April 2013

GAME

IMPROVEMENT GUIDE featuring Harmon Golf & Fitness pg. 39-49

Bermuda Fairways pg. 30 Masters Preview pg. 62

HarmonGolf.com

Homesites from 230K to 520K Homes from 650K to 3.0M 2

2

Marion | Mattapoisett | Fairhaven

Offered at $430,000

Offered at $1.18 Million

Homesites from 230K to 520K Homes from 650K to 3.0M

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From the Editor

contents

9

Travel & Lifestyle

by Katherine Dyson

Good Looks on the Course

15

Two Good Rounds

20

Couple of Travelers

22

Celebrity Golfer

28

Kay’s Korner

44

Ross’ Rulings

52

Player’s Perspective

by Ed Travis

57

Team N.E. on The Tours

62

Gorman vs. Geary

76

by Elle Brec

It is April, and the true beginning of the golf season here in New England. While our weather may be a little cooler this year, it is inevitable that it will get warmer and we will be playing on green grass soon.

April is the start of Major Championship season and there is a buzz in the air about this years Masters that has created more excitement than ever for the event. Bubba’s win last year was the story of the year in golf and the shot heard around the world. It was one of the finest finishes in Maters history.

There is no doubt that Tiger is back and with 3 wins already in 2013, his focus is now on winning a major. He is going to be the overwhelming favorite at this years Masters but players like New England’s own Keegan Bradley as well as Rory Mcllroy, Phil Mickelson, Bill Haas, Geoff Ogilvy and other are also playing well.

There is no question about it this will be one of the most watched Masters ever.

Speaking of Keegan Bradley he has once again shown he is here to stay, already in 2013 Keegan has in 9 events made 8 cuts and has 3 top 5 finishes earning over 1.2 Million, and is now ranked in the top 10 players in the world. It has been quite awhile if ever that any New England PGA Tour Professional was ranked in the world top 10. Congratulations Keegan on your success and all the excitement you bring to New England golf fans.

Our April issue theme this year is Game Improvement , 30 Days to a Better Game, products, places and pros.

It is a comprehensive guide to improving all aspects of your game. Each year all golfers set out to improve and find new methods and technologies to reach their goals and lower their scoring average. Like life, golf is a continuum of learning and an evolution of improvement and change. We can only do this by first assessing where we are. It is a great time to seek out advice from your local golf professional or local teaching facility.

They are trained at seeing the simple things that we all overlook. Remember to stretch it is one of the simplest ways to avoid early season injury and aches and pains, play well and enjoy the game.

Timothy R. Branco Editor/ Publisher

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by Elisa Gaudet

by Alice and Danny Scott

by Leigh MacKay

by Emily Kay

by Jack Ross

by Steve Riggs

by Tom Gorman & Tim Geary

New England Golf Monthly The New England Publishing Group, Inc.

P.O. Box 357 Swansea, MA 02777

800-736-9020

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The Perfect Life

The Carolinas Rolls Out Great Golf Getaways For All Budgets

by Katharine Dyson

McConnell Golf

When getting good value is a major consideration no matter where you fall on the economic scale, we suggest you check out the Carolinas where the spring weather is just about a perfect “10” and the diversity of more than 800 courses offers some “green gold” for everyone.

HIGH-END What? Private Golf Carolinas-based McConnell Golf affords a rare opportunity to play eight of the most prestigious private golf courses in the Carolinas such as Sedgefield Country Club, Old North State, Raleigh Country Club and other fine tracks designed by Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Donald Ross, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman.

How? The McConnell Group can arrange customized packages giving you great golf plus luxury features like dinners by a private chef, elite lodge accommodations and personalized ground transportation.

McConnellGolfTrail.com

Pinehurst

What? Pinehurst, a classic golf mecca Since the time of oiled sand greens and Donald Ross, Pinehurst in North Carolina’s pine barons has been on the “Bucket List” of avid golfers everywhere. Here golf is played on more than 40 courses including the eight championship tracks at Pinehurst Resort where the tradition continues with the recently restored No. 2 future host to the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. Off course, Pinehurst’s splendid Spa is a perfect place to unwind and the charming village is within easy walking distance. And croquet anyone?

How? Among Pinehurst’s many plans, their Donald Ross Package gives you three rounds of golf, two nights’ accommodations, dinner and breakfast buffet from $521 per person, per night. Another package from $400 per night includes a round of golf, lodging and breakfast. Surcharges may apply for No. 2. Pinehurst.com

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What? Chechessee Creek Club Just northwest of Hilton Head, SC, the Chechessee Creek Club is designed for those looking for a pure golf experience, not a country club.

Chechessee Creek Club

The course created by the highly respected team of Coore and Crenshaw may be but a decade old, but this Low country traditional-style track feels like it’s been here more than 100 years right down to the caddy experience. On-site cottages and clubhouse echo the understated ambiance How? The Discovery Package at $199 geared to introducing the club to new prospects, includes two nights’ lodging in a four-bedroom cottage, up to two rounds of golf, lunch, access to kayaks to use on Chechessee Creek and a real estate presentation of Chechessee Creek Club. (Caddie fees and taxes are additional.)

ChechesseeCreekClub.com.

recently named No. 2 in in Golf World’s survey of “Top 10 PGA TOUR Courses” and venue for the RBC Heritage by Boeing, South Carolina’s only PGA Tour event. There are two other championship-caliber tracks along with miles of biking trails, tennis, fishing, two marinas and plenty of watersports activities.

How? The Sea Pines Resort’s RBC Heritage Experience Package is loaded with perks: golf at Harbour Town Golf Links with a caddy, two nights at the Inn at Harbour Town, breakfasts, lunch, VIP locker room privileges, use of practice area, pro shop and food discounts and one hour of instruction. You also get free Wi-Fi and use of the Sea Pines Resort’s Fitness Center and a whole lot of cool logo gifts, all from $1,000 per golfer. Also ask about Golf Packages starting at $186 (per person, per night) and “Extended Stay 3 Nights” including a 10% discount for a three-night stay. SeaPines.com GREAT DEALS FOR MORE MODEST BUDGETS What? Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, Hilton Head Island Palmetto Dunes in Hilton Head Island set on 2,000 acres along three miles of beachfront and an 11-mile inland salt-water lagoon system, inviting you to fish, kayak, canoe and play golf. The resort is especially appealing to families with a plethora of activities and facilities. In addition to three worldclass golf courses (Robert Trent Jones, Arthur Hills, George Fazio) there is an extensive tennis center, bike trails and Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina with a boatload of shops and restaurants.

Palmetto Dunes

Sea Pines Resort

What? Hilton Head, SC: Sea Pines Resort Recognized by it’s red and white-striped lighthouse, Sea Pines Plantation is really where all that vacation buzz got started on the south end of Hilton Head Island. Bask on more than five miles of sandy beaches and play the course Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus crafted, the famed Harbour Town Golf Links,

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How? A spring Golf Stay & Play package gives you four days/ three nights villa accommodations, two or three rounds of golf on your choice of three courses, cart fees and two hours of court time from $129 per person, per night.

PalmettoDunes.com

Wild Dunes Resort

What? Wild Dunes Perched on the northern end of the Isle of Palms near Charleston, Wild Dunes Resort sprawls over 1,600 acres with some very pretty beaches and two highly touted courses. Stay in one of the 365 one- tofour-bedroom villas - a good bet for golfing groups - or in the 93-room Boardwalk Inn offering all the amenities of a fine resort like minibars, robes, balconies and in-room dining.

Award-winning golf is available on the Links Course and the Harbor courses by Tom Fazio while the 17-court tennis facility, Fitness Center, 2.5 miles of beach and miles of trails for biking and walking add to the well-rounded sports scene.

How? Swing into Spring Save 15% by booking the Fazio Sampler with rates from $393 per person, per night, including accommodations, one round of golf on Links and Harbor, breakfasts, and an optional 50-minute sports massage. WildDunes.com What? Myrtle Beach Stretching from the Brunswick Islands in NC to Pawley’s Island and Murrell’s Inlet in SC, the “Grand Strand” region has more than 100 courses while just offshore, the Outerbanks harbor a fine collection of golf courses and vacation communities like Nag’s Head, Corolla, Duck and Kitty Hawk.

Mystical Golf

How? Grand Golf Experience Perfect for golf buddy trips, Mystical Golf’s trio of highly-rated tracks, (Witch, Man-O-War and Wizard) add up to a value-rich spring package starting at $118 per person, per night (taxes included). You get three rounds of golf, three nights lodging in a three-bedroom villa, breakfasts, a steak dinner, lunch, range balls and two free beers each day along with a free replay (just pay for cart) and $15 towards golf shirt. Witch winds through cypress groves and wetlands; Wizard evokes the links of Scotland; and Man-O-War plays around a huge lake - even the clubhouse sits on stilts in the water.

MysticalGolf.com

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Sandestin

Nags Head

What? Outer Banks Could you imagine a more picturesque and exciting place to tee it up than within sight and sound of the Atlantic Ocean surrounding the Outer Banks of the Carolinas? Add 130 miles of the most natural beaches in the country, historical treasures, wild mustangs, succulent coastal dining and first-class accommodations like The Sanderling Resort & Spa in Duck and the charming Kilmarlic Golf Cottage and you’ve got the perfect golf getaway. Tee up at courses like Kilmarlic Golf Club (Tom Steele), Nags Head Golf Links (Bob Moore), The Currituck Club (Rees Jones), The Pointe Golf Club (Russell Breeden) and The Carolina Club (Russell Breeden).

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Sanderling Resort & Spa

How? Play OBX Golf offers a number of customized play and stay packages. For example a Spring Package from $329 per golfer includes four rounds of golf (Kilmarlic Golf Club, The Pointe Golf Club, The Carolina Club and Nags Head Golf Links); three nights at the Holiday Inn Express and breakfasts. PlayOBXGolf.com

Fayetteville

GREAT BARGAIN DESTINATIONS What? Fayetteville Home of Fort Bragg, headquarters for the 82nd Airborne, Fayetteville, North Carolina has more than 20 fine golf courses by designers like Davis Love III, Willard Byrd and Stewart Gooden and courses such as Anderson Creek Golf Club, Bayonet at Puppy Creek Golf Club, Cypress Lakes Golf Course and Gates Four Country Club. Besides great golf, Fayetteville has Huske Hardware House restaurant and micro brewery and the super Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

Sandestin

How? Go with your pals or your family and stay in one of the Villas of Grand Cypress accommodations, either a Club Suite or a Villa. You get one round of golf per adult, per night (unlimited June-September), cart, use of golf range. Rates depend on your dates.

So break out your clubs, book some reservations and get ready to play some golf where come spring, the sun shines warm in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Gates Four Country Club

What? Santee Located between Columbia and Charleston just off I-95, South Carolina, Santee may be a mere pinpoint on the map, but it’s one of the best golf values around.

Set on shores of Lake Marion, there are three lakeside golf courses in the immediate area plus 14 more tracks within a half hour drive.

How? Here’s the deal: One night with complimentary breakfast at Quality Inn & Suites plus one round of golf with a cart at the Santee National Golf Club. Or try three nights lodging at Chapel Creek Golf Villas with four rounds of golf with cart playing Santee National, Wyboo Golf Club and Lake Marion from $278. golfsantee.com The bottom line: this spring head to the Carolinas where golf couldn’t get much better. It’s the place to go for great values, superb weather and award-winning golf.

