July 2014 Golf Southwest Digital Edition

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Volume 2 Issue 7 | July 2014

Royal Links Golf Club

A Taste of Old World Golf in Las Vegas

PARK MEADOWS COUNTRY CLUB

Links Golf Nicklaus Style at 7,000 ft.

REMUDA GOLF COURSE

A Venue for All Skill Levels

STALLION MOUNTAIN GOLF CLUB A Shot Makers Dream

The Open Championship Golf’s Oldest Major Championship The 8th green at Royal Links in Las Vegas highlighted by the setting sun.

Mike Malaska:

What Are We Playing For? pg. 18

2 G O L F

Rules of Golf

Rules of Golf Quiz for july 2014 G

S O U T OLF SOUTHWEST’s Rules of Golf Quiz is designed to bring to light rules questions that may just come up during your next round of golf, courtesy of H the United States Golf Association. After you check out these questions, go to our website at www.golf-southwest.com and check out the answers and W while you are there, register for our digital copy of GOLF SOUTHWEST and a chance to win some great merchandise or maybe even a round of golf at E one of your favorite courses.

S T

1. Which of the following is “ground under repair” even

— if not marked as such?

J u l y

A) A divot hole.

B) Material abandoned on the course.

C) A hole made by a greenskeeper.

D) A dirt cart path which is not artificially surfaced.

2 2. In stroke play, a player uses a hand warmer during a 0 1 round. Inadvertently, during the play of a hole, he places 4 the hand warmer in the same pocket with a golf ball he

uses later in the round. What is the ruling?

A) There is no penalty.

B) There is a two stroke penalty.

C) He is disqualified.

3. A player’s ball comes to rest inside a paper cup on the putting green. Then, the wind moves the paper cup with the ball inside to a new position. What is the ruling?

A) He must play the ball from its new position since wind is not an outside agency.

B) He must replace the ball and cup to where they lay prior to the wind blowing them.

C) He must lift the ball and place it as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball lay inside the cup prior to the wind blowing it.

4. The Committee may not enlist the help of the players in removing casual water from the putting green if they have not finished the hole.

A) True B) False 5. In stroke play, a player incurs a disqualification penalty in a play-off. Does the penalty also apply to the entire competition?

A) Yes, the play-off is an integral part of the completion.

B) No, the disqualification applies only to the play-off.

C) The Committee must decide.

Go to

Golf-Southwest.com To Check Your Answers

3

INSIDE

2 3 Publisher’s Notes 4 Royal Links Golf Club 9 Tournament Schedule 10 Golf Tips: What We Know Now 12 Dining: Trattoria Nakamura-ya 14 Park Meadows Country Club 18 Mike Malaska: What Are We Playing For 20 Remuda Golf Course 23 Scotty Cameron Putters 24 Stallion Mountain Golf Club 26 Odyssey Tank Cruiser 28 The Open Championship Rules of the Game

PO Box 910038 St. George, UT 84791 (435) 865-1680

www.golf-southwest.com

Publisher Kent Danjanovich (801) 231-9838 kdanjanovich@golf-Southwest.com Associate Publisher James Olsen (702) 994-0879 jolsen@golf-southwest.com Nevada Sales John Wooge (702) 373-7437 jwooge@golf-Southwest.com Utah Sales Manager Collin Dalley (435) 862-7441 cdalley@golf-southwest.com Nevada Sales Steve Mayer (702) 596-3926 smayer@golf-southwest.com Managing Editor Dan Kidder (435) 868-8919 dkidder@golf-Southwest.com Jim Rayburn Staff Writer (801) 372-7980 info@golf-Southwest.com Art Director/Distribution Lisa Deming (435) 865-1681 ldeming@golf-Southwest.com Randy Danjanovich Golf Course Specialist Steve Latimer Golf Course Specialist

Golf Southwest is published monthly.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the Managing Editor.

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Scott Sackett Steve Mayer Mike Malaska

G O L hose warm summer F

Publisher’s Notes T

days seem to be flying by and there is plenty of great golf to be had throughout the reaches of Golf Southwest! Amateur and Professional events can be taken in across Utah and southern Nevada, so get out and be part of the great game of golf as both a participant or a spectator.

Two of Utah’s premier country clubs will be hosting big tournaments in July, with Willow Creek CC the site of the Utah Championship (Web.com Tour) July 7-13 and Ogden Golf & CC hosting the Utah State Men’s Amateur Championship, the longest consecutive running sports tournament in the world over those same dates. These are two great spectator events and right in our back yard,

so make sure you plan some time to support each.

A unique twist this year will be both the Men’s and Women’s State Am’s will be hosted by Ogden Golf & CC, just like the US Open Championships last month.

Speaking of the US Open Championships, some great golf was also played at one of the most renowned golf venues in the world during the past couple of weeks at North Carolina’s Pinehurst #2. Two great champions were crowned as Martin Kaymer lapped the field in the Men’s Open and Michelle Wie played to her potential in holding on to win the Women’s side of things with a two stroke victory over the world’s #1 player, Stacy Lewis. Congratulations to both of these great players.

In this issue of GOLF SOUTHWEST, you will find reviews on Remuda Golf Course and Park Meadows Country Club in Utah as well as Stallion Mountain Golf Club and Royal Links Golf Club of southern Nevada. Also, you will find a preview to The Open Championship being played this month at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, one of the eight venues that hosts the tournament each July in Great Britain and Scotland.

An interesting twist to these feature stories is the tie between Royal Links Golf Club and The Open Championship. Walter’s Golf has brought 18-holes of golf from the Old Country to life in the Las Vegas desert at Royal Links and if you haven’t had a chance to experience the real thing overseas, why not book a tee time at the next best thing – The Royal Links Golf Club on Las Vegas’ east side. You will be in for a very unique round of golf to say the least!

Great dining reviews continue in this issue as well, with our restaurant specialist, Steve Mayer, giving us the lowdown on a wonderful venue on the west side of the Las Vegas Valley, Trattoria Nakamura-Ya. Also, two of the premier companies in the world, Titleist (Scotty Cameron) and Callaway (Odyssey) have unveiled new models to their putter lines.

And finally, make sure you check out our website at www.golf-southwest.com for the winner of the two rounds of golf w/cart at Falcon Ridge Golf Club in Mesquite for the lucky subscriber to our June digital edition. All you have to do is register to receive the digital edition of GOLF SOUTHWEST and it will be delivered to your ‘In-box’ each month and you will automatically be entered to win the monthly prize. For July, we will be giving the lucky winner two rounds of golf at Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Hope to see you on the green soon! KD

S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

4 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Royal Links’ British theme continues all the way to the castle-style clubhouse, which features an awardwinning golf shop and the authentic Stymie’s Pub, which serves traditional British fare like fish and chips and bangers.

R

Royal Links Golf Club

oyal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas is a links-style golf course created to honor the rich tradition and history of the game of golf. It is one of the most unique golfing experiences in the country. The course faithfully recreates holes inspired by the British Open rotation golf courses such as “The Road Hole” and “Hell Bunker” from the old course at St. Andrews and “The Postage Stamp” from Royal Troon. Other legendary golf courses in the loop include Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Liverpool, Prestwick, Royal Lytham, Muirfield and Royal Birkdale.

