June 2013
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay Offers Fantastic Golf Right In Our Own Back Yard!
TBDGA 2013 Tournaments AN POULTER INSTALLS FULL SWING GOLF SIMULATOR AT HOME BUTCH HARMON ABOUT GOLF DVD SALE FOR FATHER'S DAY
Sophisticated Fitting lab Makes a Stop In Thunder Bay: The Golf Lab
Pinehurst Area Golf World Class!
TBDGA 2013 Tournaments Note: Some of the dates or courses are subject to change JUNE June 8-9 Golfing for Gold Kenogamisis Golf Course June 15-16 Mallon’s Play It Again Sports Better Ball Strathcona Golf Course Chapples Golf Course June 21 Municipal Seniors Municipal Golf Course June 22 North Shore Open (27 holes) North Shore Golf Course June 29-30 Dragon Hills Invitational Dragon Hills Golf Course
June 29-30 The Keg District Open TBA Whitewater Golf Club JULY July 6-7 July 13-14 Chapples Invitational (3 man scramble) Marathon Men's Open Chapples Golf Course
Peninsula Golf Club July 15 Steve “O” Senior Invitational Thunder Bay Country Club July 13-14 July 20-21 Strathcona Club Championship FWCC Club Championship Strathcona Golf Club FWCC July 27 North Shore Senior 2 Man Best Ball North Shore Golf Course July 27-28 Whitewater GC Club Championship Whitewater Golf Club July 27-28 Aguasabon 4 Man Masters Agusabon Golf Course AUGUST August 3-4 August 2-5 Stanley Thompson Memorial 2 Man Strathcona Invitational Kenogamisis Golf Course Strathcona Golf Club August 9-10-11 FWCC Invitational FWCC August 9-10-11 Barrick Gold Skins Game
Peninsula Golf Club August TBA Bergstrom Kenogamisis Golf Course August 10-11 Chapples Club Championship Chapples Golf Course August 17-18 Centennial Mens Club Championship August 17-18 Municipal Club Championship Municipal Golf Course August 24-25 Thunder Bay CC Club Championship Thunder Bay Country Club August 24-25 Aguasabon Mens Open Aguasabon Golf Course August TBA TBDGA District Junior Championship TBA August 24-25 Dragon Hills Club Championship Dragon Hills Golf Course August 30 Dragon Hills Senior Open Dragon Hills Golf Course
SEPTEMBER August 31September 2 Canadian Tire District Amateur Strathcona Golf Course
Chapples Golf Course Whitewater Golf Club Aug 31- Sept 1 Geraldton Club Championship Kenogamisis Golf Course September 7-8 September 7-8 Marathon Club Championship Terrace Bay Club Championship Peninsula Golf Course Aguasabon Golf Club September 8 Municipal Invitational Municipal Golf Course September 14 North Shore 2 man North Shore Golf Course September 14-15 Emerald Greens Club Championship Emerald Greens Golf Course OCTOBER October 5 Dragon Hills Open 4 Man Scramble Dragon Hills Golf Course October 13 Stokaluk Shoot-Out Municipal Golf Course
AN POULTER INSTALLS FULL SWING GOLF SIMULATOR AT HOME SAN DIEGO, CA - Full Swing Golf is proud to announce that PGA Tour pro Ian Poulter has installed one of its Champion Series golf simulators in his Florida home.
flight I see on the sim is identical to my outdoor ball flight. It even lets me adjust weather elements and course conditions. My sim is incredibly realistic and the data
great for golfers of all ages and abilities...my son, Dad and I all compete together and have a great time."
is so extensive, its a fantastic training tool that helps me stay sharp. Beyond practice it's actually a lot of fun. Over the holidays, family, friends and I play the courses and have closest to the pin contests. My sim is
Of the 80 courses featured on his Full Swing Golf simulator, Poulter's favorite to play is Pebble Beach.