Santee

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Good Looks on the Course

Swing into spring with a ping and take the shop out of shopping

by Elle Brec

This spring just worry about the ping of your swing, as golf fashion brands take the shop out of shopping.

There are so many great golf fashion companies out there, shopping can become overwhelming. From choosing the brand, to the style, to the country club or store, ordering online, deciding the fit, so many factors come into play. We want to spend our precious golf time improving our game and just be stylish, not have to search for what peaks our interests. There are creative ways to simplify this process, such as wearing one particular color all the time like Pink for Paula Creamer or Tiger’s red shirt on Sunday.

Or brand loyalty keeps it simple and these brands are offering organized websites and collections to keep it easy and fun.

Martin Rick Martin has created a strategy to make it easier for men to shop for golf apparel with three organized collections encompassing five colors and three designs.

He discovered men tend to find either a certain color or pattern they like. Martin apparel allows for the purchase of three styles in the same color or three colors in the same style. Also add great spring pieces to match in each collection like merino sweaters and vests. There are two ways we think when deciding what to purchase: Do I want this? Do I need this? Martin Golf has both of these approaches covered. The Essentials we need

to play golf and entire collections to propel us into expanding our horizon beyond basic needs.

Creating color palettes for all seasons, balanced with a soft neutral to create spring like tonal layers. Vineyard Color Palette is based on the rich, earth tones found on the Vineyard, in bold and subtle color variations. Cabernet and Concord emulate grapes full and ripening on the vine. Vines and Sunflower tones shimmer like leaves reflecting the warm sun. Cognac and stone shades incorporate the deep hues of the fertile earth. www.MartinGolfApparel.com

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Travis Matthew Not the first time Travis Mathew has done something earth shattering, they recently pioneered the easiest way to purchase online yet. Redesigning the way their collections are laid out on their website to create outfits complete with polo, sweater, shorts/pants, hat, belt, and even shoes, with one-click buy now buttons as you scroll over the pieces.

Once you see them together you’ll be craving some Travis Mathew just like their collection JONESIN’.

This sleek ensemble is perfect to take with you on a weekend golf trip with the boys. All of the same TM comfort you’re used to, with that extra bit of style that will separate you from the rest. THE CLASSIC collection featuring the Travis Mathew staple OG polo shown here in Irish green but available in other colors, the V-Guile Sweater, and the Clubhouse Fitting Germer Pant, this ensemble gives you everything you need to be the standout player in your Saturday Foursome then enjoy Saturday afternoon and evening activities. Or opt for the NIGHTLIFE combining all of the same Travis Mathew style that gives you confidence on the course also keeps you cool when you’re out on the town. HOLLYWOOD get-up can take you anywhere you need to be. You may see this one cruising down the streets of Hollywood, grinding it out in the office before a deadline, out on the range after a hard day’s work or lounging back on a weekend at your favorite hangout. www.TravisMathew.com

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Abacus Sportswear

Ultra trendy style right now is bright, bold colors, and it takes a unique skill to portray them as modern and upscale rather than sporty. Take the spring summer collection from abacus, inspired by vibrant South Sea Islands, lagoons and coral reefs. However, if you would not be caught dead in neon green, abacus balanced their collection with clean, fresh, Scandinavian pastels and white. Carefully applied in timeless, stylish designs with masterly details in the fit and freedom of movement to amaze the world’s best golfers. New material abacus® Stretchlite has an unbelievable Coefficient of Stretch, meaning it be stretched to more than double its size Abacus makes it easy to purchase items online by being the only company that measures the CoS, ensuring their Counts and Countesses are

happy with their purchases. It is essential for golf is the combination of waterproofing, breathability, and stretchability. This year a completely new collection of tops and accessories to protect you from UV rays made from the natural fiber from the coconut shell, which contains active carbon and protects against UV radiation (Cocona®). Named after a Scottish castle, the men’s Niddry wind anorak, or sometimes called a parka, a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of cold and wind. Like our Scandinavian and Canadian golfing friends, we face similar cold weather sometimes and Spring, and it is much more fun to enjoy the outdoors if you are warm and prepared. www.AbacusSportswear.com

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Catwalk Artwear

The ability of Catwalk Artwear to accentuate a women’s figure is unparalleled in golf fashion. Their signature curve accentuating style is incorporated into every piece, making it easy for Catwalk fans to remain brand loyal. All pieces are cut to fit the same way, convenient for shopping online because once you purchased an outfit, you know exactly how future outfits are going to look on your body type. Sometimes if brands come out with too many cuts and styles, you definitely have to try them on before buying, but this is not the case with Catwalk.

New this season is the Grape Lime collection and the black white collection with modern patterns called Sarah, Sunni, Carol and Rochelle, different from any other golf fashion. Comfortable, flattering, new pieces include the Honey Knit dress, a long sleeve UV (150+SPF) Protection shirt with mesh venting to keep you cool, Knit jackets with 3 matching options: pant or A line skort or new sleek pencil skort, and Zippy jackets, all perfect for spring weather. Other collections to mix and match from Iris, Berry White, and Black Sand, each piece containing black or white to make it easy to put outfits together. Select a combination of skort/ pant, two short sleeve polos and long sleeve shirt, creat-

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ing at least two outfits. Each season, slight variations of the beloved designs emerge in new, sophisticated yet flirty colors, to keep women young and old on the fairway catwalks. www.CatwalkArtwear.com

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Two Good Rounds

by Elisa Gaudet

Golf - Connecting for a Higher Cause Charity tournaments have long been a huge part of the golf culture in the U.S. and internationally.

In the U.S., the World Golf Foundation’s 2012 “Golf’s Charitable Impact” report estimated that 12,000 golf facilities host 140,000 charity golf events annually. Golf continues to be the great connector by not only bringing people together to raise money and support a great cause but also enabling the charity to educate and highlight its message. Events range in scope from national, regional and local.

April is National Autism Awareness Month and the biggest champion of autism in golf is Ernie Els. In response to their son Ben’s autism diagnosis, Ernie and his wife Liesel created what’s become a charity-driven, amateur golf tournament that generates funds to support the building of the Center of Excellence for Autism. The facility will launch a global digital learning platform that will make available the best practices in education and therapy on the autism spectrum to thousands of children worldwide.

The Golf Challenge consists of a series of superregional events at top-rated courses across the United States and Canada from April through September.

Two-person teams compete for a place at the Grand Finale – a two-day extravaganza of golf and entertainment hosted by Ernie and his friends from the PGA Tour in Las Vegas on October 13th & 14th, 2013. For more information, visit http://www.elsforautism.com/ site/PageServer?pagename=golf_challenge.

“Liezl and I are private people, but we are also very much in the public eye and we recognize that this gives

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us a platform to help raise funds and awareness for the causes of Autism and its possible treatments. It is something that we both feel very passionate about.” Ernie Els You may have seen Els’ PSA on autism, which highlights the odds of having a child with the disorder. At the age of 14, Els won the Junior World Championship and the odds of that were 1 in 16 million; the chances of Els making it to the American and European p;ro tours odds 1 in 7 million; the odds of winning the British Open once and U.S. Open twice are 1 in 780 million. The odds of having a child with autism are a mere 1 in 88. For more information, visit http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=ZDc4auio2oQ. “Years from now people may remember me as a golfer and a major champion. But I’d like also to be remembered as somebody who took the issue of Autism and did something with it. The rest of my life, I’ll be fighting this thing...I hope you’ll join with me.” Els On a regional level, one of the most successful organizations is the Jimmy Fund Golf, an outstanding example of the good achieved when hundreds of vol-

unteer tournament organizers and thousands of golfers unite by connecting their love of golf to a higher cause: conquering cancer.

The Jimmy Fund solely supports Boston’s DanaFarber Cancer Institute, raising funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research to improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world. Jimmy Fund Golf has raised more than $91 million over the past 30 years to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In 2012, Jimmy Fund Golf raised nearly $6.5 million through more than 150 golf events between April and October. All of Jimmy Fund Golf’s tournaments are organized by volunteers and committees. Jimmy Fund Golf tournaments are held in 10 states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Colorado, Texas). For more, visit www.jimmyfundgolf.org.

On a local level, it’s touching to see families struck by tragedy creating foundations and events to support others experiencing similar pain in their community. One such family is the Tracys, who started the Miller/Tracy Children’s Foundation in 2001. It was formed in memory of Elizabeth “Lizzy” Marie Tracy, her aunt Kimberly Balboni-Miller, and Elizabeth’s uncle, Carl “Chip” Miller. In July of 2000, Lizzy, Kim and Chip were returning from the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, R.I., when they were killed in a motor vehicle accident.

The annual golf tournament is its main fundraiser and has enabled them to assist families with medical bills and provide financial assistance when faced with illness or death. As a result of the Miller/Tracy Foundation and its annual golf tournament, 1,200 children received back-to-school clothes and supplies; 60 graduating seniors received scholarships; and more than 225 families have been given Thanksgiving dinners. The 12 Annual Miller/Tracy Children’s Golf Classic is June 7 at the Sandy Burr Country Club in Wayland, Mass.

For further details, visit: MillerTracyChildrensFoundation.com

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Coupleby Alice of Travelers and Danny Scott Follow Your Heart to St. Kitts-Nevis

Follow your heart to St. Kitts-Nevis for a spectacular golf adventure in the West Indies. Lush green hillsides, pastel colored homes and white waves lapping all shores excite during landing. Arrivals are met by friendly Kittitians. Let not your heart be troubled as the sweet smell of sugar wafts in with the warm sea breeze.

The oceanfront Marriott is close to many beach restaurants and across the road from the golf course.

Zip there or go for a zip line in the mountains. At the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, Rikki Tikki Tavis dart among tropical bushes as green monkeys swing by a couple holes. A gorgeous day gets prettier when the ocean views sneak up on the back nine. Number 15, one of the most photographed holes in the Caribbean, will melt your heart. The blue sea kisses the dark volcanic sands with white mist as waves crash the shoreline, simply breathtaking at the 16th tee box and continuing in to the clubhouse.

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A picturesque 30-minute ferry ride away (just $10U.S.) is the Four Seasons Golf Club on Nevis.

Fishing and sailboats dot the horizon as we dock. The championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones II begins with orchid trees from the driving range pointing to a sugar mill ruins above for an ancient feel. Overwhelmingly sensational as it runs through the mountain with so many ocean views, this is one of the most beautiful courses we have ever played. It rises and falls among the foothills of Nevis Peak with cart paths dipping into dark rain forests, emerging onto elevated tee boxes beholding the Caribbean Sea. Luxurious homes blend sporadically with the beauty of the jungle flora. Wild donkeys or monkeys’ antics may distract as you ponder game strategy when the slant and slope of each fairway present multiple choices.

Hole #17, a downhill blind tee shot with a concrete ditch built for flood control similar to a half-pipe snowboard, is the only unfriendly experience on the

islands for players who see their ball swallowed by said ditch and delivered to the ocean some 800 yards away.

After the round enjoy a reflexology session at the Four Seasons Spa, both relaxing and invigorating in a quiet garden setting with the towering green Nevis Peak beyond - heavenly. Dine at Mango’s, right on the shore of the sea, watching pelicans dive for their last meal of the day as the sunset glows over cruise ships leaving the dock of St. Kitts, on to their next port of call. Under the moonlight, Nevis beckoned a future, longer stay as we bade farewell and sped away on the water. Back at St. Kitts, not wanting the day to end, we joined the younger crowd at Vibes beach bar for live reggae music.

