As an independent insurance agency partnership, we do not work for an insurance company; we work for you. We represent a carefully selected group of financially sound, reputable insurance companies and we place your policy with the company offering the best coverage at a competitive price.
Is Your Business or Golf Facility Getting î‚Še Best Coverage at î‚Še Most Competitive Price? Call Today and We Will Provide You with a Full Insurance Analysis Business Liability | Commercial Equipment | Commercial Property Commercial Umbrella | Workers' Compensation Alberto Insurance 508-675-7488
Mizher Insurance 508-675-0308
Citizens-Union Insurance 508-679-6477
Patenaude Insurance 508-678-3100
Tiverton Insurance 401-624-9936
Partnersinsgrpllc.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 3
In this issue myNEGM.com April 2011 | Vol IV. Issue II
Editor / Publisher Timothy R. Branco Design & Production CollectiveThoughtMedia.com Administration Mary L. Hullett Contributors Tom Gorman Greg Sampson John Molori Tim Geary John Lyon Larry Gavrich Alice Scott Pam Borges Bob DiCesare Laura Ebrecht Steve Riggs Robert Martin Jeff Palopoli Kathleen Dyson Emily Kay Matt Adams Jack Ross Jim Hammond Danny Scott Ed Travis Trish Davis Leigh McKay Neil Policow PGA TOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Ken Dennis kendennisphoto.com Inset cover photo by Ken Dennis
FASHION WRITER
Elle Brec ellebrecgolf@gmail.com
SALES & MARKETING
Greg Sampson - Manager gsampson@NewEnglandGolfMonthly.com
NATIONAL SALES
Jim Smith jsmith@mynegm.com
REAL ESTATE SALES
Betsy Griffin betsy@NEpub.com
NE Golf Life: Back to School Good Looks on the Course: Rain Gear & Footwear Molori Unplugged: Joe Amorosino Couple of Travelers: Quebec Celebrity Golfer: John O'Hurley Pay It Forward: Standout Events Players Perspective: Putters Team New England on the Tours Gorman vs. Geary
6 17 25 26 32 42 50 54 58
FROM THE EDITOR
A New Beginning It is April once again which traditionally marks the beginning of the golf season in New England. While the snow is gone, playing golf in cool temperatures and seasonally damp weather in spring is all about staying warm and dry while being able to have freedom of motion. Restriction of movement by what we choose to wear can make any golf swing inconsistent. Elle Brec tackles this issue in her Golf Fashion piece this month, be sure to have a look at all the latest trends in style, function and design for the game. It’s Masters Week in golf and there is nothing like the smell of azaleas in Augusta in spring. There is no place in the world like Augusta National as the mystique and tradition of this great tournament kicks off the season’s first major. I for one would love to see Tiger find his heart once again and win at this great venue. There is no secret that without a clear mind it is almost impossible to reach our potential. This is also true for Tiger; he is human like us all. Each year we all promise ourselves that we are going to work to play better and improve. We set our goals in the early season and choose a path that may include new equipment, instruction and an assortment of game improvement shortcuts,my how golfers love shortcuts. In reality there are no shortcuts to golf or weight loss either for that matter. Golfing more does not make you a better golfer and eating more will never make you a better eater. They both require discipline and work and we get out what we put in. April once again is our “Game Improvement Issue”, we have loaded it up with some of the best equipment, advice and professional tips the best in the game has to offer. In New England we are blessed with some of the very best PGA Professionals in the world who are available at both public and private facilities throughout the region. It is a great place to start your game improvement. Remember practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect! Good luck with your season and all the best.
Timothy R. Branco Tim@NEpub.com 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.
New England Golf Monthly The New England Publishing Group, Inc.
For product marketing distribution and/or direct mail information contact us at info@NewEnglandGolfMonthly.com
P.O. Box 357 Swansea, MA 02777 800-736-9020
4 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
THE PREFERRED PUBLICATION OF THE NEPGA
18 Hole SemiPrivate Course Pro Shop open to Public Golf Outings Available Starter: (401)842-0126
Clubhouse and Lounge Open to Public Banquet Room - 200 Person Capacity Perfect for Weddings Clubhouse: (401)847-9543
371 Union St. | Portsmouth RI 401.847.9543 | greenvalleyccofri.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 5
New England Golf Life
by Katherine Dyson
Back to School
Nantucket Golf Academy
You've gotta love this time of year. Golf leagues are gearing up, fairways are greening up, and finally, you get to pull the plastic off that new driver you got for Christmas. You are stoked. If you want to take some strokes off your game and knock your handicap down a few notches, why not jump-start your game by investing in a golf school. If you are new to the game, then a golf school is a great way to go. New England is home to a number of good schools offering everything from daily clinics to multi-day golf schools with low student-to-teacher ratio and teaching aids like video swing analysis. If you have ever wondered why Michelle Wie or Bubba Watson can hit the ball a ton and you can't, just wait until you see your body in motion superimposed on the video next to theirs. You may think, "Hey, my swing's pretty good" en when you really take a hard look at reality, you may see you aren't quite as buttery smooth as you thought. Golf school can help. Here are some suggestions with programs for all levels of golfers.. Experienced golfers will learn where and how they can build on their strengths to improve their game. New golfers will learn grip, stance, alignment, ball position, swing fundamentals and the allimportant etiquette of the game.
Nantucket Golf Academy, Nantucket, Massachusetts e Golf Academy at Miacomet Golf Course priced from $1,300 for two includes a two-night stay at the historic White Elephanat, breakfasts, morning
6 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
instruction, lunch and 18 holes of golf, nine with oncourse instruction, nine on your own.. You also get a Digital Video Swing Analysis DVD of your swing, spa and dinner credits, transportation to and from the course and a gift bag of fun goodies including a Miacomet golf shirt and hat. is package is offered Sunday to Tuesday on selected dates. 954-817-3636 Nantucketgolfacademy.com
Vermont Golf Academy, Stowe, Vermont e Vermont Golf Academy and the classic Stowe Golf Course, the oldest of the mountain courses and a very hilly classic resort track, is located in northern Vermont, an area packed with resorts, ski lodges, restaurants and shops. With 360 degree views of the mountains, the scenery doesn't get much better. Facilities at the Vermont Golf Academy include a huge driving range, covered hitting area, a short game skills area, putting greens and even some unique terrain designed to allow you to practice hours to deal with troubled lies. A two-day program is from $350 giving you eight hours of instruction (9 am to 1 pm both days) as well as a round of golf. You'll get a video analysis as well as an assessment on how your clubs fit you. e student to teacher ration is four to one. If you stay at the new Stowe Mountain Lodge, you
get to play the Stowe Mountain Golf Club Course by Bob Cupp, a highly rated track which takes full advantage of a spectacular mountain setting. ere are also several condo-style rentals in the area. 888-478-6938; 800-253-4754; stowe.com;
fitting. After golf enjoy the Stratton Sports Center's pool, hot tub and workout facilities. $599. Stratton's mountain lodging properties provide a range of accommodations including condos which appeal to small groups. 800-STRATTON; Stratton.com
summer.stowe.com/golf/vt_golf_academy
Stratton Golf School, Stratton, Vermont Set in southern Vermont, Stratton's Golf School, has an extensive golf instruction program along with three very playable nines which wind through forest and lakes with expansive views of the Green Mountains. Founded in 1969 by Arnold Palmer, this 22-acre golf facility, offers half-, one-, two- and three-day adult schools along with ladies-only and junior programs. Facilities include classrooms, weather-proof hitting areas, video technology, and most important of all, excellent teaching professionals. ere’s even a place to practice going over water and after your instruction, you can get practical experience on the Player’s School Course. ere are several different programs including the "Play with a Pro Golf" where you typically work with the pro in the morning than play with him (or her) in the afternoon focusing on course management. Family Golf Programs and Junior Golf Camps (five days/$289); 5-day junior golf/tennis camp and U.S. Kids Golf Program incorporating fun games and competition into the golf instruction, are also offered. A three-day Ladies Program taught by women pros, features a 4:1 student teacher ratio and includes oncourse instruction along with video analysis and club
Cranwell Resort Spa & Golf Club, Lenox, MA A grand brick mansion (circa 1884) set on the crest of hills surrounded by the Berkshire Mountains is the centerpiece of the Cranwell Resort Spa & Golf Club while a fine parkland-style course designed by Wayne Styles and John Van Kleek in 1926 and a golf school enhance the stay of golf-oriented guests. At the heart of Cranwell's 60-acre instructional complex is the 10,000 square-foot indoor learning center, the largest in the Northeast with an indoor hitting barn, video review studios, filming areas, classroom, putting green, covered hitting stations and an outdoor deck. Weekly clinics and golf instruction includes video analysis. ere is also a super spa offering golf-oriented massages. 800-272-6935; Cranwell.com
Lake of Isles, Stonington, CT Lake of Isles two Rees Jones-designed courses, North and South, are owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and managed by Troon Golf. Located adjacent to Foxwoods Resort Casino, the two courses wind their way through 900 acres of wooded Connecticut countryside and around a 90-acre lake. South is private, while North is a stunning amenity
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 7
for Foxwoods resort guests and others. Amenities include a 50,000 sq. ft. clubhouse and a state of the art indoor and outdoor practice facility. Private and group instruction including full day mini schools and multi-day programs are offered at the Hank Haney Golf Academy. Golf schools include instruction, course play, meals and accommodations at Foxwoods. Ladies-Only golf weekends are led by women pros Sue Card senior instructor at Lake of Isles and Dawn Mercer, director of instruction at Innisbrook Resort, Florida. Teaching studios are equipped with Golf Biodynamice 3D swing analysis, and there are four covered bays, 60,000 square feet of teeing space, putting, chipping and bunker practice areas.888.475.3746 or visit lakeofisles.com.
Mount Snow Golf Course & Original Golf School, West Dover, Vermont Doveberry Inn along with the Hilly Mount Snow Golf Club in southern Vermont, have collaborated to bring you golf instruction at the Original Golf School under Jay Morelli’s supervision. Two- day packages include accommodations and breakfasts at the Doveberry Inn and instruction starting at $615 while three-day packages include three nights lodging and two days of golf school, plus 18 holes of golf with cart, starting at $715. 800-240-2555; mountsnow.com; doveberryinn.com
Guaranteed Performance School of Golf, Bethel Inn, Maine e "Guaranteed Performance™ School of Golf at Bethel Inn's scenic mountain golf course (circa 1913), offers an all-inclusive golf school program incorporating serious instruction into a fun vacation. You get five hours of personalized on-course instruction daily, a three-to-one student/teacher ration, dig-
8 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
ital video analysis, three meals, accommodations in the charming Bethal Inn, cocktail reception, unlimited golf with cart and use of range, and all taxes and resort facilities. Plus you get a promise your game will improve. How good is that! Two-, three- and four-day schools are available along with commuter packages. 800-654-0125; Bethelinn.com
Stowe Acres Country Club, Stowe, Massachusetts e golf school at Stow Acres Country Club just 25 miles west of Boston with two 18-holes courses North and South, covers every phase of the golf game along with on-course instruction. One, two, three, senior, ladies, short game, parent-child and graduate schools are available. For example the three-day school priced from $475 gives you 15 hours of instruction, 27 holes of golf, club fitting, video analysis, special gifts and continental breakfast and buffet lunches. To keep the mojo going after school is over, you are given a regimen of warm-up procedures, practice techniques, and swing drills for continued self-improvement. e maximum student to teacher ratio is 5 to 1. 978-568-1100 x 108 or golfschool@stowacres.com.
Heading South? e following schools have excellent teaching facilities and programs. Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club north of Tampa, Florida (innisbrookgolfresort.com); Jim Suttie School, Twin Eagles, Naples, Florida (jimsuttie,com); e Anne Cain Golf School at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida (annecaingolf.com) and the Dana Rader Golf School on the grounds of Ballantyne Resort, Charlotte, North Carolina. (danaradar.com) For a short game fix, check out the Dave Pelz Short game Schools offered in several locations throughout the country. (pelzgolf.com)
Skins Game
by Katherine Dyson
The Core of the Matter
Going to golf school is one way to tune-up your golf game. Another is tuning up your level of fitness including your core strength and balance skills.. Several spas offer a number of treatments geared to golfers and sports enthusiasts as well as fitness facilities. e 35,000 square foot Spa at Cranwell Resort & Spa is a wow with 16 treatment rooms, Spa Café, Spa Suites with fireplaces and saunas along with a 5,000square-foot Fitness Center with a 60-foot indoor lap pool. Fifty spa services range from soothing massages to exotic "body envelopment experiences" using seaweed and thermal clay. e Hot Stone Massage delivers a double whammy combining deep penetrating heat of warmed smooth stones with warm oil and aromatherapy. Also popular is the Deep Tissue Massage with Moist Heat, perfect to sooth sore muscles. Cranwell.com Vermont's picture-postcard village of Woodstock with all its 18th and 19th century homes, interesting shops, and no less than three covered bridges, is home to the Woodstock Inn & Resort built by Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1969 on the site of the original inn and tavern (1793). Woodstock's new $10 million, 10,000 square foot Spa, the first in the resort's 218-year history is natureinspired with a different signature treatment is offered each season. For weary backs and sore muscles, try the Body Melt Back erapy to relieve tension deep within spinal muscles. And especially for men, book the "Golfer's Delight Massage" which focus on the neck, forearms, lower back and hips to help loosen tired and tight muscles. woodstockinn.com Located in the Killington Grand Hotel, Vermont, the Killington Grand Spa uses local products like rose hips and maple syrup in their treatments which includes massages, facials, nail services and body therapies. Wonderfully relaxing after a day on the course is the Warm Stone Massage or go deeper with a therapeutic massage addressing knots and tight muscles.
e Spa at Topnotch Resort, a luxury pad in Stowe, VT, has a whole menu of answers for tired muscles. In particular there is the Vermont Herbal Fusion Wrap which envelopes you in an aromatic cocoon of warmth. Feel the tension melt away as linens that have steeped in Vermont grown herbs and flowers are layered and wrapped around your body. en fall into a blissful state as you get a head and neck massage with a bled pf sage, cedar and lavender oils. Or pamper your lower legs and feet with the Hammam Foot Ritual, a seven -part purification .Your feet are intensely cleansed, vigorously scrubbed and wrapped in a rich, warm layer of jasmine. e Spa is on Us package includes a spa service plus a second one "on the house" along with accommodations from $306 per night. topnotchresort.com As a guest of e Mountain Club at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire, you enjoy complimentary access to the three-story European-style Viaggio Spa and Health Club. Relax body and mind with a spa treatment and participate in Yoga and Pilates as well as state-of-the-art health club amenities. loonmtn.com Imagine soaking in a deliciously warm infinity-edge soak tub on the top of a tower with the New Hampshire's White Mountains all around. While a gentle rhythm soothes the senses, champagne-like bubbles cling to the body and caress the skin. (25 min./$65 for one; $100 per couple). e tower is part of the spa amenities at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa which has been sitting like a huge yellow cruise ship in the mountains since 1865. e spa offers more than 60 spa services including hydrotherapy sessions using the region's pure White Mountains water and a 252-jet Chroma Tub. Men's Muscle Repair A good choice for sports enthusiasts is a full-body massage incorporating stretching and spot treatments for local aches and pains associated with exercise.
