses and a par 3, 10-hole golf course. The three golf courses are situated on 1,260 acres, with room for an additional championship golf course, which may be built at some point in the future.

While the land seemed to offer near perfect fairways and holes, connecting the tees and greens took quite a long time, according to Schock. Even though the topography is simply big and diverse, The Prairie Club has created golf courses that are very walkable and allow a golfer to maintain his sense of energy from one hole to the next.

“The slopes are relatively gentle, which will be complemented by both caddies, for those who enjoy walking the golf courses, and golf cars, to provide full access to our golf courses. We’ll have wide fairways and our roughs will be wispy, so if a golfer misses a fairway, he or she can find his or her ball,” said Schock.

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The “Dunes” Course is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by PGA professional golfer and golf course architect Tom Lehman, and golf course architect Chris Brands. Its’ six sets of tees stretch from 5,842 to 8,073 yards. Marked by dramatic elevation changes, endless views of the Sandhills in all directions, and immense blow-out bunkers, a player will face this wind-torn land and massive rolling seascape of prairie grass, searching for a bright, calm slick of green fairway. Those who are accustomed to, or have dreamed of playing a traditional, links-style golf course on the order of Scotland’s Carnoustie Golf Links, will welcome the challenge.

“It took Chris Brands and me more than a year to finalize the routing of the 18 holes that make up the “Dunes” course,” said Lehman. “It was not a matter of finding 18 great holes. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of them. The battle was to overlook that which was extremely good and hold out for those fairways and greens that would be truly epic.”

The “Pines” Course, the other 18-hole championship course, takes advantage of the remnants of a nearby, ancient ponderosa forest situated along the banks of the Snake River Canyon. This course was designed by Graham Marsh, an internationally renowned touring golf professional, who also is recognized for his 25 years of worldwide golf course design experience, including most recently, South Dakota’s highly acclaimed Sutton Bay. The “Pines” Course features five sets of tees ranging from 5,329 to 7,528 yards. The prevailing prairie winds are somewhat blocked by the western wall of the canyon and the trees, making the warming sun and the canyon views stunningly beautiful, creating a silent reverie for the golfer.

“I attempted to blend my two favorite forms of golf into the “Pines” Course,” said Marsh, “meshing my love for the Old 20

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Course at St. Andrews with the classic tree-lined courses in the sand belt region near Melbourne, Australia, which I played as a young amateur.

It is my dream that the “Pines” Course will be viewed as having 18 distinct holes, each with its own character, that seduce and lure players into returning over and over again for the sheer joy of the challenge and the experience.”

Uniquely set apart from the two championship 18 hole courses is the wickedly fun “Horse” Course. Set just off the lodge, this par 3 with 10 holes takes the game of “basketball horse” to a whole new level. There are no tee boxes – the one with the honors calls the spot from which you tee up your next shot. Set right on the rim of the Snake River Canyon, this golf course plays from 485 to 1,125 yards, depending of course upon where a player decides to call the tee shot, as the traditional game of “horse” dictates. Designed by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse, along with his partners Geoff Shackelford and Jim Wagner, the “Horse” Course is the perfect complement to the putting green complex named “The Himalayas.”

At the heart of the golf courses is The Prairie Club Lodge, which will offer authentic and relaxed dining, lodging accommodations, golf shop, and much more. A short stroll from the Lodge will be several four-bedroom cabins offering breathtaking views of the Snake River Canyon. The Prairie Club also will feature a state of the art Learning and Performance Center to facilitate the practice needs of its members and guests.

Affordable Access to World-Class Golf The Prairie Club is a semi-private club that offers a wideopen membership philosophy. This uniquely American “prairie golf” experience is about open spaces, endless blue sky and air so www.golfvacationsmag.com

pure your golf ball fairly soars. The Club’s founding members believe in the open, unbounded spirit of the prairie and the affordable access to world-class golf.

To that end, The Prairie Club welcomes avid golfers from all over the world who dream about experiencing the Club’s worldclass golf courses. Each day, one course will be designated for both member and public play, and one will be reserved for members and their guests only. The Prairie Club’s membership philosophy is best summed up as: if you want to play the Prairie Club, you can; if you want to play regularly, it makes sense to become a member. It’s a philosophy that allows The Prairie Club to offer a taste of the Club’s world-class golfing experience to the public, while at the same time, creating a special atmosphere for its members through priority lodging reservations and tee times.