Next day was a doozy with Dele and Maynard from St. Kitts-Nevis Tourism as we wheeled around the entire island hitting the hot spots, beginning with the Circus or center of town known as Action Ave, passing the International University of Nursing and the Veterinary school along the water’s edge, the places to study for any collegians with money, sense and a medical desire. History unfolds at Bloody Point, The Botanical Gardens at Romney Manor, Sam Jefferson’s graveside and The Brimstone Hill Fortress National

Park overlooking the northern section of the island near the entrance to Kittitian Hill, the next master plan golf resort with a philosophy of sustainability for distinguishing residents and guests. Built into the rain forest on the highest allowable spot of the island, the panoramic view is nothing short of incredible. The signature course by Ian Woosnam will be one of the few in the world with an ocean view from every hole; scheduled to open by yearend.

Also in the making is Christophe Harbour, the only private marina community with a beach club already to die for and a Tom Fazio course. Scheduled to open in 2015, the layout will rival any great links course with similarities to Old Head and will completely change the perception of golf in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Kitts-Nevis already is a prime golf destination thanks to the Admirals Cup Pro-Am by The Golf Connection. Check out www.thegolf-connection. com. For a perfect trip ending, the Shiggidy Shack on the beach serves rock lobster with fire dancers, a masquerade parade and local band. We love St. Kitts so much we would consider moving like many are.

Follow your heart to www.st.kittstourism.kn.

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Molori Unplugged

by John Molori

Legendary “Lynchie” loves the links Since 1982, Mike Lynch has ridden a wave of constant popularity unmatched in Boston sports media. In September, Lynch will turn 60-years-old.

For most of that time, the WCVB-TV sportscasting icon has been playing golf.

The game was passed down to Lynch from his father, Dick Lynch. Says Mike, “When I was a kid, my dad bought me a Billy Casper three wood at Raymond’s in Lynn. I used to play at Salem Municipal and Happy Valley (now Gannon), and I was a caddy at Tedesco. I used to follow the railroad tracks behind my house which led right to the 15th hole.”

Caddying planted the seeds of proper golf in Lynch’s mind. “I learned about golf etiquette and how to handle adversity. The strongest part of my game is still finding lost golf balls. When I was a caddy, they would take 25 cents off my fee for every lost ball, so I got very good at finding them. Caddying taught me how to behave on the course. I think the game teaches you to be a real man.”

In 1991, Lynch became a member at Indian Ridge in Andover, MA. It has been a source of enjoyment ever since. “I just love the members there,” says the man known as ‘Lynchie.’ As for favorite courses, Lynch’s list is varied. “I still consider Tedesco my home course because I caddied there, but I love Salem, Kernwood, and Belmont.

“I’ve been very lucky to be able to play so many great courses. When I was a kid, I was a part of the Back 9 Club, a group of us who used to sneak into Tedesco to play. Back then, I could only dream about being on the courses that I’ve had the chance to play.”

Lynch has not only played on some classic courses, but also with some classic Boston sports names. “I used to play a lot with Bobby Orr, John Havlicek, Roger Clemens, Steve Nelson, and Steve Grogan,” says the multi-time Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year.

“Golf is the great melting pot. It takes away the barriers and mistrust. Prior to playing, you may have certain perceptions of each other. You feel entirely different about a person after playing for four hours.”

Lynch quarterbacked Harvard University to the 1975 Ivy League title and officiated Patrick Ewing’s last game at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School

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in 1981. Golf, however, holds a unique place in his sporting heart. Just how significant is that place?

Lynch responds, “I have to have both knees replaced soon, but I plan my schedule around golf.

I’m always bugging (WCVB meteorologist) Harvey Leonard for a five-day forecast. I’m a 14 or 15 handicap and my index is 12.5, but I would kill to be a 5.

“If I spent as much time thinking about my job or yard work, I’d be a Hall of Famer at both! I’ve never had a hole-in-one, but I’ve broken 80 about a halfdozen times. Every round has a shot that brings you back, like Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part III.”John Molori is the co-author of “The Cracker Jack Collection: Baseball’s Prized Players,” to be released in the fall of 2013.

Email John at molorimedia@aol.com.

6th Annual Tame The Tigers The International, Bolton, MA ~ May 13, 2013 Sixth annual golf tournament to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Tame The Tiger Dust off your drivers and get ready to “Tame the Tigers” at the sixth annual Tame the Tigers golf tournament to benefit the Jimmy Fund on May 13, at The International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass. More than 100 golfers will tee off from the Tiger Tees, at 8,325 yards, on The Pines course, to support important activities for pediatric cancer patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund Clinic.

The Pines is 2,000 yards longer than most traditional courses, and is consistently ranked as the toughest course in the continental United States.

All foursomes will be paired with a New England PGA Professional in a Pro-Am format. Play will follow a “step-back” bramble format, making North America’s longest golf course a little more palatable. A putting contest will be held at the fifth hole on a half-acre green.

This annual tournament is hosted by John Dennis, co-host of the popular Dennis & Callahan show on WEEI 93.7 FM. With the support of Dennis, The International Golf Club, and the New England Section of the PGA, Tame the Tigers has raised nearly $365,000 for pediatric patient activities at DanaFarber’s Jimmy “John Dennis is a long-time supporter of DanaFarber and by hosting Tame the Tigers he helps raise funds for important activities for the kids undergoing cancer treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic,” said Suzanne Fountain, director of the Jimmy Fund. “With John as a driving force, this tournament continues to grow each year and at-

tracts golfers of every level. We appreciate his dedication and commitment to the Jimmy Fund and our young patients.”

Pines Course - International Dennis will be joined by fellow Dennis & Callahan show co-host, Gerry Callahan in this rare opportunity to play on this breathtaking course, which will challenge golfers of all abilities. The tournament will serve as a kick off to the 12th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon which will take place August 27-28.

The registration fee is $500 per player and includes player gifts, meals, and golf. For more information or to register visit www.tamethetigers. org or call Jimmy Fund Golf at 1-866-521-4653.

Jimmy Fund Golf is one of the oldest and largest charity golf programs in the country. Now in its 31st year, Jimmy Fund Golf has raised more than $91 million to support adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. From traditional golf tournaments and country club member events to mini golf tournaments and day-long golf marathons, golfers of all ages and skill levels can conquer cancer through Jimmy Fund Golf. The presenting sponsors for Jimmy Fund Golf’s 2013 season are American Airlines, Bridgestone Golf, CHAMP Spikes, Dunkin’ Donuts, Forty Seven Brand, HomeGoods, The International Golf Club, and Wicked Local.

To learn more about how you can support DanaFarber and the Jimmy Fund through golf, visit www.jimmyfundgolf.org or call (866) 521-4653.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 25

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Celebrity Golfer: Cheryl Ladd

by Leigh MacKay

Charlie’s Angels not only enchanted boss Charles Townsend with their investigative efforts and beatific charms but also enchanted TV audiences from 197681. For Cheryl Ladd as Kris Munroe, the series catapulted her to international fame. Her career since then has ranged from TV to movies to singer to author to Broadway, attaining more than 150 roles.

A Huron, South Dakota native, Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor showed an early aptitude for singing, dancing, and acting. She took her passions to Los Angeles after high school, and in 1970 got her first break as the singing voice of Melody in the cartoon series “Josie and the Pussycats.”

In 1973 she married David Ladd, son of actor Alan Ladd, giving birth to daughter Jordan in 1975, but the marriage ended in 1980. Cheryl married writer/producer Brian Russell in 1981, and they just celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary earlier this year.

Her next big break, of course, was “Charlie’s Angels,” and the demand for her many talents has not ceased since.

The highlights have been many: her critically acclaimed performances in both the TV miniseries “The Grace Kelly Story” and on Broadway—realizing a professional dream—in “Annie Get Your Gun!”; her other TV shows such as “One West Waikiki,” “Two Guys and a Girl,” and “Las Vegas”; her guest appearances in series like “Chuck,” “NCIS,” “CSI: Miami,” and “Charmed”; and her big screen roles in “Dog of Flanders,” “Poison Ivy,” and “The Search for Santa Paws.”

In addition, she has written two best-selling books: for children, “The Adventures of Little Nettie Windship, written with husband David; and for golfers, “Token Chick, a Woman’s Guide to Golfing with the Boys,” a droll perspective of her life in golf.

Of paramount importance to Cheryl Ladd since 1979 is her commitment to Childhelp, an international humanitarian charity that prevents and treats

child abuse.

NEGM: What are your thoughts on “Charlie’s Angels”?

CL: What a unique experience it was! That first year I was working 14 hours a day and trying to raise a twoyear old daughter so I really didn’t have a sense of its magnitude. Then it made me a household name. To know today that the series is still on the air somewhere and that millions around the world still love the show is pretty awesome.

NEGM: Was the “Vegas” series you starred in with James Caan and Josh Duhamel as much fun to film as it was to watch?

CL: Oh, yes, it was a hoot and a half! We had a wonderful time. Working with Josh and Jimmy was great fun, and both are avid golfers, too.

NEGM: What have been your favorite roles over the years?

CL: Interestingly enough, my two favorite roles and I have been blessed with many excellent parts were my portrayals of real life women: Grace Kelly and Annie Oakley.

NEGM: What is your latest project?

CL: “The Perfect Wave” filmed in South Africa starring Scott Eastwood. I play Scott’s mother, and the filming was a remarkable time for us all. It’s an inspirational story of a young man in search of the perfect wave and of himself. Should be out in May or June.

NEGM: How did you become involved in Childhelp USA? CL: When I first learned about child abuse, I was appalled. So, my husband at that time [David Ladd] and I developed a TV movie in 1978 for ABC called “When She Was Bad,” and I played the abusive mother. Then, during a guest appearance on the Dinah Shore Show, I said, “If there is any organization out there that is fighting child abuse, contact me because I want to help.” The founders of Childhelp, Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, got in touch, and I have been working with them ever since. They

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have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times, and they are my heroes.

NEGM: Tell us about the Childhelp Celebrity Golf Invitational that you co-sponsor with John O’Hurley.

CL: Our third annual fund raiser was held in February and was a great success because of the remarkable support of the Greater Palm Springs community, in addition to devoted Celebrity friends like Rocky Carroll, Patrick Warburton, Ron Masak, William Devane, Michael Pena, and so many other dear and devoted friends. We raised $152,000, and the money will go to Childhelp’s Merv Griffin Residential Village in Beaumont, CA, where Childhelp tirelessly provides healing treatment and tender loving care to the most at-risk youth in our society. In our three years, Childhelp has received more than $400,000 from our tournament.

NEGM: To what other philanthropic cause have you devoted your time?

CL: We support the Sports Outreach Institute in Africa, which came about by using soccer to spread the Gospel message and to help alleviate human suffering.

NEGM: How did you become interested in golf? Best handicap? Best part of your game?

CL: On a whim one day, David took me to play Rancho Park, just across the street from 20th Century Fox. We played nine holes. I was a dancer, so I kind of

figured out a rhythm to the swing and really whacked a few shots. Those shots were like a drug, and I was hooked right away. The best Index I’ve had is 14. The best part of my game is my love for it!

NEGM: Why did you write “Token Chick”? How was it received?