killingtonresortlodging.com
mountainviewgrand.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 9
Home on the Course
by Larry Garvich
Coastal Golf Living for Under $300K
In an informal survey at my web site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, most couples preferred by a two to one margin a golf home near the coast over one in the mountains. anks to a sluggish market, prices for nicely outfitted new and re-sale homes in top-notch coastal golf communities start in the $200s. Here are a few that could elevate your golf game without trashing your bank account. Bay Creek, Cape Charles, VA. e Delmarva Peninsula is a pleasant day’s drive from New England (shorten the trip with a ferry ride from Cape May, NJ). Bay Creek, the 12th best resort in the U.S. (per Golf World) and just 10 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel, was the first community to offer a tandem of Palmer and Nicklaus courses. Town homes start in the $200s. www.baycreek.net Carolina Colours, New Bern, NC. Grow old gracefully on the one-year old course, which architect Bill Love designed to reward consistency and avoid mental exhaustion. Located within a few minutes of the charming town where Pepsi was invented. New homes from the $200s. www.carolinacolours.com Brunswick Forest, Leland, NC, is one of the fastest growing golf communities in the east. e developer has deep pockets and it shows in the retail center at the gate and the much talked about Tim Cate designed Cape Fear National Golf Club. Nearby Wilmington is
a favorite of retiring boomers and young people alike. New homes from the $200s. www.brunswickforest.com River’s Edge, Shallotte, NC. Smack between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, the dedicated golfer will find lots of great courses nearby. But the on-site Palmer course is enough to make a homebody of any golfer. Town homes from the low $200s. www.riversedge-nc.com Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island, SC. e Nicklaus Signature course with drop-dead gorgeous marsh views is widely hailed as a top-five choice in golf-rich Myrtle Beach. Just five minutes from a clean, wide beach and an hour from Charleston, the gated community is private without being isolated. Town homes from the $100s, single-family homes from the $200s. www.pawleysplantation.com Charleston National, Mt. Pleasant, SC. A challenging Rees Jones layout threads through homes and marsh. Just 15 minutes from one of America’s great cities and 20 minutes from the airport, the location could not be better. Oh yes, great mall shopping is virtually a bicycle ride away. Single-family homes from the $200s. www.charlestonnationalgolf.com
Moss Creek, Bluffton, SC. Just over the bridge from Hilton Head, dozens of excellent golf courses are within minutes, but no need to venture far since Moss Creek’s Fazio layouts are good enough to have hosted pro tournaments. Homes that are aging gracefully available in the $200s. www.mosscreek-hiltonhead.com
OfficiAl SpONSOr
Black Pearl Marina
Lift & Wet Slips Avail. - 13' - 55'
Jupiter, FL
Complete custom boat redesign & fabrication to "like new" factory restoration, fibreglass repairs, fibreglass fuel tank replacement and more.
10
561.744.2223 | BlackPearlMarina.com
Top 5 reasons ®
to play golf at Innisbrook
5. 72 holes of championship golf and no surcharge to tackle the famed Copperhead Course – home of the PGA TOUR’s Transitions Championship.
4. We’re only 30 minutes away from the superb Tampa International Airport and we’ll even pick you up.
3. We offer spacious suites, with kitchens, dining and living areas, balconies and patios – and have dining covered with sports bars, a poolside grill, a steakhouse & gourmet market.
2. Need we remind you about Florida’s perfect year-round golf climate? Well, we just did.
1. Our unbeatable rates – packages begin at $144* or we’ll customize a trip to meet your budget. Offer Includes: • Deluxe accommodations • One round of golf per night of stay from check-in until check-out PLUS extra bonus round (including the famed Copperhead*)
• Full breakfast daily • $20 Retail credit to any pro shop • Advanced starting times • Unlimited use of practice facilities • Unlimited fitness center access
*rates are per person based on double occupancy; subject to availability.
For reservations: 800.492.6899 or innisbrookgolfresort.com 36750 U.S. Highway 19 North, Innisbrook, Florida 34684 -1239 Book by 05/31/11, Stay by 08/30/11, Mention code: NE GOLF
Tired of cold weather and snow? How about a home in South Carolina?
- 100+ golf courses - Sandy beaches - Entertainment & attractions - Boating & fishing – ocean or Intercoastal waterway - Direct flights - Friendly people - And, low property taxes
Come to the Cape this Winter! Cape Coral Florida
MORECAPECORAL.COM
Come Sail Away! Rare 3 bed, 2 bath Beach Pkwy Condo with 200ft Sailboat access canal and dock. Wide home-like design with big patio. Covered parking and extra storage and heated pool. Small Pets Allowed! Riverfront park area. $145,206
Your trusted Myrtle Beach connection – also serving Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island
Rick Gibbins Century 21 Hawkeye Realty Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 843.685.2063 - cell rickgibbins@earthlink.net www.rickgibbins.com
Quality, Style, Value! Built in 2006, 3 car garage, heated pool home. 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bath, open airy great room design. Quality built to superior standards. Large wrap around composite dock with 10k lb. boat lift $379,263
Considering a golf home? We can put you on the right course.
We identify the golf communities and courses that best match your lifestyle as well as your game.
E! FRin-Edeptnhity mu com eport r
Our opinions are always unbiased and our service is totally free.*
Love a Spectacular View! Gulf Access, Lake Front Pool Home. 3 spacious bedrooms, 2 Bath and Den. Soaring Ceilings and 4 sets of Sliders to view pool and Lake. Contemporary, open design. Large composite dock with 10k lb. Boat Lift. $395,507
Contact us today, and start living the dream tomorrow.
Contact us at editor@GolfCommunityReviews.com and we will send you one of our in-depth reports so you can judge for yourself. (Choose among reviews of Myrtle Beach, Asheville, Chapel Hill, Savannah and others.)
GolfCommunityReviews.com *We are paid referral fees by real estate agents. There is never a charge to our customers.
12 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Resort Style Living at Cape Harbour! 11th floor, furnished 2 bd/2ba, Cape Harbour. Tall 9' sliders and screened balcony with views of the canal. Makes great vacation rental.Take the elevator down to shops, waterfront restaurants, Gazebo and boat docks. $219,113
Maureen Gobbi RE/MAX Realty Team 2362 Del Prado Blvd. S. Cape Coral Fl, 33990 Office: (239) 425-2519 Cell: (239)850-0448
EXCLUSIVE RHODE ISLAND HOMES
SO. TIVERTON: Majestic 2006 built home on 4+ acres. 7,200 sq. ft. Of living areawith 11 rooms. 4 BR’s, 4 full, 3 half baths. Two story high entrance & living room with sweeping stairway. Media room, Study, Family/Game room. Dream kitchen with every amenity. Superb master wing. Radiant heat. Top quality throughout. 3 car garage plus additional garage entrance to the huge basement level. $1,199,000 | CHEE 401-835-5021 | www.85knottypine.com
SOUTH TIVERTON: Superb 4 BR, 4 ½ bath home on 1.7 acres. Energy Star rated home built in 2007 withevery luxury amenity. Hydro air heat. C-Air. Surround sound. C-vac. 2 fireplaces. First floor master suite.Finished walk-out level w/ 9' ceilings, lots of windows. Great neighborhood with easy access to Rte 24. $749,000 CHEE 401-835-5021 www.seetheproperty.com/62985
White Cliffs Country Club
LIVE. PLAY. RELAX. Escape. Oceanfront, gated 18-hole golf commmunity. Beach, golf, tennis, gym, restaurant, pro shop. 2 BR 1.5 bath condo's from $150K.
GormanAssociates.net | 781-329-6111
For Sale or Lease SO. TIVERTON: Steps from the Sakonnet River in a private community. Impeccable custom homeon 1.7 acres. 3 BR. 2 baths. 2 fireplaces. 3 car garage. First floor master suite with sitting area. Beautifulkitchen. Enjoy magnificent sunsets! Mooring and deeded water access. $775,000 CHEE 401-835-5021 www.seetheproperty.com/57889
Golf Driving Range Mini Golf Family Fun Center Located in Southern New England High Traffic Location
19 Acre Facility with 18 Years Established Customer Base:
SO.TIVERTON: Magnificent 11 room Contemporary on 2 + acres. Open and spacious home with sunken living room, fireplace and vaulted ceilings. Family room w/ fireplace. 3 baths. Inlaw with kitchen. Sunroom. Decks, pool and hot-tub. Mature trees and lovely gardens. $525,000 Call Mary 401-862-5983.
(401) 683-6200 (401) 625-1188 (800) 683-6240
EastShoreProperties.com 3030 East Main Rd. Portsmouth, RI
Service + Experience = Sold
24 Open Hitting Bays 12 Heated Covered Bays 12 Member Bays Grass Practice Area, Putting Green, Sand Trap Practice Area Batting Cages, 18 hole Harris Themed Mini Golf, Food Concession Room For Retail Golf Sales Shop & Expansion, Strong Signage with Parking for 88 cars, 1/8 mile from New Super Target & Wallmart, All Equipment included in Sale or Lease
Serious Inquiries Only Financing Available to Qualified Buyers
Call 774-930-1623 April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 13
Women’s Golf
by Trish Davis
The Power of the Purse Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
e volunteer boards for New England’s seven EWGA Chapters have been hard at work as the snow fell preparing for a great golf season. Check it out. Enjoy organized leagues, traveling tours, the 2nd annual New England Cup, Chapter Championships (the qualifying rounds of EWGA Championship series), learning programs for all skill levels, mentoring programs for new golfers, social events like wine tasting just for the fun of it, and events for business networking. ere is something for everyone to get connected, get involved, and have fun. All this activity adds up to good news for the golf industry. A 2010 survey of EWGA members conducted by the PGA of America found that the average EWGA member plays 35 rounds per year. EWGA members spent an average of $4,533 on golf activities, merchandise and golf related travel, with each local EWGA Chapter annually generating $550,000 in golf related spending and an average of 4,300 rounds of golf. With over 120 chapters throughout the United States, the EWGA represents nearly $70 million to the golf industry. e women (and men) of the EWGA work hard, play hard, love golf, and through the power of their purses, are making a significant impact on golf. Do something good for yourself, your business, and your health and wellbeing – get involved with EWGA today. For more information about EWGA and its membership, visit www.ewga.com
14 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
He Said, She Said
by Jim Hammond and Pam Borgess
He Said: e Brookside Club From e Players Tees Cape Cod is a year-round destination for New England golfers, but it is 68 miles from one end of the Cape to the other and the traffic can be very trying. However, location is everything and e Brookside Club in Bourne certainly has everything. Drive over the Bourne Bridge and take Route 28 for a mere 1 ¼ miles and turn right at the big Brookside Club sign. e first thing you will notice is a large clubhouse constructed with a natural wood finish that houses the pro shop and restaurant with enormous picture windows. I visited on a blustery March day with winds gusting over 35 miles m.p.h. But general manager, Joe Deely, informed me that over 130 people had booked tee times that day. ere is a spacious driving range for warming up, complete with a 50 yard area where you can fine tune your short game and a bunker to work on those sand shots. e first tee is on top of a hill that provides majestic views of the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzards Bay. It’s 460 yards from the blue tees but hit your tee shot at the crest of the hill and you will have a flat area to fire at the green that is fronted by a small pond. e next hole is a short downhill par 3 only 175 yards from the back tees with an opportunity to score par or better. e course is known for its pristine conditions, yet I think a major attraction is that it demands good tee shots if you wish to score well. Many courses on the Cape are very flat but Brookside has lots of rolling fairways that border cranberry bogs and give great views of the Bay. Brookside is only 6,317 yards from the blue tees so you can leave the drive in the bag on several holes and tee off with a fairway metal and still have a medium iron for your shot to the green. e number one hole is the 440 yard par 4 eighth. You need the driver here and the green is on a ridge surrounded by bunkers. Plan your tee shots carefully and you will enjoy the course. I visited the dining room and the food was terrific. You can sit by one of the enormous picture windows and watch boats cruise through the Cape Cod Canal. I was told they often run golf specials so when you call for a tee time be sure to inquire about any discounts that they may be offering at the time. Phone the Pro Shop at 508 743-4653 or see their site on the web.
The Brookside Club She Said: e Brookside Club From e Forward Tees It’s April and N.E. golfers are struggling with that “Feeling”. You know…that antsy, anxious feeling as we await the opening of our local courses. Newsflash…Cape Cod is open for play! Searching for a course that has diverse, memorable holes, offers a wildly adventurous ride with an element of surprise, steep elevation changes as well as stunning views? e Brookside Club has it all. e first course on Cape Cod over the Bourne Bridge, prides itself as “A public golf course with a private club feeling”. Designed by Michael Hurdzan, the course stretches from 5169 to 6317 yards, with a slope/rating of 118/69.6 for ladies. It features a challenging yet “female-friendly” design with few carries off the forward tees and distance advantage for ladies. e course starts out with a bang…no easy warm-up holes here. First hole is a challenging downhill par-4 with out-of-bounds to the right and a pond coming into play on the uphill approach. e par-3 second hole features a blind shot to the green, and demands accuracy to par this tight downhill design. Beware… there’s lots of blind uphill shotscoaster ride along the steeply sloped and rolling terrain. Aesthetically, this course is unquestionably appealing with its gorgeous vistas…cranberry bogs alongside the 3rd-5th fairways, blue-tinted water fountain adorns the 7th hole pond, view, twists and turns that keep you alert. Riding? Hold on tight…you’re in for a roller- s of Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod Canal and the famous Railroad Bridge. All four par-3s are within driving distance for ladies ranging from 76-143 yards. Among the many uniquely designed, picturesque holes, I found the 12th hole most memorable with its severe dogleg left approach shot over water, taking the form of a babbling brook left of the cascading green. Whether golfing or dining in their Sunset Grille, you’ll be dazzled by the exceptional bay views and “Cape Cod’s Best Sunset.”
