Sierra Golfer Your guide to Golf and Life in the Sierra
Edgewood Tahoe Resort
Great Golf on Top of the World Golf and Skiing Ambassador of Ease Golf...the Fountain of Youth? The Search for the Perfect Burger
April 2009
2 | Sierra Golfer • April 2009
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Sierra Golf Course Directory... Course
Snowcreek Golf Resort Sierra Star GC River Creek GC Sierra Meadows CC Pine Mountain Lake GC Lake Don Pedro G&CC Phoenix Lake GC Mountain Springs GC Twain Harte GC Greenhorn Creek GC La Contenta GC Saddle Creek Resort Forest Meadows GC Meadowmont GC Sequoia Woods CC Castle Oaks GC Mace Meadow GCC Carson Valley GC Genoa Lakes GC Genoa Lakes GC & Resort Silver Oak GC Sunridge GC Empire Ranch GC Dayton Valley CC Eagle Valley GC Rosewood Lakes GC Lakeridge GC Washoe GC Wolf Run GC Sierra Sage GC Hidden Valley GC Thunder Canyon CC Red Hawk Golf Club Wildcreek GC Arrow Creek GC Incline Championship GC Incline Mountain Course Old Brockway GC Edgewood Tahoe GC Lake Tahoe GC Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort Tahoe City GC Timilick Club Coyote Moon GC Gray’s Crossing Old Greenwood GC Tahoe Donner GC Apple Mountain Resort Grizzly Ranch Resort
Location
Mammoth Lakes, CA Mammoth, CA Ahwahnee, CA Ahwahnee, CA Groveland, CA La Grange, CA Sonora, CA Sonora, CA Twain Harte, CA Angels Camp, CA Valley Springs, Ca Copperopolis, CA Murphys, CA Arnold, CA Arnold, CA Ione, CA Pioneer, CA Gardnerville, NV Genoa, NV Genoa, NV Carson City, NV Carson City, NV Carson City, NV Dayton, NV Carson City, NV Reno, NV Reno, NV Reno, NV Reno, NV Reno, NV Reno, NV Washoe Valley, NV Sparks, NV Sparks, NV Reno, NV Incline Village, NV Incline Village, NV Kings Beach, CA Stateline, NV Lake Tahoe, CA Truckee, CA Tahoe City, CA Truckee, CA Truckee, CA Truckee, CA Truckee, CA Truckee, CA Camino, CA Portola, CA
Web address
Phone
snowcreekresort.com 760.934.6633 mammothmountain.com 760.924.4653 rivercreekgolfcourse.com559.683.5600 sierrameadows.com 559.642.1343 pinemountainlake.com 209.962.8620 deerwoodcorp.com 209.852.0404 phoenixlakegolf.com 209.532.0111 mountainspringsgolf.com209.532.1000 twainhartevillage.com 209.586.3131 greenhorncreek.com 209.736.8111 lacontentagolf.com 209.772.1081 saddlecreek.com 888.852.5787 forestmeadowsgolf.com 209.728.3439 forestmeadowsgolf.com 209.795.1313 sequoiawoods.com 209.795.2141 castleoaksgolf.com 209.274.0167 macemeadow.com 209.295.7020 carsonvalleygolf.com 775.265.3181 genoalakes.com 866.795.2709 genoalakes.com 866.795.2709 silveroakgolf.com 775.841.7000 sunridgegolf.com 775.267.4448 empireranchgolf.com 888.227.1335 daytonvalleygolf.com 775.246.7888 eaglevalleygolf.com 775.887.2380 cityofreno.com 775.857.2892 lakeridgegolf.com 800.815.6966 washoegolf.org 775.828.6640 wolfrungolfclub.com 775.851.3301 sierrasagegolf.org 775.972.1564 hvccreno.com 775.857.4742 thundercanyon.com 775.882.0882 resortatredhawk.com 866-Go2Hawk visitrenotahoe.com 775.673.3100 www.arrowcreekcc.com 775.850.4653 golfincline.com 775.832.1146 golfincline.com 775.832.1150 oldbrockway.com 530.546.9909 edgewoodtahoe.com 775.588.3566 laketahoegc.com 530.577.0788 northstarattahoe.com 530.562.3887 golftahoe.com/tahoe-city 530.583.1516 timilick.com 877.Timilick coyotemoongolf.com 530.587.0886 grayscrossinggolf.com 530.550.5800 oldgreenwoodgolf.com 530.550.7010 tahoedonner.com 530.587.9443 applemountaingolfresort530.647.7400 grizzlyranch.com 866.901.1010
Head Pro/GM
Gary Paolino Dave Schacht Jim Monson Tim Huber Tony Murphy Bill Cloud Mike White Mike Cook Jeff Burmester Darryl Peif Phil Sponseller Geoffrey Podgorny Jim Dillashaw Jim Dillashaw Larry Babica Dominic Atlan Gregg Standridge Rob Harbottle Lou Eiguren Lou Eiguren Robert Mason Matt LaPorte Keith Stoll Rick Vaughn Dave Gebhardt Bob Forse Randy Beeghly Darin Menante Lacy Erickson Steve Bell Kelly Manos Dave La Fata Greg Enholm Eric Huzarski John Ross Brannigan McNulty Angie Rodriguez Garrett Good Randy Fox Amy McCormick Pete Smith Bob Bonino Matt Anderson Ed McGargill Shane Jones Bob Hickam, Director Ed Leinenkugel, Dir. Paul Shorts Rob Young
Sierra Golfer • April 2009 | 3
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Message from The Publisher Ok, it’s April and the 2009 golf season is officially here. Never mind the fact that Spring officially sprang a couple of weeks ago...most of us in the golf business know that the golf season officially arrives with the Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA in April. Can Tiger start his march toward all-time greatness at this year’s Masters? I think so. I also think he’ll win a couple more majors in 2009, despite knee surgery last year. Anyway, I will challenge all my readers to improve their games in 2009, hopefully with a little help from my brilliant columnists and wherever else inspires them. On the website www.sierragolfer. com is the golf guy blog. Tell us all about your golf games and how you improve in 2009 with the help of our wonderful golf gurus here. Also stay tuned for some fantastic golf deals and giveaways courtesy of my golf/marketing partners, as well as new features and columnists in the coming months. Thank you all for being a part of this world we call Sierra Golfer. Best wishes. Rick Rider
Cover art provided by Joann Dost Golf/Golf Lifestyles, Inc
Table of Contents
Sierra Golf Course Directory Feature Edgewood Tahoe Resort Columns Physiology of Golf The Business of Golf The Travelling Golfer Ambassador of Ease Psychology of Golf Articles Golf...Gotta Love It Search for the Perfect Burger Sierra Golfer Magazine Rick Rider, Publisher PO Box 11 San Andreas, CA 95249 rick@sierragolfer.com 209.327.8934
