Texas Golfer - Spring 2012 by Publication Printer

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Your Guide to the Greatest Show on Turf

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PGA TOUR HITS TEXAS

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UT MEN’S TEAM

Can they complete one of the best seasons ever?

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WIN McMURRY

Golf Channel’s Leading Lady Breaks Out

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SPRING 2012 VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1

INSTRUCTION

Dave Pelz, Bill Moretti, Tina Bradley-Mayers

TRAVEL

Bandon, Hawaii, Mesquite, New Zealand

EQUIPMENT

Newest Drivers, Irons, Wedges, Putters & More

FOOD & SPIRITS

Austin’s Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew

Texas Troubadour Music Legend George Strait Breathes Life into The Resort at Tapatio Springs $4.95 Display Until July 2012

Fabulous

Golﬁng Teed Up For You in Hot Springs Village! Join the Fun! The Village is home to eight 18-hole golf courses and one 27-hole golf complex. With more than 170 holes, no matter what skill level, you’ll ﬁnd challenging courses that deliver championship-level playing conditions.

Golf Rates as low as... • $59.00 for morning play with cart • $49.00 for afternoon play with cart Golf packages and specials are also availalbe, call or email: 501.922.2858 | teetimes@hsvpoa.org DeSoto Golf Course

Balboa Golf Course

A limited number of one-year memberships for $535 per couple and $275 per single are available for purchase. Participants are provided use of Property Owners’ Association amenities at property owner rates on our 8 golf courses, tennis courts, state-of-the-art ﬁtness facility, outdoor and indoor pools, 11 recreation lakes and more, call or email: 501.922.5519 | membership@ hsvpoa.org.

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Ponce de Leon Golf Course

Magellan Golf Course

Golf Shoe of the Future? OAKLEY’S CIPHER

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 - SPRING 2012

Geared Up: page 22

DEPARTMENTS

28:

George Strait In an exclusive interview, the country music legend opens up on his passions: performing, golf, fishing and restoring The Resort at Tapatio Springs in Boerne into the best little Hill Country getaway it can be.

Cover Photos: George Strait, by Jay Presti Win McMurry, by Ben Van Hook

15: Regional News: Hill Country After a dominating fall season, the University of Texas men’s golf team chases a shot at history against some stiff competition. 20: Checking In: Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa Discover the Hyatt’s riverfront charm and unique setting at the foot of the Hill Country. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Courtesy of the University of Texas

13: Regional News: Dallas Sportswriting legend Dan Jenkins enters the World Golf Hall of Fame this year. He reflects on his six decades of revealing the game’s defining moments.

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VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 - SPRING 2012

FEATURES

46: Golf Channel’s Win McMurry

Get to Know the Mind Behind the Smile

7: Know Your Pros Respected club professionals weigh in on current issues from around the world of golf. 38: Instruction Staff: 38: Dave Pelz helps you play downhill bunker shots 39: Tina Bradley-Mayers on executing your swing in the proper athletic sequence. 40: Bill Moretti explains what it means to “release” the putter.

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Courtesy of Shell Houston Open

Courtesy of Golf Channel

41: Travel: Postscards From Paradise Plan your next golf vacation with enticing suggestions, ranging from the thrilling-yet-affordable Mesquite, Nevada to powerfully exotic New Zealand. Plus, get a sneak peek at Coore-Crenshaw’s new Bandon Preserve design at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.

25: Get a primer on the Shell Houston Open, the Valero Texas Open and the Colonial 52: The Architect’s Digest: Houston-based golf course architect Mike Nuzzo suggests better techniques for the future of golf course design and maintenance.

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PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

The One Constant is Change

irst, let me say thank you for reading Texas Golfer Magazine. Through the 28 years this publication has been in existence, we’ve gained some loyal readers and we greatly appreciate you all. Recently, we took some time to repackage the magazine and commit to content that is more targeted and beneficial to Texas golfers. This is your magazine and we strive hard to make sure it’s reflective of the game you play and love. Send us an e-mail and let us know what you think of our latest efforts.

We have called on an old friend to guide Texas Golfer’s editorial process. Carl Mickelson is a Texas native and a 20-year golf industry veteran who is passionate about promoting the game and sharing its stories. You’ll notice that the magazine will feel more “local” and tuned-in to things like instruction, tournaments and the people, places and events that make our golf scene tick. While our print magazine will appear in spring, summer, fall, and winter editions, registering for our e-newsletter will help keep you in the loop on the latest news, features, promotions and offers. We’re making a big move toward increased online content that we hope you will find entertaining and useful. Sign up for our e-newsletter that will be sent out to the people who choose to register and benefit from news, tips and valuable offers. If you haven’t done so, please go to www.texasgolfermagazine.com and register today. We are also partnering with 1smartgolfer.com to bring you great local, regional, and national golfing specials and getaways. These guys have taken the Groupon and Internet -Offer models and tailored them to golf in a way that brings awesome value to golfers, golf courses, retailers and resorts. If you register on our site, we will send you a message that will allow you to register for these special promotions and choose what content and how often you would like to receive it. We are right in the middle of prime golf season, so make sure you enjoy the weather and get out and hit the ball. It won’t be long before we’ll be right in the middle of some scorching hot weather.

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 - SPRING 2012

Chief Executive Officer/ Publisher Zane Russell zane@texasgolfermagazine.com

COO/CFO Mike Moore mike@texasgolfermagazine.com

Editor-in-Chief Carl Mickelson carl@texasgolfermagazine.com

Art Director Chet Polo chet@austindigital.biz

Contributing Writers Tina Bradley-Mayers, Steve Habel, Brad Lardon, Bill Moretti, Mike Nuzzo, Dave Pelz

Contributing Photographers/Illustrators Ben Van Hook, Carlton Wade

Distribution Jennifer Holbrook jennifer@texasgolfermagazine.com

Assistant Publisher C. Scott Talley stalley@texasgolfermagazine.com

Advertising Sales Representatives Blaine Williams | 888.863.9899 blaine@texasgolfermagazine.com Steve Bliman | 480.473.7663 bliman@cox.net Shawn K. Lively | 512.825.1303 slively@texasgolfermagazine.com

See you on the links!

Zane Russell zane@texasgolfermagazine.com

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Copyright 2012 by Texas Golfer Magazine. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Texas Golfer. Texas Golfer Magazine is published by Texas Golfer Magazine, Inc., 15721 Park Row, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77084. ISSN #0889-4825 TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

ABSOLUTELY NUTS! Is Pecan Valley Gone Forever?

A group led by former golf professional and USGA volunteer Chip Puhl would like to raise funds to purchase Pecan Valley from owners Foresight Golf and turn the course over to the City of San Antonio to be run as a municipal course.

Courtesy of D Squared Productions, Inc.

A “sign of the times” is one thing, but the early-January closing of San Antonio’s Pecan Valley Golf Club, host site of the 1968 PGA Championship and the 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur, was a downright gut-shot. Once considered one of the area’s top public-access courses, Pecan Valley had seen rounds and proﬁts dwindle in recent years as newer, ﬂashier resort-caliber courses emerged in and around San Antonio.

The group has successfully gotten the San Antonio City Council to consider re-zoning the property for golf-courseonly use. That move would block any reconstruction or reconfiguring of the golf course property for residential real estate. There’s a glimmer of hope the venerated 18-hole routing can be saved, but it will be a fight Puhl says. “There’s historical value to keeping Pecan Valley alive and there’s golf value and, frankly, it’s better for property values if the course is re-opened and properly run.” Foresight hopes to re-brand the property as a ninehole project called The Valor Club at Pecan Valley, a residential, retirement and recreational facility for military personnel. If Pecan Valley is razed or shuttered permanently, it will be the first major championship venue to disappear since the site of the 1939 PGA championship, Pomonok Country Club in Queens, NY, met its demise in 1949. Pecan Valley’s finest hour, that ’68 PGA, saw Julius Boros fight off Arnold Palmer to become the game’s oldest-ever major champion at age 48.

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SHWEIKI.COM

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FOR FREE QUOTES & SAMPLES CALL (512) 480-0860

KNOW YOUR PROS

PGA club professionals are the backbone of the golf industry, the glue that holds our favorite golf operations together. To golfers, our local pros are leaders, friends and guardians of the game. Get to know these pros a little better as they weigh in on a few issues of the day:

Scott Cory, director of golf Cypresswood Golf Club, Houston

Marc DeWall, director of golf The Golf Club at Cordillera Ranch

Matt Molloy, director of golf Sandia Resort Golf Club

WHAT’S YOUR CAREER-LOW ROUND? 66 at Abilene Country Club

I shot 69 in the second round of my Player Ability Test (part of becoming a PGA club professional) at Great Hills in Austin.

65 at Heritage Palm GC (Indio, Calif.)

EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT GOLF 2.0 AND GROW-THE-GAME INITIATIVES. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GROW THE GAME? We initiated a “Play Better Golf Program” that allows people to join the men’s or women’s golf association for a one-time fee of $49.95.

Being at a high-end private club, I’m constantly in a learning mode to make sure we’re engaging in a “best practices” mentality to make sure our learning center is state-of-the-art and we’re keeping golf fun for everyone. We’re looking to start a Ladies’ Night Out program.

We have three junior programs targeted at specific age ranges and skill levels and our Champions Club encourages locals to practice play and take lessons.

WHAT WAS THE GOLF COURSE LIKE WHERE YOU LEARNED THE GAME? I grew up playing a 27-hole private course in Houston, Inwood Forest Country Club. It had a great junior program.

I was lucky to learn the game at a great little par-3 course in the Midwest. It was always in great shape and it gave me chance to practice my short game. A lot.

I got the golf bug in my mid 20s when playing Vail Golf Club.

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE MASTERS IN 2012? Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

Phil Mickelson

WHAT IS THE MOST UNDER-RATED COURSE IN YOUR STATE? Feather Bay Golf Course in Brownwood TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Austin Country Club

Pueblo de Cochiti Golf Course Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 7

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Bradley Leads Star-Studded Nelson Field May 14-20

oming into last year’s HP Byron Nelson Championship, Byron Nelson, Keegan Bradley wasn’t yet a household name, a major winner or the week-in-week-out threat to win we’ve suddenly come to know. Now, the reigning PGA Champion and Rookie of the Year is a big-time draw on the PGA Tour and will be among the favorites as he defends his title at the Nelson. Bradley currently ranks 11th in the FedEx Cup standings, having earned well over $1 million so far this season and nearly winning the Northern Trust Open where he lost in a playoﬀ to Bill Haas. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft (who will turn pro after he plays in The Masters) joins crowd favorites Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and others on the TPC Las Colinas Course that played quite stingy last year, yielding a winning score of just threeunder-par. Byron Nelson would have turned 100 this year, so expect many tributes at the tournament and during telecasts, honoring the life and career of the Texas legend. “It says a lot about Byron that his legacy is still felt in our community and beyond,” said Robert Smith, 2012 tournament chairman. “Both on-site at the tournament and through social media, we will provide opportunities for our spectators and fans to celebrate this great man and everything he stood for.”

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CHECK WWW.HPBNC.ORG FOR SPECIAL TICKET PACKAGES AND THE FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT SLATED FOR THIS YEARʼS NELSON.

HP Byron Nelson Championship May 14 – 20

Turn to page 25 for the rundown on the PGA Tour’s other events that hit Texas this spring: The Shell Houston Open, the Valero Texas Open and The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

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ProSpective

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Magic in the Georgia Pines By BRAD LARDON

e’ve just reached my favorite rite of spring—Masters Time. I don’t think the season officially begins until I hear Jim Nantz’s voice on a CBS commercial, reminding us The Masters is here. I swear, I get goose bumps.

For years, I vowed I would only go to Augusta if I played my way into the season’s first major. Unfortunately, the only legitimate chance I ever had was to shoot 72 or better on Sunday of the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. This would have given me a high enough finish to qualify for one of the automatic invitations. Well, I shot 77 and quickly embarked on a career selling shirts and giving lessons to Mr. and Mrs. Havercamp. I’ve since decided I will break down one of these years and make my pilgrimage to Augusta… to the holy ground. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

"No matter what WGC event takes place prior to the season’s ﬁrst major, for most of us, the golf season oﬃcially begins in Augusta."

Every year, my wife asks me why I must watch the 1986 Jack Nicklaus victory highlights, screaming out “The Bear is out of hibernation”. Also in rotation is Tiger Woods’ boomerang chip-in at number 16 with the Nike swoosh teasing us for what seemed like 10 seconds before it teetered and Vern Lundquist memorably screamed, “In your life…” Who can forget Nantz’s classic line, “Is it his time?” right before Phil Mickelson poured in the winning putt for his first major championship. Last year’s tournament was a sneak preview of many great champions to come and perhaps a “new breed of older champions” to come as well. Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 9

We came into this year’s tournament with so many great potential story lines. Would this be Tiger’s breakthrough back into prominence again? Would this make us all forget the past years’ disgraces only to re-remember the Tiger who excited us with his majestic shot-making and signature fist pumps? This Tiger, Tim Finchem would gladly pay half of his eight figured salary to see win big again. Or would this be the time top-ranked Rory McIlroy would propel himself to the greatness most think he’ll inevitably reach? Maybe defending champion Charl Schwartzel would fly more under the radar than any past champion (which

would not surprise me a bit) and repeat. Perhaps Rickie Fowler would live up to his massive potential and break through with his great putting and shot-making and dressed in pure Augusta green from head to toe. A win would also validate world-number-one rankings for Lee Westwood or Luke Donald. Experience and local knowledge of the many subtleties means more in this event than any other tournament on the PGA Tour schedule. The beauty of The Masters is to see who can steady their nerves to make the five-footer with a foot of break or hit the 3-iron off of a hanging lie over Raes Creek but land it softly

enough to hold the insanely undulating green. There will be birdies, eagles, three putts and a chunked wedge or two into the hazard, breaking someone’s heart. All these things will happen and I can’t wait to see the actors who will be featured in each scene that will make up the script of The Masters and the rest of the Majors in 2012. It’s going to be an incredible year! EDITOR’S NOTE: In the end, “people’s champ” Bubba Watson fended off a rocksteady Louis Ooisthuizen in a two-hole playoff to conclude a Masters that was far more exciting than anything we could have ever scripted.