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 15
OFFICIAL EYEWEAR OF NEW ENGLAND GOLF MONTHLY
16 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Good Looks on the Course by Elle Brec
The Best Rain Gear for the Hardcore Golfer
We are witnessing the dawning of a new season in technical fabrics for rain gear. No longer will the rain stop us from venturing to our favorite pristine moisturized greens. If you want to stay dry during your round in the April showers, the following products will allow you to, Elle Brec tested and approved as well as manufacturer guaranteed.
Abacus Men’s and Women’s Outerwear Without neglecting any detail, Abacus has developed a technical collection with outstanding waterproofing and breathable stretch fabric, which is lightweight, flexible and functional. e collection is for those that want to test their own and nature’s limits. ey believe it is absolutely possible to ignore the rain. ink about the professionals. ey have to keep their game up regardless of driving rain or hard winds. e only solution is to have clothing that keeps the wind and the rain out. But the rainwear must breathe, that is to say, let out the condensation. You want to feel nice and comfortable even when you’re dressed for rain and wind. And it’s just as important to feel comfortable in your swing, and to feel just like taking a swing in an ordinary sweater even though you are wearing a rain jacket. In 2007 it poured with rain during the Solheim Cup, the European players kept their Abacus jackets on. In the final round of the 2010 Scandinavian Masters it rained
heavily at times. But the winner Richard S. Johnson seemed totally unconcerned. e European ladies Team played in the Pitch rain jacket from Abacus. It is 100 % polyester micro twill waterproof, windproof, breathable, fabric with sealed seams and guarantees ranging from 1-3 years. Tour Wedge rain jacket is a durable rain jacket with poly stretch fabric and rip stop lamination. e fabric makes it possible to combine a good fit with a sleek silhouette. e garment is soft and makes no sound while swinging. Details include a back pocket and adjustable collar, sleeves, bottom, and waist. It is also windproof and features sealed seams with a two year guarantee. Abacus is available in twenty countries, with very strong positions in Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Germany, and Canada. eir goal is to develop Abacus into an International lifestyle brand that reaches beyond the world of golf.
Visit abacus-outdoor.com
OfficiAl SpONSOr
Lauren Sequeira
Stylist | Jacqueline Philip Salon & Spa Paul Mitchell The School, Rhode Island \\ Gram Webb & Wella, New York Vidal Sasson Academy \\ Bridal Specialist and Avid Golfer
461 Angell St., Providence 401.641.2583 JacquelinePhili pSalon.com
Lauren Sequeira -Stylist-
17
Antigua Men’s and Women’s Outerwear Antigua's spring outerwear is created to function in various climates with a trend that focuses on layering. e current opinion is that weather fluctuations throughout the day make it easier to take off-and-add on layers to adjust for comfort. Start with a base layer, Antigua has an excellent long sleeve mock called Hero. Using Antigua's proprietary Desert Dry moisture management technology, it is constructed with a hyper-micro poly fleeced backing against a super soft interlock face. Add a middle fuller weight micro fleece layer to keep warm such as the Men’s and Women’s Sleet. Antigua equally offers thin-layer micro fleece shells in both pullover as well as full zip styling as exceptional layering options in styles. Or for a windier day, try wind resistant shirts function against inclement weather. In styles such as Rendition and Highland, made of Antech Desert Breeze wind block fabric to serve as a guard against wind while offering
Lauren Sequeira 18
-Stylist-
warmth. Made with a two-way stretch laminated jersey bonded to a water resistant membrane. Both offer water resistance protects against the wind and rain as well as comfort of a jersey like fabric. Rendition and Highland both are styled with contemporary color blocking details and stretch aspect of these pieces allows them to be multi functional – on the course and off. To round out Antigua’s outerwear collection offering, Antigua has a variety of great golf jackets. Style Motion is a full zip jacket constructed with a stretch jersey face bonded against a high-low fleece wave pattern engineered for warmth allowing breathability for comfort. e Explorer is built for warmth while being lightweight. With its water resistant woven shell bonded against a micro-fleece inner core Explorer wears and travels well and is well suited for both cold and precipitation alike. So, no need to let weather concerns factor into your round as Antigua has the right outerwear to get you into the clubhouse warm, comfortable and dry. Visit www.antigua.com
OfficiAl SpONSOr
Lauren Sequeira
Stylist | Jacqueline Philip Salon & Spa Paul Mitchell The School, Rhode Island \\ Gram Webb & Wella, New York Vidal Sasson Academy \\ Bridal Specialist and Avid Golfer
461 Angell St., Providence 401.641.2583 JacquelinePhili pSalon.com
prOQUip Men’s and Women’s Outwear
ProQuip represents the highest standard in performance golf outerwear and clothing, providing golfers worldwide with state-of-the-art, technical design garments to cope with every type of weather condition. Internationally known as the serious golfer’s brand, ProQuip was founded in 1981 and has grown to become one of the world’s leading innovators of lightweight golf weather wear. ProQuip supplies thousands of golfers every year – men, women and children – with superior performance products. ProQuip has developed breakthrough high-performance fabric TourFlex over the last three years, an ultralightweight plain weave waterproof fabric featuring all-over two-way stretch for unparalleled freedom of movement and superior comfort. ProQuip’s best ever performing rain suit is made from TourFlex available in a new range of colors for 2011with matching waterproof jackets and pants, all with a three- year unconditional waterproof guarantee.
Ultralite fabric, a high-performance hydrophobic waterproof-breathable outer with a dense integrated weather wear water to bead-up and run quickly and efficiently off the surface, like water off a duck’s back. e rain suits are surprisingly quiet due to the technicality of the garments and the water repellent knitwear. e flexibility of the fabric enables all golfers to swing freely and athletically, as if they were wearing a lightweight second skin. It also features striking modern styling with a slimmer sports cut and is available in an array of sizes. Features include waterproof zips, unobtrusive storage, adjustable cuffs, hem for jackets and leg zip flap adjustments for the pants. ProQuip has served as the Preferred Supplier to more Ryder Cup teams – European and U.S. – and is the Official Supplier to the European Tour. ProQuip products can be found in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Islands of the Caribbean and Bermuda. ProQuip based locally from Marblehead, MA.
Visit www.proquipgolfusa.com
lAUreN’S HAir StyliNG tipS
Always start by misting a heat-protective spray on wet hair. Not only does it stop hair from drying out over time (which makes it much more frizzprone), it helps create a barrier against environmental moisture. 19
Sun Mountain Men’s and Women’s Outwear
Sun Mountain RainFlex® offers the often pursued, yet difficult to attain, combination of lightweight, stretchable, breathable and weatherproof outerwear. In addition to carrying a two-year waterproof guarantee, the garment stretches 100% across the shoulders, 30% top to bottom, and 100% diagonally, due to the knitting process. Traditional rainwear is woven nylon with almost zero stretch. e 2011 line includes RainFlex HD with traditional styling and heavy-duty performance, the new RainFlex LT that is on the lighter scale. RainFlex comes in a variety of colors and styles for both women and men including full-zip jacket, half-zip pullover, short-sleeve pullover, and pants. e women’s line includes full-zip jacket and pants. Fullsuggested retail prices range from $130 to $210. Key features include locking zipper pulls to keep zippers in place and quiet, tabbed cuffs for quick and easy adjustments for optimal fit, pockets to warm hands, and shock cords to maintain a comfortable fit out of the way of the swing.
Lauren Sequeira 20
-Stylist-
In addition to outerwear, for over 25 years, Sun Mountain has been designing and manufacturing functional, high-quality, lightweight golf bags for the serious golfer. Sun Mountain is responsible for many industry firsts, including being the first to use backpacking technology to produce a lightweight nylon golf bag, and being the first to develop a stand bag with integral legs. e Sun Mountain Speed Cart and ClubGlider travel bag are leaders in their respective categories. Sun Mountain is dedicated to finding the most innovative fabrics, the latest manufacturing processes, and the best designs to create a line of performance outerwear that includes rain suits, wind shirts, fleece and the RainFlex collection. Sun Mountain is an officially licensed supplier of outerwear to the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Duramed Futures Tour, and Nationwide Tour, and was the official outerwear provider of the victorious Presidents Cup 2009 US Team. Visit
www.sunmountain.com
OfficiAl SpONSOr
Lauren Sequeira
Stylist | Jacqueline Philip Salon & Spa Paul Mitchell The School, Rhode Island \\ Gram Webb & Wella, New York Vidal Sasson Academy \\ Bridal Specialist and Avid Golfer
461 Angell St., Providence 401.641.2583 JacquelinePhili pSalon.com
Sunice Men’s and Women’s Outwear
Committed to delivering top-quality action wear, Sunice® is a performance-enhancing golf and ski outerwear brand that uses advanced technologies, fabrics and manufacturing methods. Sunice, a longtime expert and leader in the technical outerwear industry, is dedicated to a unique concept of science and style. is is done by creating innovative design, using durable construction, and blending fashion-forward styling while using the latest in technical specialty fabrics. Silver is the most thermally conductive element on the planet. It has great thermo regulating, anti-odor, and anti-static properties. By permanently bonding a layer of pure silver to the surface of a textile fiber, Sunice is able to offer a performance jacket like no other. Sunice holds true to its commitment of being an industry leader as an authentic Gore-Tex supplier with an expanded offering providing more depth to an already broad category. eir Gore-Tex Performance Shell jackets are unbelievably soft to the touch now even lighter and quieter. It doesn’t get any better on a technical level than this. e Sunice science is evident in all the added golf-enhancing features of this jacket, a full top back stretch panel for ultimate freedom of movement. Incorporating an Xstatic stretch lining, patented v-collar with neoprene finish, Sunice is able to offer a lifetime waterproof guarantee on their jackets. Other great features include pro trim waist cinching system, in pocket ball cleaner, lock down zipper pullers, soft touch chin guard, laser cut pockets, and lycra action cuffs. Sunice allows golfers the ability to focus completely on their game when they’re on the course and not on what
they’re wearing. Available in the traditional gray and charcoal but new this year are beautiful bright splashes of blue, red, tangerine, and sleek white. Official licensed product partner for the 2011 and 2012 PGA Championship as well as the 2012 Ryder Cup. Logoed merchandise will be available at green grass facilities nationwide. Fletcher Leisure Group, based in Montreal, Quebec, is a company with 42 years of golf industry experience marketing multiple brands in Canada and the United States. Visit www.sunice.com Sunice has been named Official Rainwear Partner of the of the Executive Women’s Golf Association and will be participating at EWGA events—the EWGA Championship, National Conference, Match Play Cup Finals, Foundation Fundraiser and Fun Days. Sunice will be a licensed vendor of the EWGA in the Member Clubhouse as well as listed in the Marketplace section on the EWGA Shop site. e EWGA is a membership organization with nearly 20,000 active participants, whose purpose is to connect women to learn, play and enjoy golf for business and fun through Chapter activities, educational programs, golfand-networking events and public-awareness programs. Since it’s founding in 1991 the EWGA has touched the lives of more than 100,000 women by connecting women. is tax-exempt association delivers a wide range of golf, social and networking activities for both new and experienced golfers. ere are chapters throughout the United States with international chapters in Canada, each run by volunteer leaders. e EWGA is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Visit www.ewga.com
Lauren’S Hair StyLing tipS
Add a little anti-frizz product. Just keep the application light, and if you can, skip the holding products (like mousse, styling cream, and waxes). While the temptation is always to pile on more products when it's crappy out, this actually makes frizz seem worse most of the time.