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4 | Sierra Golfer • April 2009
Golf...on Top of the World
By Brian VanderBeek STATELINE, Nev. – Build 18 holes next to one of America’s most spectacular natural wonders and you’d have a nice-looking golf course. Take that beginning and add exceptional course maintenance, a world-class clubhouse/restaurant/lounge/ pro shop complex that blends into the natural surroundings, and a devotion to a high level customer service and you’d have a course like Edgewood Tahoe. Standing alone, the course at Edgewood is a gem, having spent several years on Golf Digest’s list of the world’s Top 100 courses. It remains a fixture on the various lists of top 100 courses open for public play. Edgewood’s 2009 season opens May 1 with a new set of opening month stay-andplay packages. Harvey’s Lake Tahoe has one-night, one-round weekday rates starting at $155 prime time and $125 twilight, and $289 for two weekend nights and one round of golf. Embassy Suites packages start at $209 midweek prime time and drop to $179 for twilight golf. Two-night, oneround weekend rates begin at $388.
And a gem of Edgewood’s brilliance, plunked down in the Lake Tahoe setting, creates a keepsake of the game. Now, 41 years after it opened, Edgewood continues to sparkle. “We’re on the lake, and because of the building regulations in this area we’re always going to be the only one on the lake,” said Bryan Davis, marketing manager at Edgewood Tahoe. “As soon as you pull up to the clubhouse, you’re right on Lake Tahoe. That experience in itself makes it worth coming here for a lot of people.” It certainly is enough for more than 100 celebrities, who each July flock to the course and frolic in the adjacent casinos for the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, an event televised live each year by NBC. While that exposure gives the Edgewood property and by association, Lake Tahoe, unfathomable exposure, it’s not what the Edgewood experience is about for a golfer seeking a high-end outing with three of his closest buddies. “This is definitely not turnstile golf,” Davis said. “Our customers pay a premium to be here and we respect that. There are no additional charges for range balls, no cart fees. We don’t have any outside advertising anywhere on our golf course, or anywhere else on the property, and we’ve been approached repeatedly about that. That’s not what Edgewood is about.” The property itself was purchased by the Park
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family in 1896 and at the time included a building that had been used as a Pony Express stop. The family, which still owns the property, developed the land as a hunting and fishing resort and bestowed the Edgewood name. Casino gambling came to Lake Tahoe in 1944 when Harvey Gross opened a oneroom hall, but before long, the high-rise Harvey’s casino was joined by Harrah’s. It wasn’t until the 1960s that descendent Brooks Park visualized a golf course on the family’s property. Park hired former PGA professional George Fazio to design the course, and Fazio hired his young nephew Tom
Fazio into the project as an apprentice. The course opened in 1968, was redesigned in 1980 by a group led by Peter Thomson and Ron Fream, and Tom Fazio returned to the scene of his first backhoe in 1998 to refine the course. The casinos, which now nearly completely border the Edgewood property, continued to be developed. Every casino and many of the hotels in the twin border towns of Stateline, Nev., and South Lake Tahoe, Calif., offer stay-and-play packages. Continued on page 5
www.sierragolfer.com “We do packages with other courses, but we push Edgewood because it’s so convenient and it’s where people want to play,” said Mark Mitchell, director of player development at Harrah’s, Edgewood’s official casino marketing partner. “It’s a great relationship,” Mitchell said. “We have players who want to get on the course and they create tee times for us. It’s close and convenient, and you can see a lot of the course from the hotel.” The primary reason Edgewood seeks out partnerships with the local hotels and casinos is that it has virtually no lodging of its own. The only guest rooms at Edgewood are in a 1920 lakefront house called Twin Pines. It sleeps ten and rents for $1,500 nightly in peak season, $900.00 in low season and $2,000 on holidays. The course tips out at 7555 yards from the back tees, but avid golfers who don’t aspire to play the PGA Tour will face a strong test from the
blue tees, set at 6,878 yards. That sounds long until you consider the surface of Lake Tahoe is 6,200 feet above sea levels. Because of the elevation, golfers can expect an extra 30 yards off a wellstruck driver, or an extra 1015 yards of carry from an 8-iron. If the Edgewood experience started and ended with golf, it would be a place worth visiting. But this is an upscale property, with greens fees ranging from $110. to $240. As such, it has accepted the responsibility to extend customer service to a level befitting its price point. “The service has to stay at a high level because that’s what people expect and that’s what they are paying for,” Davis said. “We have to make sure the value of the experience drives the business.” As part of that goal, Edgewood opened Brooks’ Bar four years ago, with the name a tribute to the member of the Park family with the foresight to envision Edgewood golf.