“There are plenty of barbed wire fences on the prairie – that’s not us,” said Schock. “We’re about offering anyone the opportunity to experience world-class golf while at the same time creating an affordable membership that allows our members to come play as often as they want.”

Founding Memberships are available to those who join the club prior to May 31, 2010. Founding membership deposits begin at $15,000, which will increase after the first 200 founding memberships have been claimed. The club will continue to sell memberships after its opening date, with the goal of attracting up to 1,000 total members over time, according to Swedberg.

The benefits of becoming a founding member are many, says Swedberg. Founding members will be able to choose which golf course they want to play, and are guaranteed that one of the club’s two championship golf courses will be reserved exclusively for members and their guests each day. In addition, founding members will receive a discount on all purchases in the Club’s golf shop and restaurant; priority reservations and discounts for lodging accomodations; discounted guest golf fees; a guaranteed position should The Prairie Club become private at some point in the future; and reduced membership fees in future clubs developed by the club’s parent company, Destination Golf Ventures.

In addition to world-class golf, The Prairie Club also will offer its members an opportunity to partake in a myriad of other recreational opportunities, such as blue-ribbon fishing, big game and

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bird hunting and a number of water sports activities.

“Our mission is to touch the soul of the golfer by creating unforgettable memories through a world-class golf experience,” Schock said, in describing his vision for The Prairie Club. “This is a place where men and women have always chased their dreams. Buffalo, antelope, summering ponies, vast herds of beef cattle, and now, a little white ball.”

“And,” Schock added, “in Cleve Trimble’s own words: ‘the beauty of this plan [The Prairie Club] is, that if golf should ever cease to be one of man’s passions, this land will revert nearly overnight to what it was and suck back into itself any hint, flagsticks included, that we were ever here.’”

Getting There While The Prairie Club gains its strength and beauty from being located in a relatively remote part of the country, there are many ways to get to there.

For those who prefer to travel via private or charter flights, there are two nearby by airfields -- Miller Field, the Valentine, Neb. municipal airport, or the municipal airport near Ainsworth, Neb., which is located about 45 miles southeast of Valentine. The runway at Miller Field is 4,700 ft. long by 75 ft. wide; the runway at Ainsworth is 6,800 ft. long by 110 ft. wide.

A number of commercial flights are available through Pierre, S.D., which is located 130 miles by ground from Valentine, Neb., and North Platte, Neb., which also is about 130 miles by ground from Valentine, Neb. Commercials carriers flying to Pierre include: Northwest Airlines (Delta), Frontier, and United.

Commercial carriers flying into North Platte include: Northwest Airlines (Delta), Frontier, United and Midwest Airlines. Some may wish to fly into Sioux Falls, S.D., Rapid City, S.D., Omaha or Denver and drive to The Prairie Club.

For those guests driving, The Prairie Club is 195 miles from Kearney, Neb.; 213 miles from Rapid City, S.D.; 261 miles from Sioux Falls, S.D.; 298 miles from Omaha; 397 miles from Denver; 410 miles from Des Moines, 497 miles from Kansas City; and 515 miles from Minneapolis. www.ThePrairieClub.com

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SPOTLIGHT

CAPE FEAR NATIONAL

Expect Big Future For New Wilmington,

L

ELAND, N.C. - Just 45 minutes north of Myrtle Beach, S.C., just outside of enchanting Wilmington, N.C., is Cape Fear National.

The 18-hole links-style golf course just opened in December, with a grand opening slated for early 2010.

There are some big names behind Cape Fear National. It's managed by Kemper Sports and sits amid Brunswick Forest, a massive development 10 minutes from Wilmington slated for 8,000 homes owned by Lord Baltimore Properties. That's some major muscle.

The course owners had at their beckoning any number of celebrity designers, but they wanted someone who knew the area.

They chose Tim Cate, who has made a name for himself on the Grand Strand.

At Cape Fear National - an intimidating moniker if there ever was one - Cate bandied about 1.5 million cubic feet of earth to hollow out ponds, elevate tees and add undulations to fairways and greens. That's to be expected.