21
Footjoy Shoes
DryJoy tour
Full Grain Leather Uppers offer outstanding comfort, breathability, and durability. FootJoy warrants that this golf shoe will be waterproof in normal use for two years. Dri-Lex Suede linings provide superior comfort and slip resistance. Polyurethane Fit beds create an underfoot base that more closely mimics the natural shape of the foot. EVA midsoles and polyurethane outsole provides a lightweight and stable hitting platform during the golf swing. Performance Last technology offers a rounded toe character, fuller fit across the forefoot, and narrow fit in the heel. Pulsar Cleats by Softspikes, the number 1 selling cleat in golf, is the overwhelming choice of touring professionals worldwide. e Pulsar cleats feature all the same turf grip and walking comfort advantages of Black Widow cleat webbing for extra durability and easier cleaning. Visit www.footjoy.com
Lauren Sequeira 22
-Stylist-
OFFiciaL SpOnSOr
Lauren Sequeira
Stylist | Jacqueline Philip Salon & Spa Paul Mitchell The School, Rhode Island \\ Gram Webb & Wella, New York Vidal Sasson Academy \\ Bridal Specialist and Avid Golfer
461 Angell St., Providence 401.641.2583 JacquelinePhili pSalon.com
gustbuster GustBuster's Metro umbrella is the choice for people on-the-go. Wind-tested by College of Aeronautics to 55+ mph. On extremely windy days, the patented system of hardened steel, hexagonal ribs, temper-hardened steel joint connectors and reinforced shaft prevent crimping and snapping. Award winning doublecanopy design allows the wind to freely pass through without turning the umbrella inside out. Conveniently the sheath doubles for backpack or over-theshoulder carrying or to take along in briefcase or purse with the sure grip comfort handle. Pinchless open & close release system prevents the possibility of pinching your skin as older style umbrellas do. e Metro is available in fabulous colors such as
black, navy, burgundy, hunter green, paisley, pink, and red, open to 43-inch canopy. Custom Imprinting and corporate branding available, great for company logos, events, or gifts. Visit www.gustbuster.com
Swing rite
When weather is truly not permitting and no amount of great raingear will sway you to brace the elements, practice indoors with a great tool called the Swing Rite by teaching pro Kate Whitney. e purpose of the Swing Rite is to hear when the club head has released. A proper release ensures consistent shot making, both in distance and accuracy. Listen for the unique click sound and discover where your hands are releasing. For the best golf shot, be sure that the click is occurring in the impact zone, where the imaginary ball is. You can also adjust the head to work on your swing speed. “Kate I would like to let you know about the success that I have had using your Swing Rite training aid. I have used the Swing Rite now for eight years, the students have used it correctly have improved several areas of their swing, the
most important was the speed that they developed in hitting through the ball instead of hitting at it. I have one student who now hits the ball over 270 yards. With repetitive Swing Rite practice students will improve impact, club head lag, and swing speed. Swing Rite is conveniently designed to practice indoors and can be used with a regular exercise program. I recommend your SwingRite to anybody that wants to improve his or her game. ank you." - Ted Sheftic, Top 100 Teacher For many more testimonials visit www.swingrite.com
Lauren’S Hair StyLing tipS
Blow your hair bone dry. Absolutely no moisture should be left in the hair when you're trying to maintain a blowout in humid air. 23
adidas taylor Made Footwear and raingear
Created for the competitive purist, this modern expression of classic golf shoe design combines tour-proven technologies with the finest materials. Premium, hand-finished full-grain leather provides a rich look and feel, as well as superior durability. Leather lining for optimal fit and foam polyurethane sock liner provides support, cushioning and comfort from heel to toe. Advanced thin tech low profile technology brings you even closer to the ground for improved stability, better overall footwork and ultimately more
consistent ball striking. Re-engineered Powerband wraps up higher on the lateral forefoot and medial heel to secure the foot and provide more power and better control. Cushioning technology known as adiPrene provides enhanced impact absorption in the heel for long-lasting comfort while adiTuff technology features an abrasion-resistant material to protect the toe from excessive wear and keeps the shoe looking better detailing, cutting-edge technologies and a 2year warranty. Visit www.adidasgolf.com
Finally, practical products that improve a golfer’s game. ankfully in New England we have adapted to playing golf year round, of course by flying to Florida in the winter. We are finding ways to start earlier in Spring’s colder weather and extend it later in year with the appropriate gear to keep us comfortable. We should also be grateful that we no longer have to refer to the fabric and noise of rain pants as swishy pants. Feel free to connect with Elle at ellebrec@gmail.com
national golf expo Boston Fashion preview
Models Sporting tifosi eyewear 2011 line
elle Brec in abacus & Flora Bella Headwear
Kate and Mark in Sunice gear
OFFiciaL SpOnSOr
NORTHLAND JUICES Official Juice of New England Golf Monthly | Proud Partner of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation | Available at all New England grocery and club retailers
24
www.northlandjuices.com
Molori Unplugged
by John Molori
Just an Average Joe on the Golf Course
As 7News Boston sports director, Joe Amorosino has a lot of responsibility. He anchors multiple weeknight sportscasts, hosts "Sports Xtra" Sundays at 11:25 p.m., and also manages the entire 7News sports department. And oh yeah, he and wife Tiffany have two children, daughter Alexa and son Rhys. It’s no wonder Amorosino revels in discussing his more carefree days on the golf course. “I was a senior at Boston University (Class of 1992), my brother Paul was a junior and my brother Mark was a freshman. We would skip class and play at Leo J. Martin Golf Course. It was only 5 bucks with your college ID. There were no tee times, so we’d put our names in, go to a diner to eat, then come back to play. The course was a nasty combination of 85 year-old guys and college kids. The old guys would always yell at us.” Amorosino’s game progressed along with his television career, and the two often intermingled. He relates, “When I got my first TV job at Cape 11 News (1995) we did a golf tip segment every Friday with Bob Miller. I used to incorporate Bob’s tips into my own game. We also featured a hole of the week, so I got to play 2 or 3 rounds a week on some great courses.” e Cape is as close to golf heaven as any duffer can get. Amorosino recalls some of his favorite courses. “Dennis Pines was a narrow, tree-lined course, not too forgiving but very fair. Hyannis Golf Club was terrific. A couple of amateur golfers, the late Fordie Pitts and Joe Keller, bought the course and made it more challenging. ere was also the Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds in Marstons Mills. It was a tough course with a lot of play, very well-manicured.” Amorosino conveys a neat anecdote from his past days on the links. He states, “I covered Bobby Orr’s charity tournament at e Ridge Club and set my camera up on a par 3 hole with Orr. e green was surrounded by water. If a player got closer to the pin
than Bobby did, he would win an Orr autographed item. I spent about three hours with Bobby that day, just the nicest guy ever, and here I was a very young reporter in his first TV job. Amorosino continues, “A couple of months later, I’m at a huge tournament at Willowbend in Falmouth. ere were about 10 pros there including Greg Norman, as well as ton of celebrities. Roger Clemens was playing, right about the time he was going to leave Boston. I went up to him, and just as I was asking him for an interview, someone gave me a hard kick in the ass. I figured one of my knucklehead friends jumped the wall. It was Bobby Orr. Bobby told Clemens to give me whatever I needed, and we had a great interview.” Amorosino, a Braintree native and 1988 Don Bosco High School graduate, is candid in discussing the realities of interacting with today’s athletes. “When I started at 7News, I played in a lot of celebrity tournaments. Playing a round of golf with an athlete does break down that wall a bit, but there is such a line drawn between media and athletes. It limits the relationship you can have with a player. I remember when Peter Gammons used to shag flies at Spring Training, now you can’t even step on the grass.” A class act on the air and off, family takes up most of Amorosino’s spare time these days, but he still finds a bit of room to play golf, and use the sport to help others. He explains, “I have friends who are members at Brae Burn and Wellesley. If I’m lucky, I’ll get out there three or four times a year. I’m on the board of directors at the John M. Barry Boys and Girls Club in Newton. We hold a benefit tournament every year. is year, it’s at Woodland. All the proceeds benefit the Club. It’s a great tournament for a terrific cause.” Syndicated columnist John Molori writes for numerous publications and appears regularly on AM 1110 WCCM. Email John at MoloriMedia@aol.com.
OFFiciaL SpOnSOr
Miller’s Roast Beef
Family Serving Family Since 1968
628 Warren Avenue East Providence, RI 02914 (401) 434-6678
millersroastbeef.com
734 Newport Avenue Attleboro, MA 02703 Next To Atlantic Golf Center (508) 639-5133
25
Couple of Travelers Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada by Alice and Danny Scott
Voila Charlevoix! An extravagant castle on the cliff of the Saint Lawrence River with a stunning mountain backdrop awaits New England Golfers. e scenic route along the river, from Quebec City, north to Malbaie, leads to the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Hotel. If you have an inclination to play, their “Club de Golf ” has some serious inclines for fun traversing. It’s up and down on every fairway, but the scenery is steady with a water view from each of the 27 holes. Start with the signature number one on the St. Lawrence course for a steep downhill drive looking out to the open water. Better to miss left than right or the ball will be on the beluga run. Number two, a short downhill beauty amazes, then the par 5 number three takes your breath away as well as your balls if you aren’t careful. Four continues the descent and five climbs back up, six down, a zigzag design to incorporate the water views. If you only play nine holes, this is the nine, but they all deliver fun golf and the splendor of the
26 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
seaway. Putts slide to the water but sometimes water is on two sides. If luck eludes you on the greens, try the casino. President Taft’s red phone spent summers in Charlevoix where you can hike the mountain or venture out on the water. It was the first ord we ever forged by sea, but not our first whale rodeo. Who could tire of the majestic breaches and sonic blows of the kings of the sea? Finbacks and minkies, not at all dinky played hide and seek with the tour boats, gracefully emerging for air. e year round Beluga was spotted by one and doubted by some. Converging currents in the St. Lawrence Seaway, from the great lakes, the Atlantic Ocean and Lake St. John trap the tiny creel, on which five types of whales come to feed in a summer and fall frenzy. Le Manoir Richelieu is literally an astronomical and gastronomical experience. Astrophysicists and occasional star gazers alike are beckoned to explore the galaxies from the observatory on the deck of the Restaurant Terrasse. Inside or out on the tiered terraces,
watch the massive ships navigating the river, and be lulled by the tranquil water, the clanging of the red buoy, and the lilt of French. Chef Patrice serves up the local flavors. It is a sweet place with maple as a key ingredient. For more food fantasy, graze along the Flavour Trail in a chauffeured motor coach. Start with a French bakery unsurpassed in pastries and accompaniments. Proceed to the duck farm where not so lucky ducks (but tasty) are raised the Basques way. ree months pass and they become fois du gras. At the cheese maker stop, Maison d’Affinage, you won’t get milked by the price of the cheeses, but you can observe as the sheep get milked in the parlor. Herded in and out by a little dog, they settle into their miniature milking stanchions for their two minute unloading. is sounds silly, but is amusing to watch. Enough with the foods, it’s time for beer. Hop along to the Microbrasserie Charlevoix, where hops are brewed and distributed in the U.S., except for their La Vache Folle – (Mad Cow). e FDA didn’t like the crazy cow’s eyes, thinking they might encourage people to drink more -really? A new beer with champagne yeast appeals to the connoisseur, someone who likes to savor a couple nice brews. Beer crafters drink it; beer bigots won’t, according to owner Frederick, who learned his English by watching Sienfeld episodes. Artisans of food and drink are joined by local painters, collaborating on packaging and promotions as the region is heralding the “slow food movement “. e idea is to take your time and savor the flavors while enjoying the company. Many art galleries are open for viewing in homes along the town and country roads. ere is no better place to complete the trail than back at the Fairmont which is in and of itself an art gallery. Built in 1899, more than $140m was invested in 1998 for renovations to make the property a premier vacation spot in any season. e entire region feels like a different country. Oh, that’s right, it is. Fluency in French is not required when you journey to the wonderland of Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, but you may pick up some Francais while there, like Que Magnifique! Merci Beaucoup! Check out www.fairmont.com/richelieu for packages. New England Golf Monthly | April 2011 | 27
Olde Scotland Links Bridgewater, MA
508.279.3344
Allendale Country Club Call Today for Great Membership programs for 2010-20111 season
Single Full Membership $1950 Family
Membership
$2950 For more information:
Pro Shop 508.992.8682 Business Office 508.992.2174 Or visit us on the web
Allendaleountryclub.com 1047 Allen Street, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
28 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Full Membership $2700 Young Adult $1330 Junior $410
No Initiation Fees
- One of Southern New England’s most Pristine Private Golf Clubs Scenic Waterfront Golf Course Carts Not Mandatory & No Walking Fees No Tee Times Great Member Functions No Initiation Fees Highly Recognized Golf Pro* Snowbird Friendly / Guest Friendly *Awarded the National Bill Strausbaugh by PGA of America Recognized as Golf Professional of the Year, NEPGA HALL OF FAME
NEW MEMBERSHIP Now taking applications for 2011INCENTIVE Golf Membership
Value layout - Private 18$800.00 hole- Par 72 championship - Driving Range and complete Practice Area as Locker a Full for -Join Clubhouse, roomMember , Dining facilities - Only 152011 minutes & fromReceive: Providence - Single, Family Corporate memberships - 10 and Guest Credits
- 10 Credits Initiation FeeCart for 2011 is waived!
(w/ advance payment) Plus: no initiation, For membership detailsin 2011 no additional assessments
508-824-9110 ext 11 or Segregansett@comcast.net
Segregansett
Must pay dues in full to receive the above *
country club
85 Gulliver Street Taunton, MA 02780
www.fallrivercc.com Fall River Country Club
508-824-9110
www.segregansett.com Since 1893
4232 North Main St., Fall River, MA
508-678-9374
New England Golf Monthly | April 2011 | 29
Northern Exposure
by Dave Irons
Traveling North: The Old & The New
Golfers in the northern New England states begin to get cabin fever in March, especially those in the far north. Some years with light snowfall, courses in Southern Maine and New Hampshire manage to open in mid to late March, but April openings are more common and up in the mountains May is likely. is is why many in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont get their start on Cape Cod, but when the temperatures climb the traffic flow is the other way with golfers from the southern half of the region headed north. e first stops are along the coast where the snow melts first, especially in the southern tip of Maine. Although this year courses were still covered with snow past mid March, it’s not unusual for many of them to be open by the first of April. is region also has benefitted from the construction of a number of new layouts over the past fifteen years. e Ledges in York, a Brad Booth design opened in 1998 has matured into a popular track. is comes partly from the proximity to Boston, an hour away. Two years later in neighboring South Berwick,
30 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
e Links at Outlook came on line. Brian Silva answered the challenge of designing a links style front nine over open farmland and a back nine across the highway on an upland plateau with all the ups and downs of a mountain course. In 2008 Silva returned to the area to actually build a course he had routed 20 years earlier in Wells. Old Marsh was created out of soil excavated from 12 lakes on the property to raise the fairways above the water table. Silva also had a hand in upgrading Cape Neddick, a Donald Ross nine from the early 1900’s, laying out the back nine in 1996. e new nine including a modern irrigation system was completed in 1999. ese four courses are always among the earliest to open and their location within 20 minutes of the New Hampshire border makes them easy to reach from North or South. Traveling North the old and new can be found in Biddeford/Saco and Old Orchard. e BiddefordSaco Country Club started with a Donald Ross nine and now has 18 with a back nine designed by Cornish and Silva. Dan Maples got the call to lay out Dunegrass in Old Orchard which opened in 1999.
Annual 8th
2
Both courses are built mostly on sand the good drainage helping with early season play. A short distance up the Maine Turnpike is Nonesuch River in Scarborough, a course that is often the ďŹ rst to open in Maine. î ’is is achieved by never actually closing. If the fairways are not covered by snow, Nonesuch is open and in some low snow winters it’s open most of the time. Other early spring options include the Samoset in Rockport, often called the Pebble Beach of the East for its location right on the ocean. Value is also a key factor in Maine golf especially headed inland. Two newer courses have teamed with a historic layout for one of the better packages. Spring Meadows in Gray and Fox Ridge in Auburn along with Poland Spring, a Donald Ross design that was the ďŹ rst resort golf course in the country oer the Trifecta. For $279 play a round on all three courses, stay at Poland Spring and get two breakfasts and two dinners at the resort’s bountiful buet tables. î ’ese are only a sample of the abundant golf in Maine. For details on these and other courses check www.golfme.com. Northern exposure will travel west and north in the coming months.
Much 025( than just a 7523+<
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
$XJXVW 6HSWHPEHU Learn more and enter to win free entry, airfare, rental car, hotel and $500 golf shopping spree at
3OD\:RUOG$PDWHXU FRP New England Golf Monthly | April 2011 | 31
Celebrity Golfer: John O’Hurley
by Leigh MacKay
Almost every New England devotee of Seinfeld remembers John O’Hurley’s portrayal of J. Peterman, Elaine’s eccentric boss. Many also remember him not only as a winning contestant on Dancing with the Stars but also as the droll, charming host of the game shows Family Feud and To Tell the Truth. In fact, only a very few would not know O’Hurley, with his frosted grey hair and patrician voice. However, what most New Englanders don’t know is that John O’Hurley is a native son, a loyal member of Red Sox Nation, and an avid golfer. Born in Kittery, ME, he attended high school in Natick, MA, and West Hartford, CT, and graduated from Providence College with a BA in eater. He demonstrated his penchant for the Sox at his August 2004 wedding reception with Golf Channel exec Lisa Mesloh, when they cut into their cake, decorated with the Red Sox logo. As a lowhandicap player (7.9 index), O’Hurley is passionate about golf and plays locally in LA, around the world, and on the Celebrity Players Tour. O’Hurley is a classically-trained vocalist, a self-taught pianist, a music composer, and a best-selling author. Besides his TV shows and his many appearances in sitcoms and commercials, O’Hurley enjoys acting on the stage, recently playing King Arthur in Spamalot and Billy Flynn in Chicago. Since 2002 one of his favorite gigs has been as the host of the National Dog Show, televised every anksgiving. e dog motif continues as O’Hurley’s next movie is Beethoven Saves Christmas, due out during the 2011 holiday season. Finally, his two books humorously describe what he has learned from his canine friends.