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In a region already teeming with world-class après-ski scenes, Edgewood wanted to create a 19th hole that would be golf’s answer to the downhill crowd. As a measure of that success, Brooks’ Bar last year earned a spot on the list of America’s Top 50 19th holes, as selected by Golf Digest. “We have this recognition and we need to ensure every guest who comes in gets that service,” Davis said. “Golf Digest says we’re one of only 50 places you can go for this kind of post-round experience, so we need to make sure that level of service not only applies to Brooks’ Bar, but also to the restaurant and to our wedding and banquet business.” The Edgewood restaurant competes well with the high-end dining experiences available in the casinos, with windows that open out to the best lake-level view of the Tahoe sunset available anywhere. It is open nightly
for dinner during golf season, and Wednesday-Sunday offseason. Golf in this alpine location must fit into the annual MayOctober schedule, a window annually at the mercy of Mother Nature’s snowy whims. As soon as the final heavy snow of the season is cleared and the greens are deemed ready, the jewel that is Edgewood opens for business. It’s been that way for 41 years, and barring the sudden emptying of the largest lake in the Sierra, Edgewood will continue forging ahead with its goal of providing one of the West’s best golf experiences. Brian Vanderbeek is a Sportswriter and is currently nursing his 5.9 handicap index at Stevinson Ranch, but Brian’s a Dutchman so don’t ask him to play for money .
6 | Sierra Golfer • April 2009
Physiology of Golf...
Effective Stretching For Golfers By Ann Grassel, PT Director, Marin Golf Fitness Center
The main complaint of Golfers is that they are tight. A lot of golfers stretch, but most do it in a way that is doesn’t work. There are 2 main problems, they don’t know how to stretch effectively and that they don’t know how to use the “new length” from their stretching program in their everyday activities. I tell my golf clients that it is great that you stretch, but if you stretch for 45 seconds and then use the muscle in shortness for the next 2 days, the stretching won’t be very effective.
When muscle is stretched, the muscle spindle and “stretch reflex” becomes activated. The muscle spindle lies in the muscle and watches what happens when it is stretched. If you stretch properly, with your body in alignment, breathing easily, with the joint that you are stretching around softened and gliding and you take the stretch to where you just begin to feel the stretch and hold it for 45 seconds or more— the muscle spindle reads this as a safe stretch and will allow the muscle to lengthen. If you slump over, hold your breath, jam and tighten the joint you are stretching around, stretch too hard and far or bounce while you stretch, the muscle spindle reads this as an unsafe stretch and tells the muscle to shorten to protect itself. So, you are pulling on a muscle and it is actually shortening. This causes micro tears in muscle and can build up
as scar tissue. I use the hamstring stretch as a great example because so many people do it wrong. First, you need to know where the hamstring muscles are located. There are 2 of them in the back of the leg on either side. They both attach to the sit bone (ischial tuberosity) in your butt and come down crossing behind the knee and attach to the bone in the lower leg. So the hamstring crosses 2 joints, the hip and the knee and needs to be stretched across both joints Photo 1 shows how “not” to stretch the hamstring. Both the knee and hip are jammed and her upper body is out of alignment. Photo 2 shows how to stretch the upper part of the hamstring over the hip joint and Photo 3 shows her stretching the lower part of the hamstring over the knee joint following the safe stretch criteria mentioned above. After you stretch one leg, immediately stand and feel the difference between the stretched and unstretched leg. When the hamstring is in length, it lifts your butt up off of the top of your thigh. This is a common cue that golf instructors give for the set up of the golf swing. You can walk a little bit and again feel the difference. Then stretch the other leg and again feel the muscle in length. You can use these stretch criteria for any stretch. Using your hamstring in length in your everyday activities is essential to maintaining the new length. It is important when you stand to not lock your knees or tuck your butt. Also do not sit with your legs tucked under the chair. All of these positions put your hamstrings right back into shortness. I tell my golf clients, if you sit all day at your computer, slumped, with your legs tucked under your chair and then try to go out and hit a golf ball, you are going to have problems with your golf game.
www.sierragolfer.com Try these stretching tips and you will find that your new flexibility will help prevent injuries and greatly improve your golf swing.
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
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Golf... Gotta Love It! By Kristi LaRue
“I fell in love with golf because I wanted to help YOU learn how to play!” “Then I fell more in love with it because we became such good friends.” That’s what my new friend Alberta told me when I asked her how she came to love golf. Aww, how sweet is that? Those unfortunate souls who don’t play golf cannot fathom why someone would spend 4+ hours chasing a tiny ball around in unpredictable weather. But those of us who have been bitten by the bug know why we play. Of course there’s the challenge
and the competition as in any sport. But when you boil it all down, it’s the camaraderie. No other sport allows such a long amount of quality time to interact with others. You can merely discuss the game, helping each other out with tips and hints, or you can build a personal relationship that will last a lifetime. “I love to play golf because I can be with my best friend Kristi, playing, visiting, singing, laughing and whistling – tuning out the world and enjoying our time together.” That is what my dear friend Beth so excitedly stated when I asked her what she liked about golf. Wow, how could I not love this sport? Just watching my husband with his golf buddies is proof of how special those
relationships are to him. They all have nicknames for each other, they travel together and they consult each other on business decisions. They are like family, like brothers. When I married my husband 23 years ago, I couldn’t begin to understand his obsession with golf. I didn’t understand that there was more to it than just playing golf. Now that I play golf too, my husband and I have a found a new relationship on the course. It has opened up another common interest between us that’s fun, relaxing and social. And, it has enabled us to develop strong friendships with other couples on and off the course. So even if you never quite master the game of golf, you can rest assured
Sierra Golfer • April 2009 | 7 that your valuable time will be well spent and greatly rewarded with strong, lasting relationships! When I die, bury me on the golf course so my husband will visit. ~Author Unknown
Kristi and the girls.