Brad Lardon is the well-respected Director of Golf at Miramont Country Club. His ongoing series of articles, "From the Pro," will appear in each issue of TEXAS GOLFER. Brad can be reached at: Lardon@miramont.cc

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KNOWL

HOUSTON News & Notes

UPGRADES ON THE HORIZON FOR THE FALLS O

ne of the golf courses that helped pioneer the upscale daily-fee movement in the Houston area in the late 80s is about to enter a new era. The Falls Resort & Golf Club in New Ulm is undergoing an extensive improvement project that will give the property more “family resort” allure. Owners recently also announced that the golf operation is now managed by the world’s largest golf management company, Troon Golf. The first phase of revitalization and expansion at The Falls includes a new 1 ¼ acre water recreation area that will feature a splash pad with family-themed play structures, the first portion of a planned 100-unit new condominium development and aesthetic enhancements to the resort entrance. Future plans call for a new fitness center, additional residential subdivisions and renovations to the pro shop, club, and lodging facilities. “It’s really going to elevate the quality of the golf- and resort-guest experience to have these improvements implemented,” says director of golf Jason Sanders. “To have a golf course this strong receive a major facelift along with the surrounding property is pretty exciting. People are going to be talking about The Falls in a whole new way.” Nestled in the deep woods halfway between Houston and Austin, The Falls is home to an acclaimed Jay Riviere-Dave Marr 18-hole design known for its quick greens and prevalent water features. The surrounding residential/resort development is also home to the fine-dining Cascades restaurant, a cluster of two-

TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

"To have a golf course this strong receive a major facelift along with the surrounding property is pretty exciting." JASON SANDERS, DIRECTOR OF GOLF

bedroom villas, a small inn for individual or group getaways four lighted tennis courts, two swimming pools and a oneacre fishing pond. “We are excited to be part of this premier development," says T.L. Spencer, chairman and CEO of Breakaway Development, LLC (a co-owner of The Falls). "The planned renovations and

expansion activities combined with the golf management of Troon Golf, will take The Falls resident and guest experience to a new level.” Troon Golf has built a reputation in the golf industry by working with high-end daily-fee and resort properties and adhering to meticulous standards for service and maintenance. Sanders says golfers will experience a whole new brand of quality golf experience when they play The Falls. “Troon gets it right and they work at properties where they know they can be successful and share a great golf experience with their clientele. We’re honored to be in the Troon family.” Visit www.thefallsresort.com Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 11

INSPERITY CHAMPIONSHIP LANDS SPRING DATE FOR 2012 AND BEYOND

THIS SUMMER, FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE 27 Holes of Golf s Fine k Casual Dining s Spa Tennis s State-of-the-Art Fitness Facilities Swimming Pools s Family Recreation Center

ouston’s Champions Tour stop, the Insperity Championship will be played in its new springtime slot for the first time April 30 – May 6. Organizers are excited to present the event in a timeframe that doesn’t conflict with football and exposes the event to potentially larger galleries and television audiences. “Houston is going to be the focus of the golf world this spring," says Champions Tour President Mike Stevens. "Fans are going to experience the best of the PGA TOUR with the Shell Houston Open at the end of March before the stars from the Champions Tour arrive at the start of May.” Tournament director Bryan Naugle adds “The first week of May is the date we’ve always wanted. We’re in a great position going forward.” The tournament will remain at the popular Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club, where strong fields have converged the past two years. Brad Faxon won the rain-shortened 2011 Insperity Championship by one stroke over Tommy Armour III.

Text HAPPY to 713-568-1006 to receive a special offer for a golf package at our Lodge, located in Colorado Springs.

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Visit insperitychampionship.com for more details.

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KNOWL

DALLAS News & Notes

DAN JENKINS TO ENTER WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME

or more than six decades, Dan Jenkins has shown us how fun it can be to write-- and read-- about sports. With unflinching honesty and razor-sharp wit, the Fort Worth native has been golf’s unofficial BS police and one of the game’s alltime-great storytellers. Whether he’s taking on Tourplayer egos, the over-commercialism of the game or the decisions made by some of the game’s ruling bodies, Jenkins does it all with a simple charm and a sharp pen. He has written a dozen and a half books (Dead Solid Perfect and Semi Tough were made into motion pictures) and has won every award imaginable as a writer for Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest. This spring, Jenkins will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. It’s an honor befitting a career that began at the Fort Worth Press in 1948 and has brought vivid color to the major sporting events of our time. Jenkins has covered 211 major championships, starting with Ben Hogan’s triumph at Oakland Hills in the 1951 U.S. Open. We caught up with Jenkins as he was being fit for the jacket he’ll be awarded when he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame later this spring. Here’s the conversation: You’ve always used Ben Hogan as a measuring stick for achievements in golf. Now, you’re in the same Hall of Fame as him. Given your roots together and the part you played in each other’s careers, does that add special meaning to the honor? Absolutely. Looks like I’m the third guy from Fort Worth to make it, following Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson. So, I’m in pretty good company. Also, to join Herbert Warren Wind and Bernard Darwin as the only writers in the Hall of Fame is special. People used to refer to the way you put things on the page as the “New Journalism”. Did you feel like you were breaking ground or were you just writing like you talk? Good Lord, no. I was just doing it the only way I knew how. And, I had heroes, too. Guys like John Lardner or David Runyan were practicing good journalism long before there was New Journalism. I don’t feel like I created anything. I never tried to be funny. I first tried to be accurate and if I could entertain along the way, that was a bonus. I didn’t write golf as a religion. I wrote it the way I knew it, growing up gambling and laughing. I knew when not to be funny, too. When Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus were doing dramatic or historic things in tournaments, you didn’t have to be funny. You just had to capture that defining moment and have fun with it. I never went out my way to make jokes. Mark Twain said the best humor is grounded in truth, and I believe that. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Photo by Dom Furore

L LOCA EDGE

You’ve always had fun making yourself and the guys in the press room the “victims” when an unexpected major winner like Jack Fleck or Ben Curtis emerges. Deep down, do you really enjoy it when we're caught so completely off-guard? That’s part of the charm of the sport. In my days at Sports Illustrated, my managing editor used to hold it against me if Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus didn’t win. I was in charge of bringing home somebody who’d help sell the magazine, so it was very inconvenient that Tommy Aaron had won The Masters. 2011 was a different kind of year. A 22-yearold won the U.S. Open by going 16-under-That’s the greatest story of the year for me and I thought Rory McIlroy should have been Player of the Year. He’s a great talent and he’s also a great kid. We’ve seen him coming for a while. We saw him come and go at Augusta and to come back the way he did and win the U.S. Open was fabulous. To find the fortitude to kill the field at Congressional after what happened to him at The Masters is incredible. Looking back at that Masters, we almost forget that Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes to steal that Green Jacket. I know, but Rory still had the bigger story in 2011. When you’re covering an event for a magazine, all

four days become important. Sometimes the biggest moment in the tournament happens on Thursday. You have to find that defining moment. Every sports event has one and, frequently, there’s more than one moment that defines the event. Any predictions on what we might see in the majors in 2012? I think everyone’s curious to see how Tiger will do. I think there’s a lot more competition for him now. Rory’s not the only one in this new fearless generation of players. I don’t think Tiger will be the kind of player he was when he was chasing Grand Slams and making every putt he looked at, but I’ve been wrong before. For a ten year period, he was the greatest putter in the history of the game. You have inspired a lot of talented sportswriters, but few as talented and sharp as your own daughter, Sally. What has the experience been like as a father to watch her follow in your footsteps and succeed as admirably as she has? It’s been great fun. For a long time, she’s been the best writer in the family and she’s proven that over and over. And the Washington Post knows how good she is because every now and then they take her off of sports and send her to cover 9/11 or Katrina because they know she’s the best writer on the paper. She’s a workaholic. She definitely got that from her daddy. Thinking of all of your colorful fictional characters like Kenny Lee Pucket, Billy Clyde Puckett, it’s seems that you have a soft spot for flawed protagonists. Could you ever bring yourself to look at Tiger Woods through a similar, sympathetic lens? No, I couldn’t because he was difficult with me. I never got an interview with him. I spent 12 years trying to get a one on one with him and couldn’t do it. Not even once? I told his agent Mark Steinberg and those guys, “I’ve played golf with Ben Hogan, for chrissake. I’ve known Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Is it possible Tiger might want to ask me a question some time? Why don’t we just sit around and talk? You can even approve what I write.” They always said they had “nothing to gain.” He makes my job hard, so I can’t give him a break. I’ve always spoke glowingly of his play, but he definitely makes our jobs (as sports journalists) harder. How many more majors do you think you’ll cover? I’m going to do it until I drop. I just re-upped my contract with Golf Digest, so Augusta this year will be 212 and I’m going to all the majors until I topple over.

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KNOWL

DALLAS

Golf Academy of America Opens Dallas Campus

ow fun does “Golf College” sound? The second semester is under way at the first Texas location of the Golf Academy of America. The Farmers Branch campus is the fifth location of the targeted two-year educational program designed to place students into careers in the golf industry. The Academy is known for its 16-month curriculum that “balances classroom studies, practical experience and comprehensive understanding of both the game and the business of golf.” Campus director Greg Gossett says, “We are the only golf career school in Texas, believe it or not, and we can be a lifechanging influence to our students.”

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The new Golf Academy campus is an 18,700-square-foot complex with a 4,000-square-foot indoor training facility with many of the latest video, teaching and feedback technologies, five hitting bays and golf simulators. The campus also houses a club-fitting and repair lab, five lecture rooms, a computer lab, a career services center and a golf library. Will a degree from this program necessarily equate to a job in golf? Gossett says the Academy’s career placement record for graduates has been “better than 81 percent in each of the last 10 years.” For more information on the Academy and its programs, visit www.golfacademy.edu.

Haney’s The Big Miss Reveals a Peek into His Years Coaching Tiger

hether Hank Haney’s new book provides satisfying closure to his six years as Tiger Woods swing coach-or sparks more controversy-- remains to be seen. The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods hit bookstores on March 27 and already has golf fans split on whether it’s juicy copy or a betrayal of sorts. Haney’s accounts of Woods’ fascination with military training and the assertion that Woods injured his knees during Navy SEALs-type training have already been recounted in the media along with a few anecdotes that portray Woods as difficult, single-minded and isolated. “There are quite a few things in there that people will find as surprises,” says the Dallas-based swing coach, but he’s quick to clarify his intentions. “I just wrote a fair and honest book. I said all along this wasn't going to be a ‘takedown book’. People who know me know that's not what I would do.” Woods has said publically that he won’t read the book and that he finds the idea of it “unprofessional” and “about money”. Haney maintains the content is more factual than salacious. The official line on the book is that it will chronicle Haney’s “productive, intense” coaching relationship with Woods, “covering a period in which the champion was at his triumphant peak and in the throes of a devastating personal and professional crisis.” The publisher of The Big Miss, Crown Achetype, also says, “Haney will provide unique insight into the complex personality of Woods, showing how the once child prodigy came to have a deeply-conflicted relationship with the game that made him one of the most famous and accomplished athletes of all time.” Haney worked with Woods from the spring of 2004 to the spring of 2010. During that span, Woods won six majors and more than one third of the events he entered. He told Golf Digest in 2010, “I always felt like I knew Tiger from observing him. I did not feel like I knew him from knowing him.” TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

L LOCA EDGE

KNOWL

HILL COUNTRY News & Notes

Long Expectations

UT MEN'S TEAM CHASES A SHOT AT HISTORY

UT FRESHMAN JORDAN SPIETH

fter winning a fourth consecutive tournament to kick off the spring season (having won three straight in the fall), the University of Texas men’s golf team had the collegiate world wondering what they’d do for an encore. The top-ranked Longhorns have entered the spring tournament season with a “sky’s the limit” outlook and competitive edge coach John Fields believes they’ll maintain as the season progresses toward the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA Championship tournament at famed Riviera Country Club (Pacific Palisades, Calif.). “This team has big goals and incredible ability to focus on one tournament at a time,” says Fields. “They really drive each other to perform. They want to beat each other as bad as they do everyone else in the field.” Top senior Dylan Frittelli had spent much of the fall season as the number-

TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

one-ranked individual in the country until highly-touted freshman Jordan Spieth recently passed him in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings on the strength of a second-place finish at the Amer Ari Invitational (played on the Big Island in Hawaii). “Jordan’s quite an intense guy. He’s a great competitor,” says Frittelli. “I’m a pretty easy going guy, so I find being around him helps me get a little fired up, too.” Frittelli has four runner-up showings this season and no finishes outside the top 10. “I want to win,” says the South African-born 2010 Big 12 player of the year. “I’ve had a few close calls this season, but I think I need to seriously stake my claim on my ranking with a win.” Spieth, the two-time U.S. Junior champion, recorded his first victory in the fall at The Isleworth Invitational, an event the Longhorns won by 26 shots. The four consecutive team wins have

come by an average of 17 strokes better than the teams that have placed second. Fields points to depth as the team’s biggest strength, noting that juniors Julio Vegas and Cody Gribble and sophomore Toni Hakula have the talent to contend in any event. Vegas, Fritelli and Spieth tied for medalist honors at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate, the team's home event. “These guys know this is their moment,” Fields days. “These spring tournaments are an opportunity to find out how good they are and how much they can achieve.” Fields adds that this team has knack for staying loose while keeping their edge—often by engaging in heated ping pong matches. “We’re probably a better ping pong team than we are a golf team,” Frittelli jokes. “It gets pretty heated when we play.” And the heat usually spills over into the practice rounds. Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 15

L LOCA EDGE

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In the Conversation?