32 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
NEGM: How often do you return to New England, and where are your favorite places to visit? JO: Quite a bit, especially in summer, because we have places to stay in Vermont and Nantucket. My favorite restaurant is the Stone Soup in Strafford, VT, the quintessential NE restaurant. On the island I love to play Nantucket Golf Club. NEGM: When and where did you learn to play golf? JO: As a junior in West Hartford, CT, I took lessons and played incessantly at both Wampanoag CC and e Hartford GC. NEGM: What are the events in which you can’t wait to play? JO: Ever since I played with Corey Pavin in the 1984 Sammy Davis Greater Hartford Open, I have been addicted to pro-ams/celebrity/charity tournaments. I always try to play in the Bob Hope, AT&T, Champions Outback Steakhouse, CVS Charity Classic at Rhode Island CC, American Century Celebrity in Tahoe, the Dunhill Cup at St. Andrews/Carnoustie, and Mayacama CC’s charity event for children in Santa Rosa, CA, to name some. Next month I’ll be in Morocco for that European Tour Event. NEGM: At 6’ 4” in height, you must generate some power. What are your swing thoughts? PW: e best swing tip I have ever received is to grip the club lightly, pause at the top of my backswing, and feel the club load. When I do, my R11 will hit it between 275-300 yards, and my TaylorMade 5-iron flies around 180. e key to my putting comes from a comment that
Brad Faxon made. “Putt the ball like a child. Have no fear.” With my Heavy Putter, I try to be very childlike. NEGM: Who would be your Dream Foursome? JO: I greatly enjoy playing beside the pros, but my Dream Foursome would be with my dad, my wife, and her dad. In a couple years, we’d have to have a fivesome with my son Will, who has already taught himself to swing by watching the Golf Channel. e pros I have close relationships with are Annika, Brad, Billy Andrade, Gary Player, and Peter Jacobsen. NEGM: What is your favorite golf moment? JO: I had a hole-in-one at the BMW Nationwide Tour a few years back. What do you think I won? Exactly, a year’s membership at a local health club! e best moment, without doubt, occurred when I was dating Lisa and we were playing Pebble Beach. I put an engagement ring in a wooden box and had it placed in the cup of that scenic par-3 seventh hole. When Lisa pulled the flag and saw the box and ring, I would get down on my knees and propose. I even had a photographer hiding in the bushes. However, she was in the process of making a double bogey, and her mood spoiled my meticulous preparation. Lisa still said, “Yes,” when she realized what I had planned, and we had our romantic moment after all. NEGM: How often do you get to see the Red Sox play? Who are your favorite players? JO: Whenever I can get to Fenway, I do. Otherwise I watch them constantly on TV or on my cell phone. I’ve been known to sneak a peak between breaks when I am on stage or at other work. I was only a very young boy, but I remember watching Ted Williams play. I thought Yaz was the Sox heart and soul for so many years. Today I respect Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz for what they have meant to the team. In June 2010 I celebrated my 50th anniversary at Fenway, and Jerry Remy and NESN arranged a tribute. I had my father and son with me, and Big Papi stopped by our front-row seats in the seventh inning before going to bat and gave Will an autographed baseball. How special was that? NEGM: Can the Sox win it all this year? JO: ey can, and they will. I admire Terry Francona, eo Epstein, the front office, and John Henry. ey have assembled a really great team with long term potential. I have already told my son that it’s OK to hate the Yankees. New England Golf Monthly | April 2011 | 33
PerfectGolfLabs.com
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
Pendulum Perfect Golf Machine
Practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect. Practice of a perfect motion, every single repetition, will improve a person's motor skill 100's of times quicker than conventional practicing where the person is only achieving a perfect motion occasionally. Perfect Golf Labs has developed muscle memory training equipment based on scientifically perfect golf motions. The machines are extremely adjustable to fit each individual golfer's stature, club choice and stroke type preference. The machines adjust easily and quickly and once set to the golfers' preference, the golfer then duplicates the scientifically perfect stroke every repetition engraining it quicker and more permanent than any other form of practicing. The end result is an immediate and dramatic improvement of their golf stroke and confidence in their game.
When a person is practicing a motor skill incorrectly or inconsistently, their neuromuscular memory reserve is being stimulated negatively, confusing the human brains' neuro-pathways, which in turn results in the person's inability to improve and loss of confidence. Practice of a perfect motion, every single repetition, will improve a person's motor skill 100's of times quicker than conventional practicing where the person is only achieving a perfect motion occasionally.
Perfect Golf Labs' equipment covers the entire swing from the short game with the just released Pendulum Perfect Golf Machine, to the full swing with two models of the Plane Perfect Golf Machine.
How would you like to feel and quickly acquire a perfect golf putting stroke? Imagine having your own putting robot that adjusts to your exact stature and desired stroke style, attach your own putter, then make and feel a scientifically perfect stroke while holing every putt. Robot putter testing machines used by the top putter companies for testing new putter designs, cost 1000's to 100,000's of dollars but are not capable of allowing a golfer to get in to use and feel the stroke. The Pendulum Perfect scored 98% to 100% in every category of score and consistency when tested on the #1 rated putting analysis program, the Sam PuttLab. (See score results on Computer Testing page) The top PGA Tour Pros only average 85% to 92%.
The Pendulum Perfect Golf Machine quickly adjusts to: • Golfers 4’6 to 6’6 • Each golfer's exact pivot point height • Arc or straight path strokes • Adjustable arc path degress • Standard, long and belly putters • Wedge for perfect descending stroke chipping practice • Any degree of forward shaft lean for desired impact loft position 34 | 30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME
• Low or high rise angles for desired green conditions • Right and left handed • Any club lie angle • The Pendulum Perfect can be mounted permanently to wall or used with a portable freestanding base that wheels in or outdoors easily.
Perfect Balance”Torque Free Putters”
AXIS1GOLF.COM Finally – A golf ball that corrects hooks and slices! With all the advancements made in golf equipment over the past 50 years, doesn’t it make sense that someone would invent a golf ball that corrects hooks and slices? Well, we’ve found it, and it’s what millions of recreational golfers out there have been looking for. It’s the World’s First Self-Correcting golf ball and its manufactured by a company called Polara Golf. Now this isn’t marketing, it’s simple physics, and while other golf ball manufacturers “claim” to improve accuracy or reduce your hook or slice, the unique dimple design of the Polara SelfCorrecting Technology™ golf ball actually does it. It’s all in the dimples. e Polara golf ball has an asymmetrical dimple design unlike anything else you’ve ever seen before, and it’s the varying size and depth of these dimples and their location on the golf ball that correct hooks and slices, up to 75%, while the ball is in flight. We’ve tried them and they go straight…every time!
For more information about Polara Golf, visit www.polaragolf.com or call 866-556-3100.
30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME | 35
FMFWBUF!ZPVS!HBNF H
PM
G!TDIPP
M
Tusbuupo!jt!b!mfbefs!jo!hpmg!jotusvdujpo!xjui! qsphsbnt!uibu!cvjme!po!zpvs!tusfohuit-!beesftt! zpvs!dibmmfohft!boe!hjwf!zpv!uif!uppmt!up!dpoujovf! jnqspwjoh!cbdl!po!zpvs!ipnf!dpvstf/!Cfhjoofs!ps! mpx.iboejdbqqfs-!Tusbuupo!Hpmg!Tdippm!qspwjeft!b! dvtupnj{fe!qsphsbn!gps!fwfsz!qmbzfs/ Ofx!uijt!tvnnfs-!lje.gsjfoemz!mfbsojoh! qsphsbnt!gps!bhft!8.26!tubsujoh!bu!%39:+!gps!ß!wf!ebzt/ Qmbz!b!cfuufs!hbnf-!boe!ibwf!npsf!gvo!po!dpvstf/!UibuÖt! uif!Tusbuupo!Hpmg!Tdippm!Hvbsbouff/
2/911/tusbuupo!!!!!!!!tusbuupo/dpn0hpmg +Sbuft!bsf!qfs!qfstpo!boe!bsf!tvckfdu!up!dibohf/!Gps!b!gvmm!mjtujoh!pg! qsphsbnt!boe!efubjmt!wjtju!tusbuupo/dpn0hpmg
36 | 30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME
30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME | April 2011 | 37
Joe & Leigh's Golf Performance Center We are very excited to announce the pending launch of our new facility. Joe & Leigh's Golf Performance Center. Actually, it's more than just a facility, it's the hub of an integrated set of components engineered to help golfers of all skill levels get the most enjoyment from the game. We think you're going to love it! Please go to www.joeandleighs.com/gpc to sign up to receive dates and details on it's opening!
call for more information 508.238.2320
38 | 30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME
30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME | April 2011 | 39
Swing Into Spring at Coles River "One Of Southern New Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest Golf Practice Facilities"
Driving Range | Short Game Area | Sand Traps | Covered Bays
Get The Coles River 2011 Game Improvement Card NEPGA Professional Instruction Coles River Family Fun Center 385 G.A.R. Highway Rt 6 Swansea,Ma (508) 675-8767
40 | Your 30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME
$50.00 For 10 Large Buckets Twice as many for one low price
www.colesriver.com
Complete & Affordable
GOLF SCHOOL VACATIONS
at Maine’s Premier Four Season Resort! 2, 3 & 4 DAY PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
RESORT GOLF GETAWAYS $ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖
99!
FROM UNLIMITED CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COUNTRY ELEGANT ACCOMMODATIONS FOUR COURSE DINNER AND BREAKFAST DAILY RESORT ACTIVITIES AND M ORE!
Improvement... Guaranteed! All from just
(800) 654-0125 www.bethelinn.com
499*
$
* When you book by May 1st
“AMONG THE TOP 5 GOLF S CHOOLS IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND” ~ The Best of the Northeast Golf Magazine
$99 Swing Evaluation Session (normally $165)*
❖ 5 HOURS OF PGA INSTRUCTION PER DAY ❖ 3:1 STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO ~INDUSTRY LEADING! ❖ STATE OF THE ART VIDEO ANALYSIS ❖ SELECT RESORT ACCOMMODATIONS ❖ ALL MEALS, TAXES AND RESORT FEES ❖ OVER 200 ACRES OF RESORT ACTIVITIES: OUTDOOR POOL, WHIRLPOOL, SAUNAS, FITNESS CENTER, TENNIS, LAKE ACTIVITIES & MORE!
In 60 minutes, A GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach will provide you with a complete analysis of your swing and create a strategy to help you improve. Our Swing Evaluation Session includes: • A fact-based diagnosis using video, motion measurement and a proprietary tour player database. • A personalized, results-based game plan with recommendations from a Certified Personal Coach. • Online access and reinforcement - swing videos and diagrams, notes and practice drills.
GolfTEC Rhode Island 10 Worthington Road Cranston, RI 02920 401-649-GOLF (4653) * Offer expires 4/30/2011
30 DAYS TO A BETTER GAME | April 2011 | 41
Pay it Forward by Neil Policow
Charity golf tournaments at the amateur level are BIG business. Estimates vary but the most recent numbers show over 1 million fundraisers in North America raising more than $3-1/2 BILLION annually. In the coming months we will examine the charity tournament business in detail. Let’s start off this month with the question, “What do golfers want?” If you live in New England, chances are you have been approached to play in or sponsor a charity golf tournament. Within 50 miles of you there are more than 100 charity golf tournaments held every week during the season. Golfers can choose from dozens of events in their “backyard”. So what are the major factors that influence their decision? Quality Golf Experience: Golfers tell us the quality of the host course will play a significant role. Is it an exclusive, private country club that you have never played before? Is it a destination resort on the Cape and Islands that could be a mini-vacation for the family? Is it one of the top tier courses on your personal “Must Play” list? e quality of the golf course is the number one determining factor at charity golf tourna-
42 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
ments. All things being equal, try to line up the best available facility for your event. Perceived Value: Not every event can justify a 5-star course and mega greens fees. So how do you make your event stand out from the competition? A modestly priced course in great condition, with good quality food and drink, excellent service and an attentive staff will create a positive buzz from your players and sponsors. row in several unique sponsorships, promotions and a quality player’s bag and you are well on your way. Have your participants leave the event excited about returning next year. Set Your Agenda: After 5+ hours on the course the best events have a brief, action-packed dinner and awards presentation. Give out lots of prizes and recognition but orchestrate the agenda as if you are producing a 60-second commercial. Avoid any drawn out presentations. ink fast paced entertainment. Next Month: Show me the money...SPONSORSHIPS Neil Policow is a Partner in LeaderBoard of Boston and a member of the Golf Tournament Assoc. of America. Last year his clients raised more than $3 million at their charity events.
Third Annual Fore! The 2011 Deutsche Nicholas Golf Tournament Set For Saturday, June 25 At Stonebridge Country Club
Bank Championship
Bedford, NH, Resident Nicholas Dainiak, who is currently battling Batten Disease.