8 | Sierra Golfer • April 2009
Golf and Skiing By David Wood If you like to play golf and if you also like to ski, then April is a good month for you. For many people the golf season really starts in April with the playing of the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. And April is usually a very good month for skiing at most ski mountains, with good snow and warm sunny days. So it is appropriate at this time to consider some of the connections and similarities between playing golf and skiing. Beyond The Fairway Author Jeff Wallach touched on the connections between golf and skiing in his 1995 book Beyond the Fairway. The title of chapter seven of that book is “A Winter’s (Golf) Tale,” and in this chapter some of these connections between golf and skiing are discussed: • Both are “singular color activities. In golf, everything is green, and in skiing it’s all white.” • Most golf courses have color-coded tees (black, blue, green) representing different
www.sierragolfer.com levels of difficulty. Same for skiing: black runs for experts, blue for intermediates, and green for beginners. • “Both sports require you to buy a ticket, which you’re supposed to display as proof you’ve paid your fee.” • Eighteen holes makes a round of golf, and eighteen runs is a good day of skiing. • Many golf resorts are transformed into ski resorts in the winter. • “In many places, shops that sell golf equipment in summer metamorphose into ski shops when the weather turns cold.” (Many golfers will remember the stories about British Open Champion and Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman and how, before he made it big on the PGA Tour, he used to rent ski equipment out of his golf shop in the winter at the University of Minnesota.) • Golf holes and ski runs are both carved out of the surrounding terrain. • Golf holes and ski runs receive careful manicuring and grooming. • Golf holes and ski runs “present mostly clear, winding paths between trees and gullies and streams.” • Both playing golf and skiing “involve interacting with the natural environment directly and on an individual basis by
moving across and exploring the terrain.” • Both playing golf and skiing share a common objective: Stay between the borders and do not wander out of bounds. But on the other hand, “you can experience some of the best skiing and golfing moments by venturing off the trail or into the rough.” • Visualization comes into play in both. • Many golf courses are turned into cross-country skiing courses in the winter and when you cross-country ski across a golf course you can feel the humps and bumps beneath your feet and “experience the links in a brand new way—sort of like reading them in Braille.” • “Skiing, like the highest level of golf, has no destination; the activity is its own goal, and you journey toward it at your own pace and in your own way.” • In both sports you do your best when you have no swing thoughts (golf) and do not consciously think about your form (skiing). • In golf you may hit some balls on the range to warm up before playing. In skiing you may take an easy run first before tackling harder terrain. • And finally, “in both sports you ride to the beginning of each hole or trail by mechanical means, whether cart or chairlift.” (But, of course, not all golfers like to ride.) He comments, “It seemed so obvious to me how golf and skiing complement each other—summer yin and winter yang—to compose a harmonic, individualistic sporting whole. By pursuing both in their seasons, one could achieve perfect balance.” He finally concludes, “I suddenly unraveled a major knot of the winter golf koan and understood—directly, not intellectually—what it means to ‘be the ball.’ Both golf and skiing involve movement down a carved path, but in golf, we travel by knocking a ball along the fairway and then following where it goes. In skiing, we drive ourselves along; we finally are the ball.”
Some Other Similarities • Golf plays best downhill; obviously, skiing does too. • When you stand on the tee and contemplate playing the hole, the broad fairway is before you. When you stand at the top of a hill ready to start skiing, the broad ski run is before you. • You don’t pull out a card and write down a number when you finish a ski run, and sometimes golf is the most fun when you don’t keep score either. Skiing Legend Billy Kidd In 2008 award-winning photographer and author Dick Durrance II wrote an article for “Colorado AvidGolfer” magazine about Steamboat Springs skiing legend and Olympic medal winner Billy Kidd. The title of the article is “Icon in our Midst” and it touches on some of the parallels between golf and skiing. Billy is quoted in this article as saying: “The psychological part of golf, at all levels, but particularly at the highest levels of competitive golf, is really similar to the psychological part of skiing at the highest levels. The separation between winning and second place is so small, you are tempted to call it luck. But isn’t it funny how Jean-Claude Killy was ‘lucky’ to win three gold medals by fractions of a second at the 1968 Olympics and Tiger Woods is so ‘lucky’ to win all of those golf tournaments by just a stroke or two? The difference isn’t luck. It’s mental.” Two other Olympians are also quoted in this article on the similarities: Gary Crawford says, “Just as no two golf courses are alike, so no two ski trails, ski jumps or cross-country tracks are alike.” Moose Barrows says, “Skiing and golf are both gentlemen’s sports, with respect for the rules, respect for what happens, and respect for their heritage. Both are good models for life, with values that should be impressed on kids.” Continued on the next page
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The Golf Shrine at Aspen/Snowmass In the ski mountains of Aspen/ Snowmass in the Colorado Rocky Mountains there is an interesting and unique connection between skiing and golf, and it involves one of the famous “Shrines” of Aspen/Snowmass. As was noted in a February 18, 2006 article in the Aspen Times newspaper, “For about two decades, locals have been ducking into favorite hideouts on Aspen Mountain and nailing pictures, license plates, beads, silk flowers, wind chimes and other memorabilia to tree trunks in honor of their particular heroes. The spruce trees and lodgepole pines hide sanctuaries dedicated to musicians, beloved locals, buckaroos, soiled doves