Courtesy of U of H Athletics

he torrid pace the UT men’s golf team has set is causing comparisons to some of history’s best collegiate teams. A walk down the NCAA’s Memory Lane suggests sometimes top recruits and overwhelming talent trump all, and sometimes other factors intervene: Texas Longhorns (1971, 1972) Ben Crenshaw won three-straight individual titles (sharing the ’72 crown with teammateTom Kite) as the Longhorns of the early 70s cemented their spot in history with two national titles.

Houston Cougars (1982, 1984, 1985) Cougar teams anchored by future pros Steve Elkington and Billy Ray Brown won NCAA hardware in three of their four seasons on campus.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1974, 1975) A team that included four future PGA Tour players-- Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, David Thore and Bob Byman—slipped by defending champs Florida at the 1974 NCAAs and decimated the field by 33 shots in 1975.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (1995) The 80s saw Oklahoma State produce three national titles and a half dozen players who would go on to win on the PGA Tour, but the 1995 team made history by defeating Stanford in the first playoff in NCAA Championship history.

“When we’re on the golf course, it’s about as competitive as I could imagine any team being,” Spieth says. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than pummel Dylan on a nine-hole match, but when you see us on the range, you see a completely different personality in everybody. We help each other a lot.” Because the six wins this squad has amassed have come in such convincing fashion, people are already drawing comparisons to some of the great collegiate teams in NCAA history. Fields is quick to say that’s premature, pointing to the Tom Kite/Ben Crenshaw teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1971 and 1972. “We have a lot to accomplish before you can put us in that company. It certainly won’t be handed to us,” Fields says. “It’s a step by step process and you can’t miss a rung.” This year’s Big 12 Championship will be contested at Trinity’s Whispering Pines Golf Club, the course where Frittelli and Spieth first struck up a friendship during the 2009 Spirit Invitational. Expect that conference championship to be a litmus test for the Longhorns. They’ll likely be favored against perennial rivals like Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, but they expect to be pushed by the competition. And each other. “It’s a perfect situation to be able to play against some of the country’s best players day in and day out,” Spieth says. 16 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics

FRITTELLI HAS ONE WIN SO FAR THIS SEASON.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (1978) OSU locked down a 17-stroke victory in the national championship. Seniors (and future PGA Tour players) David Edwards and Lindy Miller were joined by two other future pros Bob Tway and Rafael Alarcon and two-time All-American Britt Harrison.

Stanford Cardinal (1995) Tiger Woods joined the well-pedigreed defending champs at Stanford in 1995. They took Oklahoma State to the wire before losing in a playoff. Woods would win the individual title the next year. Oklahoma State Cowboys (2009) With All-Americans Rickie Fowler and Morgan Hoffman and a stout supporting cast that included Kevin Tway, Trent Leon and Peter Uihlein, OSU was thought to be unbeatable. Texas A&M slipped by the Cowboys on the strength of a holed wedge shot by Bronson Burgoon. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Kingsland's Packsaddle Gets a Fresh Start as Lighthouse Country Club E

verything old is new again at the newly-christened Lighthouse Country Club in Kingsland, formerly known as Packsaddle Country Club. The property now has a new name, logo and outlook thanks to a new ownership group, which includes Al Pryor, the facility’s former general manager and director of golf.

and just minutes from the headwaters of Lake LBJ. Several holes feature granite outcroppings, serpentine fairways and small-target landing areas. Pryor says the only new routing change is the transformation of the closing hole from a long par four to a testing 185-yard par three. The move was made

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News & Notes

BEGAY TO BE HONORED FOR CHARITY EFFORTS

GA Tour player Notah Begay III will be awarded the Golf Writers Association of America’s Charlie Bartlett Award this April for his “unselfish contributions” to the betterment of society. Begay’s NB3 Foundation was started in 2005 to battle the epidemic of childhood and Type 2 diabetes and obesity among Native American Children and has raised more than $3.23 million in the last three years through the foundation’s annual Challenge Golf Event.

Since 2009, the NB3 Foundation has helped more than 10,000 Native American children in 11 states through soccer, golf, health and wellness and grant programs. The largest granted funded construction of the first-ever community park and soccer field for children of the San Felipe Pueblo. One-half Navajo, one quarter San Felipe and one-quarter Isleta, Begay, won has won four times on the PGA Tour, is the only full-blooded Native American to have played full-time on the Tour. Learn more about the work of the NB3 Foundation at www.notah.com

SUN COUNTRY JUNIOR TOUR ANNOUNCES 2012 SCHEDULE

embership Registration for the Sun Country Junior Golf Tour is open for juniors ages seven to 18 interested in playing tournament golf this summer. The first 600 registrants will be accepted into the Junior Tour which will host about 50 tournaments in 2012 with attractive venues like Sandia Golf Club, Inn of the Mountain Gods, Pinon Hills Golf Course, Painted Dunes Golf Course and Butterfield Trail Golf Course.

HILTON BUFFALO THUNDER ANNOUNCES “PLAY IT YOUR WAY” PACKAGE

he Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino is now offering a combined package that includes unlimited golf on its 27-hole Towa Golf Club design and daily spa treatments. The Play It Your Way package also includes unlimited tennis, use of the Wo’ P’in Spa facilities and a complimentary appetizer in the Red Sage restaurant on the day of your arrival. The Towa Golf Club slices through unique rock formations, canyons and 18 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

native grasses in the scenic Pojoaque Valley. The foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains provide ample elevation changes on these winding and breathtaking nines, designed by Hale Irwin and William Phillips. Opened in 2008, Towa is gaining fame among locals and visitors to Northern New Mexico. The 395-room The Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino is nestled

“Year after year this program lays out a schedule of golf that allows our youngest members to experience the competitive atmosphere of tournament golf while playing some of the best facilities Sun Country has to offer,” says executive director Matt Williams. “And the recreational component allows all skill levels to compete.” 2012 memberships will cost $40 and individual tournament entries will cost $25. Visit www.suncountrygolfhouse.com for registration information.

among 587 acres of natural beauty just 15 miles from historic Santa Fe. For the gaming enthusiast, Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino hosts a state-of-the-art, Las Vegas-style gaming venue with 1,200 slot machines, a 10-table poker room and various table games. The Resort was recently awarded prestigious Four-Diamond status by AAA. Visit www.bufflaothunderesort.com for more details.

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THE ROUNDUP: Checking In

BASTROP’S OASIS IN THE TREES HYATT REGENCY LOST PINES RESORT & SPA

n theory, you would be hard pressed to find a place more laidback and welcoming place than Austin. In reality, you only have to drive about 20 miles southeast of the capital to Bastrop’s Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa to find such a destination. Once you turn into the resort’s entrance off of Highway 71, you enter a private retreat that captures just about everything there is to love about being outdoors in Texas in one 400-acre parcel of land. Set on property that is the perfect convergence of lush Hill Country, serene riverfront and a pine forest, the Hyatt Lost Pines brings visitors into some of the best scenery and topography the Hill Country has to offer. The resort, bordered by the Colorado River and the McKinney Roughs Nature Preserve, fits beautifully into the surrounding landscape and beckons guests to get out and play in nature. River rafting, trap shooting and horseback riding are among the more rugged activities you can dive into at the Hyatt Lost Pines. Guests are encouraged to hike and explore the sprawling resort grounds and meet the local mascots—a pair of longhorn steers and an affable 150-pound Newfoundland named Hoss. “This is a different kind of resort experience,” says director of golf Eric Claxton. “Guests love the water park, the golf course and the spa, but how many places let you get out on the river or hop on a horse? What you do with your day here is totally up to you.” The interior of the 491-room resort has a casual elegance and a design theme that honors Texas history and artistry in a manner that’s respectful and not at all kitsch. Various areas of the resort have exhibits that illustrate the history of the surrounding land or the work and creativity of notable Texan writers, musicians and artists. A cool touch that helps guests gain a deeper connection with the region. A spin around the Hyatt’s lazy river water feature will give you glimpses of the Arthur Hills-designed golf course, the Colorado River, rolling hillsides and a fully-loaded poolside lounge/sports bar. If this isn’t your kind of place, something might be wrong with you. Wolfdancer Golf Club is an ambitious golf design that affords golfers the kind of “big-time” resort experience one would expect at a Hyatt property. Spreading out over 150 acres and three distinct topographical locations, the 7,205-yard, par 72 layout is demanding but fun and engaging. When the course was new and 20 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

the roughs grew high and thick, golfers were quick to call it one of the most difficult courses in the Austin area, but Claxton says as the course has matured (since its 2006 debut), it’s softened just a bit. “The golf course has definitely gotten more playable over time,” says director of golf Eric Claxton. “The roughs are more forgiving and the mowing patterns are more generous. I honestly look at Wolfdancer as the kind of golf course you could play and enjoy every day.” Two of the toughest approach shots come on the first two holes you’ll play and the course seems to get more playable and “attackable” as the round progresses. The golf courses opens in a high prairie setting then moves into an elevated, well-forested section of the property where straight hitting can help you make up some shots as long as you give Wolfdancer’s speedy greens some respect. The downhill par-3 12th is the most talked-about hole as the elevated tee provides views of the resort and the surrounding river valley. Par 5s at numbers 14 and 18 provide great birdie chances in an oak-lined section of the golf course that plays near the Colorado and with views and shot values that are classic parkland golf. “We have people tell us this is one of the most satisfying rounds of golf they’ve played in a long time. The golf course just has so much variety,” says Claxton. The Hyatt Lost Pines in five short years has established its place as one of the essential resort destinations in Central Texas. Families love the host of activities for all ages. Corporate groups appreciate the 60,000 square-feet of meeting space and anyone who appreciates relaxation will fall in love with Spa Django and its long menu of therapeutic and invigorating treatments. Another fine touch you’ll find at this resort is a commitment to hiring local people who know and love the area and can give guests honest feedback on the local scene. When recent catastrophic wildfires ravaged parts of Bastrop some 7 – 10 miles from the resort, everyone knew someone who was affected by the tragedy and the resort became a focal point for relief, shelter and communication with residents and the media. The Hyatt saw no damage but was a big part of the relief effort. —Carl Mickelson TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

COME TO THE HYATT REGENCY LOST PINES RESORT & SPA FOR THE GOLF AND YOUʼLL WANT TO STAY FOR THE HOSPITALITY, GOOD FOOD AND GOOD TIMES AND THE SʼMORES BY THE FIRE PIT AT DUSK AND ALL THE LITTLE “TRADITIONS” THAT MAKE THIS RESORT ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE VACATION EXPERIENCES IN THE STATE. VISIT LOSTPINES.HYATT.COM TO BOOK YOUR STAY.

“IT’S BEEN A VERY REWARDING TO SEE THIS PROPERTY TAKE SHAPE AND BECOME SUCH A RICH PART OF THIS COMMUNITY,” SAYS CLAXTON. “TO SEE THE SAME FAMILIES COME BACK MULTIPLE TIMES PER YEAR IS REALLY COOL BECAUSE IF WE’RE MAKING THEM FEEL AT HOME HERE, WE’RE REALLY DOING OUR JOBS (WELL).” TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 21

IT’S IN THE BAG… OR SOON WILL BE F

or equipment enthusiasts, this time of year is like a rebirth, a chance to transform their sets with the latest innovations from the game’s top club manufacturers. The top names in golf gear don’t disappoint, either. Check out what’s trending in clubs, balls, accessories and apparel.

The Exotics XG5 ($299.99) is the latest in a long line of startlingly impressive fairway woods from Tour Edge. The hot Beta titanium face insert and the titanium cup face and crown marry with a heavy tungsten sole plate for optimized launch and center of gravity. Boomerang face technology positions various levels of face thickness designed to produce hotter launch and improved fee on oﬀ-center shots.

The Cleveland Classic 270 ($299.99) is a Trojan Horse of sorts. Behind the clever cosmetic design that lovingly mimics a persimmon-headed driver, lies a technology-driven driver. At just 270 grams, the club is built for speed while featuring the largest, deepest face Cleveland has ever built on a driver. MaxCOR2 Variable Face Thickness promotes forgiveness on oﬀ-center hits.

Callaway’s RAZR Fit Driver ($399.99) combines the ability to adjust the face angle and trajectory bias with material innovations and improved aerodynamics. The Forged Composite material used in the RAZR Fit (and developed with automobile legends Lamborghini) is lighter and stronger than titanium yet engineers can precisely control its thickness to optimize center of gravity and MOI. A sleeker head shape reduces drag on the downswing, promoting higher impact speed.

Taylormade has made sure RocketBallz has become a buzz word in golf, but the hype is not without merit. The RocketBallz fairway woods ($229.99) have a sole-positioned Speed Pocket behind the club face to boost COR and ball speed. Available in lofts between 14 and 24 degrees, these woods are designed with a “low and forward” center of gravity to promote a high launch angle and low spin-rate—kind of like a rocket.