Event in Honor of Bedford , NH Resident Benefits the Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation Dedicated to Raising Funds for Batten Disease Research Scheduled for Saturday, June 25, 2011, at 2 pm at the Stonebridge Country Club, with dinner and entertainment to follow. is event benefits the Our Promise to Nicholas (OPTN) Foundation, dedicated to finding a cure for Batten Disease. For more information on Nicholas’ journey Ourpromisetonicholas.com Tournament Registration: Nicholastournament.doattend.com
GFC Golf Marathon 2011
Golf Fights Cancer's first Golf Marathon is an incredible day of golf, fundraising and camaraderie! Join us as a great group of people - some good golfers, some not so good - come together to once again raise $100,000 in the fight against cancer! What: A unique fundraising event golfers will play 100 holes of golf or more in a single day When: Friday, June 3, 2011 Where: Stowe Acres Country Club, Stow, MA Who: Forty golfers who are committed to raising $3,000 or more in donations. Why: Because cancer touches everyone Register: www.firstgiving.com/gfc1
Want to walk inside the ropes with your favorite PGA TOUR golfers? Maybe you want to network with top business professionals. Or maybe you’re simply trying to meet new people while enjoying one of the most exciting local sports events in New England. If any of these describe you, consider volunteering for the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship. e PGA TOUR Playoff event, taking place at the TPC Boston from August 30 through September 5, is looking for new members of its Blue Crew, a volunteer staff of nearly 1,800 people who make the annual event a success. “e Deutsche Bank Championship really is about family,” said Jenn Spicer, Director, Volunteer Services and Community Programs for the Deutsche Bank Championship. “Our Blue Crew is the heart and soul of that family. It’s a great opportunity for anyone – from CEOs to housewives, students to retirees.” Key volunteer positions available for the 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship include the Marshalls Committee and the Premium Access Committee. All volunteers are provided with credentials that allow access for the entire Championship. ey also receive complimentary parking, breakfast and lunch each day they work, admission to the Championship’s Sunday Celebration Concert and an invitation to the Volunteer & Charity Appreciation Party. Blue Crew members receive an official uniform including an official Championship golf shirt, an outwear piece and a hat or visor. All volunteers who register prior to May 1 will also receive a complimentary admissions credential to bring a friend for the day of their choice. To learn more about becoming a member of the Blue Crew and to view a full list of available volunteer positions, visit www.dbchampionship.com or contact Jenn Spicer at 508-285-8333 or Jennifer.Spicer@imgworld.com. New England Golf Monthly | April 2011 | 43
Presenting Sponsors:
Eagle Sponsors: CHAMP SPIKES | PEPSI
44 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
JIMMY FUND GOLF is one of the nation’s largest and longest-running charity golf programs. By fighting cancer through golf, you can help patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute beat this disease.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED: sȩ 3tart a traditional tournament sȩȩ/RGanize a member-member or member-guest sȩ 2un a mini-golf tournament sȩ (OSTȩAȩgolf marathon sȩȩ3ponsor a tournament
JimmyFundGolf.org
866-521-GOLF
GET ON THE RIGHT COURSE TO FIGHT CANCER ®
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 45
NEPGA Profile by Bob DiCesare
Your simple swing thought for this summer… By Lucas Cohen
Gary Cardoza Gary Cardoza grew up in Fairhaven, MA and he still resides there today at age 36.His commute to work, however, is a different story.In December, Cardoza left Poquoy Brook GC in Lakeville where he was head professional to become Director of Instruction at the new Joe & Leigh's Golf Performance Center on Route 138 in Easton, a solid 45-minute drive each way.With gas prices now hovering around $3.50 per gallon, his new position certainly hasn't been easy on the wallet, but Cardoza is not complaining because he feels he's in the right place at the right time."is is the second major decision I've made in my career that I've felt in my heart," said Cardoza, who has been recognized as a Top 25 golf instructor in New England. "e first was when I wavered between a career with the Fairhaven Fire Dept. or in golf, and I made the right decision with golf." In golf, I always viewed a future role as a head pro, general manager, or in some other type of management capacity. But in recent years, I've really enjoyed giving lessons and started to seriously focus more on the teaching aspect of the business. is is something I really want to do."Perhaps the most crucial moment which helped steer Cardoza toward his current direction came in 2005. After serving as an assistant pro at the Country Club of Halifax and as head pro at Hawthorne CC in North Dartmouth, Cardoza worked briefly in a corporate position for Ahead Golf. But he dearly missed the personal interaction on a daily basis within a golf club. Fortunately for him, Cardoza was soon able to land at Poquoy Brook where he spent the last six years."e last couple of years at Poquoy Brook really led me to pursue this position with Joe & Leigh's," said Cardoza. "I really enjoy watching people's golf games grow and improve on the lesson tee."For Cardoza, teaching responsibilities will now be more than just a lesson tee on a practice range. Joe & Leigh's Golf Performance Center features an integrated set of components engineered to help golfers of all skill levels get the most enjoyment from the game. ere's professional instruction, fitness, and a practice-and-play option with nearby Pine Oaks Golf Course, which is also owned by Leigh Bader. e house specialty, however, is its club-fitting menu featuring fitting evaluation, easy club fitting, performance club fitting, and Ping Nflight fitting, as well as launch monitors and video analysis."
Often times we get too caught up in the positions of the take away or at the top of the backswing. e most important position is impact… the moment of truth. When thinking about impact players start to think about how to hit the ball instead of how to swing through the ball. Here is the best drill for anyone who wants to really improve his or her golf swing. At home, in your back yard, or on the practice range, with any club, take a swing and hold your finish position for 10 seconds. Evaluate your comfort level with this position, and your balance. Balance is essential for improving ball striking, gaining distance and becoming more consistent. If you are falling over when you swing, then you are out of balance at impact, which is why the ball did not go where you intended. When you hit an errant shot the first question you should ask yourself instead of, “What did I do wrong?” is “Am I in balance?” If the answer is no then that is what you need to focus on… the finish position. Repeat this practice drill until you become more comfortable with a balanced finish position. e longer you can stay in a balanced finish position and the more comfortable you become with this feeling, the more likely you will get to this position when there is a ball in front of you. Instead of thinking about hitting the ball, think about swinging through the ball and sending the ball at your target. Hold the finish until the ball lands when you are practicing. Evaluate your balance for each swing. You will notice the better and more balanced you are in the follow through, the better your quality of golf shot will be. Here are some of the keys to a balanced finish position:
- Weight fully transferred to the lead foot - Trail foot should be on its tip toe - Hips fully rotated with belly button facing the target - Full extension of the arms around the body - Chin up, head high, eyes front visualizing a well struck golf shot Lucas Cohen is the PGA Director of Instruction at the brand new Poland Spring Resort Golf Academy. Email Lucas at lcohen@pga.com
47
Ross’ Rulings
Identifying Your Ball: Do You Carry Binoculars in Your Bag?
by Jack Ross
ey say trees are 90% air, but from my experience the solid 10% comes into play quite frequently. While most golf balls that encounter trees deflect into the fairway, rough, or more inhospitable areas, occasionally a ball becomes lodged in a tree. Let’s say you hit a shot into the heart of a bushy evergreen lining the fairway and don’t see it emerge. A search of the surrounding fairway and rough yields nothing. You’re sure it must be lodged somewhere in the tree. What are your options? Unless you can find your ball in the tree, you must treat it as lost. (See definition of Lost Ball.) is means that under the stroke-and-distance rule, you must go back to the spot where you played the shot, take a penalty stroke, and play another ball. (Rule 27-1c.) e unplayable ball rule, which provides additional options, is not applicable. What if you see a ball in the tree? Can you assume it is yours, and avoid the lost ball penalty? While this might seem to be a reasonable assumption, unfortunately you must treat your ball as lost unless you can identify the ball in the tree as yours. (Decision 27/15.)
48
If you are able to identify your ball (e.g., by climbing the tree or using binoculars) you are entitled to invoke the unplayable ball rule. (Decision 27/14.) One option under that rule is to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point on the ground that is directly below the ball. (Decision 28/11.) You will still incur a penalty stroke. is situation arose at the Honda Classic when Jerry Kelly’s ball became lodged high in a palm tree. Kelly was not able to identify the ball using binoculars. However, a photographer took a picture of the ball with a zoom lens, and officials were able to detect Kelly’s mark: a green line on the ball. He was permitted to drop a ball under the unplayable ball rule. e Kelly incident raises the question of how certain the identification must be. Conceivably, the ball could have belonged to another player who used a similar marking technique. However, as David Staebler, Director of Rules Education for the USGA, commented: “e game is one of integrity. e Rules want to rely on a player’s identification of a ball as his.” So, carry a pair of binoculars or a good camera. It beats climbing trees.
Palopoli’s Picks: 2011 Masters
by Jeff Palopoli
Early April usually means one thing to me — no, not the budding of Spring flowers, or the hint of warmer weather on the horizon. To me, Spring gets kicked off with the first major of the year, Masters week. is year’s tournament will have its work cut out for it to live up to the previous. e excitement of Tiger Woods returning to competitive play after Escalade-gate, and all of the ensuing drama surrounding his personal life certainly took center stage. But in the end it was Phil Mickelson taking home his third Masters victory while hitting one of the most memorable shots in major championship history on the 13th hole. A 6-iron from 206 yards, off the pine straw, between two trees, and over Rae’s Creek, to within 6 feet for eagle. e 2011 Masters has some big shoes to fill, but it will be fun to watch regardless.
The Recap Picking winners is tough. To date I’ve still picked just one (D.A. Points – Pebble Beach), but have been extremely close on multiple occasions. In a four week span I selected three runner-up finishers, and in that off week had a 3rd place finisher. at run has helped me climb the leaderboard, where I now rank in the 96th percentile in the overall Yahoo rankings, and sit in 2nd place within my private league.
Masters Picks
Lets face it, Phil Mickelson is not having a good year thus far. He saw some success early on in the season, but hasn’t been a factor in his last few tournaments. But something happens to Phil when he drives down Magnolia Lane. He becomes a different player, and I’m rolling the dice with the 2010 champion here for my starting A list selection. It’s hard to argue with his results at Augusta (10 top 10’s and 3 victories). Within the B group there aren’t a ton of guys I like here who have had good history at the Masters. But Hunter Mahan is having another solid season and it won’t be long before he wins a major. I also like Bubba Watson as a starter here. He’s having a great year again so far, and his length will be a premium at Augusta where the par 5’s should be a cake walk for him. Martin Kaymer has to be a lock for the C group starter. e #1 player in the world will be contending in major championships for quite some time to come. Starting foursome: Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer On the bench: Nick Watney, Y.E. Yang, Steve Stricker, Adam Scott You can follow Jeff’s weekly Fantasy Golf picks online each week at www.mynegm.com. Jeff also writes on his blog at www.goodwalkgolf.com and can be reached at jeff@goodwalkgolf.com
49
Player’s Perspective 2011 Putter Review The Country Club series from Bettinardi Golf is great for an event or club logo.
by Ed Travis The Axis 1 Umbra model has been a sellout, twice, since the January PGA Merchandise Show.
The new LiteWeight (600grams) putters from Heavy Putter-Boccieri Golf include a face balanced mallet.
Odyssey for 2011 features the DART alignment system on a new series of putters that includes the Back Stryke model.
The new iN putter series from Ping with nanonickel inserts has some nontraditional models like the Wack-E shown here.
TaylorMade Golf is capitalizing on the popularity of the original Ghost mallet with a traditional blade shaped Rossa Daytona Ghost.
Putters are a topic of conversation whenever equipment-knowledgeable players get together and each year the established putter makers are joined by a virtual host of new company flat sticks, each vying for a piece of the market. In 2011 one of the well known players, Yes Putter, is on the sidelines. e company’s assets were bought by Adams Golf in bankruptcy court last November but company spokeswoman Lisa Weistart told me Adams will not have any new products to talk about for several months. Ping has introduced the iN putter series of 10 models in Ping’s classic and some not so classic shapes such as the Wack-E and ½ Wack E. All models feature center-body cut-outs to improve perimeter weighting and a nano-nickel insert said to give both a solid sound and feel. Look for a street price of $139$179 depending the model. Odyssey, Callaway Golf ’s putter brand, has the brand new D.A.R.T. (Direction and Realignment Technology) line with target alignment that uses a
50
The Seemore Si4 has their Riflescope Technology aiming system on the hosel.
dart shaped pattern on the putter head. According to Austie Rollison, principal putter designer, "D.A.R.T. works via a two-step process. First, the eyes align the putter to the target using the straight lines on the top of the putter head. From there, the mind's eye completes the realignment by placing the apex of the D.A.R.T. design at the center of the golf ball. is ensures that the face of the putter is in line with the target and promotes consistent contact with the center of the face for greater distance control. e original 2-Ball putter was a revolutionary step in using the golf ball as an alignment aid, and D.A.R.T. is an evolution of that technology." e D.A. R. T. series is priced at $180. Putter designer extraordinaire Bob Bettinardi of Bettinardi Golf is offering the second installment of the Country Club series putters in 2011. is heel shafted mallet with soft carbon steel head is milled in Chicago as are all Bettinardi’s and features a single top alignment line plus a satin nickel finish. e sole is ideal for a club or event logo. MAP is $325.
myNEGM Lesson Tee Keeping your Expectations in check can improve your ball striking by Steve Riggs Generally, when you hit the links for that first round of golf in the spring, you literally have no expectations regarding your ball striking. Why should you? You have not touched a club for 6 months. ere is one reason, and one reason alone, to explain why most players will hit the ball better than they thought possible the first time out to play or hit balls in the spring; no expectations. e mid to high handicapper could improve their swing immeasurably if they would realize there is much to be gained from this annual ‘no expectation’ experience. Simply minimizing expectations, your body responds more fluidly and freely to the swing motion, allowing for better balance, rhythm, timing and tempo. Why? Well,
you may find while you seem to be hitting the ball further, you aren’t swinging the club as fast or hard. Can you say; teachable moment? As you get comfortable with the routine of your environment your expectations begin to rise and without knowing it, you are in the middle of UNREALISTIC expectations and this is when the wheels seem to fall off. e simple act of expecting more from your system than it can deliver causes tension which affects every part of your body and swing. is year, feel how smooth your swing is during those first few holes of the year, then try to emulate that feel on the range. I would suggest making it a goal this season.
The Road Back For Brad Adamonis by Steve Riggs
“I’m feeling pretty good about my swing”, Brad Adamonis told me on a recent appearance on the myNEGM LESSON TEE Radio/Internet Show after returning from the season opening events of the Nationwide Tour’s season. Beyond an occasional qualifying for a PGA TOUR event, Brad has dedicated his return to the PGA TOUR via the NATIONWIDE circuit. Brad tied for 44th in the Panama Claro Championship last month and missed the cut at the weather shortened Bogota Open in Columbia in early March. Both events had major delays due to heavy rain and lightening. “It’s golf. You take what comes and not to get upset at something you have no control over.” Adamonis said.
Asked about his short game Brad commented: “My putting is coming along. I am working with a fellow tour player. I’m encouraged by the way things are coming together. e short game isn’t bad at all.” Brad is most definitely headed in the right direction and appears to be sticking to his competitive plan. One of the keys to competitive golf is to stay focused on your goal. Especially when working your way back. My chats with Adamonis, on and off air, leave me with a positive feeling for this extremely talented young man. From my standpoint as a teaching professional, Brad has an excellent grasp of what he needs to do and how to accomplish it. is is an absolute must for a player at the level of talent Brad Adamonis possesses.
51
Route 114 Middleton, MA 978-774-4476 Route 1 N. Saugus, MA 781-231-0032 Three Conveniently located Boston Area Driving Range and Family Entertainment Facilities
Route 138 Easton, MA 508-238-6007
with this cOupOn
Buy a large bucket and get a small free.