and even toys and cartoon characters.” The first Aspen shrine was to Elvis Presley, and it was followed by shrines to other famous people, including Marilyn Monroe, John Denver, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, and Hunter S. Thompson just to name a few. (For complete information on these shrines, see the web site “Sanctuaries in the Snow” at www.aspensnowmassshrines.com.) These shrines have a certain amount of mystique to them. They are not shown on any trail maps and people only find their locations through wordof-mouth. In a nod to famous deceased golfers, certain Aspen/ Snowmass skiers (probably frustrated golfers who pined for the summer when they could play golf in Aspen) installed a “Golf Shrine” which is “dedicated to the deceased greats of the game of golf” including Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Harry Vardon, Old Tom Morris, and eleven others. See various photos of The Golf Shrine that accompany this article. The shrine contains many photos of these deceased greats of the game and also other golfing memorabilia, including a golf bag full of old clubs, a bucket of range balls, an old pair of golf shoes, various golf signs, and
many other items. There is also a bottle of single malt Scotch whisky hidden in a sack buried under the snow, and the sack also contains a sheet of paper containing famous golf quotes. Local tradition has it that before a visitor can have a “wee nip” of the whisky he has to read aloud one of the quotes. Also, sometimes visitors have a chipping contest in the shrine, using the clubs and range balls there. The shrine has become a favorite gathering place for avid golfers who also like to ski, a place they can stop for a rest and a chat, a time to think about the coming golf season, and all the while a time to remember and honor the greatest deceased players in the history of the game. In December 2008 The Golf Shrine was paid the ultimate compliment of having PGA Tour star Chris DiMarco as a visitor. With the Masters tournament coming up soon, it is time to get in those last ski runs of the ski season and get ready for another great season of golf!
Sierra Golfer • April 2009 | 9
Chris and Amy DiMarco enjoy a day on the slopes at The Golf Shrine in Aspen Photo by Doug Tutwiler
10 | Sierra Golfer • April 2009
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Ball Flight + Technology = A Proper Fit
America’s Largest Demo Days Returns to Haggin Oaks Golf Expo April 24-26
By Brandon Taylor Carson
By Tom Morton
There still seems to be a myth by many golfers that it is not the golf club or golf ball but rather all about the golfer themselves as to whether that perfectly straight, smashed drive happens on a regular basis. The more people can understand the proper ball flight that achieves maximum distance, the more people can begin to crush this myth and their drives. Let’s first take a look at what happens at impact between the golf club and golf ball: 1. The golf club’s shaft reacts to the force applied by the golfer swinging it and “releases” the club head. 2. At moment of impact, the specific features of the club head’s design, such as loft, lie, center of gravity (CG), and moment of inertia (MOI), initiate ball flight.
3. The golf ball reacts to the forces applied by the shaft via the club head. The ball “launches” in the direction and with the spin that the impact forces have applied. 4. The attributes in the golf ball take effect and ball flight is determined. I know many of you are thinking that this is WAY too technical, but this is reality and the very reason proper clubfitting requires not only the ability to see ball flight but also a trained club fitting professional using the most state of the art technology to read much of the data needed to maximize numbers 1 through 4 above. At Haggin Oaks we are fortunate to have TrackMan in the Player Performance Studio which is the most state-of-the-art launch monitor in golf today. With this incredible technology we are able to gather a lot of important data regarding a golfer’s launch angle, ball speed, spin rate, land angle as well as many other important
variables that will maximize the moment of impact and thus the golfer’s ball flight. The chart above clearly illustrates visually what proper ball flight is and what effect it has on a golfer’s distance. Which one are you? If you fall into Ball Flight numbers 2, 3 or 4 above do not worry as you are definitely not alone…and help is right around the corner. America’s largest demo days are April 24th-26th at Haggin Oaks and all the three most important pieces that are needed to drastically improve your ball flight will be in one place: top fitting professionals from all the major golf companies that fit PGA and LPGA tour players, technologically advanced launch monitors and the ability to see the ball flight. It is time to bust the myth that fitting is not critical. If you experience a clubfitting that has these three important pieces your golf game will be changed for life.
Named by Golf World, Golf Digest and Golf Range magazines as the best golf promotion in the country, The 34th Annual Haggin Oaks Golf Expo returns to kick-off the 2009 golf season. With over 150 different manufacturers and booths scheduled to appear, The Haggin Oaks Golf Expo is truly the show of all showshosting over 17,000 golfers from all over California, Oregon and Nevada to see the latest in golf equipment to the best vacation destinations- and everything in between! Best of all, admission is FREE! Nowhere else in the country will there be a larger collection of golf vendors available to the general public. Major equipment vendors such as Callaway, Ping, Cleveland, Titleist, TaylorMade, Nike, Cobra and more will have free hitting stalls on the driving range and manufacturer’s representatives and vendor experts will answer your questions. All of the latest equipment will be available in every imaginable specification for free trial including lefties, seniors and ladies. Health and fitness companies, golf travel agencies, training aid vendors, golf accessory lines, golf media publications, golf clubs & associations and more all have booths promoting everything important to the golfer. Dozens of golf courses from around Northern California and beyond will offer course information, literature and in many cases- membership and green fee specials. Courses like Bailey Creek, Greenhorn Creek, Cameron Park CC, Winchester CC and Sevillano Links at Rolling Hills Casino will all be on-hand For a list of participating vendors and a vendor map, visit www. hagginoaksgolfexpo.com. Managed by Morton Golf, the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex is located at 3645 Fulton Avenue in Sacramento, CA (at the Capital City Freeway). For information on this or any of their other exciting events, call (916) 481-GOLF.