CL: Very few women celebrities had the confidence to play golf in pro-ams or charity events, but when I was invited, I didn’t care if I was bad. I played. Of course, I was the only woman, the token chick, but I always had a great time. Hey, I’ve played with Arnie, Jack, Chi Chi, Freddie, Johnny, Ben, and Peter [Jacobsen]! The book reveals my experiences in golf, and I believe it is the #1 women’s golf book.

NEGM: Favorite courses?

CL: Mauna Lani on the Big Island, Pebble Beach, Royal Dornoch, and St. Andrews.

NEGM: Who would be in your Dream Foursome of today? Of any time period?

CL: Jack, Arnie, and Freddie. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in a match against Katharine Hepburn and me.

NEGM: What have you enjoyed most about your trips to New England?

CL: One of my most precious moments was a fall trip to Maine when I witnessed the Northern Lights.

Truly amazing. I also enjoy the seasons changing in New England, something we don’t really have in LA.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 29

Bermuda Fairways | So Much More

The View

If I told you just 2 hours away you could find some of the finest rated golf courses in the world at one of the most magnificent destinations in the world you might not believe it. The best-kept secret in golf is just a short direct flight away and boasts some of the best playing conditions year round with temperatures rarely dropping below 60 degrees. Lets just say the secret is out as more and more golfers are discovering this oasis of golf and all it has to offer.

The Misconception

The first most common misconception about Bermuda is that it is in the Caribbean. Bermuda is 600 miles north of the Caribbean off the coast of North Carolina located out into the warm water of the Gulf Stream. The second most common misconception is that it is out of reach pricewise.

While Bermuda offers some of the most luxurious golf getaways in the world, you can book 3 nights in one of the finest facilities on the island with 3 days of golf and breakfast included for under $600 per person. I am not a golf travel genius but those are Myrtle Beach rates my friend. If you played each course off a cruise ship in Bermuda it would cost you more than $200.00 a round.

The Award Winning Courses

In 2010, GolfWeek Magazine named the Mid Ocean Club in Tucker’s Town as the second-best

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golf course in the Caribbean and Mexico, in their annual top 50 rankings. Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton was selected No. 24 and Tucker’s Point Club in Harrington was selected No. 39. Five of Bermuda’s seven courses made Golf Digest Magazine’s most recent “Planet Golf” rankings in 2010, in which the magazine named the best courses in each country. Those courses were Mid Ocean Club, Port Royal Golf Course, Tucker’s Point Club, Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club and Belmont Hills Golf Club, both in Warwick. What makes the golf so great in Bermuda is the absolute beauty that surrounds you in every direction. Magnificent vistas abound at every golf course on the island. The sense of serenity and relaxation makes this a very special place as it truly is, so much more.

Who’s Who of Course Architects

C.B. McDonald, one of golf’s early leaders and course designers, built the Mid Ocean Club in 1922; it is the island’s oldest course. Robert Trent Jones Sr., one of golf’s foremost course designers, created Port Royal Golf Course in 1970. The English-born designer was responsible for more than 500 course designs around the world, including a major championship venue like Hazeltine National Golf Club and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.

Jones also designed St. George’s Golf Club in St. George’s. Ted Robinson Sr. designed the Fairmont Southampton Golf Club. Robinson designed more than 170 courses, including Sahalee Country Club in Washington, the host of the 1998 PGA Championship. Port Royal now home of The PGA Grand Slam

has been completely re-fitted for the event, which will continue in Bermuda through 2014. It is truly a great event each year in October as the champions of all 4 majors compete for the Grand Slam Championship.

Getting There

This is by far the best news about golfing in Bermuda, it is so quick and easy. Imagine boarding a direct flight from a number of locations in the Northeast at 7AM and being on the tee in less time than a weekday commute into Boston. Flight times generally run 2 hours or less and often you will get in early at that. My last trip out of Boston put me on the first hole at Port Royal mid morning and by 2pm I was sipping a Rum Swizzle having lunch on the veranda. As far as an international destination goes, Bermuda Immigration will get you though faster than most security lines at U.S. Airports. Because Bermuda is so close it makes it convenient to get in a few golf trips in a season while courses are closed in the Northeast.

The So Much More

Bermuda is one of the most beautiful islands in the

world. The locals are very warm hospitable people who love to share their island with others. They have a way to make you feel at home like nowhere else in the world. The island, only 26 square miles has narrow roads and spectacular views of the emerald sea from almost everywhere. From the Dockyard at the southern end and Somerset to the old capitol city of St Georges at the north side of the island it is only 23 miles but in between lies some of the most historic and interesting places to see in Bermuda. The new capitol city of Hamilton is a center of commerce and tourism with much of the countries state offices and government there. Hamilton is also the center of shopping and restaurants and a Mecca for global insurance and banking.

There is a vast choice of interesting restaurants and shops throughout the city with a very international flair. Bermuda boasts some of the world’s finest restaurants as they are sprinkled throughout the island around resorts and along the water.

The beaches in Bermuda are simply unforgettable, once you spend time on pink beaches there will never be another comparison. The So Much More is an understatement to say the least, Bermuda is forever and for every generation.

gotobermuda.com/golf/ April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 31

Amateur Stroke Play Championship Jun 14 - Jun 16, 2013 - Port Royal Golf Course This is a 72-hole stroke play event. Handicap limit is 24.

There are gross and net prizes. Entry fee is $350 www.bermudagolf.org +1-441-295-9972

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1

st

December 9th - 13th, 2013

March 2014

March 2014 BGA - (441) 295-9972 e-mail bdagolf@logic.bm

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Contact Anthony Mocklow - (+441) 239-6663 Anthony.Mocklow@Fairmont.com

October 15th / 16th, 2013

myNEGM.com/BermudaGolf

| 1-800-Bermuda

Bermuda has more Golf Courses Than any Island in The World! Golfers have always been drawn to our island’s gorgeous scenery, highly agreeable climate and sophisticated array of before and after activities. But the greatest enticement is our seven championship courses and the Bermuda Golf Academy & Driving Range. Conceived by some of the game’s most renowned course designers, each offers a stunning array of challenges and spectacular ocean vistas.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 35

Gosling’s Invitational December 1st – 5th 2013

With more golf courses per square mile than any other country, it’s not a stretch to call golf the national sport here. (Though cricketers might argue.)

And the national drink: Gosling’s Dark ’n Stormy®.

A perfect 19th hole heatbeater of Black Seal Rum and ginger beer. You’re invited to partake of both these national treasures for five glorious days. Golfing and Gosling’s. In Bermuda. Come on over. As if Bermuda isn’t already idyllic enough of a place to enjoy golf, the Belmont Hills course takes it several steps further. Veteran California architect and member of the American Society of Golf Course Archi-

tects, Algie M. Pulley Jr. literally moved mountains to redesign the course in 2002. Today, every one of the 6,100 yards of intense bunkering, multitiered greens and slender fairways will thoroughly test your shotmaking abilities. (And your ability to focus on the game not the views.) Professionals will be competing for an opportunity to win a prize purse of $60,000, whilst Amateurs will be competing for an opportunity to win Gross and Net prizes.

For a detailed schedule and information: www.goslingsrum.com or www.bermudagolf.org

Bermuda: Home to Award Winning

The Mid Ocean Club St Georges

Turtle Hill Golf Club Southampton

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Belmont Hills Golf Club Warwick

Ocean View Golf Course Devonshire

Pompono Beach Club Annual Couples Golf Tournament

The Pompano Beach Club will be hosting its 9th Annual Couples Fall Golf Classic from October 28 – November 3, 2013. Forty-one couples played in the 2010 fall classic, forty-eight couples competed in the 2011 fall classic and forty-two couples played in the 2012 fall classic. Tournament slots will be filled on a space available, first-come, first-serve basis. As of March 1st, 61 couples had already signed up to participate in this event. Players will play The PGA Grand Slam course Port Royal Golf as well as Tuck-

ers Point Golf Course and Belmont Hills Golf Course. Packages include oceanfront rooms, on island transportation, 4 rounds of golf, breakfast and dinner daily, prizes and awards dinner and gov tax and resort fees.

Call the resort’s U.S. sales office toll-free (from the U.S. and Canada) at 1-800-343-4155 to reserve accommodations. An $880 per couple

www.pompanobeachclub.com/ tournament_couples_fall.html

Golf Courses and So Much More

Port Royal Golf Club Southampton

Riddell’s Bay Golf Club Warwick

St. Georges Golf Club St. Georges

Tucker’s Point Golf Club St Georges

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 37

This is Golf in

Maine.

Maine has been recognized again and again by the national and international community for an ever- evolving array of superlative golf.

Golf Maine offers a web site showcasing the state’s many offerings. We can act as a virtual concierge, assisting in setting up a golf getaway for yourself, your family or your travelling group.

The greatest game ever played, in a setting unlike any other.

This is golf... in Maine.

w w w.gol fm e . c o m

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Kids Junior Golf Summer Camp Ages 8 – 17

Do you want your junior golfer to get good, no I mean really good? Enroll them in Golf School for Kids where they will learn from Kenny Knox, 3 time PGA Tour winner and holder of 3 putting records including the least putts with 18 for 18 holes.

The Maine Golf & Tennis Academy is Nestled along the shores of Lake Salmon at the site of Kennebec Camps, established in 1907, in the Picturesque Belgrade Lakes region of Maine and received two #1 titles in Sports Illustrated KIDS for Best Sports Camps in America.

The unique facility, on the grounds of a premier summer camp, has been retooled to be the state of the art training center for golf and tennis. It has its own 6 tournament quality holes, a covered 300 yd. driving range, club making building, video analysis building, pro shop, theater, 8 bunkers, a putting green and 20,000 sq. feet of USGA quality greens, red clay courts, hard courts and two locations for indoor court play nearby. All this on the shores of crystal, clear Lake Salmon at the site of a traditional summer camp once called Kennebec Camps.

The PGA Class A Professionals and USPTA Coaches have been the directors of instruction.

They have included very best in the golf industry

from backgrounds such as Disney, Leadbetter, Jacobs, Palmer, Flick, McClean, Harmon, Saddlebrook, Bollettieri, Hoppman and other potentates in the golf and tennis instruction world.

The kids get the best of both worlds since they also enjoy the benefits of being in a wholesome, traditional summer camp environment on a crystal clear lake in picturesque Maine. Waterskiing, sailing, white water rafting, basketball, yoga, theater, sports broadcasting and ice hockey are just few of the additional activities available at this exclusive specialty camp. For more information, please visit www.golfcamp.com or call 800-GOLF-CAMP. • GUARANTEE to IMPROVE Your GAME or stay next 4 weeks Free • Tourneys, Video, Club Making, 18 holes, Multi-Tennis Surfaces • Unique design Junior Golf Tennis OFFICIAL Training FACILITY • 3 Time PGA TOUR WINNER in Residence, USPTA Pros • NEWEST ADVANCED Training and Instructional Techniques

Game Improvement Guide | April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 39

Northeast’s most technologically advanced coaching facility, Thelocated in Atkinson NH and open to the public year round.

• 10,000 Square Foot Facility • 3 Private Coaching Studios • Multi Camera V1 Pro Video Analysis Software • Trackman • Custom Fittings • Year Round Heated Driving Bays

Serving the public seven days a week.