Adams Golf touts its Idea Super XTD Hybrid ($299.99) as “a driver in a hybrid body.” The most noticeable trait is the “second-generation” Velocity Slot Technology featuring indented slots behind the club face- one on the crown and one on the sole- for maximized launch conditions, ball speed and forgiveness. Available in lofts between 15 and 21.

Callaway Forged Wedges ($119.99) combine a sleek, traditional look with a gradual C-shaped sole that enables golfers to easily open and close the face when the shot calls for it, optimizing clean contact and shot control. A system of 21 tightly-spaced Tour CC grooves helps promote spin and distance control.

Cleveland debuts a handsome, traditional-looking iron with the 588 CB set ($999.99). Better players will enjoy the compact profile and progressive cavity back, while a slightly wider V sole, thicker topline, longer blade and more offset promote confidence for mid-handicappers. Forged from 1025 carbon steel, these irons retain the soft-yet-solid feel Cleveland devotees have come to appreciate.

The Nike VR-S hybrid ($199.99) has a compact head that looks a lot like a fairway wood on the ground and, according to Nike, launches as easy as one, too. NexCOR face technology uses multiple face thicknesses to promote high ball speed and forgiveness on oﬀ-center hits. Testers say it’s one of Nike’s longest hybrids ever.

Feel and forgiveness in a Titleist iron? The multimaterial AP1 712 irons ($799.99) will make you a believer with an improved MOI and progressive blade lengths that get smaller as you go from the long irons to the short irons. This iron combines a traditional skilled-player’s look with game-improvement-type technology and weighting, all built to promote feel and control.

GEARED UP: Equipment 1: LOFT IT OUT

PING’s Answer Wedges ($169) have a highdensity tungsten weight in the toe balanced by a longer hosel to orient the club’s center of gravity for a high-spinning, penetrating trajectory. Featuring a soft 8620 forged steel head and machined grooves and face texture, the Answer balances it all with a matte nickel ﬁnish and a traditional-looking head shape. Available in lofts from 50 to 60 degrees.

2: LINE IT UP

Taylormade’s Ghost Manta putter ($159) uses dual black alignment lines on a white putter head to promote proper aim while a Surlyn polymer grooved-face insert fosters softer feel and hotter, tighter roll oﬀ the face. The large mallet face is designed for feel and stability.

3: SLIP IT ON Stoked by the recent success of Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley, Oakley is expanding its apparel and shoe lines for 2012. The Cipher ($130) is the brand’s lightest shoe ever and features a military-inspired NanoSpike sole that replaces spikes with a spikey, nubbed surface for increased traction, lower center of gravity and stability. Lighter upper materials reduce heat moisture and combat fatigue.

4: KEEP IT DRY

Sunice’s Ultimate V4 rain jacket ($499) packs design ingenuity into every aspect. Features on this Gore-Tex Performance Shell include the X-Static® stretch lining, Pro-Trim™ waist cinching system, in-pocket ball cleaner and full stretch back panel. Sunice signatures like laser cut designs on the sleeves, laser cut and welded pocket frames, and the V-collar design set this jacket apart from the rest.

5: BAG IT UP

Sun Mountain’s latest stand bag is loaded with nifty innovations. The KG:2 ($199) boasts eight pockets (including mobile-phone and beverage pockets), a four-way top with full-length club dividers, three integrated top handles and a new lift-assist pocket handle, a dual-padded strap shoulder strap system and a cart-friendly bottom. The KG:2 weighs 4.6 pounds and is available in eight color variations.

24 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

The PGA Tour Brings the Show to Texas in April, May

PGA Tour action really starts to heat up this time of year and it doesn’t get any hotter than the game’s best competing in Texas. Check out the latest on the stars and attractions coming to the Lone Star State this spring.

hat a difference a date makes. The Shell Houston Open slid into the week-before-The-Masters slot on the PGA Tour’s schedule in 2007 and, since that time, the field has consistently improved, galleries have grown and the perception of the event has been elevated immensely. When tournament director Steve Timms learned he had a commitment from the Tour on this date, he initiated the plan to have Redstone Golf Club’s Tournament Course mimic the conditions at Augusta National Golf Club as closely as possible, making the SHO a Masters tune-up in every sense. Low roughs, fast greens, shaved slopes near water hazards and immaculate manicuring tee to green has become the maintenance standard for tournament week and the pros have shown an appreciation for the detail. “The set up philosophy initially was a huge challenge for Redstone and the superintendent’s staff, but now the pros

texasgolfermagazine.com

Really Big SHO come in expecting one of the best-conditioned courses they’ll play all year. It’s now the norm for everyone,” Timms says. In 2013, the SHO will be bumped back to two weeks before the Masters (March 28 – 31), with the Valero Texas Open assuming the week-before-TheMasters slot. Tournament officials say they’ll keep the conditioning standards and look to possibly capture players who prefer to play that week versus the week leading into a major (Tiger Woods, for example). What some perceive as a blow to the SHO, could turn out well if the event is able to draw Woods and international players like Rory McIlroy who have favored playing that week in recent seasons. The pre-Masters date has really raised the profile and quality of the fields (and winners) in recent years. In 2011, 32 players in the world played in the Shell Houston Open went on to participate in The Masters the next week, including last

year’s SHO champion, Phil Mickelson. “It was particularly gratifying to convince Phil to play in this tournament in 2008, and now to have him has our champion has been tremendous for the tournament and the city,” Timms says. After Mickelson won the 2011 SHO, he praised the course set up. “This is one of the best manicured golf courses we play all year. The greens roll better than just about any green I’ve ever seen,” Mickelson said. “With the first cut similar to Augusta, it allows us to really work on shots from just off the fairway. I love it because I think the recovery shot is the most exciting shot in golf, and this golf course allows you those opportunities.” Hunter Mahan secured a one-stroke victory over Carl Petterson for his second title of the year. Visit shellhoustonopen.com for 2012 results and information on next year’s tournament.

Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 25

Valero Texas Open Returns to Prominence This April 16-20, the Valero Texas Open will be contested for the 90th time. If you’re scoring at home, that makes the event the fifth-oldest professional tournament in the world and the longestrunning tournament hosted in the same city. So why does everything about it feel so new? A lot of that newness has to do with the venue, the Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio (host site for just the third time this year), and a re-branded approach to hospitality and a “fan-friendliness.” The players are acclimating to the golf course and learning it’s a tough track to try to go low on. Last year, Brendan Steele captured the title with a finalround 71 to finish 8-under and one shot

ahead of fellow Tour rookie Kevin Chappell. Windy conditions helped keep the field’s overall scoring average to 73.665, one of the highest marks for the year. Valero Energy Corporation recently

announced an extension of its sponsorship commitment that will run through 2018. “Not only does the Valero Texas Open celebrate a rich history as a premier sporting event in San Antonio, it also has had a significant impact on thousands of lives through a remarkable charitable record, particularly since Valero became involved as title sponsor,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. Last year, the Valero Texas Open and the Benefit for Children Golf Classic together raised an unprecedented $9 million for local children’s charities, including the local Boys and Girls Clubs. If you want to take part in the good times and good will, get your tickets at valerotexasopen.org

Mental Tip: What You Can Learn From Kevin Na’s 16

evin Na had a breakout season on the PGA Tour last year, but some of his biggest headlines came as the result of his play on one particular hole at the 2011 Valero Texas Open. After swatting two drives deep into the trees left of the ninth fairway, Na encountered epic tree trouble and recorded an inexplicable 16 on the 474-yard par 4 during last year’s first round. Sportscenter was “kind” enough to s h o w a l l 16 pops on that even i n g ’s t e l e c ast. Some golfers may have let a blow-up hole of this magnitude derail their confidence or momentum moving forward, but Na immediately shook it off, carding a 33 on his next nine then pulling off

26 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

top-10 finishes in the next two events he played. He eventually capped his season with his first-career victory (at The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open) and ranking an impressive 17th in the FedExCup standings. So what happens in the course of a blow-up hole like this, and how can a golfer attempt to prevent football-like scores on a single hole—or, worse yet, letting one hole affect your play during the rest of the round? Boernebased golf psychologist Jon Stabler of GolfPsych says it takes work to fight off the chemical reaction that takes place in most golfers when they face unexpected disasters on the course, but minimizing “arousal” is key. “What you sometimes can’t control is that you’re probably going to have a fair bit of adrenaline, glucose and norepinephrine pumping into your system and that’s going to do things that aren’t exactly conducive to great golf,” Stabler says. The emotional effects of a bad shot (or series of bad shots) can cause a golfer to temporarily have diminished fine-motor skills, a busier mind, a reduced ability to make decisions and a tightening of

the body’s larger muscles. Realizing this process is creeping into your mind and body can help minimize the “shock” of an unraveling hole but more important is having a plan and a series of good mental habits. “You have to be aware of your own personality and make sure worrying over the next shot doesn’t get the better of you. I tell golfers they shouldn’t even think about the circumstances of the next shot until they can see it and assess the lie. They should keep a calm, quiet mind until they’re up to the ball,” Stabler says. “All they can do after a bad shot is run through a checklist that asks 1) How was my tempo on that last shot? 2) Was I committed to the shot? 3) How well did I visualize the shot and 4) How good was my feel on that last shot? and then take a deep breath and execute the next shot better.” Stabler says keeping a “blank” mind in between shots (until you can assess your next lie) can do wonders for your mental approach. “When we’re athletic, in the moment and less ‘left-brained’, we have a better chance to hit good shots and make good decisions on the course.” Na, thanks to a thick skin and short memory, found a way to quickly overcome his 16 and find greater success on the Tour. Now, let’s never speak of it again. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

When He Was King Palmer Faced a Dogfight at the 1962 Colonial

Courtesy of Colonial Country Club

Looking Back:

ay 1962. “Soldier Boy” by The Shirelles was the most popular song on the radio, LIFE Magazine readers got their first glimpse of Seattle’s newlyconstructed Space Needle, the New York Mets were in their first weeks as a franchise and Arnold Palmer was at the height of his powers. Coming into the ’62 Colonial National Invitation, Palmer had already won five tournaments, including his third Masters. In Fort Worth, though, he would face one of the strongest fields he’d see all year. All of the top-25 players on the money list were on hand as were winners of 46 of the most recent 47 Tour events. Young Jack Nicklaus was one of only seven players in the field who had never won on Tour. Legends Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Lloyd Mangrum joined defending champion Doug Sanders in a field that tournament chairmen Sam “Bing” Bingham marveled at, remarking, “Never have we had a greater field and seldom, if ever, has there been a greater field in any golf tournament.” Palmer opened with a three-under-par

67 to lead Gary Player by a stroke but Player countered with a second-round 70 to lead Palmer and former NCAA champion Johnny Pott by one and Nicklaus by two. With Australian Bruce Crampton cruising to a 67, Palmer took charge and fired a four-under 66 to take the lead by three after three rounds. High winds led to high scores in the final round. Two of the youngest players in the field, Nicklaus and Pott, each shot the best round of the day- one-under 69. For Pott, it was enough to take an early clubhouse lead at +1 for the championship. For Nicklaus, who had stumbled to a 74 in the third round, it meant he was two shots back in fourth place. On a day when only three players broke par, Palmer shot 76 but it was enough to tie Pott. Crampton came to 18 needing only a par to secure the win. When his ball sank into the pond short of the green for the second-straight round, so did his hopes to win. He finished third, a shot out of the 18-hole Monday playoff. Palmer and Pott played the first eight

holes even that Monday, but Palmer inched away with clutch birdies on 11, 15 and 16 and bested young LSU alum 69 – 73 for his sixth win of the year. He would go on to win the British Open and a total of eight titles in 1962. He easily won the money title, Vardon Trophy and Player of the Year honors. They named the lake after Crampton, who eventually got his redemption by winning the 1965 Colonial. Nicklaus would break through a few weeks later, capturing the U.S. Open at Oakmont (after an 18-hole playoff with Palmer), his first win as a professional but, in 1962, it was Palmer’s World. Everyone else was just living in it.

Courtesy of Colonial Country Club

This Year at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial David Toms defends his title at historic Colonial Country Club. Don’t miss one of the great fan experiences of the year on a course many of the Tour’s best payers rank in their top ﬁve courses on the season’s schedule. Join the PGA Tour’s best May 21 – 27. Visit www.crowneplazainvitational.com for tickets and special event information. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 27

Strait

Down the Middle A Conversation With Country Music Legend George Strait By Carl Mickelson

Make no mistake, when country music legend George Strait and his partner Tom Cusick bought The Resort at Tapatio Springs in Boerne in April of this year, they did it because they had a genuine affection for the property and a vision to make it a golf resort everyone in the region could be proud of. “We are trying to make the vision that (original developer) Clyde Smith saw when he developed it become a reality,” says Strait. “It’s gone through some tough times, but we’re trying hard to make sure that those days are behind it now. It’s really becoming an amazing place.”

28 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

Since the Strait-Cusick takeover of Tapatio, the response from locals has been understandably enthusiastic. After all, Strait might easily be the San Antonio area’s favorite “favorite son”. Had George Harvey Strait never been born, the country music business would probably have had to invent him. Turns out, the quintessential cowboy really is the genuine article. Central Casting couldn’t have drawn up a more perfect blueprint for a country music performer than an humble Texan raised on a ranch in Pearsall, who served in the Army, married his hometown sweetheart, has stayed married for 40 years and whose guilty pleasures consist of family, golf, roping cattle and deep sea fishing.