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The Business Of Golf Golf in business Not just for the men Any longer Golf, the unchallenged heart of the old-boy business network, isn’t just for men anymore. Now, women are beginning to reap the same benefits found on the green. Although there has been no formal study on the number of executive female golfers in North America, the EWGA’s membership has soared to 20,000 members from 1,500 in 1991. And the National Golf Foundation said the number of female golfers in America climbed to 6.9 million in 2004 from 5.4 million in 1998. Ten years ago it was uncommon to see women and men golfing together. But on most courses across the country that’s not the case anymore. “Many women believe that the golf course is a man’s turf,” said Suzanne Woo, author of “On Course for Business: Women and Golf” and founder of BizGolf Dynamics in Berkeley, Calif., which teaches companies and individuals how to use golf to strengthen professional relationships and increase business success. To get the most out of golf and business, women should take classes in the game and learn golf etiquette, Woo said. Otherwise, as Stephenson cautioned, “If it looks
like a woman lacks confidence or is insecure on the golf course, it is assumed she is like this in business.” Women should take steps in the workplace to indicate their interest in golf. Woo suggests hanging golf pictures or having a putter with golf balls in the office as ways for women to let their business partners know that they golf too. “Even if you do not play with the partners, the fact that you can talk about golf helps build relationships and rapport,” she said. The link between golf and business is so strong that one woman said she was penalized for not playing the game. The woman, who asked that her name not be used, worked at a Fortune 500 consulting firm and said that not playing golf contributed to her not getting a promotion. Her final performance review before she left company included the criticism: “Still doesn’t play golf.” “When you get to a certain level of management, you are expected to play golf,” she said. “If you can’t, you are at a huge disadvantage. Golf is the sport if you want to move forward.” Now, though, with more women on the links, those obstacles to career advancement appear to be more sport-based than gender-based. Nongolfing men are just as likely to forgo the fast track, executives said. What’s more, women are realizing another benefit of the game--it’s fun. One recently retired businesswoman continues to play out of love for the sport. But she cannot forget how she profited professionally from golf. “As women move up the ranks in management,” she said, “they have the opportunity to use golf to dominate in business.”
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The Travelling Golfer...
Could Golf be The Fountain Of Youth? By Lynn Nilsen Could Golf be the fountain of youth? This is a subject I decided to explore after researching a group about aging, where the goal is to live beyond 100 years of age. Frank Drake, the moderator of this group, writes in a daily blog, “The Race to 100 has Just Begun”. It is an interesting concept and although I have always wanted to live a long, healthy and fun filled life, I never had an age goal, just a healthy, meaningful and fulfilling one. I wrote to Frank I and explained to him how both of my parents have golfed well into their 80’s. My 87 year old father still plays about four rounds per week and can occasionally shoot his age. Golf has played an equally influential role in my mother’s life. While interviewing my father last Sunday, my mother chimed in on every question, and really seemed to take what we were discussing personally. She spoke of the liberating experience of taking up the game of golf at the age of 50, after raising her family. Growing up in a golforiented family, it never seemed to be an option that we play golf. In Northbrook, Illinois we had a home across the street from Sportsman’s Country Club Golf Course. My brother worked as a caddy at another course, and
we would look for golf balls and sell them back to the golfers for extra cash. We would build miniature golf courses in our front lawn and play for hours. When we had nothing to do, it was off to the driving range. My father’s passion for this sport was an inspiration for our whole family, and kept us interested in improving our game. While interviewing my dad, Gus, for this story I asked him some questions about his past. “How old were you when you first started playing golf?” “I was between 15 and 16 years old. I had just started playing at Columbus Park in Chicago with a few clubs that were given to me. I hit a 2 iron off the tee and never imagined it would go about 170 yards and land on the green. Some women were on the green and I thought, “Wow, I’m in trouble.” I ran up apologizing, I didn’t realize how far the ball would travel. They said, “Congratulations; you just got a hole in one.” It was in a Jewish neighborhood and they said, “It’s too bad you aren’t Jewish; you could have won a bushel of prizes.” Well I still won an Arch Ward monthly golf magazine, and that made me really happy.” “This sounds like you were learning to golf during the depression era if you were 15 years old…” “You are right. This was during the depression and there was just no money. Everything we did was for
free. My father, a Swedish immigrant was a good mechanic. He worked on a neighbor’s car, who had a furnace shop and was a golf enthusiast. While in the shop he saw me looking at some old golf clubs and gave me a couple. After that I used to buy second-hand equipment for practically nothing at used sporting good stores”. “What other sports did you play besides golf?” “We played ice hockey and I used to compete in ice racing, for which I won a prize in “The Silver Skates” derby. I also played baseball. I was actually noticed by a scout at one of my baseball games where I helped win the championship; I received a batting title. The scout offered me a chance to try out for the Detroit Tigers. My parents, both from Sweden, said “No way, you are not going to be a baseball bum!