32Clubhouse Clubhouse Drive • Atkinson, • (603) 489-0270 • www.willowcreekgolfacademy.com 32 Drive • Atkinson, NH 03811NH • (603)03811 489-0270 • www.willowcreekgolfacademy.com

40 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | April 2013 | Game Improvement Guide

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Kay’s Korner Get Fit for 2013 New England Golf Season

by Emily Kay

Golf fitness is not just for Tiger, Annika, and Rory.

Fitness is all the rage with tour pros so what are you waiting for?

You don’t have to be Rory-ripped but being fit can help you hit the ball farther and stay in shape for the entire golf season.

Golf courses are opening across New England and while you’re itching to get out there and swing for the fences, you may want to ensure a successful and healthy season by tuning up your body as well as your game.

If you spent the winter cuddling your TV remote, you may have noticed that the fitness craze Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam launched years ago has taken over among the 20-somethings who tee it up each week on Golf Channel. Indeed, the muscles rippling under the blouse of the formerly scrawny world No. 1, Rory McIlroy, are par for the course out on tour.

“All young golfers have seen what fitness can do for Tiger and Annika and it’s just part of what they do now,” says Kathy Ekdahl, a Titleist Performance Institute-certified golf fitness instructor based in Hudson, Mass.

You don’t have to be ripped to prepare for the rigors of walking 18 holes without requiring a defibrillator or pulling a muscle each time you swing.

For sure, you need not go all Arnold Schwarzenegger at the gym. What you do need is to build stamina, boost core strength, and increase flexibility to help you execute longer drivers with more consistency and agility.

As Ekdahl and Dave DuPriest, the owner of Bos-

ton-area FitGolf Performance Centers, assure you, achieving resilience in your hips, back, and shoulders, and strength in your abs does not take all day or even require breaking a sweat. But it does take a commitment of some eight to 12 weeks to achieve what Ekdahl calls a “training effect.

“Strength, power, endurance, flexibility, core stability, and balance,” she says, “need time to develop.”

A good place to start, says DuPriest, is to try to touch your toes. If you can’t, some gentle hamstring stretches are in order.

Indeed, both trainers urge golfers who are not fitness buffs to start slowly with their new exercise regimens. Flexibility work on the hips, upper back and torso, and shoulders is a good place to begin, and DuPriest likes thoracic-rotation exercises to help you get limber.

Once those parts are moving easily, add planks, bridges, lunges, push-ups, rows, and squats -- all good ways to add stability and strengthen the abs.

If you’ve done your drills regularly over the winter, you’re ready to add speed and power drills involving medicine balls and kettlebells -- work designed to “get the hips turning and the core contracting at fast speeds, the hallmarks of a good golfer,” notes Ekdahl, author of “Getting Golf Ready: A Woman’s Guide to Golf Fitness.”

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VOTE FOR THE 2013

TOP 25 AWARDS www.myNEGM.com/Top25

Kathy Ekdahl

DuPriest agrees. “Med ball twist taps are a great way to build some core strength while training mobility,” he says.

Next up for DuPriest are balance and coordination.

While you probably can’t stand on one foot with your eyes closed for a tour pro’s average of 21 seconds, try doing so for 10 seconds or so with eyes open to start.

Walking lunges with a twist using a medicine ball should help with weight shift and timing.

For speed and power, both trainers recommend med ball slams -- four to six pounds to build speed and more weight for strength, says DuPriest.

Fitness may not be the only weapon in a great golfer’s arsenal, but Ekdahl and DuPriest urge you to do what you can to get in and stay on the course.

“While being fit is not the complete answer to being a great golfer,” says Ekdahl, “it does play a huge role in preventing injuries and improving endurance for the long game of golf.”

Check out FitGolf.com and PersonalBestTraining. com for additional ideas on how to get golf ready.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @GolfExaminer.

Game Improvement Guide | April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 45

GAME GOLF Changing the Golf Experience, forever.

There are more than 25 million golfers of all ages in the US alone, all looking for an edge. Ask anyone who loves the game and they’ll tell you that they would trade their first born to shave a few strokes off of their handicap or to cross a coveted milestone like breaking 100, 90, 80, or Bobby Jones willing, 70.

Like so many other sports, golf has become increasingly obsessed with performance tracking and statistical analysis in recent years. The natural evolution for this results-obsessed sport is wearable computing.

Earlier this month, the world got its first look at GAME GOLF, a wearable golf performance monitoring system designed by the chief creative officer behind the Jawbone JAMBOX speaker, fuseproject CEO Yves Béhar, and backed

by US Open champion Graeme McDowell and current World No. 9

golfer Lee Westwood (neither of which are paid endorsers).

GAME GOLF allows players, regardless of skill level, to quickly and easily track and analyze every shot they hit, including its location, the club used, and the distance traveled. At the round’s end, players get data including score, total putts, fairways hit, greens in regulation, and scrambling. You might describe the output as “Shotlink” for consumers.”

The system works through a combination of a small “Game Your Game” (GYG) receiver worn on a player’s belt, and lightweight “tags” mounted into the butt end of each club’s grip. The player simply touches the club tag to belt unit prior to each shot and the device uses a combination of GPS, NFC, and motion sensors to record the pertinent data on each shot. Data can be synced to the cloud by smartphone in real-time, or via a USB connection following the round.

More than just a performance measurement system, GAME GOLF also enables social sharing and gamification that are sorely missing around the sport of golf. Imagine Tweets that read, “I just shot 74 at Pebble Beach, check out my entire round,” which link to an interactive course and shot map.

GAME GOLF users can also host long drive

46 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | April 2013 | Game Improvement Guide

and closest to the pin contests among friends, with strangers, or with tour professionals playing on the same course or elsewhere around the world.

“Golf is a game of inches,” as the cliché goes, and as a result, GAME GOLF’s first challenge was measurement accuracy. Its answer has been to licence existing course geofencing data and then add its own geospatial technology and behavioral algorithms to determine precisely where on the course a player is and measure their shots accordingly. Even more interesting is GYG’s backend player performance dashboard and accompanying social platform which make the

whole experience interactive. It’s hard to overemphasize how desperately something like this is needed in the game of golf.

It’s not all optimism, however. Golf is an industry of endless gadgets, fickle consumers, and deep pocketed incumbents, where the best product often does not win. GAME GOLF faces a significant uphill battle to earn the trust of the masses.

Consumers will be asked to pay $249 for a package of one GYG belt unit and 18 club tags – all of which are made in America – making it more than an impulse buy for most. With their purchase, users will get one year of free usage of GYG’s online platform ($50 per year thereafter). Following a period of initial direct sales via its website, Game Golf hopes to end up on the shelves of electronics and golf specialty retailers by 2014. The longer term plan is to eventually extend the technology developed for golf into other sports.

“A new era of quantification and gamification is rapidly changing the way we live, work, and play.” says CEO John McGuire. Golf has needed this thrust into the digital era as bad as any sport, and GAME GOLF looks capable of helping golfers play better and enjoy the game in new and more interactive ways.

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HARMON GOLF

12 minutes south of the Braintree Split off exit 14 in Rockland, MA

Harmon Golf was designed for golfers by golfers.

This unique golf and fitness club can reach all players across the handicap and economic spectrum 12 months a year. A true one stop shopping for all of your golfing and fitness needs. The Club was built to offer extreme golf value and more importantly golf time. Whether you have ten minutes or 2 hours there is always something at Harmon to improve your golf and fitness levels 365 days a year. Traditional golf clubs fit only those dedicated

players with time and money to spend. Conversely, the Harmon model provides a full range of golfing alternatives. Harmon Golf meets the needs of current golfers from scratch players, to beginners, to the player who just wants to relax and hit a bucket of balls. There are also extensive programs for women and juniors; a learning center with just about every high-tech teaching device available; and a professional staff led by PGA teaching pro Tom Cavicchi, with over 100 years of experience.

Included in Harmon Golf’s monthly membership fee is: - 9 Hole Championship Course - 9 Hole Short Course - 6,000 sq ft fitness center with Titleist TPI Certified Instructors - PGA Tour quality grass range with unlimited range balls - Bunker Complex - 2 large Putting complexes, one flat and one with severe undulations - Wedge Range and Chipping area - 120 seat Grill Pub, with 14 flat screen TVs - 17 winterized heated and covered hitting bays - Coming Soon- 21+ Business Center for member private use

Harmon Day Pass & NEGM Raffle Experience the Harmon Golf difference now! Harmon Golf is pleased to offer a day pass to be used Tuesday through Friday up until June 15, 2013. Email Matt at mcassaro@harmongolf.com to inquire about a day pass. Don’t forget to enter our New England Golf Monthly raffl­­e for a new Titleist custom fit driver when redeeming your day pass at Harmon.

phone: 781-871-7775 website: HarmonGolf.com 48 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | April 2013 | Game Improvement Guide

Designed to Make You a Better Player HarmonGolf.com | 781-871-7775 168 Concord St. Rockland, MA 02370

Fall River Country Club

Play Where Legends Played

T

he history of Fall River Country Club dates back to one the first founding club members of the Massachusetts Golf Association in 1899. The Old Nine as it was known was said to be one of the finest golf courses anywhere in the Northeast, and played as tough as any. A.H. Fenn, who served as the first golf professional at the club, designed it, the original course played at 2633 yards. The likes of Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet and Bill Tilden walked these fairways, often finding it very difficult to break par.

In 1975 the Club was expanded into its present 18-hole configuration by golf architects Cornish & Robinson creating the current configuration and making Fall River one of the finest facilities in the region. The majestic view of the Taunton River can been seen from much of the course and the club-

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house. The course provides a great challenge for all levels of players and is a favorite in the area for outings and tournaments.

Fall River Country Club measures 6304 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 130 and a 71.2 USGA rating. The course features 3 sets of tees for different skill levels. The greens are bent and the fairways are fescue. While there are many golf courses in the region few are private clubs that offer such a complete member experience as Fall River Country Club. The facility is known for its pristine playing conditions and some of the finest dinning and function facilities in the region. Fall river is offering a great membership promotion for the 2013 /2014 season and a great opportunity to experience this wonderful facility for the month of April as a prospective member.

A Players Course: Segregansett Country Club

by NEGM Staff

If you are a golfer and you love the game then finding the perfect place to hang your spikes is sometimes one of the most difficult decisions to make. Today players who enjoy private club membership have a multitude of choices with so many private clubs looking for members.

Lets face it if your joining a private club then you are obviously looking to play more golf, so choose to play on a great golf course.

Segregansett Country Club has a rich history dating back to 1893 and is the fourth oldest established golf club in Massachusetts. The original 9-hole course was re-designed to its present 18-hole layout by Geoffrey Cornish in the 70’s. The course is just less than 6700 yards and is a par 72 rated 73.3 at a slope of 133 from the blue tees. What makes this course so interesting is that it is somewhat opposite from traditional course layouts done by course architects, especially Cornish.

The front nine is noticeably more difficult than the

back nine and requires focus on the first tee, a 427yard par 4 the number 3 handicap hole.

You will find one of the regions true challenges in golf on the front nine at Segregansett, and have fun on the back nine.

The club is a players club with a wonderful layout a range and also a short game practice facility. There is pro shop a full clubhouse with locker rooms, saunas and a gym for members. There is also a full service restaurant and function facility with a great outdoor deck and dinning area overlooking the course. The staff is friendly and helpful as are the members at the club.

There is never a problem finding a game or getting out to play, and there are plenty of club run tournaments for all levels of players.

If you thinking about joining a golf club you need to give Seggy a look, it is a wonderful facility to hang your spikes at and a course you will never get tired of playing.