“It’s certainly a golf course many people wouldn’t expect in Las Vegas,” said Josh Hill, Vice President of Walters Golf. “It’s a unique experience to play a round of golf they wouldn’t be able to do at their home course.

It was the brainchild of Mr. [Billy] Walters. He wanted to create something different, designed in line with the resorts that take themes from around the world.”

After checking in at the ‘Castle’ after you arrive at Royal Links Golf Club, it is off to the driving range for a little warm-up. As your tee time nears, it’s back to the putting green adjacent to the first tee and the short wait before you stroll across the Swilcan Bridge to begin one of the most unique golf experiences you may ever find, beginning your journey back in

time to lands far away.

The first is a replica of Royal Lytham Golf Club’s tenth, a shortish Par 4 that offers a great opportunity to begin your round under par. The second follows suit, giving you that sense of, “Hey, maybe I can score pretty well on this collection of Old World courses”. But believe me, don’t get to comfortable.

No. 2, inspired by Royal Troon’s #7 is another hole of manageable length, but plenty of obstacles await as you proceed from slightly elevated tees down this straightaway, 372 yard Par 4. Bunkers left and right are present in the distance, with the first two at about the 230 yard mark from the back tees and the next two at 265, narrowing up the landing area. I hit driver from the tee, but many will choose to hit a long iron or hybrid. All

four of these bunkers are small and steep, so you want to do your best to stay out of them or your day will start out a little rocky. The fairway is a series of rolling moguls, tee to green and as you approach the green, the fairway slopes slightly back up to the putting surface. The long, narrow green slopes back to front and is flanked on both sides by bunkers.

Even this early in the round, you will find that the greens are some of the best you will play anywhere in Las Vegas. The Bermunda Champion surfaces, over-seeded with Poa Triv are smooth, quick and receive shots quite well, greatly adding to the pleasure of your day of ‘fantasy’.

Holes three through six are then across the parkcontinued on page 6

5 G O L F

we went to the U.K.

and brought back

the best holes oF the

open championship Your invitation awaits you … experience 18 of the best holes from 11 different British Open courses, all only minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Here you will challenge some of the most storied holes in golf including the “Road Hole” and “Hell Bunker” from the Old Course at St. Andrews and the “Postage Stamp” from Royal Troon, not too mention one from this year’s Open at Royal Liverpool.

18 holes from the oPeN ChamPioNshiP, 10 miNutes from the las Vegas striP

To book your ultimate Open Championship experience, call 888.427.6678 www.RoyalLinksGolfClub.com

WG140609 Walters Golf Royal Links Ad in Golf Southwest.indd 1

6/17/14 11:18 AM

S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

6 ROYAL LINKS

G O continued from page 4 L ing lot and over the main road adjacent to the F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

entrance at Royal Links. The third depicts the Par 3 second at the course that gave birth to the Open Championship, the Prestwick Old Course in Scotland. Dye Designs’ trademark railroad ties really start blending in to accent the ‘links’ layout through the next 16 holes.

You then come to the fourth at Royal Links, Royal Liverpools’ eighth that you will be able to get a look at as the players in this years’ Open Championship tee it up on this monster, 621 yard Par 5. The tees are somewhat isolated, but require only a small carry to reach the fairway. The hole is lined on both sides by traditional grasses as rolling mounds make up the terrain of the fairways and short roughs all the way to the green. A raised series of mounds form on the right side of the fairway, about 180 yards from the green. If you manage to navigate the hole with two well hit shots, you will be left with a shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 yards to the green. Your approach is to a large green with a pot bunker guarding the right front. The legendary Bobby Jones won three times at Royal Liverpool in 1926, 1927 and in his Grand Slam year of 1930 when it was held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Next, the short fifth, reminiscent of #12 on the Old Course, St. Andrews. The Old Course was originally twenty-two holes, eleven outward and eleven inward. After completing a hole, a player teed his ball up within two club lengths of the previous hole with a hand full of sand to form a tee.

In 1764, the Society of St. Andrews Golfers,

The third hole at Royal Links depicts the Par 3 second at the course that gave birth to The Open Championship, the Prestwick Old Course in Scotland. later to become the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, combined some of the shorter holes. This reduced the number of holes to eighteen and thus became the standard round throughout the world.

This tough little 322 yard Par 4 offers plenty of trouble throughout. Your tee shot is from elevated tees heading back to the west towards the Vegas Strip (OK, remember we really are in Las Vegas).

The first pot bunker is situated in the middle of the fairway, 190 yards from the tee. Three more lie between you and the green and because they are

No. 9 at Royal Links is a slowly doglegging right, 567 yard Par 5 with 16 bunkers awaiting you throughout as you make your way back to the clubhouse.

staggered, it is very tough to stay out of them. I first hit a five iron from the tee and found myself in perfect position, about 120 yards to the green.

I then threw down another ball and teed up my driver and gave it a go. That ball found the bunker down the left side (with railroad tie steps leading me down) of the fairway and left me nothing but a lob wedge flop, even then barley finding the short grass, still some 60 yards short of the green. If you can really air it out and make it to the greenside bunker on the left, you at least have a little bit more room, giving you a good opportunity of getting up and down for birdie. The putting surface is very deep, some 47 paces and rises to a rounded ridge in the middle and then gently slopes down it its rear.

As you can see, it is tough not writing about every hole on a course like Royal Links, since it is a collection of some of the most memorable holes in the world, but I will try and move along a little if possible!

The seventh, a demanding 471 yard Par 4 is inspired by #13 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club, the first golf course outside of Scotland to host the Open Championship. Legend has it that Royal St. George’s was founded by a Scottish doctor, Laidlaw Purves. Purves wanted to develop a links course within easy reach of London and allegedly, he walked more than two hundred miles along the rocky, irregular coastline before climbing the tower of Sandwich Church and spying a vast expanse of sandy dunes near the English Chanel.

Purves quickly leased the 320 acres of land from the Earl of Gilford and began developing the golf course that would become Royal St. George’s. The Golf Club was founded on May 23, 1887 and seven years later hosted its first Open Championship.

7

Of course, it’s not every day that you get a chance to play one of the most recognizable golf holes in the world, St. Andrews seventeenth, the ‘Road Hole’ which plays as Royal Links’ tenth.

Today it is still one of only eight classic courses to host the world’s oldest championship.

No. 7 offers a wide driving area and a straightaway layout, but again with plenty of undulation between you and the green. The first bunker is placed on the right at 270 yards from the back tees and the second at 290. Bunkers are then placed basically in the center of the fairway starting about 100 yards short of the green. Two more bunkers are found both left and right as you approach. Driver, hybrid #4 had me on the front edge of the green in two. The green is large with a ridge running down its middle, but rather than across, running the length that then forms, side-by-side levels.

Very unique to say the least!