52
PGA Tour Scene
Photos by Ken Dennis Photography
P.H.Horgan At The Toshiba Classic
Lee Trevino & Dana Quigley At The Toshiba Classic
Anna Grzebien at The Kia Classic
Flowering Michelle Wie at The Kia
Ken Dennis Photography
Professional Golf Photography
Corporate Golf Events & Outings
Photos of the Most Dramatic Golf Venues
A complete Gallery of Golf Tournaments Browse and enjoy the images available at
www.kendennisphoto.com Dana Quigley pretty in pink at the Toshiba
Ken Dennis
Veteran PGA Tour Photographer
53
Team New England On The Tours While the PGA TOUR is just over a third into its 2011 season, the Champions Tour has competed 5 events, the Nationwide Tour three events, the LPGA TOUR four events, (including the Asia swing), and the Duramed Futures Tour has completed their first event of this season as of March 31st. is should be an exciting year for all our Team New England players and I want to be as current as possible as we head into the heart of the competitive golf season so you can accurately follow your favorite players from New England right here in New England Golf Monthly magazine.
PGA TOUR Keegan Bradley, VT and PGA TOUR rookie has made 5 cuts in his first 8 starts on tour with 1 top 10 and 4 top 25 finishes and earnings of $352,000 through March. Two of those 3 cuts Bradley has missed have come just in late March. ere is a long way to go for this rookie. Brad Faxon, PGA (RI) has yet to make a cut as he uses exemptions and qualifiers to play the TOUR this season. Brad has seeded in to his commentating gig with NBC SPORTS quiet well and remember, the Champions Tour is on Brad’s radar. Brett Quigley, PGA (RI) has made 1 cut in 4 outings this season as he fights his way back into the top 125 on the money list to regain full status on the TOUR. Earnings for Brett are $34, 965. Tim Petrovic, PGA (MA) is off to a slow start this year making 3 cuts in 8 starts and just over $38,090, which are not good numbers for this grinding Team New Englander. A very uncharacteristic start for this Mass native. James Driscoll, PGA (MA) has made 2 cuts in 5 starts this year earning $137,261 to date. James placed T13 at the AT&T Pebble Beach event and T42nd at the Puerto Rico Open. J.J. Henry, PGA (CT) has made all 9 of his cuts out of the gate in 2011 earning $529,351 with 1 top 10 and 5 top 25 finishes so far. A hard worker, J.J. appears to have gotten off to a solid beginning this season.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Allen Doyle, RI who has made the cut in all 3 events he has played with earnings of $14,908. Alan will be 63 in July. Dana Quigley, MA who has made the cut in his two starts this season earning just over $8,200. Dana will be 64 in April.
LPGA TOUR Anna Grzebien, Anna thus far has just the one event at the Kia Classic in California where she missed the cut by one shot. Look for Anna to have a strong year and put some good numbers up for 2011. Liz Janangelo e LPGA TOUR has started and at this writing we have not, seen Liz Jenangelo CT. I can tell you that Janangelo’s name is not currently on the LPGA player’s list. Allison Walsh (MA) Allison Played in 7 events on the LPGA Tour in 2010 and earned $37,069. In winnings. Walshe went on to finish in the top 125 on the LPGA money list at No. 108 to retain her card for 2011 and plans to play a full LPGA schedule this year.
Jim Renner, (MA) is another rookie this year on the PGA TOUR for Team New England. Jim as made 3 of 5 cuts so far this season with earnings of $26,200. Renner, like Bradley has a lot of talent.
GET TOUR QUALITY IMPACT POSITION
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR
NATIONWIDE TOUR
With the Nationwide Tour completing only three events as of the end of March, our players are just getting started on what could be a great season for Team New England on the Nationwide so stay tuned.
e Duramed Futures Tour wrapped up its first event in the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic the end of March with four Team New Englanders finishing.
Patrick Sheehan, (RI) is having a slow start to 2011. So far Sheehan has played in 2 events missing the cut in both. As with a couple other TNE’s on the Nationwide, there is a lot of golf to be played this year.
Chelsea Cutis (MA) Her 2010 tournament record looks a lot like most other rookies, with a mixture of missed cuts, a top five, more missed cuts and a top-15 finish. But that’s all a part of the learning curve of playing professional golf, she says.
Trevor Murphy, Nationwide (VT) has checked in one of two events so far earning just over $3,600. Trevor has a solid game and should heat it up moving through the season.
Libby Smith (VT) While not in the first event of the year, Futures player Libby Smith, VT also competes on the Ladies Asian Tour and recently placed T7 earning $3,578 competing in the ailand Ladies Open.
Rob Oppenheim, Nationwide (MA) has checked in 2 of three outings so far this season with earnings through March of $10, 340. Rob is a great competitor who knows how to score.
Julie Erekson (MA) A 4 year Duramd Futures player from Springfield , Ma . Current 2011 season has her making one cut T46, for $755 in earnings
Geoff Sisk, Nationwide (MA)has made a solo cut in 3 outings. Sisk T11 in the Bogota Open earned him $14,400. Geoff will be fine showing his potential.
Kim Augusta (RI) Kim was on the LPGA Tour in 1999,2000, 2002 and 2004 . Sheia a veteran on the tours since 1998 . is season thus far she posted T51 earning $730
Justin Peters, Nationwide (MA) missed the cut in his only outing so far this year. Making just over $71,000 last year I am sure Peters will be in the hunt soon.
Briana Vega (MA) Duramed FUTURES Tour member Briana Vega won e Golf Channel's "Big Break VI: Trump National" show in midDecember last year collecting $21,000. She will return for her third season. But first, Vega will play in one of the two LPGA Tour exemptions she earned in the Big Break show.
Brad Adamonis, Nationwide (RI) is off on his return to the PGA TOUR via the Nationwide this season. Competing in 2 of the first 3 events of this season, Adamonis’ earnings are at $2,090.
Haley Gidea (RI) Haley has been on the futures tour since 2008 playing in 29 event over 3 years. Her best finish was T46 in 2008 and has career earnings of #3,734She will return to the Duramed Futures Tour this year.
Jeff Curl, Nationwide, (CT) has made 1 cut in 3 outings earning $2,585. Jeff ‘s dad, Ron had some great years on the tour. Look for more of the same from Jeff nO phOtO AVAiLABLE
Fran Quinn, (MA) is back from his back rehabbing and is off to a great start to the season. Fran has played in all three events, made the cut in 2 and has checked for a total of $20,180 including a top 10 and top 25. I noted his putting stats had him T2 in putting at the Louisiana Open recently.
ADDRESS
IMPACT
Amber Richardson (RI) Amber played in just one event in 2010 on the Duramed Futures Tour the Alliance Bank Golf Classic in Syracuse, N.Y. She will return in 2011. Susan Choi, (MA) Susan who had 13 wins in college and since 2008 is working to make her way to the LPGA Tour again in 2011.
ORDER NOW TOURSTRIKER.COM
What’s News
Ouimet Fund Remembers Walter Poirier New England PGA Spring Meeting e New England Golf Summit is being held on Wednesday, March 30th at Andover Country Club. is is a great opportunity for NEPGA members to earn MSR credits while learning from this year's featured speakers who will address current challenges surrounding the game and help club personnel and club officials better prepare for the upcoming golf season.
e Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund is remembering Walter Poirier, a Ouimet alumnus who disappeared on a Peace Corps assignment in Bolivia 10 years ago, on February 3, 2001. ere have been 220,000 Peace Corps volunteers since its inception in 1961, and 279 have died in service. Walter Poirier is the only one to have been reported missing and never found.
New England Golf Summit e New England Golf Summit is being held on Wednesday, March 30th at Andover Country Club. is is a great opportunity for NEPGA members to earn MSR credits while learning from this year's featured speakers who will address current challenges surrounding the game and help club personnel and club officials better prepare for the upcoming golf season.
2011 MGA Rules of Golf Seminar Thursday, April 28, 2011 MGA Links at Mamantapett (Norton) is seminar will be led by members of the MGA Staff who will discuss basic rules procedures and cover several of the new Rules of Golf related issues that have been introduced over the past two years. e program is open to the general public (including MGA Members, PGA Professionals, Club Managers & Superintendents). Please contact Jesse Menachem at jmenachem@mgalinks.org.
Smart Coupons. Visit myNEGM.com on your mobile device. Show it to the pro.
56 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Pitts Scholarship Announced e Ouimet Fund is proud to announce that a new permanently endowed scholarship has been created in the name of the late Fordie Pitts, Jr. by his family. Mr. Pitts, who died in 2009, was one of the most prolific amateur golfers in Massachusetts history. He competed in MGA events for over 50 years
MGA Announces 2011 MGA Member Day Schedule Golfers of All Age and Skill Level Encouraged to Register for the Seven (7) Events Back by popular demand, the MGA Member Days program makes a return for the 2011 season. ese one-day events are open to all MGA Member Golfers – male or female – who hold a current MGA/USGA GHIN Handicap index with an MGA Member Club.
New England Opens 2011 Cape Cod Open May 18-19
EWGA Fairfield County Chapter Makes Record Donation for Breast Cancer Research
Olde Barnstable GC; Hyannis GC Apply ru Sponsoring Club | www.ccopen.com
Vermont Open June 13-15 Lake Morey CC (VT) rough State/Regional Golf Association www.vtga.org
Maine Open June 21-22 Falmouth CC (ME) rough State/Regional Golf Association www.mesga.org
STRATFORD, CT – 90 golfers gathered at Mill River Country Club on July 19th for the Fairfield County EWGA Chapter’s annual Rally for the Cure golf event, despite early morning rain squalls. e sun broke through as the first group teed off and in its most successful fund raising event to date, the EWGA Chapter raised over $11,800 for the Susan G. Koman Foundation and e Rally for the Cure. Joan DeBlasis and Sharon Primerano led the effort with assistance from their volunteer committee, including Coleen Banks, silent auction chair, and Diane Perillo.
Connecticut Open July 25-27 Brooklawn CC (CT) rough State/Regional Golf Association www.csgalinks.org
New Hampshire Open July 26-27 Atkinson CC (NH) rough State/Regional Golf Association www.nhgolf.com
Massachusetts Open June 27-29 Oak Hill Country Club ( MA) rough State Golf Association www.mgalinks.org
New England Golf Course Owners Association
2011 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Rhode Island Open August 9-10
Wednesday, March 9th
Kirkbrae CC (RI) rough State/Regional Golf Association
Member Meeting on Social Media Easton Country Club, Easton, MA Wednesday, March 30th
New England Golf Summit Andover Country Club, Andover, MA Wednesday, May 18th
www.rigalinks.org
New England Open Championship September 5-9 Mt Washington Hotel & Resort rough NEPGA www.nepga.com
Annual Golf Outing Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, Boylston, MA July & August
Regional Breakfast Meetings Join fellow owners in your region for an informal breakfast discussion focused on the business of golf
Shop the New England Golf Monthly Facebook Store at facebook.com
Wednesday, November 9th
Annual Meeting & Trade Show Brookmeadow Country Club, Canton, MA Mid-November
Turkey Day Community Service Promotions April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 57
Gorman vs. Geary by Tom Gorman and Tim Geary
Can the PGA Tour flourish without Tiger Woods? by Tom Gorman
No. Don’t count me among the fools who thought six months of global humiliation might have taught Tiger Woods a thing or two. After his worst year as a pro in the books, in which Woods created, and survived, an epic downfall and trialby-tabloid unmatched by any professional athlete in history, I am now beginning to wonder if the greatest golfer that ever lived should resume his old lifestyle that included banging porn stars at every chance he gets. ink about it, Woods accomplished stuff on the golf course no other human being has, while at the same time engaging in sordid, off-course hanky-panky. If that’s a winning formula, why the hell stop? When you’re a prolific, money-making machine like Woods, and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, there are temptations along with the privileges. Ever since Woods’ stint at a sex addiction clinic in Hattiesburg, Miss in February 2010, the guy just doesn’t look the same standing over those six-footers for par, and the state of the game has not been the same for the PGA Tour and for millions of golf aficionados. But it is darn right hazardous to underestimate the value that Woods carries for the future of the PGA Tour. Since turning pro in 1997, we know what he’s done, but can the TOUR continue to flourish without him? It doesn’t take a golf savant like Tim Geary to recognize that Tiger Woods is a ratings magnet; it is folly to think otherwise. Tiger’s progress gives golf its groove back! e TOUR needs Tiger more than Tiger needs the TOUR. e need him to step beyond the past and into the future. e resume of the 35-year old legend is a work in progress with 95 worldwide titles; including 14 majors and 71 PGA TOUR wins. Sine 1997 he has held the No. 1 world ranking 623 weeks, with his consecutive streak of 281 ended in October. e Lords of the Masters have at least two more green jackets measured for him, and I predict he’ll win Masters No. 5 on April 10. Whenever the filthy-rich TOUR, offering over $26 million in prize money this year, wants our undivided attention, they go to their ace in the hole, and flash highlight film from one of Woods’ trademark uppercuts he used to throw after holing unbelievable putts. Watching Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson or Rory Sabbatini spells doom for TV viewership and corporate sponsors. ese guys are good
58 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
and might some day appear on “Celebrity Apprentice” but they lack charisma, emotion and duende. No matter how you shake the lineup, players not named Tiger Woods can not draw ratings, with the exception being Phil Mickelson. e Golf Channel set viewership records during the first and second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship held at Doral on March 10 and 11. ink the Woods and Mickelson pairing had anything to do with 1.14 million viewers tuning in for ursday’s first round, the most in Doral’s 23-year television history? e TOUR desperately needs the El Tigre. ey need him to go low on Saturday, wear red on Sunday and be in the hunt! ey need the superior conditioned billionaire back twirling his irons after a good shot, pumping his fist after a brilliant shot, flashing that smile showing some genuine (or some made-for-TV) emotion. ey need Tiger because he attracts unprecedented ratings, largely due to his ability to draw casual golf fans to the tube, and then advertising revenues boom. Ever since Woods’ ill-fated date with an Orlando fire hydrant, he is the most watched athlete in the world, and as long as he stays in contention at any given tournament, he is the greatest show on earth – at least on the golf course. Who can forget the 2008 US Open when TV commentator Dan Hicks asked, “Expect anything different?” Will Tiger ever be Tiger again? No, but the worst you can say is that he has become ordinary and that his golf game temporarily has declined to the point that he is no longer special. e “Tiger Effect” extends beyond TV ratings and increased web site traffic, and the TOUR has a problem. ey are worried that, without Woods, TV networks will lower payments for broadcast rights and tournament sponsors will pull their money and negotiate reduced rates. is month the golf world will focus on the “Drive for Five” at Augusta National, where Woods’ last victory was 2005. What matters most to the TOUR is the undeniable fact that golf is slowly losing its spirit, its soul and its attraction! A Tiger win will instantly give golf its groove back! Tom Gorman, a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, International Network of Golf and Golf Travel Writers of America, is a Boston-based freelance golf writer whose next scheduled interview is with a Las Vegas centerfold.
q. What’s your choice? by Tim Geary
Can the PGA Tour flourish without Tiger Woods?