To June 2014!

Single Membership $2450 Family Membership $3675 Young Adults (21-35) $1800

contact Tom Pinkerton Membership Chairman tompinkerton4@gmail.com 508-245-8287

Segregansett Country Club call 508-824-9110 x 11 or email segregansett@comcast.net April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 51

Ross’ Rulings ADJUSTABLE DRIVERS

by Jack Ross

It used to be that if you wanted to go from fading the ball to drawing the ball you had to adjust your swing. Now, increasingly, you can adjust your club.

Some years ago, TaylorMade introduced the R7 driver, which permitted golfers to adjust weights in the sole of the club to induce a draw or a fade. Later, the R9 driver introduced the ability to open or close the face of the club. The latest generation of adjustability, epitomized by the new R1 driver, permits the golfer to adjust the loft of the club as well. A tool similar to an Allen wrench is used to make these adjustments.

Just as adjustability has evolved, so have the rules regarding adjustable clubs. Initially, the only permissible adjustment was to weight. In 2008, the USGA revised Appendix II (Design of Clubs) to the Rules of Golf to permit more types of adjustable features in both woods and irons. The USGA reasoned that since professional golfers could readily adjust their clubs by access to technicians, additional adjustability features would give average golfers access to similar club-fitting.

While the revised appendix permits additional types of adjustments, there are two important qualifications: 1. The adjustment cannot be “readily made.”

2. All adjustable parts must be “firmly fixed” and there can be no “reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round.”

The “readily adjustable” provision is intended to make it less likely that a club would be adjusted during a round of golf (which would contravene the rules as

52 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | April 2013

explained below). The USGA’s “Guide To The Rules on Clubs and Balls” explains that, if you need a special tool such as the wrench provided with your driver to make an adjustment, the club is not “readily adjustable.” An adjustment that could be made by hand, or with a common object like a coin or ball-mark repair tool, would run afoul of this rule.

If you’re thinking about making hole-by-hole adjustments (close the club face on dogleg lefts, open it on dogleg rights), think again. Rule 4-2 prohibits purposely changing the playing characteristics of a club during a round of golf. Since this rule prohibits only purposeful changes, an inadvertent change during a round (perhaps due to failure to fully tighten the adjustment mechanism) would not be a breach of Rule 4-2.

Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules of Golf & Amateur Status for the USGA, explained that an inadvertent adjustment which occurred during the normal course of play would be governed by Rule 4-3 (club damaged in normal course of play). The player would be permitted to readjust the club back to its original position, or continue to play with the club in the adjusted position. He also noted that even if the adjustment mechanism became loose it is unlikely that the loft angle or face position of the club would change.

Jack Ross completed an intensive PGA/USGA rules workshop and has officiated at state amateur competitions. Rules inquiries may be addressed to RossGolf@charter.net.

5 Rounds for the Price of 4 - Only $200 (May be applied to membership for 2013 Season)

2013 Membership Specials Single Full $2700 Intermediate Plus 31-35 $2000 | Internediate 19-30 $1500

Allendale Country Club 1047 Allen St. North Dartmouth, 02747

508-992-8682 | AllendaleCC.net April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 53

Sampson’s Spotlight - presented by GolfTrainingAids.com

Is Feel Real?

The Swing Jacket Test

by Greg Sampson The Claim Almost every training aid claims that it will fix your swing guaranteed, however most rely on feel, which in most cases is not actually what you are doing. The Swing Jacket is designed to fix your path and plane by physically guiding you through the swing by utilizing a patented rail system that connects your arms to the rotation of your torso throughout the swing. The Swing Jacket claims that within five shots your body will understand because it can feel the connection between your core and the swinging of your arms. In fact the company is so positive you will be satisfied that they offer a 30-day risk free trail. Let’s see how it holds up in Sampson’s Spotlight.

The Test For me to be a true believe I had to try it for myself and also test on others who have different swing flaws. So on a warm spring day in March myself and two other golfers set out to a local range to test the claim of the Swing Jacket. I am an accomplished golfer with a very compact one plane golf swing. The other golfer was a higher handicapped golfer with a severe over the top pull slice that he has never been able to fix and the last was a female beginner with the basic understandings of swing

fundamentals through group instruction. After about 30 shots per golfer we had a verdict.

The Verdict With all honesty I was somewhat skeptical about the aid as I thought it would be cumbersome and swing restrictive, but after ten swings or so I was hooked. I have always had a very compact golf swing focused on one plane and body connection.

The jacket helped me to feel an even tighter connection with very consistent results. The higher handicap with the terrible cast move completely went away and the pull slice transformed into slight fades that are sure to improve his handicap. The female beginners results were the most impressive of the three. The hardest fundamental to teach a new golfer is how to properly rotate their upper body and lower body all while swinging their arms in sync. The Swing Jacket allowed for the female beginner to feel the movements of a real golf swing for the very first time. And when the aid was removed she was producing solid golf shots well on her way to learning the great game of golf. My recommendation is that Swing Jacket is for anyone and everyone. No one has a perfect swing, but the Swing Jacket does. In the case of this training aid, feel is most definitely real.

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AND OTHER FINE RETAILERS.

The Driving Difference Among golfers, whether they are average golfers or better players, the driver is the club that receives the most attention and the reason is simple. Besides the bragging rights of being able to stripe one down the middle past your buddies, in a typical round the driver is used 14 times - as often as any club except the putter. So, if a new number one wood produces more distance and better accuracy, it can have an immediate and positive effect on scoring…and your ego.

by Ed Travis NEGM surveyed the new ones out for 2013 so if a new driver is on your must-have-list here is information to assist in making a decision. Each was also selected because they may be a possible entry the New England Golf Monthly 2013 Equipment Awards published at the end of the year.

A word of caution and you have heard this many times before, but irrespective of which driver you decide to purchase, GET FITTED PROPERLY. It’s not hard to do and the benefits are many starting with not wasting your money. There are few pleasures in golf that top a well struck tee shot and today’s driver technology has the capability of increasing ball speed while at the same time reducing ball side spin.

Put in simple terms-hit it further-hit it straighter.

To do that you will need a driver matched your swing; one that allows you to get the most out of it and helps correct your faults.

Cleveland Golf

The Classic XL Custom is Cleveland’s initial entry into what has become the main stream of the driver category – adjustability.

There are 12 settings for the face angle from 2.25° closed to 2.25° open and a neutral setting with a more upright lie to promote a draw for those who tend to slice. Cleveland has also put a 7-gram weight port in the rear with optional 3-gram and 11-gram weights for either longer/ heavier or lighter/shorter shafts. Street price of this game improvement driver is $329.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 57

Callaway Golf

The new RAZR Fit Xtreme Driver ($400) from Callaway is a follow up on last year’s RAZR Fit. It has the OptiFit Hosel allowing for adjustment to the face angle (open, square, closed) and there are movable weights to produce a neutral or draw bias.

The new forged composite crown Callaway says is stronger than titanium and designed to allow moving the center of gravity lower in the clubhead. This is the one Phil Mickelson used while lapping the field at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February and several other Tour players are playing it as well.

Callaway’s X Hot Drivers ($300) with address adjustability have the significantly thinner Speed Frame Face Technology for higher ball speeds while weighing less and with a larger sweet spot. The company says, “by decoupling the face performance from the rest of the driver head, Callaway R&D is able to boost ball speed without sacrificing optimum trajectory.”

The X Hot comes either in regular model that would be classified as a game improvement club and a Tour model.

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Adams Golf

Adams has two new drivers we like, the Speedline SUPER S Driver ($300) and the SUPER LS Speedline Driver ($400). The SUPER S has the well known Adams slot behind the clubface (VST-Velocity Slot Technology) to allow for more flex in the face at impact and the loft is adjustable with eight settings between 9.5 degrees which produces a closed clubface and 11.5 degrees and a more open face. It is targeted for use by the higher handicap player.

For better players there’s the SUPER LS Speedline Driver which also has the VST and is adjustable for face angle, swing weight and there’s a sleeve at the end of the shaft to adjust length. The LS stands for low spin which is produced by Adams engineers moving the clubhead weight further back, a neat thing to do without compromising proper launch characteristics. The LS is for those players with faster swing speeds and can boast a white clubhead similar to those made by parent TaylorMade Golf.

TaylorMade Golf

The new R1 driver ($399) has a greater range of adjustability than the previous R11 and R11S with 12 loft-sleeve settings and 7 face-angle positions plus two movable shot-shape weights. Combining the three systems there are 168 different settings, enough to satisfy the requirements of any golfer. The R1 has the now iconic white clubhead but with the addition of black and orange stripes that in turn creates an entirely new visual at address. The fine tuning of the R1 to fit the users swing requirements usually produces additional yards due to a more efficient impact.

TaylorMade has also updated the popular RocketBallz driver line with the RocketBallz Stage 2 and gave it a 12-position loft adjustment sleeve. Engineers were able to move the center of gravity somewhat lower but surprisingly, more forward as well to produce a flatter basic trajectory. This in combination with changes to the aerodynamics of the head shape the company says gives nine more yards for better players. There’s no doubt the Stage 2 is longer than the 2012 model based on our use, how much depends on the player, but it certainly may be categorized as a low spin driver. RocketBallz Stage 2, also with the TMaG white clubhead, has street price is $299.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 59

Cobra Golf

The Classic XL Custom is Cleveland’s initial entry into what has become the main stream of the driver category – adjustability. There are 12 settings for the face angle from 2.25° closed to 2.25° open and a neutral setting with a more upright lie to promote a draw for those who tend to slice. Cleveland has also put a 7-gram weight port in the rear with optional 3-gram and 11-gram weights for either longer/heavier or lighter/shorter shafts. Street price of this game improvement driver is $329.

Nike Golf

The VR_S Covert driver the company says is, “The world’s first High Speed Cavity Back driver that complies with USGA and R&A rules.” The cavity is hidden at address and thus is “covert.” It allows weight to be moved towards the perimeter to create a higher moment of inertia. Nike also uses their FlexLoft dual-axis adjustment system with a pull/turn and push/tighten mechanism to move through three face settings plus five for loft. The VR_S Covert Tour driver street price is $399 and the VR_S Covert regular is $299.

Powerbilt

Five years of manufacturing the Air Force One models have given Powerbilt an immense lead in the technology of pumping nitrogen gas inside the head of a driver. The gas, since it is under pressure, supports the clubhead and allows it to be made with thinner walls than other drivers plus there’s no internal bracing required. This means the face can undergo maximum trampoline effect and that can produce more distance. The new Air Force One DF MOI is available in 9.5, 10.5 and 12.5 degrees of loft with a choice of matte black or white finishes and there’s also a Tour version in 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5 degrees of loft with a price from $299 to $599 depending the shaft selected.

TourEdge Exotics

The XCG6 ($349) is Tour Edge’s first adjustable driver and it comes with the ability to make four face-angle/loft settings (open, closed, upright, and neutral). There are four weight pads made of tungsten spaced out across the heel and toe with all of this design technology being complimented by their variable face thickness construction. The construction, design and materials come together to produce a driver that tends to impart low spin at impact and produce the flatter trajectory preferred by many players.

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Danny displays his first-place trophy after shooting a finalround 64 on Bethpage Red at the U.S. Challenge Cup Northeast Junior Classic on Oct. 7.