Now we come to the ninth, inspired by #5 at Muirfield Golf Club. Muirfield’s history officially dates back to March 7, 1744, when the club was established as the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

The club was the first to establish rules of play and a highly formalized club atmosphere, similar to that of many clubs today. The Edinburgh Golfers played on the courses that were not their private domain as these courses were open to all comers.

The opportunity arose in 1891 for them to secure a piece of land at Muirfield, eighteen miles East of Edinburgh. Nine months later Muirfield hosted its first Open Championship.

No. 9 at Royal Links is a slowly doglegging right, 567 yard Par 5 with 16 bunkers awaiting you throughout. The first three line up down the right side starting 200 yards from the tee. Two more are then found on the right at 290 and then two more on the left, really necking down the fairway. A wide bunker then again is placed on the left side of the

fairway 130 yards short of the green.

Eight more bunkers, four left and four right, lead up to and around the green. The green is large with subtle slopes throughout. The ninth offers a good birdie opportunity, but you will need to keep it out of the sand on this great hole to accomplish the task.

Of course, it’s not every day that you get a chance to play one of the most recognizable golf holes in the world, St. Andrews seventeenth, the ‘Road

Hole’ which plays as Royal Links’ tenth. Just like in Scotland, players must clear a section of the old wall which runs the full length of this 466 yard Par 4. If you can bring yourself to flying it right over the Royal Links scoreboard at the corner and managed to find the short grass, you will have a good opportunity to hit its small putting surface with a long iron on your second.

There are no bunkers in play from the tee, but two lurk down the left side about 85 yards short of the green and then the ‘Road Hole or Hell Bunker ’ awaits greenside on the left. The green then angles right to left, sloping up to the middle and then gently down to the back left portion. And of course, that famous stone wall continues to wrap itself around the back of the green as well.

At the end of the third round of the 1984 Open Championship, Seve Ballesteros trailed Tom Watson by two strokes, yet, he was confident in his ability – as long as the Road Hole cooperated. Ballesteros remarked, “If I par the Road Hole tomorrow, I will win the Open.”

This prediction held true. By the time Ballesteros reached the 17th hole, he and Watson were tied. Seve made a par (for the first time that week) after hitting a dramatic 200-yard six-iron to the green out of the left rough.

Watson, playing in a group behind the Spaniard, chose a two-iron for his second shot and overshot the green, leaving his ball next to the stone wall. The Championship was effectively won and lost on the “Road Hole.”

The 471 yard twelfth at Royal Links is a long, continued on page 8

There are no bunkers in play from the tee at #10, but two lurk down the left side about 85 yards short of the green and then the ‘Road Hole or Hell Bunker’ awaits greenside on the left.

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

8 ROYAL LINKS

G O continued from page 7 L F demanding Par 4, inspired by Royal Birkdale S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Golf Club’s #6. This sweeping right golf hole is loved by many players, but loathed by others.

Part of its charm – or challenge- is that there are dozens of ways to attack it, yet none are guaranteed to bring success. A huge fairway bunker dominates off the tee on the right.

Typically, players either try to pass around the bunker on its left or drive over it, requiring airtime of over 275 yards. Another option is to lay up short and then hit a blind shot over a mass of dunes to an elevated green more than 200 yards away! Two bunkers are placed on the right, near greenside as the green angles right to left and leans that way as well. A back left pin placement can be very tough.

Carnoustie Golf Links’ #15 is recreated as the sixteenth at Royal Links. Carnoustie is the Scottish course where the legendary Ben Hogan capped his triumphant 1953 return to the game of golf after spending a year recuperating from a near fatal auto accident.

The hole sets up as a 454 yard Par 4, playing long and narrow and peppered with bunkers starting at the 245 yard mark on the right side of the slightly doglegging left hole. Your tee shot sets up for a slight draw, with most shots funneling to the center of the undulating fairway throughout. Two bunkers then lie short right, about 70 yards short of the green and two more front left and right. There is a false front on the right side as you arrive at the green as it rises up to a ridge and then back down off to the back left portion. This was one of my favorite holes on the course – Loved the design.

It is only fitting that the final hole is in-

spired by #14 of The Old Course, St. Andrews: The “Home of Golf”.

In his first round at the Old Course in 1921, Bobby Jones never made it to the 14th hole. Confounded and confused, he tore up his card and stormed off the course from the 11th green, a decision he would bitterly regret.

In 1927, he returned to win the Open Championship by six shots and in 1930 he won the Amateur Championship at St. Andrews in his Grand Slam Year. Jones would later say, “The more I studied the Old Course the move I loved it and the more I loved it, the more I studied it. I came to feel that it was for me the most favorable meeting ground possible for an important contest.”

Pat Ward-Thomas described the Old Course perfectly, “In the beginning The Old Course knew no architect but nature, it came into being by evolution rather than design and on no other course is the hand less evident. St. Andrews is timeless.”

This 515-yard Par 5 features no less than 15 bunkers, along with rolling hills and a huge, undulating green. A great drive and a solid second shot will get big hitters home in two, but the green also features a false front that will test your short-game skills and putting prowess in search of a birdie or eagle to finish your round.

Even though Las Vegas in a world away, you can still experience the game’s British roots at Royal Links Golf Club, a British Open-style course dedi-

Even though Las Vegas in a world away, you can still experience the game’s British roots at Royal Links Golf Club, a British Open-style course dedi­cated to the birth and history of the game of golf.

cated to the birth and history of the game. Royal Links is located less than twenty minutes from the Strip, though you will feel as though you’ve traveled much further thanks to the course’s design.

Scottish details are prevalent on every hole of this par-72, 7,029-yard course, including the deep, sod-walled pot bunkers and hidden traps. And in keeping with tradition across the pond, there are no water hazards at Royal Links – but there are plenty of challenges to take their place in the form of high-grassed roughs, rolling undulations and fast greens.

Players of different skill levels will appreciate the availability of five different tee boxes. And the course offers the option of a forecaddie, who in addition to knowing the secret obstacles hidden on each hole, is knowledgeable about the history of the British Open hole on which each one at Royal Links is based.

Royal Links’ British theme continues all the way to the castle-style clubhouse, which features an awardwinning golf shop and the authentic Stymie’s Pub, which serves traditional British fare like fish and chip and bangers, as well as breakfast, salads and sandwiches. You can even order lunch in advance from an English style call box on the 9th tee.

And after your game, be sure to stop and pay homage to American greats at the Champion’s Wall, which honors all the American golfers that have placed in the British Open. A sense of history is also pervaded throughout the course by monuments indicating spots where great moments in the British Open took place.

Walter ’s Golf has done an outstanding job in creating one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and challenging courses in town. Royal Links Golf Club is a ‘can’t-miss’ experience for any golfer who loves golf history and even more so, loves golf.