Poulter had the golf simulator installed in his golf garage, along with his V1 and Trackman systems, his golf cart, and all of the tournament golf bags he's collected over time. "Life is busy and it's tough to juggle a multifaceted career with a family and still find time to practice golf," says Ian Poulter. "That's why I built a golf studio in my new home in Orlando, which I thought I would only use when it rains, when it's night or when I'm short on time. My sim is so good and so convenient that I practice more indoors than I thought I would, regardless of what's going on outside." Poulter further states, "The Ion Performance Cam is the latest addition to the sim, which gives me extensive club data and improved spin performance. I can shape all my shots at will, and the ball's
Full Swing Golf simulators have been installed in the homes of many PGA Tour pros over the years. "We're always thrilled when golf superstars, such as Ian Poulter, install one of our simulators at their very own home," says Chad Coleman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Full Swing Golf. "It's an honor that the world's top players opt to use our technology to help perfect their craft, and serves as a testament to the credibility, reliability and accuracy of our products." About Full Swing Golf Full Swing Golf is located in San Diego, California and manufactures and markets the leading indoor golf simulator to businesses and consumers worldwide. The diverse line of simulator products can be customized to fit the needs of various clientele, including golf professionals, retail businesses, residential communities, luxury resorts, teaching facilities, golf centers and homeowners. www.fullswinggolf.com.
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June 2013
www.golfingnews.ca Pinehurst Area Golf World Class! BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Golfing News If you are an avid golfer there are certain golf destinations you just have to visit. It had been several years since I had played some golf in North Carolina and this spring would be my opportunity for a return visit. A golf friend from North Carolina, who now has his own communications company based in Raleigh, put together a quintessential Sand hills golf experience encompassing Pinehurst/Southern Pines area and Fayetteville. I didn’t have to play the Pinehurst Resort’s eight courses to enjoy high quality golf crafted by many of the game’s leading architects across this iconic region. The North Carolina region is really quite accessible for Canadian’s and Ontarian’s in particular. My trip included two short 1 hour plus flights leaving Thunder Bay, Ontario and arriving in Raleigh at 11 am. It was off to the rental car company and a 1-hour plus drive to Pinehurst to play my first golf game, that same afternoon, at Mid South Club in Southern Pines. Brian Anderson is the Head Golf Professional at Mid South Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina and originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The course opened in 1992 as the Plantation Club and then became Mid South because it kind of describes the location of the course. The clubhouse was built in 2007 and offers some spectacular views of the course. It is an Arnold Palmer design that has a lot of his traditional design forced carries, a lot of pressure on the tee shots and your second shots can be over water. How you position your tee shot will determine what kind of a shot you will have into the greens. The greens are large with breaks but not overbearing. Bermuda rough and a little bit of rye overseed for
the winter months helps to keep the fairways looking green before the summer heat arrives. “ Our bent grass greens are in great shape right now. Maintenance does a good job here and we can develop some speed on the greens. That makes for some interesting member events,” said Brian Anderson. “ We are open 364 days of the year closing only on Christmas day. The weather can be very nice in January and February in the 70’s. In North Carolina they like to say if you don’t like the weather one day just wait a day and it will be fine.” Mid South is a private club but will allow outside packaged play. You can stay at their Talamore property and local packagers will set you up. The green rate is from $125 and up although you can get play three rounds and hotel for a great rate. “ I like that the course has good elevation changes and you don’t really see two holes that look the same. Every thing changes and your view point changes. There are over 150 yards of elevation changes with large bunkers, forced carries over water
After leaving Canada snow conditions it was fun to be in 85 F heat and I was on my way to my base of operations here, Homewood Suites by Hilton at Pinehurst. This all suite hotel is perfect for the golfer
and different pin placements. Your eye is never just focused on one thing throughout the course. Also the wind seems to be always in your face on 16 of the 18 holes
and includes daily breakfast and dinner from Monday to Thursday at no charge to its guests. The central location meant I would be in the middle of the over 40
even though they may run beside themselves. It is a very challenging course but very playable. It is friendly to all skill levels.” smiled Anderson.