Unexpected is the huge, heather-covered berm that forms a spine along much of the back nine. It is that ridge that sets this golf course apart in the world of flat near the coast. Looking at that mound covered in wind-blown heather, one does develop a hankering for haggis.

Other Cate influences are the three holes lined with tee-togreen waste bunkers, wildflowers growing along most of the course and shades of Cate's landscaping past in the form of waterfalls and rock-lined creeks. A couple of his green-side sand bunkers drop right into the water.

Cape Fear National: Lots of Sand and Water Similar themes run through the course: no trees in the way, but lots of sand and water.

There isn't a flat surface on the greens nor fairways, but it isn't overdone. The swales make the course visually interesting. It appears much of the hazards are placed to intimidate you on the tee, but they are fairly easy to avoid because the fairways, covered in tifway 419 Bermuda, are more than generous. Stay on them, though, because the rough is gnarly. Plan a short iron to extract yourself, no matter how far from the green.

Get used to carries over marsh, waste bunkers or water. You'll fire over them on more than half of the holes, either off the tee or on the approach. After a few test rounds, the course is adding forward tees on No. 1 and No. 10 to avoid marsh carries, said Brad Walker, director of sales and marketing.

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Brunswick Forest, NC

By LisaAllen

N.C. Golf Course imaginative sandwiches, soups and salads.

Not on line yet is the short-game facility that will feature three greens rimmed by rough and sand and room for shots of 100 yards or less. The club invites anyone to come out and use it.

The full-swing driving range will have tee times, a clever approach for a narrow range.

Cape Fear National: The Verdict: Between five tees laid out between 7,217 and 4,802 yards and six pin placements, there is a combination to entertain golfers of many skills. The only time you'll see golfers on other holes are at the start of the nines and a pair of holes on each nine that share water hazards.

The greens are super-sized, covered in velvet-like A1/A4 bentgrass, giving them speed, accuracy and smoothness. Go for the pin or else chance a three-putt.

Head Professional Ron Thomason, who joined Cape Fear National from Bald Head Island Country Club, said he is impressed with Cate's design, calling it his best yet "I like the elevation changes, but he didn't overdo it with the waste areas," Thomason said. "The rock work he did is unbelievable."

Cape Fear National isn't a rush job. The vegetation on the golf course is well established, and the clubhouse is fully staffed and stocked. No matter how you play, it's a peaceful jaunt through a large expanse of yet-to-be-developed North Carolina coastline.

Enjoy it while you can.

This might be the first time you've heard of Cape Fear National, but it likely won't be the last.

For information visit: www.capefearnational.com

The contrast between the front and back lies in remoteness. The back ventures into the wilderness with long treks between holes among a cypress swamp and marsh. It was interesting to note that on No. 12, each tee position faced a different challenge, from water in the back to a bunker carry at the front tees.

The sand in the bunkers at Cape Fear National is the same diamond-cut variety used by Augusta National. It's so nice, you won't mind trying for a sand save or blasting onto the fairway.

Cape Fear National: Other Amenities The brand new clubhouse is cushy, cozy and inviting, with a broad patio overlooking the 18th green and forest. The menu features www.golfvacationsmag.com

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PERSONALPOSTCARD

HIDDEN GEM FRAMED BY GLACIER NATIONAL PARK G olfers are always searching for a golfing destination that others may not have discovered, but when they do it's difficult to keep a hidden gem secret for very long. They have to tell others and the word quickly spreads.

It's obvious that word is getting out about Montana's Flathead Valley, framed by Glacier National Park to the northeast, the Salish Mountains to the west, the Whitefish Range on the northern rim and the Swan and Mission Ranges on the east, especially since Golf Digest named it one of the top 50 golfing destination in the world.

I would second the magazine's description: “There's perhaps no better place in the nation for home-on-the-range hospitality, exceptional value and genuine mountain splendor than Montana's Flathead Valley.”

While it requires a change of airplanes—Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St. Paul are the two chief places to pass through—for most arriving from other places in the United States and might cost a little more to get there, golfers will be surprised to find green

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fees very reasonable ($35 to $75 even in high season), considering the quality of the golf courses.