Royal Links Golf Club 5995 Vegas Valley Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89142 702-450-8123 www.royallinksgolfclub.com

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE UGA/PGA Tournament Schedule for July 2014

July 14

July 30-31

• Fox Hollow Steel Days 2-Man Scramble, Fox Hollow GC

July 14-15

July 31

July 5

• The Homestead 4-Women 2-Best Ball, Crater Springs GC

July 5-6

• Toana Vista Rainbow/Peppermill/Montego Bay 4-Man Scramble, Toana Vista GC

July 7

• Gladstan Ladies Jean Brown Classic, Gladstan GC

• Moab 3-Person Scramble, Moab GC • Riverside Pro-Ladies, Riverside CC • Web.com Tour Open Qualifying, Glen Eagle GC

July 7-8

• Toana Vista Rainbow/Peppermill/Montego Bay 2-Person Mixed Scramble, Toana Vista GC

July 7-12

• 116th Utah State Amateur Championship, Ogden G & CC

July 9-10

• Bountiful Ridge Ladies Invitational, Bountiful Ridge GC

July 11

• Eagle Mountain Senior Amateur, Eagle Mountain GC • Tony Basso GC Black Diamond Pro-Am, Carbon CC

July 11-12

• Southern Utah Amateur, Canyon Breeze GC

July 12 • • • • •

Bank of Utah Northern Utah Amateur, Logan CC Coral Cliffs 2-Person Best Ball, Coral Cliffs GC Utah Stampede Amateur, Canyon Hills GC Riverbend Amateur, Riverbend GC Cove View Ladies Invitational, Cove View GC

July 12-13

• Tony Basso GM Black Diamond Open, Carbon CC

July 17 July 18 • • • •

Brigham City Pro-Am, Eagle Mountain GC Ben Lomond Senior Amateur, Ben Lomond GC Millard County Amateur, Sunset View GC TalonsCove 2-Man Scramble/Best Ball/Alternate Shot, TalonsCove GC • Birch Creek 2-Man Scramble & Best Ball, Birch Creek GC

July 18-19

• Neumayer Allstate Long Drive, Eagle Lake GC

July 19 • • • •

Brigham City Open, Eagle Mountain Stansbury Amateur, Stansbury Park GC Millsite Red, White & Blue (27-holes), Millsite GC Cedar Ridge Couples, Cedar Ridge GC

July 21

• Alpine Country Club Four-Ball, Alpine CC • PGA Pro-Junior, Wasatch Mountain (Mountain) GC

July 24

• El Monte Four-Ball, El Monte GC

July 25

• The Barn Amateur, The Barn GC • Roosevelt UBIC Junior 18 & Under, Roosevelt GC • Tooele City Senior (Men & Women), Oquirh Hills GC

July 26

• Spanish Oaks Fiesta Days 2-Man Best Ball, Spanish Oaks GC • Roosevelt UBIC 2-Person (Men & Women), Roosevelt GC • Logan River Pepsi 2-Man Scramble, Logan River GC • Paradise Amateur, Paradise GC • Leadgenix 4-Ball Championship, East Bay GC • Eagle Mountain City Amateur, Eagle Mountain GC • Dinaland Ladies 3-1, Dinaland GC

July 26-27 •

Dinaland Seniors Classic, Dinaland GC

July 28

• National Car Rental Ogden CC Pro-Am, Ogden CC

July 28-29

• Women’s Stroke Play Championship, Hill AFB Hubbard GC

July 30

• Spanish Oaks Ladies Best Ball, Spanish Oaks GC

9

G O • Utah Senior Open/PGA Sr. PNC Qualifying, L Toana Vista F

• Sun Hills 1st Annual 2-Man Best Ball, Sun S O Hills GC

U T Southern Nevada Schedule (SNGA) H July 2 W • SNGA Tour , Las Vegas Golf Club E S July 7-8 • U.S. Amateur Qualifier, Las Vegas National T

GC — • Southwest Section- Southern Chapter Sr. Championship, Arroyo/Red Rock J u • Pro-Am, Paiute (Wolf) GC

July 8-10

l y

July 14-16

1 4

• Southwest Section Sedona Open, Oakcreek 2 CC 0 • Nevada State Amateur, TPC Las Vegas

July 18-20

• Nevada State Mid-Amateur, Rio Secco GC

July 21

• Southwest Section- Southern Chapter ProPro, Coyote Springs GC

July 22-25

• 2014 Pacific Coast Amateur, Pine Canyon GC

July 28-29

• Southwest Section- Southern Chapter Match Play, TPC Las Vegas

July 29

• U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier, Stallion Mountain GC • SNGA Tour, Bear’s Best GC

For Full Schedule See

www.Golf-Southwest.com

10

GOLF TIPS

G O L F By Scott Sackett

What We Know Now, That We Didn’t Know Before

S O U T H W E S T

T

rackman has proven to be a priceless education process for both my students and I. Many truths have come to light since the advent of Trackman, dispelling some of the previous knowledge thought to be true in golf. Trackman has taken the complex mathematics surrounding the physics of club/ball interaction and created a system, complete with its own language, capable of giving the player and coach instant feedback of impact. It is my goal to share with you some — of the more powerful things I’ve learned through over 3-years of daily use with Trackman.

J u l 1) Tune into where the face is pointing at impact y Where the face is pointed at impact is going to give

2 0 1 4

you powerful feedback as to where the golf ball will launch in time and space. As the golf club moves slower and you add more loft, where the face is pointed becomes ever more influential on not only where the golf ball starts, but where it will ultimately finish as well.

this parameter; however, being able to be aware of it without a Trackman is a necessity. Always asking the question, “Where did the golf ball start” on each shot, will lead to the ability to recognize and reverse engineer via ball flight whether the face was square, open or shut through impact.

This question however, only is applicable if the center of the face is struck.

2) What happens when you don’t hit the center of the face? Gear Effect & Off Center Hits The reason the aforementioned percentages surrounding the influence of face on starting direction are not equal between a driver and iron as it is driven by the bulge and roll on the driver face, among other things.

Bulge is the curvature of the face from heel to toe and roll is the curvature of the face from top to bottom.

When relating face to Gear Effect (bulge and roll) it is important to note face is correlated to the horizontal components (launch direction/right-left) of launch, thus face is associated to bulge, not roll.

When looking at heel & toe shots and their impact on face and launch direction, reference the image depicting bulge. The exact center of the face being 0-degrees, just 1-inch right or left is 5.21 degrees open or shut to the target line. For a right handed player, this means if the golf club is traveling down the target line and the center of the face is 0, a toe impact would result in a ball starting right of target and a heel impact would result in a ball starting left of target. The heel is shut to the target line

Face Angle is responsible for approximately 75% of starting direction with an iron and 85% of the golf balls starting direction with a fairway wood, hybrid or driver. *This math is approximate & a rule of thumb. This assumes center contact.

Getting a grasp of just how important where the face is pointing will dramatically improve your face awareness leading to more consistent recognition of a face which is square, open or shut at impact.

Recognizing the orientation of the face through impact (without a Trackman) is a skill to be developed; a skill I encourage all my players to build. Trackman measures

and the toe is open to the target line.

Assuming a club path of 0 (club path is simply the horizontal movement of the golf club through impact) a ball contacted on the heel starts left of target and fades.

Conversely, a ball contacted on the toe starts right and draws. The amount of draw or fade is predicated upon how far off the toe or heel you strike the ball. In this case, because the club path is 0 (moving directly down the target line through impact) toe and heel impacts of approximately 1-inch work the ball back to your target.