courses in this area, known as the home of American golf. My next golf game would be at the Dormie Club, which opened in 2010 as a
Sonia Rutter @ 807-631-4244
June 2013
Ben Crenshaw and Bill Core design. The clubhouse was originally a house that was converted to a clubhouse. It was moved from another part of the property to its current location. Dormie Club was ranked number 2 course you can play in North Carolina in 2012 by Golf week magazine, only behind Pinehurst No 2, which can features a $400 green fee rate. “ I like the variety you have, say a par three that is 127 yards and one of 247 yards. Some par 4’s you can drive at just over 300 yards for long hitters and some par fours that are almost 500 yards. It is a very good variety of holes. You have to go a long way to find a course like this with all the natural areas. Everything plays as a waste bunker and we have no rakes on the property. It is very unique property,” said Dean Allgeyer, Director of Golf at Dormie Club. “ Originally it was going to be a walking only course with caddies, but we now have some power carts. We can have a caddie here to help you within 1/2 hour. We want to preserve the originally of the property, the setting.” The green fee on the weekend at Dormie in peak season is $215 and in the summer drops to $130. They deal with all the packagers and the hotels, which will allow for some better rates. In 2012 Dormie did 8000 rounds, in 2013 will do 12,000 to 13,000 and in 2014 be pushing 20,000 according to Allgeyer. “ There is a lot of maintenance here as raking bunkers takes manpower. We want people to feel they are in a natural setting. Once you leave the clubhouse the nines don’t return here so it is very quiet with no roads, traffic and houses. There are plans for home sites but they are to be set back with no roads through the course,”said Allegeyer. “ The weather in January and February can be between 30 to 70 degrees. Typical the high is about 55 degrees. In the summer it is hot, at least 90 degrees.” I really enjoyed my game at Dormie. To me setting in golf is very important and Dormie is on a spectacular piece of property that makes you feel alone with nature for your time there. The famed Pinehurst Resort was located 1 mile from my home base while in the area and it was fun to tour their iconic property and have dinner in the historic Holly Tavern. Continued on Page 6
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Sophisticated Fitting Lab Makes a Stop In Thunder Bay: The Golf Lab BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Golfing News When I drove past the Whitewater Golf Club recently I saw a large motorhome RV parked at the driving range. Local golf professional Dustin Wilson had arranged for the mobile golf fitting centre on wheels to spend some time here so that several high level players could get some analysis of how their equipment matched with their swing and whether improvements could be
made to help increase distance or golf ball flight paths. “ We are driving out west to Victoria, BC to be at the first PGA Tour Canada stop there. After that we will continue back and be at each of their tournament stops such as Calgary, Fort McMurray and Winnipeg to help players with their equipment needs,” said Eddie Crosbie, Head Lab Technician, The Golf Lab based in Vaughan, Ontario. The Golf Lab operates from a 26,000 square foot indoor training facility
equipped with Trackman Launch Monitor units in each hitting bay, V1 video to record your swing, a gym, two Chiropractors and a personal trainer on staff, 2 60 foot indoor greens and a sand trap. They do all their own club fitting and are a state of the art of facility in Canada and beyound. The Golf Lab also offers a 3D system where you wear a complete suit with digitized points to your body, custom to you. There is also force plate which tells details of your weight transfer. “ We can do a complete club set build from this RV on the spot and could do it in about 45 minutes provided we have the stock. We offer a system called Club Connects, one of only four places in Canada that has it available. It allows us to apply any shaft to any head, eg a Taylor
Made shaft to a Titeleist head. It gives you countless options,” said Eddie. “ You need to have the clubs fit to your swing. We find out first what you are looking for. For example if an extra 10 yards of distance would be great we would put you you on the Trackman and see what you are currently doing and offer ways to improve. We have a complete training program and lessons ongoing from our Vaughan facility. It is really the same type of service the PGA Tour players would get,” noted Eddie. “We are brand agnostic and can offer any brand of equipment and get you what you hit the best. It is more suited fit for you instead of being tied down to one club brand. If you are taking lessons we get you clubs and once
you start getting better we tweak those clubs to help you. Our own build shop will allow us to make the changes.” The club flitters at The Golf Lab are
club builders as well and they work better for the player as one person is doing the final product.
The cost for the services vary and can include memberships. You can start with a full 2 hour initial assessment and then develop a training program. “ When I was in Toronto many of my co workers then are now working at the Golf Lab. We were fortunate to get their mobile tour van here in Thunder Bay. NWO Golf partnered up with the Golf Lab and we are looking at doing some custom club fitting together,” said Dustin Wilson. “ Some of the players I have coached here are out today on the Trackman trying different shaft and head options seeing what works best to get maximum distance. Also we looked over the lofts and shafts of their irons to make sure they are good for them. We hope to have the Golf Lab mobile unit come back in July just before the Canadian Open and we will offer some general public fitting days.”