Helping to get the message out about this hidden golfing gem has been the Flathead Valley Golf Association, a coop marketing effort of nine public golf courses located within a 50-mile area of this special corner of the world.

Surprisingly, no two of these golf courses are really alike. Each has its own unique qualities. In fact, you'll even find dramatic differences on the same course.

Big Mountain Golf Club, formerly called Northern Pines and designed by two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North, features a front nine reminiscent of a links across the pond since it was built on an old potato farm. The back 9 then drops down to play through the trees near the Stillwater River. The par 4 No. 14 requires a drive through a narrow chute of trees over some marsh land and has to be one of the most challenging holes. Big Mountain has the best bent grass greens that I've seen in a long time. If you

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Flathead Valley, MT

By JamesMcAfee

can't make a putt, you have only yourself to blame. I made everything inside eight feet the day I played and had a good round despite hitting just three greens in regulation.

Buffalo Hill Golf Club, designed by Robert Muir Graves, traverses through three distinctly different terrains— Buffalo Hill where it got its name, a river bottom near the Stillwater River and a flatter bench top with numerous lakes adding to the challenge. The locals like it as evident from it being named the best golf course in the valley seven straight years by the Daily Inter Lake newspaper.

Giving the facility 27 holes is the original 9 built in 1936.

National publications seem to favor the North and South courses at Whitefish Lake Golf Course, the first 36-hole facility in Montana, as the best ones around. The North features a more old fashioned traditional look with tree-lined fairways. The original 9 was built in the 1920s and doubled as an airport. It has been www.golfvacationsmag.com

remodeled and lengthened over the years. The Lakes 9 was added to the Woods 9 in the 1960s. The South is shorter, but calls for more target golf and features three challenging holes near Lost Coon Lake, which has a spooky look with stumps emerging from the water after an ice storm 60 years ago. The nearby Grouse Mountain Lodge built one of the 9s and then final 9 was added in 1994. The courses are operated by the city of Whitefish, offering locals a $500 annual membership.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable rounds I had came on the Village Green Golf Course, located very close to Buffalo Hill.

It's a fun course that seniors really like, especially since the course offers 2-for-1 specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It can be challenging with water coming into play in the landing areas for errant drives, but offers plenty of birdie chances as rewards for good approach shots.

Meadow Lake Golf Course, which was remodeled by Dick G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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PERSONALPOSTCARD

. . . continued Phelps, offers some of the most challenging approach shots in the valley because of all the elevation changes and roller-coaster fairways. The undulating greens can “eat your lunch” as three putts are the norm rather than the exception.

Glacier View Golf Course, located near the entrance of Glacier National Park, doesn't seem to have been kept up as nicely as the others, but offers some fantastic views of snow-capped peaks up to 10,000 feet high. It's short at just over 5,000 yards and plays to a par of 64. “It's where we go when our egos need a boost,” said our host Jeff La Laverdiere.

While it requires a little more drive time, the southern end of Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi at 28 miles long and up to 15 miles wide, shouldn't be overlooked.

Polson Bay started out as a 9 holer as part of a WPA project in the 1930s. The additional 18, designed by John Steidel and located across the highway on the shores of the lake, offers the most bang for your bucks with an interesting mix of holes with spectacular views of the lake and the Mission Mountains. If all the locals are as nice as my partner that day, Tracey Dooley, it's no surprise why this is the favorite of golfers in the southern end of the valley.

The Mission Mountain Golf Course, located 14 miles south of the lake, also offers great values and has spectacular mountain views, but we didn't have time to get down there.

The Cabinet View Country Club in Libby is closed, undergoing some extensive work as part of the EPA's efforts to clean up asbestos problems.

Tom Fazio's new Iron Horse Golf Club is located in the valley in a gated community and has a “member only” policy. My high school classmate Guinn Smith says he's heard it may be the best in the state.

The Red Lion is the place to stay if you are playing Big Mountain, Buffalo Hill and Village Greens in Kalispell while the 145-room Grouse Mountain Lodge (my favorite) is within walking distance of Whitefish Lake.

While the golfing season is short, midApril to mid-October, golfers can enjoy extra playing time even after work in the summer since the sun doesn't go down until 10 p.m.