What happens when you change the path of the golf club and miss the center?

Three ways to hit a straight shot When club path and impact location vary, a multitude

of resulting ball flight options present themselves. Let’s discuss the three combinations which help produce a straight ball. *Face is measured where the ball is contacted. Not in the center. Toe=Open. Heel=Closed.

Method 1. Path 0. Face 0. Center Contact. This would obviously be the preferred method and leaves little guess work surrounding where the golf ball will finish. This will produce the shot traveling the furthest distance.

Method 2. Path right/in to out. Face closed. Heel impact. Remember, the face is only closed because the ball is being contacted on the heel. The center of the face on this particular shot is assumed to be square to the target line. Out of the three methods, this will produce the ball traveling the least distance - all things equal.

Path left/out to in. Face open. Toe impact. The face is open only because the ball is being contacted on the toe. The center of the face is assumed to be square to the target. Out of the three methods, this will produce the ball traveling the second farthest of the three, again all things being equal.

A word on the big miss with off center hits. If you take a look at method 2 and 3 and reversed the contact point, thus as a result reversing the face angle (face angle changes as you move the contact point from toe to heel) but kept path the same, it would produce the big misses. Path left and heel impact produces (assuming center of face is 0) a slice while path right and toe impact produces the big hook. The miss left that I see with a lot of tour player’s is a path slightly right with a slight toe impact. This miss will often be diagnosed by the commentators and even sometimes by the player as a double cross. However, when looking closely at the contact point, you see a slight toe impact. Based on the ball flight being a hook finishing left of target, it’s fair to theorize the path of the golf club is right. The biggest determinant in the variations of ball flight for any one tour player, on any given day, is not path or face but contact point on the clubface.

Driver Optimization If you want to hit the golf ball farther you need not swing harder but instead, become more efficient. Driver distance is very much an exercise in efficiency versus strength. A study in efficiency is rooted in two key points, correctly fitted shaft and loft aside. *Loft choice should

11 be heavily influenced by the two below mentioned points • Attack Angle • Contact Point Let’s first examine attack angle and why it’s important.

Attack angle is the amount (measured in degrees) up or down in which you strike the ball. For ease of understanding, a positive attack angle is hitting up at the ball and a negative attack angle is hitting down on the ball. By no means does this actually have literal positive and negative connotations. The impact an upward or downward strike has is monumental on the overall carry distance, spin rate, launch and landing angle the shot will have, among other things.

Contact point, just as with toe and heel impacts changing launch direction, becomes ever more so

important on drivers and fairway woods because of the roll on the club face. Roll is the curvature from top to bottom. In this image, we have a 10 degree driver.

This driver is only 10 degrees in the exact middle of the clubface. As the contact point works from low to high, the loft changes dramatically. One inch low on the face is 5.21 degrees less (4.8) and 1-inch high is 5.21 degrees more (15.2). This has a profound influence on launch angle and spin rate. A ball contacted higher on the face launches higher and spins less, whereas a ball contacted lower on the face launches lower and spins more. Combine this with toe and heel impacts (heel spins more than toe, low heel spins more than low toe, etc), you have a multitude of launch scenarios which could play themselves out by only changing contact point and attack angle.

Illustrated in this driver optimization chart are various club speeds with three separate attack angles. At each club speed, angles of attack of 5 down, 0 and 5 up are measured.

A few things become very obvious when looking at the various attack angles when relating them to overall distance. A player hitting 5 up at every club speed measured has a higher ball speed, lower spin rate and at least 20+ yards increased carry distance across the board. One thing I’ve also seen, not illustrated on this chart, is players who hit

up versus down at it seem to have slightly higher club speed. This is because when you are hitting up at the golf ball, the ball is being struck later on the arc, closer to the maximum point of acceleration versus when hitting down at it, the ball is being hit earlier on the arc, farther from the maximum point of acceleration.

Scott Sackett, GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher for the past 14 years, just voted as one of Golf Digest’s Best Teacher in the State for the 10th year in a row.

Director of Instruction at Park Meadows CC in Park City Utah and while in Scottsdale he teaches at McCormick Ranch Golf Club. Scott can be reached by email at Scott@scottsackett.com.

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G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

12

DINING

G O L F

Trattoria Nakamura-ya

S O U T H W E S T

T

— J u l y 2 0 1 4

By Steve Mayer

rattoria Nakamura-ya, Italian and Japanese you ask? Yes, and owner/chef Kengo Nakamura has brought Tokyo style Italian cuisine to Las Vegas. Kengo explained that Italian cuisine is extremely popular in Japan. He told us that Italian and Japanese cuisines have a lot of similarities - A love of fresh seafood, vegetables, poultry, meats, noodles and pasta.

He brings 25 years of experience in some of Tokyo’s best Italian restaurants to create the unique fare at his namesake, Trattoria Nakamura-ya. He hesitates to call it fusion, but prefers to describe it as Tokyo style Italian. This is the real deal Italian style.

He wanted to bring true Italian cooking to Las Vegas, not the American Italian so often found here. This Tokyo Italian style is very unique and Trattoria Nakamura-ya is the only place in Las Vegas to offer it. I was lured to this place with high praises of his signature dish, Linguini Uni Tomato Cream. It sounded so good I just had to get over there and try it.

The restaurant is in a small strip center, just west of Decatur on Spring Mountain Road. Don’t let its humble exterior fool you. Inside the cozy, intimate space is a friendly and knowlegable wait-staff and some of the best Italian Food in Las Vegas. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations for larger parties are suggested as there are only 32 seats. Private parties can be accommodated upon request.

Trattoria Nakamura-ya is open 7-days a week from 2pm until midnight. The menu features a list of 22 appetizers, 15 different pasta dishes, five of Chef Kengo’s special pastas and 8 “Special Dishes” featuring Jidori Chicken, Kurobuta Pork, Wagyu Beef and Risotto. They also feature seasonal specials which are highlited on a colorful board. There is a fine selection of beer, sake and wine. Wine pairings, based on the food you order, can be suggested by the staff.

The popular Prix Fixe Dinner allows you to choose a value priced meal featuring either a pasta or main dish with an appetizer and drink. These are priced very reasonably at $18.99 and $20.99 and include a choice of beer, glass of wine, soda or tea.

We chose to dine ala carte and sample a little of everything.

First off we had the Bruschetta “Nakamura-ya”. This toasted treat came with three different toppings. An anchovy with mozzarella and basil, Mentaiko (Spicy Cod Roe) and Octopus with avocado and wasabi mayo. The three played off one

Chef Kengo Nakamura

Bruschetta Nakamura-ya

13 another and stimulated our taste buds. The Green Mussel “3 Ways” Escargot Style had a similar flavor profile in which the chef masterfully plays Green Mussels as Escargot. The summer special of seared Branzino (European Sea Bass) Carpaccio was next.

This was served in bite sized pieces with the skin seared crispy over a bed of pea sprouts and tomatoes. The fish was extremely fresh and the crispy skin was a perfect contrast to the firm flesh of this succulent fish. The salad was dressed with a soy wasabi and orange olive oil. Excellent!