www.sierragolfer.com You are going to be an engineer. “ So, I eventually became a communications engineer and consultant for Western Electric. I retired after a career of 43 years.” “Sports have always been the most important thing for me, besides your mother, so I always played every sport when I had the opportunity. I never became a pro, but I could always hold my own.” “What are some of the most outstanding courses you played in Chicago and in Northern California?” “Two outstanding courses we played in the Chicago area were Cog Hill and Medinah Country Club, along with many other courses. In Northern California I enjoyed playing Stanford and of course, I love playing the courses here in the Sierras, like Lake Wildwood, my home course.” Continued on next page
Gus and Yo with their dog Rudy
www.sierragolfer.com “When we moved out west to Northern California, I worked during the week and would get up at 4:00 AM to stand in line to make a tee time for the weekend, usually at Sunnyvale Golf Course. We always got the time we put in for.”
when a woman came and sat beside me. She said, “I heard there is a guy who is over 80 years old in this tournament, and that he was in the group that won the putting contest”. I said “That would be me!” She couldn’t believe it. (My dad was 83)
“You were in the Buick Scramble in Florida a few years back, describe this experience.” “Well, we had to win two rounds, one here (Lake Wildwood) and one in Sacramento. After winning those two rounds, we then qualified for the Buick Scramble in Florida. My team did not play our best during the competition, but came in first place in the putting contest. Later on that day, I was sitting in the bar, having my daily Manhattan,
“What has kept you playing golf?” “I had a bad back for about 10 years and it got to the point that I couldn’t play golf. I had surgery in 1972, and was able to start playing a few months later. I did back exercises every day for many years. My back started bothering me again about 5 years ago. I did things differently this time and went to a chiropractor along with physical therapy. I decided that at my age, this was a better option than surgery. I
Sierra Golfer • April 2009 | 13 had a massage before each different travel destinations chiropractic treatment, which that golf has brought us was relaxing and helped in my treatments. I eventually “Do you have any words of got better, and now, I play wisdom you would like to four times a week.” pass along to other aspiring Recently, a friend of mine golfers?” asked me what my father “Luck plays a big part in does in the winter when the whatever we do; I always did weather is bad. I told him, the best I could. Throughout “He plays golf”. life, in the military and at My dad has had 4 hole- work, I said to myself, I in-ones. I guess it runs in can do it, even in a situation the family as my brother and where it seems impossible, I have had 4 aces each. I’m nothing is impossible. Don’t not sure who will win this give up.” competition, but I think it “I just play for the fun of will go on for some time. it now; it keeps me going, Now retired in Lake along with the tender loving Wildwood, about 6 miles care I receive from my wife south of Grass Valley, it of 63 years.” seems that my dad has finally “Golf has provided me found his nirvana. Sitting both physical and social in my parents’ living room, therapy.” overlooking the lake, we reminisce about all the fun times we have had, and the
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Ambassador of Ease... When Bad Shots Happen to Good People By Jon Leland
The idea that tough times can be considered learning opportunities is practically a cliché in business; but on the golf course, not so much. On the golf course, bad shots are more frequently met with curse words, frustration and the occasional thrown club. Sadly, it’s the lessons that the bad shots teach us that are the most valuable. Still, in golf, as in life, when things go well, we tend to take them for granted. We expect to hit greens in regulation; but when we miss, we are more likely to be miffed than inspired to look more closely at what happened.
Psychology of Golf... Set Lofty Goals To Soar And Score By Ben Kline
Is there a certain part of your golf game that needs work but for some reason, you don’t give it appropriate attention? Pick one area that consistently costs you strokes and set a goal to overcome that playing deficiency. Goal setting is a mental tool that focuses attention and effort on development. Setting goals has positive effects on confidence and anxiety management, key psychological areas that affect golf outcomes. Your goal could be as simple as sinking ten consecutive five-foot putts, or more specifically, fivefoot putts that break from right to
www.sierragolfer.com In addition, as I progress during a round, I find that my awareness slips. I lose focus, and not only does that nice rhythm that I got going on the range somehow evaporate; but I also find that my ability to learn from my mistakes takes a hike. This was illuminated recently when I did a two-day Extraordinary Golf School in Palm Springs with Fred Shoemaker (http://www.extraordinarygolf. com). The focus of this school was on concentration. As we experimented with various forms of focused awareness, it was fascinating to watch my mind wander and then, usually, refocus. When we went out on the course, we were asked to keep our attention on whatever intention we declared for ourselves. A key moment for me was when Fred himself observed me following a shot commenting on the ball
flight and how it didn’t meet my expectations. Fred commented that I could tell whether I was present to my original intention (in this case, I intended to fully release the club head on each swing) by observing the first thing that popped out of my mouth. In other words, if I was present to my intention, I would say something like, “I really released it well that time” or “I held on. Not a good release;” rather than something like “Go ball!” Or “Oh s**t, I hit another fade.” It was eye opening. Good awareness is perhaps the best teacher. For example, I’ve observed that infamous second golfer version of myself who steps up and hits an excellent golf shot right after I’ve just hit one in the lake. I’ve studied that “guy,” and he possesses this wonderful quality where he simply connects to the target and without any fuss, hits the ball onto the green. There
is no “paralysis of analysis” and especially no over-thought swing calculations. Like someone said recently, “See ball. Hit ball.” I believe that this kind of discovery is why teachers like the Sierra’s own Dr. Glen Albaugh, author of “Winning the Battle Within” (http://www.wbwgolf. com/) are such proponents of a Post-Shot Routine where you Review, Rehearse and Replace a bad shot with the intentional awareness and the good feelings of what you intend to do next time. It makes a whole lot more sense than getting upset over a simple mistake. It also offers opportunities for a whole lot more learning while also getting you unstuck from your feelings of frustration rather quickly. If you take this guidance to heart, the next time a bad shot happens to a good person like you, it really will be an opportunity to improve your game.