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Golfplan unveils new Nine Bridges iteration, in Seoul

S

EOUL, South Korea — It’s called differentiation. When a firm has designed 22 separate golf courses in a particular market, the 23rd must somehow set itself apart. This was the task facing course architect David Dale and his colleagues at Golfplan, whose 23rd design in South Korea — Haesley Nine Bridges — opened very quietly last fall and has drawn a steady crescendo of acclaim each day since.

The job of differentiation at Haesley Nine Bridges was particularly difficult because, in a sense, developers Cheil Jedang Corp. were competing with themselves. In 2001, Cheil Jedang opened The Club at Nine Bridges on JejuIsland, another Golfplan design that is considered the country’s top course (it has cracked GOLF Magazine’s most recent World Top 100, at #60).

South Korea is arguably the world’s most dynamic golf course market. More projects are being built here, at a faster pace, than anywhere in the world. Haesley Nine Bridges was undertaken specifically to leverage the Nine Bridges brand in the economic center of that market, Seoul.

This effort required a big splash and Haesley delivers —with its golf course and its striking, modernist clubhouse, which, in March 2010, earned a World Architecture Award for designer Kyeong-sik Yoon of Seoul-based KACI International. The Haesley clubhouse was one of 20 projects so honored, from a field of more than 5,600 entries in 127 different countries.

The course design at Haesley Nine Bridges is equally high-concept. Indeed, Dale says the layout was crafted in direct response to its sister design on Jeju. “There is a concept for each hole at Haesley, and those were informed by the concepts we used at Nine Bridges,” Dale explained. “We adapted these ideas, refined and improved upon them.”

At Haesley, there’s a “sky” hole with a horizon green surrounded by bunkers (the 15th), a speed slot hole (12th), a Cape hole (the 9th), an island hole (the 16th), even a two-island hole — the inimitable 10th. Dale is particular proud of the way these concepts work on their own, and then together in the context of an 18-hole routing: “For example, the 10th is a short par-4, just 300 meters or so, but hazards totally surround the fairway and green. It’s risk-reward taken to the highest degree. However, the 11th hole — a 530-meter par-5 —features a single central fairway bunker that really serves www.golfvacationsmag.com

more as a target. It’s wide open. After the 10th, it’s a liberating experience to hit away on 11.

“At 12 and 13, the lateral hazards are reintroduced and I love the bunker complexes guarding both greens. I love all the bunkers at Haesley. They’re quite grand in scale and different from anything we’ve done in Korea: high sand flashes, as high as 2 meters. You can stand at the bottom and the lip is over your head! They are reminiscent of Augusta National in scale.”

There’s another Augusta connection at Haesley: Dale worked closely with Augusta National Golf Club Director of Agronomy Marsh Benson to set a new agronomic standard for South Korea, a country where maintenance can be a puzzle.

The chief complicating factor for agronomy here is the country’s location in a transition zone — that is, a latitude directly between colder climates (served by bentgrasses) and warmer climates (served by bermudagrasses). For decades, the standard in South Korea has been zoysiagrass, which can survive the heat and cold but does not produce worldclass playing surfaces.

Of course, no blade is out of place at Haesley, but Dale and Benson did more here. Far more. Working with JacklinGolf and consultant Jim Connolly, they equipped all 18 greens at Haesley with T-1 bentgrass and Sub-Air capability. The latter allows the superintendent to remove excess water from the green’s soil profile and pull oxygen into the root system during rainy, high-stress summer months. Sub-Air, whose technology Benson helped develop in the 1990s, literally pipes oxygen into the root-zone at the superintendent’s discretion.

Dale admits he was aiming for something more awe-inspiring on the first tee, where the golf course and clubhouse come together.

“It’s more of a vista there, where the scope of the club can be fully grasped and appreciated. The first is a gorgeous opening hole, downhill with the sweep of the front nine stretching out before you.

Turn 90 degrees and you see the peninsula green at number 9, which has got to be one of the top par-4s in the country. Turn 90 degrees more and you’re looking up at that amazing clubhouse.