There is a large chalk board on the wall that lists the top 10 best dishes they serve. There, at the top, in first position, numero uno - it was, Linguini Uni Tomato Cream. It was served regally with a dollop of uni and shredded red pepper as a garnish. It is immaculate. One of the best things I have ever eaten.

The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce - oh the sauce. The uni combines with the tomato and cream with an “umami” effect transforming this dish into an incredible flavor journey. The sauce is like liquid velvet and coats your taste buds with the delicate sweet flavor of the uni. This baby is a must to try and really typifies the Italian/Japanese style.

Next up was another of Chef Kengo’s Special Pasta’s The Fettucini Parma Prosciutto Carbonara.

This creamy blend of Pecorino cheese, eggs, cream and just a hint of nutmeg topped with large thin slices of Prosciutto was also incredibly rich and decadent. The pasta here is just out of this world!

We wanted to try a meat dish as well, so of course the Kobe style Beef outside Skirt Steak was chosen. The dish is elegant with the seared rare steak thinly sliced and fanned out along-side a grape tomato and garlic salad, all drizzled with a wonderful balsamic sauce. The presentation and flavor profiles were lively and tasty. Chef Kengo also offers several dishes featuring ‘Jadori” chicken. Jadori chicken is a special, super fresh free range type of chicken with exceptional flavor and texture.

He also utilizes Kurobuta pork in his menu. This refers to the Berkshire or “Black Pig” known for its marbling and juicy tenderness.

We just had to top off this meal with one of their creative desserts. The Soymilk Panna Cotta was recommended. This was served with a strawberry coulee, blueberries and an Okinawan Black Sugar Sauce. Light, cool, silky, creamy and with the wonderful Okinawan Black Sugar Sauce, the perfect end to an exceptional dining experience.

Everything we sampled was so good we can’t wait to go back and try some of the other dishes and I must have the Linguini Uni Tomato Cream again soon! Trattoria Nakamura-ya is located at 5040 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas 89146.

702-251-0022 Get over there and try some exceptional food and make sure you tell them Golf Southwest sent you and save some uni for me.

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y

Top- Linguini Uni Tomato Cream Middle - Seared Branzino Carpaccio Bottom - Kobe Style Beef Outside Skirt Steak

2 0 1 4

14 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Park Meadows Country Club L ocated in the heart of Park City, Park Meadows Country Club is only a few minutes from nearly anywhere in town. No other private golf club is so close to all three ski resorts. Even Deer Valley’s most secluded communities are just a short drive away. The convenient location allows you to make spontaneous visits to the Club, whether it’s for a round of golf, lunch, a workout, a swim or to spend some time on the range. Little wonder Park Meadows Country Club is Park City’s gathering place for business and pleasure.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the golf course is a pleasure to play as it offers a well maintained, challenging layout without many forced carries. Renovations in 2008 included a complete re-design of all greens, bunkers and tees, with all improving the playing conditions to an already wonderful golf course.

This Jack Nicklaus course designed in the Scottish links tradition has 105 sand bunkers and water on 12 holes.

Park Meadows opened in 1983. It’s here that Jack Nicklaus captured the character of some of the world’s most unique golf courses. Designed in the Scottish tradition, this links course features wooden bridges spanning meandering trout streams, finely manicured tees and greens, plush fairways, clear blue mountain lakes, large grass and sand bunkers and a traditional double green shared by the second and eighth holes. It truly is an enjoyable 18-holes of golf in a wonderful setting.

“Offering a rare blend of scenic beauty and challenging play for every skill level, Park Meadows Country Club delivers a memorable experience for all golfers. I hope the Members enjoy playing this golf course as much as I enjoyed designing it.” — Jack Nicklaus

The first at Park Meadows is a 467 yard, doglegging right Par 4, with bunkers both left and right at the turn (about 300 yards from the back tees). You are heading southeast from the clubhouse, with both the Park City and Deer Valley Ski Resorts in the background. OB lines the left side and the driving range borders the right, but there is plenty of fairway laid out in front of you. Your second is to a large, deep green, sloping back to front and relatively flat with not much undulation, guarded by a greenside bunker right.

Hole #3 is a relatively straightaway Par 4 measuring 445 yards. There is a lone bunker down the left side some 320 yards from the back tees and water also comes into play at this point on the right, continuing to greenside. A drive down the right side of the fairway brings the water into play much more on you second shot as the rock-lined pond requires you to make sure you hit enough club, but not too much as three bunkers guard the left and back of the green. But at this altitude, the third offers a good birdie opportunity as this gently sloping green angles left to right around the pond.

Numbers five and six, a Par 5 and Par 4 respectively, play side-by-side with long fescues and a pretty stream separating them. The sixth plays as the shortest Par 4 on the course at 364 yards and is lined by townhomes along the left and that before mentioned stream on the right its full length. Driver is not the play here as many will choose a long iron or hybrid from the tee, leaving a short iron into the green.

Bunkers also come into play on the left starting 240 yards from the tee and then the stream cuts across in front of the green, making it impossible to go for it from the tee. The green is deep, with bunkers front and back left. The front and right side of the green slope back to front and as you reach the middle of the green at the end of the bunker on the front left, the green slopes down and to the back,

15

The third at Park Meadows Country Club plays as a 445 yard Par 4, enhanced by a tranquil, rock-lined pond leading up to the green on the right. making a back left pin placement a challenging one.

The eighth at Park Meadows is a lengthy, 603 yard Par 5, offering a short forced carry from the tee. The first of 10 bunkers is positioned on the right at the 250 mark, on the left at 300 yards and another down the right some 340 yards from the tee. Southerly canyon winds are many times helping here as well, so these bunkers definitely come into play. Your second then requires fairly accurate placement as a large bunker

runs along the left (helping to separate the eighth and second holes) and then three bunkers line up on the approach on the right and two more greenside left.

Your short approach is to a large green, one that is shared both by No. 8 as well as the second. A long, narrowing section connects, buffering play between the holes, but offering a very unique feature. A sliver of fairway runs between the greenside bunkers left and right, offering the big hitters a chance to roll it up

PMCC’s eighth is a lengthy, 603 yard Par 5 that can still be reached in two by the big hitters at this altitude.

and on in two, as the green opens up to the right side and gently slopes back to front.

The completion of the front nine brings you back to the beautiful clubhouse, as the restaurant staff on most days are stationed on the patio, grilling up burgers and bratwurst for members and their guests. Also adjacent to the clubhouse is the great practice facilities, complete with a wide driving range, large putting green and two chipping and short game areas. PGA Head Professional, Bobby Trunzo and his great staff, which includes one of the country’s best teaching professionals, Scott Sackett, offer great private and group instruction throughout the golf season Great golf continues on the back nine, as sand, elevation changes and water all come into play.

In true Nicklaus form, wide fairways are off-set by numerous, well placed bunkers and length, but at the altitudes of the Park City area, even at a staggering 7,422 yards from the back tees, Park Meadows offers players a chance to go low, as has been seen on many occasions as the course has hosted 10 PGA Senior Tour events over the years.