Believe it or not the PGA Tour was very much alive and well before Tiger Woods came along, and if the Tour flounders after Tiger has left the stage than it deserves to go under. I would be a liar if I didn’t admit that I have very much enjoyed Woods’ play during the peak years of his career and I fervently hope that he soon returns to the level of play that made him the most watched golfer of all time. A PGA Tour with Tiger Woods playing his A-game is certainly one better than a Tour with Tiger playing like a Monday morning rabbit. But no one player is more important than the game. You’ve heard that cliché more times in your life than you’ve yelled “Fore!”, mainly because it’s the truth. Jones retired, Hogan retired, Snead retired, and even Arnie and “e Bear” have pretty much left the party. e “Merry Mex” and Watson no longer grip our attention. Fuzzy has all but disappeared, the “Great White Shark” is for the most part toothless and “Sir Nick” now analyzes the game from a tower, sitting next to Jim Nantz. e great players come and go, but the game endures and if it goes through a patch of bother, as the Brits might say, that’s natural. Currently professional golf and golf as an industry is struggling, but that is due more to our economic downturn than Tiger shooting 74s on the final day of tournaments. While Woods was dominating the game the golf industry and the PGA Tour rode him like he was Man-OWar, with the saddlebags bursting with gold. And Tiger was pure gold. He commanded huge audiences and he appealed to the masses like no other since Palmer first hitched up his trousers. He became golf’s version of Captain Kirk, taking the game where it had never been before. But the problem is that no one player, no matter how great, is going to be around forever and while it is (hopefully) too soon to close the book on Woods’ career, it is not too early to say that he is no longer playing the front nine. e stripes of the beast are fading. Marketing is everything in business, be it IBM or the PGA Tour and the big challenge for the Tour and golf in general is to start weaning itself away from Tiger and start promoting all of these amazingly talented young guns
who have come on the scene over the past couple of years; Rickie, Dustin, Rory, Bubba, Hunter and their brethren are the new wave. ey have game, they have personality and they have appeal. Golf has started to promote these youngsters as the new generation. Never before have there been so many talented young players coming along, players who are bold and brash and aren’t afraid to win right away. No, none of them has the same panache as Woods when he burst upon the scene and perhaps nobody again will ever dominate the game the way Tiger has over the past decade, but they are worth watching. ey may not effect the same societal upheaval that the multi-ethnical Woods did, but they are fun, there are so many of them and they are the future whether any of us wants them to be or not. e appeal of golf is worldwide now. e Scots invented the game but we pretty much took it away from them. Now we no longer have the market cornered on talent as the Ryder Cup and world rankings continually illustrate. Instead of fighting the surge of foreign talent that has invaded our shores, the PGA Tour has elected to embrace it, welcome it and promote it. It’s enjoyable to see the outrageous Ian Poulter play or to watch Graeme McDowell carve up a course. Everyone seems to love Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer was the number one ranked player in the world as of this writing. We want Tiger Woods to remain a part of all of this, but we don’t need him for the PGA Tour to flourish. Tim Geary is a Rhode Island based freelance writer. He first met Tiger at Newport CC in 1995. He doesn’t expect that Tiger remembers. Gorman Vs. Geary the battle goes on in 2011. Email special request topics for these two seasoned New England writers. From both ends of the spectrum the Dynamic Duo will give their take on both sides of any golf issue. Tom Gorman's spirited take on the world of golf and life and Tim Geary's ever practical rebuttal.It never gets old between these two spirited writers. info@newenglandgolfmonthly.com or for comments go to www.mynegm.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 59
myNEGM Marketplace
RETAIL STORES Golfology Hanover, MA 781.871.1000 Hyannis, MA 508.771.4653 www.golfologyusa.com
Golfers’ Warehouse Cranston, RI 401.467.8740 Hartford, CT 860.522.6829 Danvers, MA 978.777.4653 Natick, MA 508.651.2582 Braintree, MA 781.848.9777 www.golferswarehouse.com
Golf Zone Boston Woburn, MA 781.933.6688 www.golfzoneboston.com
Joe & Leigh’s Discount Golf S. Easton, MA 508.238.2320 www.pineoaks.com
GOLF EQUIPMENT Axis One Putters www.axis1golf.com
Cleveland Golf www.clevelandgolf.com
PowerBilt www.poerbilt.com
TaylorMadeGolf www.taylormadegolf.com
GOLF PRODUCTS & TRAINING AIDS Tour Striker www.tourstriker.com
Belly Putt www.bellyputt.com
Golfers Footprint www.golfersfootprint.com
60 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Perfect Golf Labs
myNEGM Marketplace
www.planeperfectgolf.com
Real Feel Golf Mats www.realfeelgolfmats.com
Musty Putters www.mustyputters.com
Tin Cup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ball Marking System 888.984.6287 www.tin-cup.com
Polara Golf www.polaragolf.com
Heater Holder www.heaterholder.com
Orange Whip Trainer www.orange-whip.com
S3 Golf Training System 800.796.4416 www.s3golf.com
SwingRite Boxford, MA 866.660.7387 www.swingrite.com
Optimal Club GPS www.optimalclub.com
Jackets Required 888.500.5254 www.jacketsrequired.com
GOLF TOURNAMENTS CVS Charity Classic Barrington, RI www.cvscharityclassic.com
Deutsche Bank Championship Norton, MA www.deutschebankchampionship.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 61
myNEGM Marketplace ING New England Golf Classic Bloomfield, CT www.newenglandgolfclassic.com
The Jimmy Fund Golf Program Brookline, MA 800.521.4653 www.jimmyfund.org
NEPGA New England Series 508.869.0000 www.newenglandseries.com
NEPGA Junior Tour 508.869.0000 www.nepgajuniortour.com
GOLF PRACTICE & INSTRUCTION Atlantic Golf Center S. Attleboro, MA 508.7615484 www.atlanticgolfcenter.com
Coles River Swansea, MA 508.675.8767 www.colesriver.com
Golf Country Easton, MA 508.238.6007 Middleton, MA 978.774.4476 Saugus, MA 781.231.0032 www.golfcountry.org
Golf Shots Wareham, MA 508.295.8773
Harmon Golf & Fitness Club Rockland, MA 866.942.7666 www.harmongolf.com
Dennis Sales Golf Mapleville, RI 401.787.7040 www.dennissalesgolf.com
62 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Sun ‘N’ Air
myNEGM Marketplace
Danvers, MA 978.774.8180 www.sunairgolf.com
GolfTec Rhode Island Cranston, RI 401.649.GOLF9 (4653) www.changemygame.com
Stratton Golf School Stratton, VT 800.787.2886 www.stratton.com/golf
Poland Spring Golf Academy Poland Springs, ME 207.998.7100 www.starttofinish.com
Joe & Leigh’s Performance Center Easton, Ma at Golf Country 508.238.2320 www.joeandleigh.com
MASSACHUSETTS GOLF COURSES GREATER BOSTON Braintree Municipal Golf Course Braintree 781.843.6513 www.braintreegolf.com
DW Fields Brockton 866.515.0203 www.2doggolf.com
Easton Country Club South Easton 508.238.2500 www.eastoncountryclub.com
Granite Links Quincy 617.689.1900 www.granitelinksgolfclub.com
BOSTON WEST Crosswinds Golf Club Plymouth 508.830.1199 www.golfcrosswinds.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 63
myNEGM Marketplace
Country Club of Billerica Billerica 978.667.9121 www.coutryclubofbillerica.com
The Glen Country Club Millis 508.376.2978 www.theglencc.com
New England Country Club Bellingham 508.883.2300 www.newenglandcountryclub.com
Far Corner Golf Course West Boxford 978.352.8300 www.farcornergolf.com
The Ranch Golf Club Southwick 413.569.9333 www.theranchgolfclub.com
Shaker Farms Country Club Westfield 413.568.4087 www.shakerfarmscc.com
Shining Rock Golf Club Northbridge 508.234.0400 www.shiningrock.com
BOSTON NORTH Petersham Country Club Petersham 978.724.3388 www.petershamcc.com
Turner Hill Ipswich 978.356.7070 www.turnerhill.com
SOUTHEASTERN MA Allendale Country Club North Dartmouth 508.992.8682 www.allendalecountryclub.com
Chemawa Golf Course North Attleboro 508.399.7330 www.chemawagolf.com
64 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Fall River Country Club
myNEGM Marketplace
Fall River 508.678.9374 www.fallrivercc.com
Olde Scotland Links Bridgewater 508.279.3344 www.oldescotlandlinks.com
Pine Oaks Golf Club South Easton 508.238.2320 www.pineoaks.com
Rehoboth Country Club Rehoboth 508.252.6259 www.rehobothcc.com
Shadow Brook Golf Club South Attleboro 508.339.8410 www.atlanticgolfcenter.com
CAPE COD REGION The Captains Golf Course Brewster 508.896.1716 www.captainsgolfcourse.com
Cranberry Valley Golf Course Harwich 508.430.5234 www.cranberrygolfcourse.com
Quashnet Valley Country Club Mashpee 508.477.4412 www.quashnetvalley.com
Sandwich Hollows Golf Club East Sandwich 508.888.3384 www.sandwichhollows.com
Southers Marsh Golf Club Plymouth 508.830.3535 www.southersmarsh.com
Waverly Oaks Country Club Plymouth 508.224.6700 www.waverlyoaksgolfclub.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 65
myNEGM Marketplace
RHODE ISLAND GOLF COURSES Foster Country Club Foster 401.397.7750 www.fostercountryclub.com
Green Valley Country Club Portsmouth 401.847.9543 www.greenvalleyccofri.com
Meadowbrook Richmond 401.539.8491 www.meadowbrookgolfri.com
Montaup Country Club Portsmouth 401.683.0955 www.montaupcc.com
Newport National Golf Club Middletown 401.848.9690 www.newportnational.com
Woodland Greens Golf Club North Kingstown 401.294.2872 www.woodlandgc.com
MAINE GOLF COURSES Boothbay Country Club Boothbay 207.633.6085 www.harrisgolfonline.com
Falmouth Country Club Falmouth 207.878.2864 www.harrisgolfonline.com
Freeport Country Club Freeport 207.865.0711 www.harrisgolfonline.com
The Ledges Golf Club York 207.351.3000 www.ledgesgolf.com
Old Marsh Country Club Wells 207.251.4653 www.harrisgolfonline.com
66 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Penobscot Valley Country Club
myNEGM Marketplace
Orono 207.866.2423 www.harrisgolfonline.com
Sunday River Golf Club Newry 207.824.4653 www.harrisgolfonline.com
NEW HAMPSHIRE GOLF COURSES Androscoggin Valley Country Club Gorham 603.466.9468 www.avccgolf.com
Brookstone Park Derry 603.894.7336 www.brookstone-park.com
Haleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Location Golf Course Hales Location 603.356.2140 www.whitemountainhotel.com
Indian Mound Golf Club Center Ossipee 603.539.7733 www.indianmoundgc.com
Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa Golf Course Whitefield 603.837.2100 www.mountainviewgrand.com
North Conway Country Club North Conway Village 603.356.5244 www.northconwaycountryclub.com
Province Lake Golf Parsonsfield 800.325.4434 www.provincelakegolf.com
Waumbek Country Club Jefferson 603.586.7777 www.playgolfne.com/wb/
Smart Golf.
Visit myNEGM.com on your mobile device
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 67
myNEGM Marketplace
Rehoboth Country Club Tournaments & Outings
CONNECTICUT GOLF COURSES Connecticut National Golf Club Putnam 860.928.7748 www.ctnationalgolf.com
VIRTUAL GOLF CLUBS Barnes Brook Indoor Golf West Enfield, ME 207.732.3006 www.barnesbrookgolfandski.com
Broken Tee Virtual Golf Club Lakeville, MA 508.923.4653
Golf League Openings for 2011 Special: Mon-Fri 18 Holes with Cart $40.00 55 and Older $35.00
(508) 252-6259 RehobothCC.com
www.thebrokentee.com
Groton Indoor Country Club Groton, MA 978.448.2564 www.grotoncountryclub.com
King of Swing Revere, MA 781.284.6100 www.kingofswinggolf.com
Gonzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indoor Golf S. Burlington, VT 802.881.0660
Allendale Country Club
www.gonzosindoorgolf.com
Call Today for Great Membership programs for 2010-20111 season
Vermont Indoor Golf S. Burlington, VT 802.864.4040 www.vermontindoorgolf.com
Woodbury Golf Course Woodbury, VT 802.456.1250 www.woodburygolf.com
GOLF RESORTS
Single Full Membership $1950 Family
Membership
$2950 For more information:
Pro Shop 508.992.8682 Business Office 508.992.2174 Or visit us on the web
Allendaleountryclub.com 1047 Allen Street, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
68 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Bethel Inn Resort Bethel, ME 207.824.2175 www.bethelinn.com
The Balsams Grand Resort Dixville Notch, NH 800.255.0600 www.thebalsams.com
Clarion Inn Cape Cod South Yarmouth, MA 800.527.0359 www.clarioncapecod.com
Doral Resorts & Spa
myNEGM Marketplace
Miami, FL 800.71.DORAL www.doralresort.com
Greater Atlantic City Golf Assoc. Atlantic City, NJ 800.GOLF.222 www.acgolfvacations.com
Stratton Mt. Resort Stratton, VT 800.787.2886 www.stratton.com/golf
The Heritage House Hotel Cape Cod, MA 800.242.7829 www.stayandplaycapecod.com
Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club Innisbrook, FL 727.942.2000 www.innisbrookgolfresort.com
Lake Morey Resort Fairlee, VT 802.333.4311 www.lakemoreyresort.com
Point Sebago Resort Casco, ME 207.655.7948 www.pointsebago.com
GOLF REAL ESTATE Gorman Associates Massachusetts 781.329.6111 www.gormanassociates.com
The Homes at Old Marsh Maine 978.423.6053 www.oldmarshwells.com
RE/MAX Realty Team Cape Coral, FL 239.425.2519 www.morecapecoral.com
C21 Hawkeye Myrtle Beach, SC 843.685.2063 www.richgibbins.com
East Shore Properties Portsmouth, RI 401.683.6200 www.eastshoreproperties.com
April 2011 | New England Golf Monthly | 69
NEW ENGLAND G O L F â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; c A R s Yamaha Golf Cars and Utility Vehicle 62 Industrial Way, Seekonk, Ma 02771 (508) 336-4285 Hallberg Park, No. Reading, MA 01864 (978) 664-9000 email negc40@aol.com
(508) 336-4285 WWW.NEWENGLANDGOLFCARS.COM
70 | New England Golf Monthly | April 2011
Use the promo code: NEGM to save $10