“The goal was for Haesley to stand out, and I believe that goal has been met. There’s nothing like it in South Korea, or anywhere else.”

by Terry Ross G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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by Terry Ross

SWEETSTUFF I

nstructional golf DVD’s are not that uncommon these days. Players, instructors and trainers have all made use of this medium to advise and enlighten in great numbers over the years, to varying degrees of success.

What is unique is when a touring golfer of the stature of Tom Watson, the eighttime major championship winner, World Golf Hall of Fame inductee and someone who continues to show at the age of 60 years that he is still at the top of his game, releases his first instructional program that from the looks of things may become one of the most popular DVDs this golf season.

The two-DVD set entitled “Tom Watson - Lessons of a Lifetime” is a comprehensive golf instructional program almost three hours long that should be in anyone’s golf collection—whether they be a novice or advanced player. The DVD, which comes with a 15-page accompanying booklet of 44 lessons, was filmed at The Greenbrier Resort, where Watson is Golf Professional Emeritus. This instructional program is the ultimate learning experience, covering all facets of the game—from the grip to full shots, to chipping, putting and the secret of his timeless swing, plus specialty shots including those required in strong wind conditions.

This DVD, expertly produced and directed by award-winning former ABC producer Terry Jastrow, embodies the practical experiences and competitive winning strategies that have earned Watson professional recognition as one of the greatest players of all time.

Jastrow notes that this is the first instructional program in more than 25 years to be released by a legendary professional golfer, since Jack Nicklaus’ “Golf My Way” in 1983.

If Watson had not been busy earning a reputation as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time, he most likely would have carved himself out an equally impressive resume as a teacher of the game as evidenced in this video, which is presented in a very personable and easy-going style that makes one feel they are receiving one-

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G O L F VA C AT I O N S • M AY 2 0 1 0

on-one instruction. He is very natural and teaches in an easy to understand fashion that most players will appreciate.

All of the basics are covered, in addition to some nuances that he reveals that even expert players can learn from. From playing in the wind, to hooking and slicing, to fearless putting, Watson breaks them down in a practical and conversational manner.

“I was fortunate to have received excellent instruction from early in my life,” says the Kansas City, Missouri native who shows no signs of slowing down. “When I was six years old, my father, Ray Watson, cut down a hickory-shafted 5-iron, then proceeded to

by Watson’s 71st-hole birdie chip-in at Pebble Beach, a shot many historians consider to be the shot of the 20th century.

Last year Watson pulled off one of sports history’s most memorable moments when he made an incredible bid for his sixth Open Championship title, taking Stewart Cink to a four-hole playoff at Turnberry. Four of Watson’s seven top-10 finishes on the 2009 Champions Tour came in major championships.

The two-DVD set finishes with a moving tribute to Watson’s “caddie for life”, Bruce Edwards, who passed away in April 2004 from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The tribute concludes with a song written and composed by Watson’s stepdaughter, Kelly Paige. A portion of the sales of “Lessons of a Lifetime” will go to help find a cure for this dreaded, life-ending disease.

The “Tom Watson: Lessons of a Lifetime” DVD set is now available at select golf and sporting goods retailers, pro shops and on-line at www.tomwatsondvd.com. The set is also available to purchase by telephone at 1-800-993-5589.

B teach me the grip, and how to hook and slice the ball—all the basic fundamentals of the game. It’s all this knowledge I’ve accumulated that I’d like to share with golfers in.”

Watson ranks sixth on the list of total major championship victories with more wins than Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Phil Mickelson. Watson is one of only fourteen players to have won at least three of the four golfing major titles.

A graduate of Stanford University, Watson was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988 and owns 39 PGA TOUR victories, including five British Opens, two Masters and one U.S. Open. The latter victory was keyed

igger is usually better, and when it comes to golf clubs most players can see the difference in today’s larger driver heads because the forgiveness factor is so much greater.

TaylorMade, which has pretty much led in the use of drivers on the PGA Tour and in sales to consumers over the last decade, has raised the bar again with the introduction of two new products in this category that feature some of the latest technology in a bigger, lighter package that can mean increased accuracy and yards off the tee.