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June 2103
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay Offers Fantastic Golf Right In Our Own Back Yard BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
NW Ontario Golfing News About a 4 hour drive from Thunder Bay is the The Wilderness Golf Course. It opened in the summer of 2004, is owned by the Bois Forte Band and was designed by Jeffrey Brauer. Brauer is well known
course with generous fairways and is very challenging. It is ranked number 40 in the US as resort places to play so continues to do well. It plays from 5300 to 7200 yards with 5 sets of tees. Green fee rates vary but can be $74 including cart, range balls and tees. The length of the season is to the 2nd Monday of October and it usually opens late April or early May.
Wilderness Golf Club. “ There are good packages with stay and play pricing in the hotel and green fees. It can be very busy through the year and September is very busy. “
Wilderness, Giant’s Ridge both Quarry and Legend courses and Superior National at Lutsen. You will get to play some of the nicest courses on the planet at a reasonable cost and right here in our back yard!
I think a great trip for golfers would be to create a four-day package of the
for creating superb courses including several in our area such as at Giants Ridge. The whole facility at Fortune Bay is excellent with a great hotel complex including all the amenities you will need and a dynamic casino as well. The Wilderness is a very well designed
“ I love the course, that is why I am here. It is bent grass tee fairways and greens and rye and blue grass rough. We get many players from Thunder Bay and Winnipeg that play here as well as at Giants Ridge; Jeffrey Bauer designed as well. We do about 25,000 rounds per year on average, “ said Dan Miller of Fortune Bay- The
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Pinehurst Area Golf World Class! Continued from Page 3 “ We are at Pinehurst, the home of American Golf where in 1901 the first courses opened at this resort. In the region known as Moore County we have 40 courses in total. You can have all kinds of courses here to include all levels of skill, price point’s and architects,” said Claire Phillips, Director of Marketing and Public
Relations for the Moore County Visitors Bureau. “ The Pinehurst No 2 will host the US Open, both Men’s and Women's championships, in 2014. We are getting
quite booked for that already. Many golfers come down on a package and after they
are down here, determine which courses they prefer and then they will make their own packages.” To find more about the area go to www.homeofgolf.com and you will find information on lodging, course contact information, area events and attractions. You can contact the packagers they’re as well according to Phillips. “ It is very mild here in North Carolina.
place to call home. We are a little bit sheltered from the economy because we have a big influx of retirees who have moved here and are strong financially. We want Canadians to come down and visit. You
This course can play up to 6800 yards and is a very high quality layout that was fun to play. My next journey would be to Spring Lake that is home to the famous Fort
can buy a nice little condo and have it for your friends to come down anytime. You can retire here if you want.” said Claire Phillips. Midland Road in Pinehurst features some of the best golf courses in close proximity you will find anywhere. Talamore Golf Club is a Rees Jones design and the sister course to Mid South Club.
Bragg air force base with over 50,000 troops. It is also near some very good golf courses as well and my next game would be at Bayonet at Puppy Creek in Raeford. All of the courses I played were in quite close promimity and it was nice to play this course with John Meroski, CEO of the CVB of Fayetteville. Our game at Gate Four Golf & Country club in Fayetteville featured the best greens I have seen in years. The greens were absolutely like a carpet and made the golf experience here an excellent one. My last golf game, for a total of six in North Carolina during this trip, was at Anderson Creek Golf Club designed by Davis Love III. Anderson Creek is an entire gated golf community and featured many new homes under construction. The course, which I had played before, is a large layout that reminded me of long hitting Love. It was a fun course to play and a great end to my North Carolina golf experience. I packed up my clubs and began the 1 hour drive back to the Raleigh Durham Airport for my return home. I enjoyed spending some time in the brand new terminal building and having dinner at 5 Guys before my return to Canada. My golf trip to North Carolina featured fantastic quality golf at every course I played, great weather and very friendly people. It really is a must play destination for every golfer.
In January and February we can have 72 degree as well as frost warnings but snow is very rare. I love the seasons here, being surrounded by golf courses, the people that
come here to visit and stay, the quality of life and value of property. It is a very good
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June 2013
TOM WATSON LESSONS OF A LIFETIME INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM93% OF BUYERS SURVEYED SAY INSTRUCTIONAL DVD SET IMPROVED Westwood, Kansas - In a recent survey, buyers of Tom Watson Lessons of a Lifetime, tomwatson.com, the 2-disc instructional program produced by the 8 time major champion, the results showed that:
• "Definitely the best. I wish I had this kind of instructional aide when I was 12 years old."
plane which has helped students understand and maintain the path through the ball."