Number 11 is another of the great Par 4’s at Park Meadows Country Club. As you tee up your ball, the choice of routes play with your mind – “Do I take the seemingly shorter level to the left, even though surrounded by bunkers or do I take the upper, narrower route, leaving me with a much better angle into the green”. Well, whichever one you choose, just make sure you keep it out of those six bunkers that lie between you and the green if you want to keep your score low. OB also lines the right side the full length of the hole, but the fairway in this area leans right to left, helping to keep you in play. The large green is then guarded by two bunkers right and a large one on the left. The putting surface slopes back to front and offers subtle slopes throughout.

Now we come to the Par 3 twelfth which offers a 50 foot drop in elevation from tee to green as it angles back toward the southwest. Swirling winds can make club selection often times tough in trying to navigate its 209 yards. Three bunkers stretch out to surround the green and the large one starting on the front left needs to be avoided at all costs. The green is slightly banked left to right and as you reach its center, actually slopes then down to its rear. No. 12 can be a tough one, but has always been one of my favorite holes in the state.

Number fourteen is another great Par 3, offering a total carry over water to the green. The rock-lined pond angles from left to right and continues on the right, ready to catch anything short or fading. The left side of the hole is bordered by long grasses and OB. The green slopes left to right and back to front. No bunkers were needed on #14 to add to its difficulty!

A great scoring opportunity awaits you at No. continued on page 16

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

16 PARK MEADOWS

G O continued from page 15 L F 15, a very unique 548 yard Par 5. You are again S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

faced from the tee with driving options – the island forming choice to the right or the longer, doglegging one to the left. It is really tough to not choose the route to the right, even though it is surrounded by water and also two large bunkers can come into play on the right side of the fairway.

Long hitters can also get into trouble the closer they keep it to the left side of the island, as this section offers a little less room. If you are able to maneuver yourself into position, you have a great opportunity to knock it on in two. Now there is still plenty of trouble as you approach the green, with water wrapping around the green to the left and bunkers awaiting on the right of the green and also at its rear. But still for most, this path is the best alternative, as the left route from the tee offers water along its right side and trees and OB left as it slowly doglegs left to right, then requiring a total carry over water to the green, really making it tough to stop the ball if you do carry the water, bringing that back bunker into play for sure.

The seventeenth is another good birdie op, as this 548 yard Par 5 again very often plays down-

Number eleven is another of the great Par 4’s at Park Meadows, but make sure you keep it out of those fairway bunkers if you want to score well. wind. Water starts right of the tees and a small stream continues down the right all the way to the green (but is really out of play). Bunkers come into play for your tee shot with the first on the left at 275 yards from the

tee and then on the right at 315 yards. You are then faced with the choice of keeping it to the left front portion of the green, which has a run-up area or taking it over the three bunkers that line up on the right,

17

Now we come to the Par 3 twelfth which offers a 50 foot drop in elevation from tee to green as it angles back toward the southwest. Swirling winds can make club selection often times tough in trying to navigate its 209 yards. starting about 80 yards short of the green. The green is very wide, as it angles from left to right. If you do try and take it right at the middle of the green and end up knocking it in the greenside bunker, you will still have a great chance of getting up and down for birdie.

Your round at Park Meadows comes to an end at the 475 yard Par 4 eighteenth. Water hinders in front from the tee, but doesn’t come into to play.

Bunkers line up on the right and left starting at 260 yards, but the fairway is generously wide as well.

Although No. 18 ends up playing as a slight dogleg right, the first 400 yards plays straightaway. Your approach is to a angling green from left to right, guarded by three bunkers right and one on the left that is positioned to catch any shots from the right side of the fairway on the approach that are a little too hot. Pin placements left front and back right are very accessible, but those four bunkers really come into play, making the last at Park Meadows a very challenging finish.

With expansive practice facilities and year-round golf simulator; professional lessons, clinics and

golf services, an award-winning pro-shop, preand post- golf amenities such as luxurious locker rooms, patios and decks with flat-screen TVs, delicious menu items and bar service, it’s no wonder so many golfers look to make Park Meadows their home course.

Each golf season Park Meadows members look forward to daily games, weekly competitions and the Club’s incomparable member and memberguest tournaments. Annual events include the Roundup Member-Member, Silver Queen Ladies Invitational, Kemosabi Men’s Member Guest, Club Championships (Men’s, Women’s, Senior & Junior) and Ryder/Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup match play competitions.

Throughout the season members of all skill levels and ages enjoy golf schools and clinics, Nine & Dine parties, inter-club events and a variety of open daily games. The Park Meadows Ladies Association also coordinates a full schedule of ladies-only gatherings, including weekly golf & lunch days, Girls Night Out

parties and team match play competition with other Utah country clubs.

As Park City’s only in-town golf and social club, members find the perfect fit for their lifestyle along with a welcoming community. Aside from the great golf, Park Meadows members enjoy fine and casual dining, parties and impromptu gatherings, clubs for skiers, a fully equipped fitness center and swimming pool and relaxing venues for entertaining clients or enjoying family time.

The beautiful clubhouse is home to casual and fine dining year round, as award-winning Executive Chef, Chris Sheehan, prepares regionally inspired seasonal menus using locally sourced and sustainable products as much as possible.

As executive chef at The Blue Boar Inn in Midway, Utah, from 2003-2007, Chef Chris was honored as a AAA Four Diamond Award recipient from 2004-2007. He has been an integral part of the Utah culinary scene for over 25 years and has worked at Park Meadows for the past seven. Park Meadows Country Club was recently awarded the “2014 Utah Best of State for Fine Dining Private Clubs”.

Dining subscribers can enjoy everything from an elegant supper with a view of the lighted night ski runs, a summer sunset while dining on the deck or a casual gourmet lunch, as well as frequenting the lounge for a glass of wine or a beer with the game.

Every delicious meal eaten and each friendship formed at the Club will make your Dining Membership a treasured asset.

Park Meadows has everything that you would look for in a private club and really even a little more! The golf season normally runs from May through October, but of course the Park City area is also known for some of the best winter sports opportunities as well as being a social mecca for travelers from around the world Why not give them a call today and see for yourself what a wonderful opportunity awaits.

Park Meadows Country Club 2000 Meadows Dr. Park City, Utah 84068 435-649-2460

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

18 G O L F S O U T H W E S T

What Are We Playing For?

By Mike Malaska – Nicklaus Academies’ The Importance of World-Wide Director of Instruction Footwork in the Golf Swing

— J u l y 2 0 1 4

The confounding truth about golf is that at and a bad day with the fork. You don’t call your first glance it looks so effortless. You hit the ball. friends after a meal to tell them, “My spoon It flies towards a hole. You hit it some more. game was really on today, but I couldn’t get And eventually, you just tap it in. To make it the salt shaker to work like I wanted. The darn even simpler, there is a flag to aim at, a smooth stuff was going everywhere. And my fork game surface to roll the ball over those last few feet was atrocious. I missed my mouth and stabbed – and you don’t have to hit the ball until you’re myself in the cheek eight times – and that was

By Mike Malaska ready. Surely, it can’t be that hard. just at breakfast”.