First off, the R9 SuperTri driver is TaylorMade’s latest incarnation of the popular R9 series of clubs that feature not only the ability to move the weights around in the club head via their Moveable Weight Technology (MWT), and thereby influencing the ball flight up or down or side-toside, but also to adjust the clubhead on the shaft with its Flight Control Technology (FCT) that allows for an open or closed club face—or even an more upright lie

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by Terry Ross

SWEETSTUFF angle. Together these two adjustable features can help promote a 75-yard side-toside change in trajectory.

Until the release of the 460 cc SuperTri, the largest driver that featured both of these technologies was the 422cc R9. Now it is available in the largest club head size allowable under USGA rules.

The R9 SuperTri was made possible by two crucial developments by TaylorMade engineers that saved enough weight to allow FCT and MWT to coexist in a 460cc head. The first is better, more widespread use of TaylorMade's Ultra-Thin Wall technology throughout the clubhead. The second is a new, lighter FCT sleeve that does everything the former one did while weighing three grams less. The larger head is more forgiving, and its Center of Gravity is two millimeters farther back in the head than the R9 driver, making it easier to launch the ball higher and with more spin, helping players gain more distance.

The R9 SuperTri is the ultimate tinkerer’s golf club with the adjustability features and extra size, and anyone who has an earlier R9 driver with FCT can simply unscrew the shaft using the provided torque wrench and switch them out on the driving range in a matter of seconds.

For the player who simply wants to bomb it and isn’t interested in the adjustability, the latest edition of the Burner line is the Burner SuperFast driver that has caught on both with the recreational golfer and with many tour pros.

The Burner SuperFast is the lightest club in golf, according to TaylorMade, weighing just 284 grams. Its improved performance starts with a new 460cc clubhead

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shape that's sleeker and more aerodynamic than past Burner drivers and also boasts high MOI for tremendous forgiveness, and incorporates the largest clubface of any Ta y l o r M a d e driver.

Also critical to the Burner SuperFast driver's performance is its Matrix Ozik XCon 4.8 shaft, which is both ultralight and tip-soft, helping the golfer generate more ball speed, a higher launch angle and more spin to promote more distance.

For more information, visit the TaylorMade website at: www.tmag.com.

F

or many years the flagship golf shoe for FootJoy was the tried and true Classic, worn by pros and amateurs alike for decades. In its place FootJoy has now introduced the FJ Icon as its top line golf shoe and has combined it with Boa® Technology to produce a shoe that fits like no other.

With the Boa Lacing System consisting of a web of cables that tighten around the foot for consistent closure by turning a knob on the back of the shoe, the glove-like fit is one that you won’t find in traditional tie-up lace shoes. Much like the kind of mechanism you see on ski boots, another advantage of the Boa Lacing System is the quick on and off capability of this shoe, along with the ability to turn the dial to tighten shoes during a round.

“The Boa Lacing System provides a number of great enhancements to FootJoy golf shoes,” explained Doug Robinson, FootJoy VP Product Design &

Development Worldwide. “Offering a custom fit and superior stability, the Boa Lacing System allows for micro adjustment of fit while eliminating pressure points normally caused by laces.

FootJoy has also gone the extra mile with this new shoe in creating a light, yet stable foundation for the golf swing with a performance-infused outsole and a soft, molded feel right out of the box featuring both full grain and calfskin leathers.

Although the Icon comes in a variety of styles in the traditional tie-up variety, the Boa styles of this shoe really do offer an added dimension.

In addition to the quick-tightening and lightweight qualities of the aircraft-grade stainless steel laces that also offer a more secure enclosure than traditional laces, the Boa system also allows micro-adjustability to fine tune the fit.

Additional features of the new FJ Icon include the perforated alloy torque bar in the shank area of the outsole to increase midfoot stability and support, contemporary, slightly square toe character with a slightly narrower heel and a Laser Last that is a composite of thousands of digital scans made by the FootJoy Laser Fitting System. Stinger™ cleats by Champ® give added traction throughout the golf swing and provide stability and support.

Pro golfers have seen the performance

benefits of Icon with the Boa Lacing System, with leaderboard mainstays like Davis Love III, Steve Stricker, Scott Verplank, and Steve Marino wearing the shoes in competition.

For more information visit: www.FootJoy.com

G O L F V A C A T I O N S • M A Y 2010

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G O L F VA C AT I O N S • M AY 2 0 1 0

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