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 61

2013 NEGM Masters Preview

The Global Favorite Tiger Woods

The South of the Border Pick Bubba Watson

The Blarney Stone Pick Rory Mcllroy

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The Gamblers Pick Phil Mickelson

The Fan Favorite Long Shot Fred Couples

The New England Fan Favorite Keegan Bradley

The One More Time Pick Ernie Ells

The Chic Pick Dustin Johnson

The Fashion & Style pick Ian Poulter

The All American Pick Brandt Snedeker

The Guinness Nation Pick Graeme McDowell

The Good Guy Pick Matt Kuchar

The Mid West Pick Zack Johnson

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 63

Team New England Update Tracking the progress of all our players on all the Tours. By: Steve Riggs Although our representation for Team New England on the Web.Com and Symetra LPGA Futures tours is light on players, it is early in their respective seasons and we may see more competitors make an appearance as the season unfolds. That said, TNE players remain a respected group of players on all tours.

PGA TOUR Keegan Bradley (VT) is down slightly from his earnings in 2012 at this point in the season. Keegan has made 8 cuts in 9 starts.

Earning $1,274,593 with a scoring average of 69.4, and a good week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational should put Keegan ahead of last year’s earnings at the same point in the year.

Bradley’s game is operating on all cylinders as he has been in contention in most of the events for which he made the cut.

Scott Stallings (MA) has earned $403,325 making 3 cuts in 7 starts including his T-4th at PGA West and the Humana Challenge.

A scoring average of 70.53, while up slightly from last month, does not reflect the fact Scott is significantly ahead of last year’s earnings. Scott gains traction early and plays his best golf the last half of the season as his stats indicate from previous years.

J.J. Henry (CT) has made 7 cuts in 8 starts at this writing. J.J’s scoring average is 71.62.

His earnings of $222,319 at this stage in the season is significantly ahead of last year. A consistent member of TNE on the PGA Tour since 1999, Henry remains this writer’s ‘Steady Eddy’ for Team New England.

James Driscoll (MA) has made 6 cuts in 8 starts thus far in 2013. Driscoll’s earnings of $307,208 is ahead of his earnings for the same period last year by over $100k. A scoring average of 70.52 is higher than last month.

Driscoll does appear to be destroying his nickname of ‘Bubble Boy’ as indicated by those events for which he has made the cut.

Tim Petrovic (MA) has combined earnings of $9,888 on both the PGA and Web.Com tours. Making 1 cut in 3 starts, Tim’s PGA Tour scoring average is 72.11. On the Web. Com, Petrovic missed the cut in the Louisiana Open. Another steady competitor for TNE, Tim’s career earnings are $11,948,789

CHAMPIONS TOUR Brad Faxon (RI) enters year two on the Champions Tour with $49,129 in earnings after 5 events of the Champions Tour season. Brad’s scoring average is 71.75 and his putting has always been Brad’s key to success. Fax is currently ranked 17th on the Champions Tour- in putts per round.

Dana Quigley (MA) deserves credit as he continues to compete while remaining focused on son Devon’s rehabilitation from a brain injury suffered in an auto accident.

While our prayers continue for the Quigley family, Dana’s earnings are $4,883 after 4 events thus far for the Ironman.

Allen Doyle (RI) at 64 continues to compete. Competing in 2 events thus far, Doyle’s earnings are $1,921. With a somewhat unorthodox swing, this Woonsocket, RI native has career earnings of $13,384,756 on the Champions Tour. We feel strongly Allen has a lot more golf in him on the Champions Tour.

LPGA TOUR

Alison Walshe (MA) had a good year in 2012 earning $194,519 with 1 top 10 finish. Thus far, Walshe has competed in 3 events missing the cut at the Founders Cup recently. Alison’s earnings are $11,252 after her check for $8404 in the Kia Classic. This writer sees good play for Alison in 2013.

Anna Grzebien (RI) earned $23,341 in 2012 and is on the LPGA Tour roster for 2013 even though she has yet to suit up.

We certainly hope to see Anna back in action soon.

Brett Quigley (RI) is another ‘duel’ competitor playing PGA and Web.Com tours. Thus far, Dana has missed the cut in his sole start on the PGA Tour. One of our best players, Brett’s combined career earnings are $11,453,897. We also hope Quigley finds this zone this year.

Connect With #LeaderboardBoston

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LPGA SYMETRA FUTURES TOUR

WEB.COM TOUR Jim Renner (MA) through the Louisiana Open has earned $101,540 making 3 cuts in 4 starts. Renner is in 5th position on the all important Web.Com money list with a scoring average of 70.20. If Jim continues the pace he is on, we will see him back on the PGA Tour in 2014.

Congratulations to young Renner on a great start to this 2013 season!

Natalie Sheary (CT) earned $11,198 in 2012. With the Symetra Futures (((the second event is this weekend).

Libby Smith ­(VT) a Futures veteran competing since 2004, made 7 cuts in 14 starts on the Symetra Tour in 2012.

However, Libby has not started her 2013 season on the Symetra Tour.

Patrick Sheehan (MA) has earned $7,089 making 2 cuts in 4 starts. Patrick played the PGA Tour in 2012 but lost his card. At 42 Sheehan is no quitter. No stranger to competitive golf, this gentleman is far from finished. We wish Patrick a good 2013 season!

Briana Vega (MA) earned $1805 making just 3 cuts in 14 starts in 2012. Vega has competed in one event thus far earning $637. Briana’s career began in 2005 and she has career earnings of $57,043.

Brad Adamonis (RI) qualified for the Farmers Insurance Open only to miss the cut. Brad continues to be listed on the Web.Com roster although he has yet to start in 2013. Adamonis is one of those TNE players who showed he has what it takes in his brief appearance on the PGA Tour stage with career earnings of $1,651,435.

Kim Augusta, (RI) veteran of both the LPGA Tour and the LPGA Futures Tour is not listed on either roster at this writing.

Additionally, Chelsea Curtis, MA, Julie Erekson, MA, Haley Gidea, (RI) and Amber Richardson, (RI), have been dropped from the Symetra LPGA Futures roster this year.

Rob Oppenheim (MA) had a good season on the Web .Com earning $132,065 in 2012. Rob, however, appears to be off to a rocky start in 2013 earning $2,310 making just 1 cut in 4 starts. The Web. Com season is young and Rob’s finish last year bodes well for a good year if he can find his stride this year.

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Palopoli’s Picks

by Jeff Palopoli

The Masters

Despite the continual cool temperatures and seemingly endless snow up here in the New England area, Spring is in fact here. Which to many of us means Masters week is finally here. Tiger Woods looks to certainly be back in major championship form again.

Will the 2013 Masters be his 15th major title, inching him closer to Jack’s 18?

Last year’s Masters was one of the most exciting in recent memory. Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen dueling it out in a playoff that saw Watson hit a 60-yard hook with a pitching wedge from the trees, to seal up his first green jacket.

This year Tiger Woods is obviously the heavy favorite, and many eyes will also be watching to see how Rory McIlroy fares. McIlroy is not off to a strong start to the season, which many are attributing to his equipment change to Nike. He should come in to the week well rested however, only playing once since the WGC-Cadillac in early March.

The Picks A Group: If you had asked me six weeks ago who I’d start in my A group for the Masters, I would have answered immediately, Brandt Snedeker, and I wouldn’t have been alone. However, after a five week layoff from a rib injury, Sneds seems to still look like he’s recovering, after missing the cut by a mile at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Good thing there’s another guy in that A group who seems to be playing pretty well right now. Tiger Woods gets the start, as he looks to be unbeatable and ready to don his fifth

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green jacket. The biggest improvement in his game has been his putting, and he has quite a good history on the greens of Augusta.

B Group: To start in my B group, I like hometown New Englander Keegan Bradley as well as Justin Rose. Bradley is coming off of three top 10s in a row (at the time of this writing) and is ranked 12th on TOUR in scoring average. Justin Rose is having quite the year himself as he ranks 2nd in Scoring Average on TOUR and 3rd in Driving Distance. He’s been one of the most consistent players on TOUR this season each time he tees it up. Rose is also returns to Augusta after a T8 in 2012, as well as a T11 in 2011.

C Group: I’m going to give Charl Schwartzel a mulligan on his Masters title defense in 2012, where the South African failed to shoot under par all week and finished with a lackluster T50th. It’s not easy defending a green jacket. This year Schwartzel won’t have the pressure of a title defense, and he’s proven to be one of the most consistent players on both the PGA Tour and the Euro Tour. Schwartzel hasn’t missed a cut in four starts on the PGA Tour this season, two of which have been top 10 finishes.

Starting Foursome: Tiger Woods, Keegan Bradley, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel On the Bench: Graeme McDowell, Hunter Mahan, Luke Donald, Adam Scott Jeff Palopoli is a frequent contributor to NEGM. His Fantasy Golf Picks can be found weekly on www.mynegm. com. He can be reached at Jeff@GoodWalkGolf.com.

What’s News Celebrate Ouimet 100 This year marks the Centennial celebration of Francis Ouimet’s win in the 1913 U.S. Open. Join the Ouimet Fund as we host special events throughout the year to commemorate the father of amateur golf. One hundred years after Francis Ouimet’s U.S. Open victory, we celebrate the moment American golf was born, and Mr. Ouimet’s great contributions to golf and his legacy, the Ouimet Fund.

Led by a Campaign Planning Committee, our goal is to invest in more young men and women from varied backgrounds and ethnicities and give them the opportunity to further their educational goals and advance their lives by expanding our financial resources.

Centennial Gala featuring Arnold Palmer!

You are cordially invited to the Francis Ouimet Centennial Gala on Wednesday May 15, 2013! This year, we are delighted to welcome Arnold Palmer, Peter Jacobsen, Mark Frost, author of The Greatest Game Ever Played, Master of Ceremonies Rich Lerner of Golf Channel, and a few other surprise friends!

http://www.ouimet.org/files/2013-Gala-Invitation_All.pdf

Centennial Gala

Honoring

Francis Ouimet Featuring

Arnold Palmer & Friends Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund 300 Arnold Palmer Boulevard Norton, MA 02766

Contact: 774.430.9090 www.ouimet.org

Presented by

April 2013 | Subscribe at myNEGM.com | 67

What’s News Championships: 2013 USGA Events The MGA annually conducts qualifying rounds for the major United States Golf Association (USGA) Championships, including the U.S. Open, Senior Open, Amateur, Junior Amateur, Senior Amateur, Mid-Amateur, Amateur Public Links.