For a performer who has sold more than 68.5 million albums (including 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums) and racked up 58 numberone hit singles, the man fans call “King George” remains surprisingly modest-- and protective of his private time. “Country music is important to me, but it’s not my whole life,” Strait said. “I like to be outdoors, I like to hunt, I like to fish, I like to play golf.” Strait may have grown up idolizing hard-living country greats like Merle Haggard, George Jones and Johnny Cash (along with Western Swing king Bob Wills), but he’s managed to steer completely clear of the kind of controversy his heroes often found. Anyone looking to TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

Courtesy of Jay Presti

ou can read quite a bit these days about the growing trend of celebrities investing in golf courses. Phil Mickelson now owns a handful of courses in the Phoenix area. Justin Timberlake beams with pride when he talks about his Mirimichi Golf Course in Memphis. What the public can rarely discern is whether the celebrities view these purchases purely as investments or as passion projects—or a little of both.

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Courtesy of Jay Presti

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GEORGE STRAIT始S PASSION FOR GOLF CULMINATED WHEN HE BOUGHT THE RESORT AT TAPATIO SPRINGS IN BOERNE WITH PARTNER TOM CUSICK (BELOW RIGHT). STRAIT始S FAVORITE GOLF PARTNER IS HIS SON, BUBBA (BELOW LEFT)

write a warts-and-all, Walk the Line-style tell-all is going to be seriously disappointed. “George Strait is the ultimate family man,” says Strait’s longtime songwriting companion Dean Dillon. “Every time I’m ever around George, it’s not long before his son Bubba’s there. George, Bubba and Norma are closely-knit a family as you’ll ever find. George could have been one of those guys womanizing and carousing on tour buses, but that’s not him. He’s a strong spiritual guy. He knows who God is and he knows who he is.” Fans often ask if Strait is like the men in his songs. The heartbroken lover from “Marina Del Rey” or “The Cowboy Rides Away”. The lonely rodeo cowpoke from “Amarillo By Morning” or “I Can Still Make Cheyenne”. The busting-withpride father from “I Saw God Today”, “The Breath You Take” or “The Best Day”. Maybe the silver-tongued Romeo from “The Chair” or “I Just Want to Dance With You”. To Dillon, Strait is just ‘George’. “George is a lover of life and he has a great sense of humor. He’s a prankster,” says Dillon, who recalls the time Strait settled a football bet by returning Dillon’s $100 from a previous bet with ‘Easy Come, Easy Go – George Strait’ inscribed on the bill. “I won, but it cost me the $100 plus $10 for a frame to put it in! George is just fun that way.” What’s most remarkable about Strait’s career isn’t just the hits and the recordbreaking sales feats, it’s his longevity and ability to remain relevant in a genre that is ever-changing. When Garth Brooks was flying on a wire over the heads of sold-out-concert goers, George Strait was having equal success playing traditional country tunes and letting his music essentially speak for itself. While Big & Rich were employing country rapper Cowboy Troy to bust exuberant rhymes on their recordings, George reminded fans of his stature in the game by releasing a collection called “50 Number Ones” (For a frame of reference, Elvis Presley recorded 18 number one singles. The Beatles had 27 number ones.). 30 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

Today, the new wrinkle in Strait’s music is the frequent collaboration with his only son, George “Bubba” Strait Jr. The influence Bubba’s input had on his dad’s music was immediate. On “Living for the Night”, the first single off of Strait’s 2009 album Twang, the Straits teamed with Dillon to produce a song that captures much of the essence found in Strait hits from the 80s and 90s—gut-wrenching emotions with a sliver of hopefulness and humor: “I’m a whole lot easier to talk to/ When I’ve had a few, I settle down/ Whiskey kills the man you’ve turned me into, and I come alive/ I’m living for the night.” “Living for the Night” climbed to number two on the Billboard’s Country singles chart and gave the father-son team the creative momentum to write seven new songs for Strait’s most recent release, Here for a Good Time. The title track recently became Strait’s 58th number-one hit. At age 59, Strait balances his living-legend status by abiding

by the simple message in “Here for a Good Time”: “I believe it’s half full, not a half empty glass/ Every day I wake up knowing it could be my last/ I ain’t here for a long time/ I’m here for a good time/ …When I’m gone, put it in stone ‘He left nothing behind’/ I ain’t here for a long time/ I’m here for a good time”. If you have a tee time or a brunch reservation at the newly-renovated Resort at Tapatio Springs, don’t be surprised to see Strait out there following his bliss. He’s there often and gets in plenty of golf and revelry with his family, staff and members. It’s a new day at Tapatio and Strait seems to be enjoying the process of rebuilding the resort property and its image. George Strait has given very few interviews in recent years, so Texas Golfer is very pleased to share the music legend’s conversation with Carl Mickelson here: TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

I’ve been hearing the title track off of your new album “Here For a Good Time” on the radio. It’s a fun track, with kind of a “Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’” message behind it. How did this single come about? It was a song idea that my son, Bubba had that Dean Dillon (songwriting collaborator on Strait’s hits like “The Chair”, “Nobody in His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her”, “Ocean Front Property”, “I’ve Come to Expect It From You”, “Easy Come, Easy Go”, “The Best Day” and “Living for the Night”, to name just a few) and I helped him write. It’s definitely a “get busy living” song. I don’t know about the “get busy dying” part. It’s fun, for sure. Okay, no more Shawshank references... What can listeners expect from Here For a Good Time, the album? You last album Twang showed off a wide variety of musical styles (a rollicking collection of up-tempo tracks, tearjerkers and even a song Strait belts out in Spanish called “El Rey”). Is the new one as daring or more in a traditional vein? The new CD is just as traditional and fun as Twang. The big difference is that Bubba and I co-wrote seven of the 11 songs on it. I’m very proud of that. To see him blossom as a song writer is pretty special for me. You’ve worked with many talented songwriters, but can you describe what it’s been like to have had a songwriter like Dean Dillon in your camp? What’s the magic between you guys? I don’t think there’s been but one album I’ve ever cut with no Dean Dillon songs on it. Dean and I have had a very special relationship for many years. I really love his melodies and his lyrics ain’t too bad either (laughs). I think the thing that catches my ear first is the melody. Dean’s songs have such interesting, different melodies and a lot of really pretty chord changes.

Is there a particular process when you two work up a new song together? Our process, pretty much, is to set aside some dates to get together, then we all show up with our ideas and throw them out there and see what sticks. It’s fun but also gets pretty intense at times. A lot of times, Dean comes in with new songs for me and he’ll sit down and play them on guitar. We’ve gotten a lot of songs that way. From ages nine to 90, you have tremendously loyal fans. Can you describe what it’s like getting energy and love from the fans at a live arena show—like those old, incredible Astrodome shows at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo? I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have such loyal fans. I still see some at shows that I remember from the 80s. That’s amazing. To try and describe what it’s like to play a big stadium in front of all of those great fans is impossible. It’s a lot of adrenaline and it’s just a heck of a lot of fun. When the audience is really with you, there’s nothing better than that. I’m just glad I get to experience it. You’ve been compared to Frank Sinatra quite often. You have career longevity and that “seemingly effortless” quality to your singing in common. 1) Do you like that comparison? 2) Is the “effortless” description maybe a misconception—is it harder than we think to sound so smooth and easy? I have always been a big Sinatra fan, so when someone compares me to him, it’s a huge compliment. He was so smooth and it always seemed so effortless but, sure, some songs do require a little more effort than others. What comes off sounding comfortable or easy (on the finished song) might have been something that was difficult to do in the studio. It’s a trade secret, though. I can’t give it away. Singing is just fun, even the hard ones.

In your song “Troubadour”, you sing “I still feel 25 most of the time.” That’s probably the way most of us feel in those moments we’re doing what we truly love. Is that a good way to describe how you feel when you’re singing, roping, fishing or playing golf? Sure, I love doing all of those things, and when you’re doing something you love it makes you feel good. It makes you forget about those little problems or aches and pains that you sometimes feel. I don’t rope as much as I used to since Bubba quit going. We golf a lot more now. I just went out fishing yesterday and caught a sailfish, three Dorado, and two tunas. Not a bad day offshore… Not bad at all. Let’s talk about another of your passions, golf. What did you and Tom Cusick see in the Tapatio Springs property that made you want to rescue it? It’s beautiful out here and with a little TLC, it’s becoming even more beautiful. (Con't. from pg31) We are trying to make the vision that Clyde Smith saw when he developed it become reality. It’s gone through some tough times, but we’re trying hard to make sure that those days are behind it now. Has it been fun seeing the property transform?

The facelift process went great. We have done so many cosmetic upgrades. All of the rooms will have been remodeled. The clubhouse is seeing a lot of transformation as well. The golf course has had more trees planted in some areas to add more definition to some fairways and other areas. It’s going to be an amazing place. (Continued on page 45)

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Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 31

SPECIAL INTEREST TRAVEL FEATURE

Join the Fun in Hot Springs Village Whatever your skill level, you’ll find challenging courses that deliver championship-level playing conditions in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. A GOLFERʼS DREAM ENJOY A DAY ON THE LINKS IN HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE WITH A FREE GOLF CART RENTAL. $ FOR MORNING PLAY, $ FOR AFTERNOON PLAY.

he Village is home to eight 18-hole golf courses, including the private course Diamante, and one 27-hole golf complex. With more than 170 holes, there is great play for all skill levels. “The attraction of our courses is the diversity of each one. Not only are there no two courses alike, there are not two

holes in the Village that resemble each other. Especially when you consider the same architect, Tom Clark (Ault Clark and Assoc.) designed all nine of them. The courses were built about ﬁve to six years apart from 1970 until 2006 – this helps add to the diversity,” says director of golf John H. Paul.

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -HOLE AND -HOLE GOLF PACKAGES* -HOLE SPECIAL:

$63 with cart and range balls included

-HOLE SPECIALS:

Birdie Special - $99, One Day Special (36 holes) with cart and range balls included Eagle Special - $189, Two Day Special (72 holes) with cart and range balls included Hole-in-One Special - $279, Three Day Special (108 holes) with cart and range balls included Participating Courses include: Balboa Golf Course, Coronado Golf Course, Cortez Golf Course, DeSoto Golf Course, Granada Golf Course, Isabella Golf Course, Magellan Golf Course and Ponce de Leon Golf Course *Minimum of 2 rounds of golf and 8 golfers required to qualify for package pricing.

To schedule your tee time: email teetimes@hsvpoa.org or call 501.922.2858. Other packages are available please contact us for information. SPECIAL TRAVEL FEATURE

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Balboa Golf Course O

pened in 1987, Balboa Golf Course is one of the most challenging courses in the Village. If you like fast, well maintained greens, this is your course. Golf Digest even rated Balboa the numberseven golf course in the state’s best rankings for 2005-2006. The fairways, which are wider and have less slope than some of the Village’s other courses, presents golfers with a great opportunity for par. Balboa is a

walker-friendly course that gets more enjoyable with each round played. Fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda Grass and the greens are a blend of Penn Cross and Crenshaw Bent Grass. This scenic layout was designed by Ault, Clark & Associates, and according to the low handicap golfers in the Village, it’s a great test of golf with some very tricky par-threes.

Coronado Golf Course

oronado is the only executive-length par-62 golf course in Hot Springs Village. Designed by Ault, Clark & Associates, this is a great course for a beginning golfer, anyone looking to get in a quick 18 holes or an experienced player looking to perfect his short game. Coronado opened in 1982 and was the third Village golf course. If you don’t enjoy bunker shots, this is your course. Even though there’s no sand, Coronado is as challenging from 150 yards as any course in the Village. The fairways, tees and roughs are Common Bermuda and the greens are Penn Cross Bent Grass.

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GOLF SHOP | PUTTING GREEN | RESTAURANT Coronado Golf Course 199 Surtidor Way | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.2355

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Cortez Golf Course C

ortez is known as the shotmakers course. Some consider the 10th hole the most difficult par 4 in the Village, and the par-three 17th-- with its dramatic elevation drop-- is definitely the most recognizable. Originally opened in 1977, this scenic 18-hole championship course is located in the northern section of the Village and was the POA’s second golf course. At Cortez, it’s not the length of the drive, but the position that counts. This course demands that its challengers hit the

landing areas or they’re in trouble. The course underwent a $1.5 million renovation in 2006 and 2007. The twoyear project included a new irrigation system, new hybrid Bermuda grass on the tees, fairways, and roughs, new Bent Grass greens, a new cart path overlay, the elimination of eight bunkers, the rebuilding of 25 bunkers, an enlargement of the driving range and extensive drainage work. The course re-opened for play in August 2008.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN | RESTAURANT/BAR Cortez Golf Course 299 Cortez Way | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.1590

Desoto Golf Course O

pened in 1972, DeSoto Golf Course was the first course opened in Hot Springs Village. Renovated in 2001, this traditional course now has an updated, player-friendly look that’s enjoyable for all skill levels. The fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda grass and the greens are Penn Cross Bent grass.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN | RESTAURANT/BAR DeSoto Golf Course 102 Clubhouse Drive | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.0001 SPECIAL TRAVEL FEATURE

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Granada Golf Course O

pened in Fall 2004, the 18-hole Granada Golf Course is arguably the most scenic course in the Village. Rolling hills, amazing views, beautiful creeks and pine forests make this course unforgettable. Granada ranges from 5,014 yards from the forward tees to over 7,000 yards from the back. With almost seven miles of cart paths, Granada plays shorter than it reads. Although the setting in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains may have disadvantages for walkers, the great views,

long fairways and large driving areas make up for it in playability. Granada features Tif Sport Bermuda in the fairways, tees and roughs. The greens are a blend of L93 and Crenshaw Bent grass. The signature hole on this course is the beautiful 18th with a meandering waterfall that stretches the length of the fairway and was built entirely out of rocks removed during course construction. One of the best and most difficult holes on the course is the par-4 17th, which has a green 60 yards in length.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN | SHORT GAME AREA | RESTAURANT/BAR

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Granada Golf Course 250 Maderas Drive | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.3095

e Isabella Golf Course D

esigned with wide fairways and generous driving areas, Isabella is a player friendly course, where tee times go quickly. Isabella has five sets of traditional square tee boxes, which aim the golfers of all skill levels toward to the appropriate landing areas. Isabella has a great feel and is fun for the avid golfer as well as beginners. The signature hole, No. 15, doglegs left

from the tee and is protected by a water feature on the left and a bunker on the right-front of the green. Fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda and the greens are a blend of L93 and Crenshaw Bent grass. This 27-hole facility plays as three 18-hole rotations, Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN SHORT GAME AREA | RESTAURANT/BAR

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Isabella Golf Course 110 Iniciador Way | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.5505

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SPECIAL TRAVEL FEATURE

Magellan Golf Course L

ong on great golf holes, Magellan Golf Course is one of the Village’s shorter courses, but don’t let the length fool you. Magellan’s tricky greens will challenge all skill levels. This picturesque design is a favorite for both men and women and is consistently one of the top three Village courses played. Magellan began as a golf school with three holes, and in 1996, the POA expanded the property to 18 holes and opened it as the development’s sixth course.