Tom Watson The Grip Lesson 1 from tomwatsondvd.com The two-DVD set provides 44 lessons averaging 4 minutes each of clear, comprehensive instruction and sells at retail for $49.95.
93% said the DVDs improved their game. 78% rated the DVDs excellent. 78% said the DVDs were the best instruction program ever. Tom Watson Productions conducted the survey in May 2013. The survey results were consistent throughout all handicap levels from high handicappers to golf professionals. "It is really gratifying to see my instruction making a difference in the lives of every day golfers. I tried to take all that I have learned from the golf mentors in my life and all my years on tour, and put it in an easy-to-understand format." says Tom Watson. Comments from those responding to the survey included:
pro shop. Best investment to improving my golf fame I have ever made. Will recommend it to everyone I know." • "Excellent Resource. I highly recommend to anyone wanting to improve their golf game at any level."
The DVD set is available from tomwatson.com with free worldwide shipping through June 30, 2013. The DVD set is also available at select golf and sporting goods locations, pro shops and all Amazon worldwide sites. • "Best video ever. Cannot say enough about the graphics. Tom is one of the greatest at teaching all the variations of the golf swing in all situations. Great lessons for all levels of players." • "I am a golf professional and have admired and taught Tom Watson's swing for years. He is the best example of "swing the clubhead" since the late Ernie Jones. He shows us the perfect
• "Very detailed. Excellent explanations. Highly recommended for beginners and 'visual' learners." • "I love Tom's swing and style of play. His lessons are very easy to understand and apply to your game. Good work." • "Great video!! Puts things in an easy to understand and learn format. Count not afford lessons from a
The set can also be purchased by telephone at 1-800-993-5589 The Japanese, Mandarin, French (separate Canadian and European formats) and German versions of Tom Watson Lessons of a Lifetime are sold at retailers in those countries plus through website links available at tomwatson.com.
BUTCH HARMON ABOUT GOLF DVD SALE FOR FATHER'S DAY Adam Scott Featured in DVD and is one of the top golf academies in the world. Harmon has a long history of giving back to the community through golf. After visiting U.S. troops around the world, he created the Harmon's Heroes Foundation that assists military personnel in various ways. Harmon hosts wounded veterans at his VIP schools and also hosts an annual event that raises funds to purchase homes for deserving veterans.
LAS VEGAS, NV. - In celebration of the first anniversary of the release of his "Butch Harmon About Golf presented by Titleist" DVD -- and as a special tribute to all fathers -- Butch Harmon is pleased to announce his Father's Day/U.S. Open sale. Now through the conclusion of the U.S. Open, buy one DVD and get a second for only $20. This is a wonderful gift-giving promotion for golfers of all ages and skill levels, and an ideal present for fathers, relatives and friends who love to play golf. Harmon is the ultimate instructor. His latest student to strike gold is Masters winner Adam Scott, who was Harmon's student for several years beginning at the onset of his professional career. To this day, Scott's swing is considered to be among the PGA Tour's most picture perfect and flawless. He's featured with Harmon on the golf course, in the DVD. "It doesn't matter if you're Tiger or a highhandicapper, Butch can help you to improve your game," says Scott. "He has the best eye in the game for identifying any faults in your swing and the cures that will fix them. Plus, he has the rare ability to communicate well on how to help you." Golfers wanting to take advantage of this special should visit the Butch Harmon website: http://www.butchharmondvd.com.
About Butch Harmon Butch Harmon has been involved in golf for more than 40 years. He was a PGA Tour pro from 1969 to 1971, and won the 1971 Broome County Open. He became best known, however, through his work as a teacher and instructor. In the early 1990s,
June 2013
Become a Fan of Butch Harmon DVD on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ButchHarmonDVD or Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ButchHarmonDVD Forward email he was Greg Norman's instructor. That was followed by a 10-year association with Tiger Woods, from 1993 to 2004. Harmon has worked with 100+ PGA, LPGA, and
European Tour players, including 21 Majors winners. The Butch Harmon School of Golf currently has four signature locations throughout the U.S. and Dubai,
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June 2013