left. The more distinct, the better. Set goals to master a specific area in your game and watch your handicap drop. One reason goal setting is effective is it provides motivation to act in ways that support achieving them. Also, the act of writing down goals creates energy, making accomplishment that much more inevitable. Goal setting is the most frequent sport psychology strategy employed by Olympic athletes. To give this concept traction, set SMART goals. Making your goals SMART is an easy way to remember the components of effective goal setting. SMART goals are defined as: S - specific M - measurable, meaningful (e.g. 30 consecutive 3 foot putts in practice) A - achievable, action-oriented R - realistic (neither too hard nor too easy)
T - time-bound (set short and long-term goals)
shaft angle, the swing speed, or different course conditions. And then practice, practice, practice when you have the shot down. The path to mastery is repetition until the stroke becomes a wellingrained muscle pattern. Then you don’t have to think about it, you know you will make the shot. Stretch yourself with lofty goals. If you find that you are not making the progress you desire, then revise them. Also, proudly acknowledge the progress you have made. You are heading in the right direction. On the other hand, when you accomplish one goal, or if a goal comes too easily, set a more challenging one. Setting goals is an easy technique to implement that will fuel improvement. Give it a try. What have you got to lose, but a few strokes off your scorecard?
A long-term goal such as breaking a performance barrier can be a great motivator. For example, breaking 80. Divide a long-term goal into smaller short duration ones that contribute to its accomplishment. Also, set goals for practice as well as for performance. Practice is the time to learn more about the shot you’re going to master. Experiencing the nuances of executing a particular skill is the path to mastery. Be curious and find out all you can about a certain technique; how different professionals swing in specific situations or get a lesson or two on the area you’re working to improve. Experiment and intently observe and experience what happens as you slightly vary different swing elements: the
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A Journey of Enlightement… Finding the Perfect Burger By Laura Stewart
I have always said that the indication of a truly great meal is if you are still thinking about it the next day, or even better, the next week. And when you can compound that with great service and wonderful ambience, you have the perfect recipe for a great dining experience. In the last year or so, my husband and I have embarked on the selfless journey in search of the best dining experience in Northern California to eat one specific menu item, the sought after gourmet burger. This article will take you to some of the best places I have discovered so prepare to wet your pallets and bon apetit! Call me anti-religious, a food snob or maybe just insane but I still don’t understand the whole In-nOut hype. If I’m going to have all the fat and calories of a burger, I don’t want to eat it wrapped in paper in a cardboard tray with a diet coke. No, no. I want to have a nice glass of red wine, some caramelized onions, maybe some gruyere cheese, just something that makes it special and different. And I want a little more ambience than sitting in the front seat of my car in a parking lot. No one can dispute that you are going to get a better view with a visit to the Napa
Valley. Known for some of the best restaurants in Northern California, where better to partake in a gourmet burger that may be a more price effective option on the savvy food menus? At the historic Martini House restaurant in Saint Helena, the intimate and charming décor comes brilliantly together with the adventurous cuisine of Executive chef Todd Humphries. On the lunch menu, the Kobe beef burger from Snake River Farms comes with wine infused sweet onions, melted Swiss cheese and the chef’s special sauce on an American style brioche bun made fresh from a local bakery. It is served with Panko crusted onion rings lightly salted with curry salt. Make sure to peruse their comprehensive wine list for a full bodied red wine. At least three times a year we find a reason to head down to Carmel, a truly magical place. We always find a way to make it over to Pebble Beach for one of the best views of the coast and my favorite burger in Northern California. If you can’t afford the green fees, at least you can enjoy the view! Overlooking the 18th green sits our favorite lunch spot, the Stillwater Bar & Grill. On a sunny day, sit on the patio, take in the fresh ocean air and order the Brasserie burger. This succulent sirloin burger is topped with your favorite cheese and their special “Stillwater” sauce, described as a pesto and garlic aioli. Enjoy with garlic French fries and order a half bottle of Rafanelli Zinfandel
and you will understand the true meaning of heaven on earth. If you happen to be traveling with your dogs, as we often are, try the Cypress Inn in downtown Carmel where your faithful friend can eat with you inside the restaurant. They have a delicious burger and although it isn’t Pebble Beach, the atmosphere of begging dogs around you always makes it an entertaining dining experience with easy conversation. If you are craving a gourmet burger a little closer to home I recommend Paul Martin’s American Bistro or La Provence in Roseville. For something a little different try Morgan’s Veggie burger at Guy Fieri’s new Johnny Garlic restaurant also in Roseville, it is a flavorful substitute made of 16 ingredients in a lively and vibrant setting. Heading to downtown Sacramento, try the sliders at Bistro 33 or at the new trendy restaurant and nightclub called Mix. Both are petite creative adaptations that will satisfy your gourmet burger cravings. If you are finishing
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a local round at Haggin Oaks, enjoy their new lunch menu that includes a great tasting sirloin cheeseburger. Finally, as we head into Spring and Summer, or as men rather refer to as barbeque season, let me challenge you to take some accountability for your lack of burger creativity and spice up your burger fare with some new ingredients this year. Pick up the book, “Build A Better Burger” by James McNair and start experimenting. My favorite so far is the Tuscan Burger Brushetta. The burger has onion, parsley and gorgonzola mixed in with the meat and then topped with prosciutto, fontina cheese and a tomato bruschetta topping. It is absolutely “enlightening.”
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