Magellan continues to boast the best practice amenities in the Village with a large driving range, a putting green and several short game areas. The fairways, tees and roughs are 419 Bermuda. Magellan will be closing on June 4 for conversion of the greens to Bermuda grass. Magellan is expected to re-open by Labor Day Weekend 2012.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN SHORT GAME AREA | DELI Magellan Golf Course 451 Ponce de Leon Drive | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.4497

favorite among lower-handicap golfers, Ponce de Leon has tree-lined fairways and consistently true greens. Opened in 1991 by Arkansas native John Daly, this course is a challenging 6,946 yards from the back tees. The fairways, tees and roughs feature Tif-way II Bermuda and the greens are a blend of Penn Link and Crenshaw Bent grass. Ponce de Leon Golf Course hosted the qualifying rounds for the PGA Nationwide Tour for three consecutive years. As good as this course is for the low handicap golfer, by moving to one of the forward tee boxes, it is equally enjoyable for the average to high handicap golfer.

Ponce de Leon Golf Course All in all, this course has something for everyone including an excellent practice facility with a driving range, short game area and putting green.

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Diamante Golf Course

ne of the most challenging yet versatile golf courses you can play, the unique design of Diamante Golf Course challenges both the low and high handicapper. Every shot faced on this golf course presents its own challenges.

This private membership golf club, located in Hot Springs Village, opened in 1995. Diamante hosted the First Tee Arkansas Classic, a Nationwide Tour event, for four consecutive years. It was also rated the Number-One golf course in Arkansas by Golf Digest from 1997 to 2002.

Diamante Golf Course has the only Zoysia-sodded fairways in the Village. The roughs are 419 Bermuda and the greens are SR1020 Bent grass.

GOLF SHOP | DRIVING RANGE | PUTTING GREEN | SHORT GAME AREA | RESTAURANT/BAR Diamante Private Golf Course 2000 Country Club Drive | Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 501.922.1114 Join us at Diamante: Be a member for the dayâ&#x20AC;Ś April 14th, May 12th, June 16th and July 21st. Rates as low as $55 per person; including cart and range balls. Call 922-4191 to schedule or email Neil Day PGA, neil.day@ourclub.com

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SPECIAL TRAVEL FEATURE

TEXAS GOLFER

INSTRUCTION

Learn to Play Downhill Sand Shots By DAVE PELZ

f downhill sand shots terrify you, you’re not alone. Many of golfers have told us this is the shot they fear most in golf. Understandably daunting, this shot can be executed successfully with a few adjustments. It’s one of the shots I teach in my book “Dave Pelz’s Golf Without Fear”. I tell my students to hit this shot the same way they would a downhill lie in the fairway. You take your normal set up, then move your front foot down the hill and lean your upper body forward to get perpendicular to the slope. Play the ball back in your stance—the more severe the down slope, the farther back it should be. Set up with your hands ahead of the ball. From a wide stance with your weight on front leg and your ball back in your stance and your body leaning forward, you should be able to make good contact on a downhill sand shot. The key to this shot is staying down through and past impact. Your shoulders and upper body will remain perpendicular to the slope until the ball is well gone and you extend up into a full finish. If you need to step through with your back foot to maintain your balance on the follow-through, that’s perfectly fine.

38 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

Remember, too, that downhill lies (coupled with the back-in-stance ball position and hands-forward posture) tend to reduce the effective loft of your club. You may want to practice this shot with a higher-lofted club than usual to see how far and how high you carry shots with this escape technique. Once you see shots consistently escaping the sand trap and landing on the green your confidence will grow on these shots. Phil Mickelson is the best I’ve seen at playing shots from downhill lies. He practices them all the time, even though they aren’t easy or commonplace. Downhill sand shots when the ball is below your feet can be extra difficult to play. I even know some PGA Tour professionals who don’t particularly enjoy them, but we all have to deal with them, so we might as well practice and get good at hitting them.

Dave Pelz is the founder of the Dave Pelz Scoring Game Schools and a best-selling author. Ten of his profesTEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM sional students have won a total of 19 majors. pelzgolf.com

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TEXAS GOLFER

INSTRUCTION

Work on Your Swing Sequence for Better Golf BY TINA BRADLEY MAYERS, PGA

f you find yourself cluttered with analytics, swing positions, and mechanical data, this article is for you! If you want to hit your shots more solid, straight, and far, it requires a basic understanding of the proper sequence of your swing. All of those “perfect” positions are all a result of the club and body moving in harmony. You need to understand that there is an order in which things must happen in the golf swing to produce those solid strikes. If the sequence happens out of order, it results in improper face angle and swing path, causing errant shots and a lack of distance. The face angle and path in which the club approaches the ball determines which direction the ball starts and which part of the clubface strikes the ball. Those dreaded fat and thin shots also are created by poor sequencing. So, what is the proper swing sequence? In studying the swings of good players and I have noticed a few common traits. Most importantly, the face and angle of attack is approaching the ball from an

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inside path. In order to accomplish this, they swing in the following sequence: 1) Your hands move your arms, your arms move your torso, and then your shoulders move your hips. 2) The reverse happens on the downswing. As the club reaches the top, you should feel your weight re-center/shift to your forward foot. This may feel like a slight pause as the change of direction occurs. Your legs, followed by your hips, then torso, and, finally, your arms complete the follow through. Your forearms should be able to rotate and release through the impact zone, helping you end in a balanced finish position with your weight on your left side. Notice in the takeaway that the ball is positioned off the left side of my face and my head and spine are tilted ever-soslightly behind the ball. This will enable me to pivot correctly, resulting in a better path and solid contact. Avoid any lateral movement (swaying) toward your back leg during the backswing. Imagine a vertical line going up

INCORRECT: A LATERAL MOVE TO YOUR BACK LEG CREATES A (REVERSE) TILT. POOR WEIGHT SHIFT INHIBITS YOUR ABILITY TO TRANSFER ONTO A STABLE FORWARD LEG WHICH CAUSES “FLIPPING”.

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Tina Bradley Mayers is the Head Teaching Professional at Grey Rock Golf Academy in Austin. She can be reached at 512.413.0574 or tina.mayers@gmail.com.

CORRECT: PART WAY BACK, NOTICE THE HIP PIVOTING ON TOP OF A STABLE LEG AS YOU TURN BEHIND THE BALL. A PROPER PIVOT WILL PROMOTE CORRECT WEIGHT TRANSFER AND RELEASE.

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from the center of your rear foot and be sure your rear hip stays inside of this line (See the lines on the photos). If you’re swaying away from the target and crossing that line, you’re losing power and compromising direction. Remember, you should lead with your lower body as you start the club down and you will feel the club swinging on a shallower path (or from the inside). If you start your downswing with your torso, you will throw the club outside the plane and cause it to come into the ball on too steep of a path, creating a variety of poor shots. Follow the sequence described above and you’ll be on your way to more solid ball-striking. If you think swing sequencing is your problem, visit a trained teaching professional that can help you analyze your swing and put you on a program to fix it.

A Simple Drill: “Helicopter” your arms on the correct plane.

A - START WITH YOUR BODY IN THE CORRECT POSTURE TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

B – ROTATE YOUR ARMS ON A TILTED PLANE, FEELING YOUR HIP PIVOTING AND YOUR CHEST TURNING BEHIND THE BALL

C – PRACTICE A BALANCED FOLLOW THROUGH TO YOUR FORWARD LEG

Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 39

TEXAS GOLFER

INSTRUCTION

Releasing the Putter By BILL MORETTI

e often hear on golf telecasts that this-or-that pro didn’t “release the putter.” Tiger Woods has said that he has struggled with his putting because he wasn’t releasing the putter. As recently as five years ago, you never heard a player discuss “releasing the putter.” So, what does it mean to release the putter? It basically means the putter is swinging closed on the follow through. This should happen naturally if you are swinging the putter like a miniature golf swing. This means the putter opens on the backswing and closes on the finish. The reason this occurs is because you are standing on the side of the ball and the putter shaft sits at an angle, not straight up and down. To see an exaggerated illustration, lay a putter on the ground flat with the face of the putter head straight up and down and pointing at right angles at a wall. Swing the putter back and forth while keeping the top of the grip still and the shaft flat on the ground. What you will notice is the blade opens and closes and the shaft points to the base of the wall. This is maximum opening and closing of the putter face because the shaft is at its flattest angle. There is less opening and closing in a putting stroke because the shaft is not set at such a flat angle. To release the putter, simply swing the putter shaft back and forth on the target line. When this occurs, your

40 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

putter will open on the back stroke and close, or “release”, on the finish. The shaft stays on line and the putter head opens and closes properly.

5) On the finish, focus on letting the shaft work on the target line and make no attempt to keep the blade square to the target.

Here are a few Check Points to help you release the putter: 1) Watch that your thumbs are down the center of the grip and applying pressure on top side of the grip. 2) Make sure you are standing far enough from the ball so your arms are under your shoulders at address. 3) Watch that your elbows are pointing toward your body at address. 4) On the backswing, allow the putter to open and swing the putter on the target line. Failure to release the putter can occur when the putter works outside the line on the back stroke. We are then forced to block the putt on the finish to get it to the target.

Practice drills to practice the release: 1) Extend the forefinger of right hand down the shaft. Simply swing the putter back and forth while keeping the forefinger aiming down the target line 2) Stick a tee in the top butt end of the grip and hit putts keeping the tee pointing to the middle of your left thigh the entire stroke. 3) Place a head cover under your left arm pit and hit putts. This keeps your left elbow close to your side, so the putter can close on the finish. 4) Keep your weight back towards your heels the entire stroke and keep your weight on the inside of the left foot the entire stroke. This lets the arc of the putter work to the inside back and through in a true arc. 5) Hit some chip shots off the fringe of the green with a 5 iron, then hit some putts feeling you are hitting chip shots with your putter. This will groove the feeling of swinging the putter like a miniature golf swing. Bill Moretti is the founder of the acclaimed Academy of Golf Dynamics, a GOLF Magazine Top-100 Teacher, a Golf Digest Top-50 Teacher and a three-time Southern Texas PGA Teacher of the Year. Visit morettigolf. com for more details.

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★ TEXAS GOLFER ★

TRAVEL GUIDE

Postcards From Paradise By CARL MICKELSON

ou keep saying next year will be the year you take the golf vacation you’ve been dreaming about. Forget next year. Start planning a golf trip you know will exceed your expectations. Swing for the fences this time and make sure the destination is someplace special. Short on ideas? Not to worry. We’ve thought of some destinations to help you Dream Big, Dream Bigger or Dream Biggest. Find some inspiration in these next few pages and then start planning your next great golf boondoggle. You can never go wrong with Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Resort and this summer, you can be among the first to play the spectacular 13-hole par-3 course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Bandon Preserve (above). A nifty complement to Bandon’s four renowned championship offerings, Bandon Preserve makes use of a stunning setting amid dunes and just steps from the Pacific.

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“Ben and I had wanted to incorporate some of this land into the routing of Bandon Trails,” Coore said. “It’s just such an amazing little triangular-shaped piece of land situated out in the dunes that lead toward the ocean. You see the ocean from so many directions as you’re playing, it’s incredible.” Bandon Preserve opens May 1 and will be a fun addition to the four celebrated courses in the Bandon rotation: Bandon Dunes, Paciﬁc Dunes, Bandon Trails and Old MacDonald—thought by many to be the strongest collection of courses in American golf. Visit www.bandondunesgolf.com for package details.

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TRAVEL GUIDE

Desert Temptress

The lush 6,939-yard track was recently selected as Golf Digest’s “Fan’s Choice” for the #1 public-access course in America. Visit golfwolfcreek.com for package rates on this unforgettable course and the neighboring Eureka Casino Resort.

f you’re looking for great golf but need a short ﬂight and a destination that lets you stretch your dollars, consider mighty Mesquite, Nevada. A little over an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, Mesquite is strong on value and packed with dazzling desert layouts that are, in many cases, on-par with oﬀerings in Scottsdale and Las Vegas. Mesquite’s historically been a no-frills truck stop town, but the explosion of golf in the past two decades has brought some resort life and residential development to the sleepy village near the Utah and Arizona borders. Wolf Creek Golf Club is far-and-away the must-play in Mesquite, with jaw-dropping elevation changes and a rollercoaster ride through rugged expanses of Western-movie terrain.