New for 2013, the MGA will conduct qualifying rounds for the following USGA Women’s Championships – U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

To register online for any of the following events, please use this link: https://champs.usga.org/index.html

U.S. Open Championship | June 13-16 | Merion Golf Club (Ardmore, PA) Entry Close Date - Wednesday April 24 Local Qualifying: May 8 ~ Crumpin-Fox Club | May 9 ~ Pinehills GC | May 13 ~ Rhode Island CC (RI) U.S. Women’s Open Championship | June 27-30 | Sebonack Golf Club (Southampton, NY) Entry Close Date - Wednesday May 1 May 13 ~ Mount Pleasant CC U.S. Senior Open Championship | July 11-14 | Omaha Country Club (Omaha, NE) | Entry Close Date - Wednesday, June 5 Sectional Qualifying: June 20 ~ The Kittansett Club U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship | July 15-20 | Laurel Hill Golf Club (Lorton, VA) Entry Close Date - Wednesday, May 22 Sectional Qualifying: June 17 ~ Maplegate CC June 19 ~ Bretwood GC (NH) U.S. Junior Amateur Championship | July 22-27 | Martis Camp (Truckee, CA) | Entry Close Date - Wednesday, May 29 Sectional Qualifying: June 26 ~ Thorny Lea GC

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U.S Women’s Amateur Championship | August 5-11 | Country Club of Charleston (Charleston, SC) Entry Close Date – Wednesday, June 26 July 16 Oak Hill CC

U.S. Amateur Championship | August 12-18 | The Country Club (Brookline, MA) Entry Close Date – Wednesday, June 26 Sectional Qualifying: July 15 Weston GC | July 22 Vesper CC | July 22 Metacomet CC (RI) July 23 Crestview CC | July 30 Cape Cod National GC

USGA Senior Amateur Championship | September 21-26 Wade Hampton Golf Club (Cashiers, NC) | Entry Close Date – Wednesday, July 17 | Sectional Qualifying: August 7 Segregansett CC

U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship | October 5-10 | Country Club of Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) Entry Close Date – Wednesday, August 7 | Sectional Qualifying: August 26 Berkshire Hills CC September 4 Brae Burn CC

U.S Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship | October 5-10 | Biltmore Forest Country Club (Asheville, NC) | Entry Close Date – Wednesday, August 7 August 26 | Longmeadow CC

Vote Now at

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Tee-Up New England!

New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation, Inc. The 2013 Online Auction will Start April 15th at 12 Noon and will continue until April 22nd at 6pm!

Don’t miss your chance to play some of the great golf courses in New England!

Tee-Up New England!: a Turfgrass Research Fundraising Initiative organized by the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation to bring together the support of the average golfer and the efforts of the researchers to better the game of golf by improving the playing conditions through turfgrass research.

This initiative invites the golf facilities to donate a round of golf for 4, to be then advertised throughout the golf community and to finally be auctioned online to the public on dates determined (April 15-22th, 2013). All proceeds will go to the New England Regional Turfgrass Research Trust (NERTRT), a 501(c)(3) organization, then be applied to turfgrass research projects in New England at state universities. These efforts will encourage individuals to play the game, expand the ability to improve conditions, promote those clubs that participate and involve golfers who enjoy these benefits the most in turfgrass research funding. For a list of participating golf course go to http://www.tee-upnewengland.com/golf-courses/

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What’s News Massachusetts Golf Association Championships: Players of the Year 2012

Colin Brennan (Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year)

Kevin Carey (George M. Cohen MGA Senior Player of the Year)

Patrick Frodigh (Christopher Cutler Rich MGA Junior Player of the Year)

The MGA annually recognizes outstanding performances by amateur golfers by crowning the Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year, Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year and George M. Cohen Senior Player of the Year.

Players earn points throughout the season as outlined by the Player of the Year (POY) system that has been established for each group by the MGA Championship committee. The Players of the Year were honored at the Salute to Champions dinner at Wellesley Country Club.

Richard “Rick” Stimets (1959-2013) Richard “Rick” Rice Stimets, Jr., 53, a longtime friend of the Ouimet Fund, died peacefully March 16, 2013 while skiing in Vermont with friends. Born in Cape Cod Hospital on May 24, 1959, living in Worcester he spent every summer in Osterville with his family and friends. He was passionate about golf, boating, and the number 5, and was the happiest when he was on the water surrounded by loved ones.

Rick was a Ouimet Society Lifetime Member, long-time Ouimet Chair at Oyster Harbors, and the son of the late Dick Stimets who was the Ouimet Fund President from 1994-1996.

The Stimets family has always been proud of the Dick Stimets endowed scholarship which they set up with the Ouimet Fund in 2003, to which they have directed memorial donations.

Rick and his mom Virginia (Ginny) had been great friends of the Ouimet Fund and regular attendees at our events. His sense of humor and zest for life will always be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Stimets family.

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Editor / Publisher

Timothy R. Branco

myNEGM.com

March 2013 Vol VI Issue I

tim@nepubinc.com

Graphic Design & Production

Chris Hunter

CollectiveThoughtMedia.com

Reach Over 400,000 New England Golfers Monthly

Administration

Mary L. Hullett mary@nepubinc.com

Tom Gorman Contributors Tim Geary John Molori Pam Borges Alice Scott Bob DiCesare Laura Ebrecht Robert Martin Steve Riggs Kathleen Dyson Jeff Palopoli Matt Adams Emily Kay Jim Hammond Jack Ross Ed Travis Danny Scott Matt Hoeske Leigh McKay Becky Blaser Elisa Gaudet Greg Sampson

PGA Tour Photographer

Ken Dennis

kendennisphoto.com

Elle Brec

Fashion Writer ellebrecgolf@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing

Greg Sampson - Manager greg@nepubinc.com

David Benvissuto - Asst. Manager

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New England Golf Monthly is published 10 times yearly by The New England Publishing Group Inc. Reproduction of the contents, images and editorial is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Neither advertiser or publisher will be held liable for errors or omissions in any content of this publication. All rights reserved.

For product marketing distribution and/or direct mail information contact us at info@NewEnglandGolfMonthly.com

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Gorman vs. Geary

by Tom Gorman and Tim Geary

Should There Be a Penalty for Throwing Clubs ?

by Tom Gorman

NO. Do we all agree golf is an amazingly infuriating sport? Most of us have between 80 and 110 shots to get disgusted about during a round, and the nearest object to take out our frustrations being with the golf club. What did Bobby Jones mean when he said, “Some emotions cannot be endured with a golf club in your hands?”

I love the game and over four decades have worn lavender-colored sweaters, shirts with little penguins, crocodiles and polo ponies on them. Have worn Sans-A-Belt slacks in colors and patterns found nowhere in nature. I subscribe to Golfweek, Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf Magazine, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Playboy (but only for the golf articles.)

My web browser has 300 bookmarks to golf-related websites and neither rain, sleet nor snow will keep me from missing a reserved tee time that is guaranteed with a major credit card.

Now, this confession: Yes, it’s true – I throw my clubs! I toss them like a salad, heave them like a shot of tequila and kick them like a new set of tires.

With that disclosure I am out of the golf closet and proud of it. The best part is that I have never been penalized! Although golf has more rules than any other sport, there are no penalties for club tossing.

Go figure!

Far from being a shameful thing, club throwing is an art. It relieves stress, burns calories, builds muscle and it keeps all the nearby players on their toes.

This debate with the maniacal, ticking-time-bomb Mr. Geary is about players who can’t control their temper, who might drop 20 F-bombs per round and who spend hundreds of dollars every year at the golf repair shop paying for new shafts and grips.

Has this happened to you? You’re in the woods so deep a GPS cannot find your ball. You toss your club like a boomerang into the green wall of foliage.

Snap, crackle, pop. Broken branches everywhere— and your utility-wood is in two pieces. Only poison

ivy trying to retrieve it will make matters worse.

I tend to get irate when shots do not go where they’re aimed especially errant tee shots or four consecutive three-putt greens. I’m 150 yards out in the middle of the fairway with a green-light 7-iron in hand. Suddenly, I drop my shoulder and lay sod over the ball, leaving me 40-yards short of the green. There are times when the offending club soars skyward or rattles across the cart path, throwing sparks as it skips along — snapping the shaft in two. Bummer!

According to the Golf Club Chucker Association of America, Ronald Bradstock, a hacker, from Atlanta holds the record for longest club throw at 62.52 yards. Club throwers pay no dues, have no meetings to attend but incur expenses for new clubs and higher insurance premiums. Apparently, Bradstock will throw a golf club at least once a round – and he doesn’t do it for amusement – he’s genuinely angry at himself that he’ll let it fly like Tom Brady tossing one from mid-field to the end zone.

One of professional golf’s most well-known club throwers in his day was Tommy Bolt. Some players are able to shrug off a bad shot, others might use an expletive but “Terrible” Tommy Bolt, who was inducted in the Golf hall of Fame, was notorious.

He is quoted, “It thrills a crowd to see a guy suffer. That’s why I threw clubs so often. They love to see golf get the better of someone, and I was only too happy to oblige them. At first I threw clubs because I was angry. After a while it became showmanship, plain and simple. I learned that if you helicopter those dudes by throwing them sideways instead of overhand, the shaft wouldn’t break as easy. It’s an art, it really is.”

Tom Gorman’s favorite excuse for reshafting clubs is he hit a tree root while swinging! Yeah right!

Should There Be a Penalty for Throwing Clubs ?

by Tim Geary

I have witnessed, on many occasions, some Olympian hurling of golf clubs. I will admit that I have participated in this frowned upon, but largely universally shared aspect of the game.

Somewhere is an instructional video on how to properly launch a driver into the stratosphere (probably Jimmy Ballard) with proper weight shift.

Anyone who claims never to have heaved a club in the course of playing the course, is either a liar, Mother Theresa or the greatest golfer to ever live.

Actually the two greatest golfers to ever live, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have been seen tossing their utensils during fits of pique, although in Jack’s case he simply said, “I was just getting it back to my caddy as quickly as possible.”

Our debate this month does not revolve around whether people throw clubs, but whether should there be a rule implemented that punishes such behavior?

The idea for this discourse lies with one of the most legendary of Irish hurlers, Mr. Tom Gorman, who has done more for the club replacement business than any other single person on the planet.

While I will admit to having tossed a few shafted projectiles in my golfing life, I am a rank amateur compared to Tossing Tom. So naturally Gorman is arguing that no, you should not be assessed a stroke penalty for every throwing infraction, while I, by default, will defend the more prudent position of yes, there should be a penalty for acting like a baboon.

Gorman’s position is understandable. As it is he can’t break 90 on any course that doesn’t have windmills and clown’s mouths. Put in a stroke penalty for every toss of the club and he’s looking at the kind of scores that say “genius” on an I.Q. Test.

Golf is supposed to be a gentleman’s game. Of course now that the ladies have joined the fray (and I have yet to see a woman fire a club away in anger) we should rephrase and refer to it as a gentle person’s game.

The game of golf is one of the most frustrating of all human endeavors and when the instruments by which we attack a golf course betray us, mainly because we don’t have the swing necessary to produce the desired results, we have an overwhelming urge to punish them.

It’s a totally irrational reaction and a very expensive one as well, but golfers are seldom a rational bunch about how much they spend on the game and it’s equipment.

But if one were to lose a shot every time one violently discarded one’s 4-iron or it’s accompanying siblings, I seriously doubt we’d see the skies filled with true temper steel.

The problem is just what would constitute a penalty? If a player just drops the club or flips it away in disgust at yet another in a series of snap hooks, should they be be penalized as much as somebody who whirls around like a discus thrower and sends a club 35 yards down the fairway?

And should players be penalized for imitating Tiger and attacking the turf after a shot misbehaves?

Hacking up the superintendent’s pride and joy could be considered worse than whirlybirding a driver.

Still, there should be some kind of penalty for doing something that is not only bad form but downright dangerous. I once threw a club into the air and it nearly decapitated one of my playing partners. And there was once an incident where a man threw his club at a tree, had it break in two and ricochet back to impale him.

So I am all in favor of adding one stroke to the scorecard for every time a club is sent flying. Frequent fliers should be restricted to the airline business and kept off the fairways.

Tim Geary is a R.I. based freelance writer. He once got poison ivy after climbing a tree to retrieve his driver, which obviously had slipped out of his grasp.

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