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Falcon Ridge Golf Club presents big-time shot values in a rapturous canyon setting while the Jack Nicklausdesigned Coyote Springs Golf Club demands accurate ball-striking between acre after acre of native scrub. Coral Canyon (in nearby St. George, Utah) and Conestoga Golf Club put a premium on solid tee shots and both feature fairways that wind through canyons, gentle elevation changes, rock out-croppings and meandering creeks. Travel company Golf Mesquite Nevada packages itineraries for the dozen courses in Mesquite and neighboring St. George, Utah. A stay and play package at the Casablanca Resort and Casino or the Falcon Ridge Hotel can be had, in some cases and times of year, for as little as $149 per person/per night (plus taxes and fees). Visit golfmesquitenevada.com to book some of the bestpriced desert golf anywhere.

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★ TEXAS GOLFER ★

TRAVEL GUIDE

Hang 36

ver see those “No Bad Days” t-shirts boat owners and retirees wear? The message might seem a tiny bit smug or out-of-step on a guy just ambling through Target, reloading on Goldﬁsh and Coors Light, but if you’ve ever experienced the joy of an azure sky over the coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, you fully appreciate the sentiment. No bad days. The visual contrasts of black lava beds near shimmering golden beaches and emerald-hued fairways will enthrall your senses as you soak in the island’s beauty and history. Even at a ﬁnely-appointed resort like the 1,240-room Hilton Waikoloa Village, you’ll share the locals’ connection to the Earth and the ancient traditions they cherish. Every day on The Big Island is a gift and this 62-acre oceanfront resort lets you decide how adventurous, or mellow, each day will be. Whether it’s an up-close Flipper encounter at the resort’s Dolphin Quest or lounging near one of three spectacular

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pools or a salt-water lagoon, your non-golf time can be as invigorating as the hours you spend trying to tame the Beach Course and the Kings’ Course. With many holes framed by lava-lined beachfront and tall coconut trees, the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed Beach Course demands accuracy while the inland Tom Weiskopfdesigned Kings’ Course presents more of an on the ground, “links-style” approach in the shadows of nearby Mauna Kea’s volcanic peaks. Wind is always the X-factor at Waikoloa. Winds at your back create many risk/reward scenarios but gusts in your face will prove confounding. The setting, the ubiquitous lava beds and the strong golf holes make Waikoloa one of the best 36-hole complexes in all of Hawaii. Check hawaiianair.com and hiltonwaikoloavillage.com for the best travel packages. Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 43

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TRAVEL GUIDE

Kiwi Dreams F

or the golf connoisseurs who’ve already made their pilgrimages to Scotland, Ireland, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and Bandon Dunes, finding that “next frontier” could be a challenge. Don’t consider that bucket list complete without a trek to New Zealand and rounds on Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs. New York-based hedge fund giant Julian Robertson developed both otherworldly properties on two separate but equally jaw-dropping cliffside settings. If you make it to one of the destinations, the 90-minute Air New Zealand commuter flight is well worth the fuss it takes to play both on the same trip. A six-hour drive south from Auckland on New Zealand’s rugged west coast, Cape Kidnappers is everything you’d expect the far side of the world to look and feel like. Atop a craggy hillside perched some 500 feet above Hawke’s Bay, Tom Doak crafted some of the most dramatic golf holes imaginable. The rollicking holes feel like their own islands as some drop off into fiord-like ravines and depressions and some caress cliffs so severe, Chile (6,000-plusmiles away across the South Pacific Ocean) is the nextnearest land mass. “If you stray on your approaches, you’ll actually hope to get caught up in bunkers hanging off the green’s edge, some of them deeper than you’ve ever seen before,” says Doak. Every cottage suite at the Lodge at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers has a stunning Pacific Ocean view. Set on 6,000 acres of farm and pastureland, this luxury escape is its own private world.

near idyllic Matauri Bay. The dramatic coastline sets up stellar views of the Pacific Ocean from 15 of Kauri Cliffs’ 18 holes. The par-3 7th and holes 14 through 17 are nestled along the cliff side, providing exhilarating views and shot values. Florida’s David Harman designed the 7,119-yard, par 72 course that makes its mark as one of the most naturally beautiful settings in all of golf. The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs is perched on enchanting stretch of Pacific coast. Cape Brett and the offshore Cavalli Islands can be admired from the verandas, lounge and dining areas. The property has three private beaches and direct access to ancient kauri forests, spectacular sand dunes and the area’s historic and breathtaking Bay of Islands. Visit capekidnappers.com and kauricliffs.com for more information on the golf trip of a lifetime.

Kauri Cliﬀs is set on near the northern edge of the country 44 TexasGolfer Spring 2012

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(Continued from page 34)

I like to imagine Fred Couples’ tempo when I’m swinging. Do you try to emulate any pro’s swing or game? I love to watch Freddie Couples play golf, too. Like most everyone else, wish I could swing the golf club like that. I can’t emulate at all, either. But it’s still fun to pretend. It seems like I play a little better-- for a couple holes anyway-- after I watch him play. He’s like the Sinatra of golf. Do you look at golf as escape or a passion?

What are your ultimate goals for Tapatio?

Golf is a definite passion for me. I wish I could have started playing earlier in my life and hope I can play it until the day I die. Are you competitive on the golf course?

We hope to make it a spot where you would want to take your family for a golfing vacation or a business would want to come have an annual meeting and golf outing. We have great facilities for golf, lodging and food and beverage. We also want to welcome local golfers back out who maybe have, at one time or another, given up on Tapatio, and show them what it has and will become. It has the convenience of beautiful Boerne nearby, with all that it has to offer, which is amazing. Then, of course, you have the great city of San Antonio. What more could you want?

I play a lot with my son. He’s really becoming a very good golfer. We’re very competitive, but he usually beats me these days. I still get him every now and then, though. I really can’t remember playing golf with anyone who wasn’t very competitive, though, come to think of it. Everyone wants to win, right?

Where are some of your favorite places ever to play golf?

How did your “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” charity golf tournament come about?

I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to play some of the greatest golf courses in my travels. I’m not going to mention names because it would sound like I’m bragging, but sometimes I just have to pinch myself. We have some great golf courses here in Texas, so you don’t have to travel too far for a good challenge on a world class golf course.

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George Strait... What’s in your bag? Driver: Taylor Made Burner, 9.5 degrees Wood: Taylor Made Burner, 15 degrees Irons: Callaway Razr X-Forged, 3-PW. Wedges: 50, 54 & 58 degree Callaway Jaws with “Troubadour” stamped on them. Putter: Taylor Made Ghost Spider with an oversized grip. That about does it. All subject to change of course. Thank you very much for the time and for being there on all those road trips. You’re welcome. Come see us again soon!

What’s your best 18-hole score ever? It’s a 75. I have had some days when I thought I was going to break that, but 18 has always done me in.

I’ve had a great relationship with Wrangler for many years. They are such good folks and, of course, I love to wear Wranglers. They started having the tournament a few years back without me. Later on, I was asked to host it along with my long-time friend, Butch Harmon. It was a no-brainer for me. It’s for a great cause, also, which is to research and find a cure for breast cancer.

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Winning The Golf Channel’s Leading Lady Prepares for a Breakout Year

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Courtesy of Ben Van Hook

ure, her smile is infectious but there’s more substance and wit behind it than a lot of Golf Channel viewers may realize. North Carolina-born Win McMurry is pleased to be a part of the network’s wave of youthful talent, meant to appeal to a broader, more diverse audience. In a network exec’s book, McMurry is a winning trifecta: she’s young, female and comfortable bridging the everimportant gap between television and “new media”. It probably doesn’t hurt, either, that she was named GOLF Magazine’s #1 Beauty in Golf. This year, viewers will see the effervescent McMurry, who stands perhaps one Marc Jacobs hair accessory north of five-foot-three, break out of the studio a little more often, showcasing travel destinations in a web series called “Gone With the Win” and on a quest to break 90 in a series of shows with instructor Michael Breed.

Courtesy of Ben Van Hook

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can be viewed on golfchannel.com and is a nicely-woven piece of television. In her newer projects, McMurry will get show off a more “personal, fun” side. “The travel segments I’ve been shooting in the cities that host PGA Tour events have been a blast,” she says. “We’re getting to let loose on camera and show another wrinkle to the golf lifestyle, and in the shows I’m doing with Michael Breed, I’ll keep a flip cam and provide a little extra content in my efforts to break 90.” If you’ve seen McMurry’s swing on camera, you’ve noticed she makes a con-

tapings of an instruction series called “Seven Nights at the Academy”, an experience she calls “awe-inspiring.” In addition to snagging lessons from Hall of Famers, McMurry has been enjoying other choice perks from her television notoriety. She played with NBA legend Bill Russell’s at his charity event at Friar’s Head (a masterful Coore-Crenshaw design on Long Island, NY) and also had the rare chance to play Cypress Point Golf Club recently. “It really was a dream experience to play some of the most magical holes ever built. I parred the gorgeous 15th hole and couldn’t have asked for a more memorable round.” Now that she’s recognized, McMurry senses a need to be a leader on certain initiatives, like encouraging the growth of the game among young people and women. “Golf can be intimidating for women trying to enter the game,” she says. “I’d like to see more women taking lessons and practicing on the range so they have a good foundation before they rush out to the course and get into situations that might be discouraging. More women in the game would be a great boost for the golf industry.” With ambition inherited from a mother who authors successful books on developing social and business skills, the UNC-Chapel Hill grad wants to take her television career to greater heights and relishes learning how ‘broadcast magic’ is made. “Our partnership with NBC has been a game changer. We’re learning their approach to telling sports stories. How they cover the Olympics, for example, weaving the human element into sports broadcasting is something we can really embrace in the golf arena,” McMurry says. Spontaneous and effortlessly friendly, McMurry is as likely to reference Byron Nelson as she is Serena from Gossip Girl. You get the genuine sense she’s having fun being Win McMurry. Will she break 90 this year? Will she get her own show? The only guarantee? She’ll be smiling. Courtesy of Golf Channel

“Golf Channel is really encouraging the freedom to pitch ideas and create content that works on multiple platforms. It’s exciting to see the network embrace that there are many ‘sides’ to golf and to want to appeal to a wide range of viewers—not just the old guard,” McMurry says. McMurry’s rise to TV fame happened on an unusual trajectory and on a very modern medium. Her daily “PGA Tour Today” updates on pgatour.com drove site traffic and signaled a tipping point of sorts. Before the end of the last decade, rarely did a person become a household name by appearing in highproduction-value internet videos, but the Tour’s video technology was reliable enough and the content was timely and compelling enough that the segments built a loyal following. And soon, McMurry became the subject of many “Who’s that girl?” chats around the water cooler. “It was a leap of faith to choose to work in a new media project at the time,” she reveals. “I had another job offer to be an on-air talent (at a news station in Augusta, GA). Doing something that was just going to be on the web was very new then, but I went with golf and enjoyed working in the immediacy of the web and being a part of an emerging medium.” The gamble paid off when Golf Channel came calling in 2010. McMurry-- who would one day like to host a Today Show-type news and entertainment program-- has clicked as a versatile on-air talent, anchoring in-studio telecasts and having hosted programming like Golf Central and The Grey Goose 19th Hole. However, she says she finds the longer-form human interest features like the ones she has produced for Golf in America more in her journalistic wheelhouse. “I love covering the tours and telling those stories, but I really connect with the ‘people’ stories like the piece I was able to do on Ashtyn Brown (an inspiring two-time cancer survivor and member of the Ball State women’s golf team). I met her at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Orlando and her strength and spirit really moved me,” McMurry says. The tear-coaxing segment

vincing pass at the ball, so improving on her career-low round of 94 seems within reach. “I’ve been told I that I do a lot of things correctly. To that point, I’ve had a lot of good instruction. I just need to find a way to play consistently for 18 holes,” she says. She recorded her first ace recently at The Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational in Las Vegas. During the holidays last year, McMurry gleaned golf advice from Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo and Raymond Floyd during

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The Good Life

New ‘Cue On the Block Austin’s Stiles Switch Elevates the Barbecue Experience

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hen lifelong Central Texan Shane Stiles decided to follow the dream of owning his own barbecue restaurant, he knew he’d need thick skin to handle the critics. Texans are famously passionate—and opinionated— about their barbecue. What he wasn’t prepared for was how overwhelmingly positive the response has been to Stiles Switch BarBQ and Brew since the smoke kissed the first briskets in mid-December. The anchor of the revitalized Violet Crown Shopping Center (where the “Emporium” scenes from the 1993 cult classic Dazed and Confused were filmed) in North Austin’s Allendale community, Stiles Switch is already THE neighborhood barbeque hangout for a growing faction of devoted locals. “It’s great when someone comes in and says ‘my neighbor can’t stop talking about this place and they’ve even told me exactly what we should order,’” general manager James Jackson says. The slow-smoked brisket is the topseller, but you’ll find lead pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick also puts plenty of love into his beef ribs, pork ribs, chicken and turkey. His preferred method is indirect heating, passing the smoke from Post Oak timbers on the fire-box end of the large pit to the opposite end where a chimney works to pull the smoky goodness across the meat. “I was trained (at Taylor’s renowned Louie Mueller

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Barbeque) to cook at a high heat but indirectly. That gives the brisket that perfect bark on the outside and tenderness and full flavor inside with that nice smoke ring.” Three distinct sausages round out the meat offerings. The switch original is an old-style hot link with a juicy blend of beef and pork that’s simultaneously familiar and, well… original. The Jalapeno Cheddar and Thorndale sausages are also mighty flavorful links. The succulent beef ribs-- a giant short rib (or chuck rib) portion that you’ll often see served in fine-dining restaurants— are another runaway hit. “We had a guy come in on a Thursday night recently and we were sold out of beef ribs. He was disappointed almost to the point of being mad,” laughs Jackson. “And, when we opened at 11 the next morning, who do you think was first in line to make sure he got his beef rib? That’s been part of

the fun, to see people have a personal connection to the food.” Patrons also enjoy a personal connection with the staff. “We love the exchange with the customers at the counter,” Kirkpatrick says. “I love being the guy who cuts the meat up there because it sends that message that the guy who cooked the meat cares enough to be involved in the whole process.” Sides like baked mac and cheese and corn casserole show some personality alongside the beans, slaw and potato salad, while desserts like chocolate banana pudding (in which Oreos substitute heroically for Nilla Wafers) and chocolate chip cookie cheese cake keep guests lingering in the cozy booths. “That banana pudding has taken on a life of its own,” Jackson says. “Some people come in just to order that.” The “Brew” in the name rings true with Stiles Switch’s ever-evolving array of craft beers, popular regional brews and old-stand-bys in the bottle and on draft. Stiles knew barbeque and beer could be a winning combo and allows customers to contribute to a list of selections they want to see in the cooler. “I love pairing beers with food,” says Kirkpatrick, an experienced chef and former proprietor of a fine-dining restaurant in Taylor. “We put an Irish Stout in the rotation recently that has a strong malty, caramel flavor that really pairs great with the beef ribs or brisket,” Kirkpatrick says. “People love pairing IPAs with their meat. The (512) IPA is a big hit here.” The walls in Stiles Switch provide another thing that pairs well with barbecue—sports on TV. “We love it when people want to hang out and stay a while to watch a game,” says Jackson. “Our goal is to become a true family restaurant where people congregate and feel at home. It’s cool to see that’s already how the locals think of us.” This sort of thing doesn’t usually happen overnight, but Stiles Switch has turned out to be the right restaurant at the right time in the right location. As the lunch lines get longer and the fame begins to spread, don’t be surprised to hear this establishment mentioned in the same breath as other Central Texas barbeque favorites. It’s that good. www.stilesswitchbbq.com Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 49

The Good Life Off the Shelf Two Good Rounds Serves Up Good Celebrity Cheer

sually when you like a golf book, it finds a spot on your bookshelf. Elisa Gaudet’s Two Good Rounds will probably be more at home at the end of your bar next to those martini shakers and the wine bottle opener. Gaudet took on the task of asking dozens of popular playing professionals to reveal three simple bits of information: their favorite after-round drink, the location of their favorite 19th hole and a good hole-in-one story. That delicious simplicity is a big part of the book’s charm. It’s not a heavy read, it’s just fun. The most “game” participants are the ones who skip the “I don’t often partake in alcohol, but…” preamble and just shoot straight. LPGA star Christina Kim shares her open fondness for Tanqueray and tonic and Jager Bombs (a shot that combines Red Bull and Jagermeister). Dallas resident K.J. Choi offers a window into his Korean heritage in his description of makgeolli, a potent Korean rice wine that began as “farmer liquor” but is becoming trendy in Choi’s homeland. In all, 36 pros from six continents spin some entertaining tales while revealing a small peek into their off-the-course personas. Darren Clarke shares how much he feels at home in Northern Ireland’s oldest pub, the Harbour Bar. “The Guinness tastes the best there,” he insists. 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan

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Bradley hints that there may have been some cold Stella Artois flowing from the Wannamaker Trophy after the win. Gaudet, who has worked in marketing for the PGA Tour and the Tour de las Americas, gets great access to Hall of Famers and up-and-comers alike. Arnold Palmer confirms he occasionally takes his namesake drink, half iced tea/ half lemonade, with a spike of Ketel One. University of Texas grad Jhonattan Vegas has a laugh recalling his two career aces because he didn’t have to buy rounds of drinks either time—the first time, during a practice round at Houston’s Cypresswood Golf Club, he was underage and the second took place during a Nationwide Tour event. A number of the book’s subjects-- like Jack Nicklaus, David Frost, Ernie, Els and Mike Weir-- took their chapters as opportunities to promote their own wine labels, but the 19th Hole and Hole in One tales in these chapters tend to pick up the slack. Any time a golf book gives readers an inside peek into the private lives of game’s elite, it’s bound to be a conversation starter. And that’s exactly what Two Good Rounds achieves. You’ll find yourself flipping back to certain players’ sections to enjoy the lighthearted yarns time and again.

Shiner Debuts Wild Hare Pale Ale

hiner’s Spoetzel Brewery has spent much of its 103-year history satisfying fans with German-style lagers, so the arrival of its Wild Hare Pale Ale has been met with eager curiosity. The brewery’s first-ever pale ale is a conservative take on the genre; less hoppy and bitter than a hardcore IPA fan would expect, but definitely pleasing with a smooth malty caramel taste accented by floral, citrus and a tiny bite of hops at the end.

The color is a little more honey or copper than found in typical pale ales, but it pours nicely and has an invigorating hops-meet-pine aroma. There’s nothing overpowering about Wild Hare, making it perhaps the perfect “gateway” pale ale. It’s a great find for beer drinkers looking to break into the craft brew scene without shocking their palettes. Spoetzel says Wild Hare is “made with American, two-row barley with a blend of Munich and caramel malts. U.S. Golding and bravo hop varieties are used… for crisp bitterness and assertive fresh hop and floral aroma.” Overall, this new entry from the “little brewery in Shiner” is tasty (if not challenging) and a worthy trade-up from standard domestic lagers. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

The Best Music You’re Not Listening To

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Every year at Austin’s South By Southwest Music Festival, a handful of unexpected artists ridestirring performances to the top of everyone’s “Best Of” lists. Two voices that soared above the rest at March’s SXSW belong to Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard and singer/songwriter virtuoso Elle King. If you get the chance to see either act live, don’t hesitate.

ALABAMA SHAKES A year ago, not even the geekiest of music bloggers had Alabama Shakes, a four-piece rock & soul outfit from Athens, Ala., on their radars. This year, they’re one of the hottest tickets on the music scene, selling out shows from Bakersfield to Brussels. By the time Howard belts out just the opening lines (Bless my heart/ Bless my soul/ Never thought I’d make it/ to 22 years old) of the band’s first single, the soul-raising “Hold On”, the comparisons to Otis Redding, Mavis Staples, Janis Joplin, Wilson Pickett and Big Mama Thornton start rolling. Howard’s voice is a timeless wonder, effortlessly evoking the pain of the blues, the richness of soul, the uplifting power of gospel and the undeniable force of rock and roll. The band’s debut album Boys & Girls hit stores April 9, bringing a smooth Southern rock sensibility to a collection of “musically tight, spiritually loose” tunes . Just when you think an Alabama Shakes song is settling into a 70s soul, Al Green kind of groove, the tempo and instrumentation reminds you this a young group who first bonded playing Led Zeppelin and AC/ DC songs at local parties. “We had to find music we could all agree on and figure out how to play together,” says Howard, “and that had a lot of influence on how we play now.” Think thickfreakness-era Black Keys meets Sam and Dave.

Alabama Shakes brought down the house in Austin, taping an upcoming episode of PBS’ Austin City Limits and recently left on a sold-out tour of Europe. Pick up Boys & Girls if you like music that makes your soul feel good. www.alabamashakes.com

ELLE KING

There’s pain behind these lyrics but you can’t help but smile and sway along when King sings them in that haunting, enchanting rasp. She recorded an episode of Arts in Context for PBS earlier this spring, charming the first of many large crowds she seems destined to play to in the future. Myspace.com/ellekingmusic

Another “old soul” of a female vocalist who wowed SXSW crowds is Brooklyn, NY’s Elle King. With a voice that’s equal parts angelic and whiskey-drenched, the 23-year-old soloist sings flirtatious saloon songs about broken hearts, moving on and being just a bit hardened by it all. On “I Told You I Was Mean”, she warns a suitor “Ain’t no use to bother/ ‘Cause love is for the poor/ I left you knockin’/ Outside my front door”. King’s music picks up where Adele’s leaves off, metaphorically dragging listeners into a back alley bar, getting them ripped on shots, talking them into an ill-advised tattoo and leaving them wanting more. Alternating between acoustic guitar and banjo, King is a one-woman force of nature, finding her songwriting niche in a world usually inhabited by grizzled ruffians like Merle Haggard or John Prine. There’s a beauty and salty humor behind in the sadness in songs like “No One Can Save You” or “Good to Be a Man” Spring 2012 TexasGolfer 51

The Architect’s Digest

What is Golf Course Architecture in the 21st Century? By MIKE NUZZO

eople often ask me if the golf course or design and construction industry has lost its way. The plain truth is that, in many ways, it has. America has so overbuilt its golf courses, it’s easy to feel like course architects are a dying breed. In the peak of the construction boom, it wasn’t uncommon to hear about courses being built for “$1 million per hole,” and more concern with bragging rights. I wish that, during that time, more thought had been given to sustainability and practical maintenance than marketing and pushing “celebrity” designers.

Many assume golf course architects spend their time deciding what type of hole to design, if a hole should be a par 4, a dogleg left, or a long par 3. Authentic golf course architecture is so much more than ornamental design, waterfalls, excess ponds and bunkering. Golf Course Architecture Magazine called my design firm’s work at Wolf Point Golf Club “a living case study for the future of golf design and construction” because we took the care to build a golf course that is fun to play, artistic and practical to maintain, and we did it for a fraction of the budget that most course projects deem “reasonable.” Functionalism is the Future Getting a design built that can be practically maintained in a cost-effective manner is challenging, but well worth the coordinated effort. The pillars of an economically-sustainable model and practical maintenance include water conservation, the use of native materials, local labor and keeping track of the details. The excesses of the past should remain in the past. Wolf Point was a wide open ranch. We used the openness to create more fairway than any other course in Texas. We built strategy into every shot, but it can all be maintained more easily with a gang mower. There is no time intensive detail work. No rough either. Like most who come to the profession, I love the game. But unlike most, I was a designer and engineer first. Together with Don Mahaffey, a 25-year superintendent who has been responsible for taking care of and renovating golf courses across Texas, I like to use my design and engineering background to address the most neglected part of golf design – construction and maintenance. Design, construction and maintenance have to all work together for the project to be as good as it can be.

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Golf began in Scotland amongst the natural linksland, filled with native and irregular dunes. Somehow over the years, designers began to interpret these land forms as simple, regularlyspaced mounds. These cookie-cutter mounds are simple to draw and easy to build, yet hard to mow and they prevent proper drainage. Even worse, they make golf courses less playable for the average player, as the ball is repeatedly propelled away from the target. It is not easy to build good, interesting land forms that function well and work with the land when everyone is afraid of expensive change orders. A solution is trust and building the details in the field to best fit the site. Great golf architecture happens when everything works together. A beautifully-sculpted green, for example, can be interesting, complex and have functioning surface drainage (See the photo above). Such greens provide more interest for putting and all kinds of approach shots and they can be easier to maintain. It’s also worth noting that one of the least sophisticated ways to design a golf course is to build a ton of lakes. That may look good in photos but, in reality, lakes make courses more difficult to play and produce several thorny maintenance zones. A Golf Course is a Giant Factory Good golf course architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and constructing a golf course which is to be later maintained. It incorporates horticulture, sculpture, industrial design, ecology, geography, and civil engineering. From design to construction, and irrigation planning to maintenance, there are many phases to creating a quality golf course. Industrial design applies to both how a product is designed and will be manufactured, and even the efficiency of its factory. If more designers and golf course owners adopted this mentality, a lot fewer golf courses would be in trouble. The factory has to run efficiently! The real future of golf course architecture can be engineering interesting designs that can be maintained practically. And those courses can be as artistic and rewarding to play as many of the great courses in the world. A move toward sustainability and practicality would be a major sea change in the golf course industry, but I think it’s the only way we’ll see a legitimate rebirth in golf course design—and one of the few ways to save some courses that are in jeopardy of closing. TEXASGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM

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IT’S ABOUT ULTIMATE GOLF,

NOT ULTIMATE PRICE. Incredible golf doesn’t have to cost incredible money. Play Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail this spring and get two rounds of golf per day, cart and unlimited range balls–all for a price that makes you feel like living large.

»» PLAY 2 DAYS OF UNLIMITED GOLF FOR $252 OR 3 DAYS FOR JUST $348* «« Choose your spring special and book today. Call 1.800.949.4444 or visit rtjgolf.com.

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Celebrating 20 years of world-class golf. *Excludes tax and lodging. Offer valid March 1–May 13, 2012. Two-day package: Ross Bridge available at rack rate. Three-day package: Ross Bridge available at 20% off rack rate. Specials cannot be combined with other discounts. Specials do not include play at Lakewood Golf Club. $10 surcharge for each round on the Judge at Capitol Hill. Reservations must be arranged at least 7 days prior to arrival. Some restrictions may apply. Offers subject to change.

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10/14/11 2:38 PM