Once you’ve hit a few good shots, you tend to So in asking what you play for, the first hat Are You Playing For? become hooked – on the sheer ease of the ball consideration has to be that this game is unI know this question has an obviflying through the air. Nothing complex. Easy like any other. It is different. As a great player ous answer. Of course, you’re playing to fall in love with. But now, suddenly as the once said, golf is like baseball, except you have for your score. But, such obvious answers are love develops, so do the disasters. You watch to play your foul balls! There is pressure and Images courtesy of the Nicklaus Academy at DragonRidge www.nicklausacademylasvegas.com rarely the best. one perfect shot and now it’s hard to understand consequences.

You’re also playing to beat your friends. why you don’t always hit good shots. If I can Your next consideration is that the margin of anyoneplayers do not realize the student can feelerror how their weight should You’re playing to achieve of any number do this once, I should be able to do this a thouis tiny. Throwing a club around your body move during the golf importance that their feet play of firsts – your first birdie – your first round sand times, surely? But no. There now follows to hit a ballswing. in the hope it will travel hundreds under 90 – your first front nine without losing the heartbreak, as your love for the game goes yards on astance. straight line pure optimism, if in the golf swing.

Your feet are Take your of regular Asis you a golf ball – or even your first win in a major somewhat unreturned. not pure madness.

Suddenly, very simple the only point of contact with the ground begin your back swing, bring yourthe left on national TV. The challenge is now to conquer every part of game becomes not so darn simple. and provide the platform from which foot back so it is next to the right. Just Certainly, golf is a game of firsts. But in this the game. It is not just to hit the ball, but to chip It is once you understand the true nature of a is fundamentally is the built as you reach way, golf hardly unique. With asound score andswing a it from rough and the bunkers - to putt with the thetop beast of thatyour you canbackswing, start to answer why you begin theplay downswing. from.

Golf isitone of number only a few ‘ball line and set of visible achievements, is like any the requisite and speedstep – to teeforward off after hit- toplay.

You don’t to be a professional golfer of games you play. ting several shots out of bounds – or worse yet, TV. If you play only for normal that reason, you’ll Complete youron swing with your stick sports’ (baseball, softball & tennis We all start with a swing – one that we are to tee off after making a couple of birdies. And never make it. for example) where the athlete does not stance. Notice how difficult it is to ‘spinborn with. You have an idea that you’re supof course, in golf, what you can do today, you You don’t play to be extraordinarily consisstep into swing.

As with other out ofTerrifying. the shot’tent, with a proper weight posed to hit that ball atheir long way, but realizing can’tthese necessarily do again tomorrow. because everyone hits it everywhere. You sports, it hole is critical that your And feetno,are shift.

Usethere the Step Into win, It Drill it is small and that the is a mile away poses this in isn’t fair. And regrettable, don’t always becauseduring no one always wins. several synch problems. with How does the ball fly up into is little in life that prepares you for this debacle. sessions, Professionalsand rarelyin wintime, multipleatournaments your practice your body throughout the the air, entire when it starts on the ground?

How do You don’t wake up in the morning suddenly in a year – only a few Tour Pros win more than proper weight shift that is in synch will swing for a proper weight shift. you make the ball go where you want – or ‘apunable to tie your shoes or control your toothone. use the Step Into It Drill thea great become nature. proximate the Idirection of your choosing’? brush.so Youthat don’t have day with thesecond knife You don’t play to become quickly great, be-

W

M

About the author: PGA Professional Mike Malaska is #24 on Golf Digest’s ranking of instructors and is one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100. To arrange a personal session with Mike, call 602.799.7099 or visit www.nicklausacademies.com

19 and disaster. Golf is a great teacher in learning how to react.

You play to be honest.

Honesty is another ‘life lesson’ some feel they can do without. But there are ample chances to lie to yourself. And this doesn’t just mean using the foot-wedge to nudge a ball clear of a wayward oak tree. This applies to your method of practice and learning. Do you have the new skill learned or is it still a lit-

these life lessons into lessons on bunker shots and tee shots. This is a chance to connect with something great – and this is a far better lesson to learn than how well you score.

G O L F

The Mental Game Chapters To close, I’ll offer an interesting realization.

Many of us may see early success. But it is far more of a challenge to continue to practice and work hard when you just don’t perceive any success – when your score won’t drop and the ball won’t fly, but you still ‘keep the faith’.

Faith. Looking back on my career, I think that’s a good word for it. Believe in yourself, not your score. In that, golf is the world’s greatest game.

S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

cause there is no quick way to improve. It takes years of effort and time. You don’t play to dominate the game, because more often than not, the game dominates you.

You don’t play to show off, because whenever you’re too confident, the game has a way of running us into the water or the woods. So why, then, dear God – why do we play?

You play to learn about yourself. Now surely, you want to learn how to rip the driver and make every putt. But how will you react when you don’t? How will you react when you fail? Golf is the favorite game of business partners, because you see how a player acts at his best, when everything is rolling hole-ward and at his worst, when everything is rolling rough-ward, sand-ward, water-ward and otherwise-ward.

Your attitude towards the process – your successes and failures – is more important in obtaining your potential in the game than your talent ever will be.

You play to be humble. And certainly, what an awful reason this is to play. But if you don’t play to love the humility in the world and figure out how small you really are in the big scheme of it all, then you’re missing one of the great opportunities to connect with the world.

You throw up a shot almost like you’re throwing up a little prayer. You toss it up into the sky, just to see what the world will make of it. It goes where it goes. And too often, you miss the thrill of the unexpected by forcing every shot and every outcome to conform to your expectations. Certainly, you can try – but once you pull the trigger, you must learn to accept that the chips will fall where they may – as will the putts, the tee shots and the approaches.

One bounce in the wrong direction cannot be so overwhelming as to unhinge your entire world.

Every shot has a consequence, so every shot has a chance to make us humble in the face of triumph

tle suspect? Could you make the short putt or was your conscience pricked when you turned it into a gimme? Did you really shoot the score you said you did?

There are many reasons to play for more than just a score or just for distance or just for show. Golf offers a rare chance to meet yourself at your best and your worst, as much of the game is not measurable by a numb er. Success can be staying focused for the entire round or never losing your cool. It can be playing with the same ball for 18 holes. It can be hitting every green, just as easily as it could be laughing with your friends, after the treacherous quad on the 17th killed your score.

There are a thous a n d re a s o n s t o play. Let’s not turn

20 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Remuda Golf Course

By Jim Rayburn

W

hen most golfers think of a golf course being constructed as part of a housing project, they quickly picture housing-lined fairways and rounds concluding with the filling out of insurance paperwork.

In most cases, golf and homes don’t mix well.

Golf balls and windows, siding and stucco simply don’t get along. When golfers hear the crash, their desire is usually to dash.

But the James Aland family understood this clash of forces when it designed, developed and constructed the Remuda Golf Course and adjacent subdivisions in the western Weber County city of Farr West about a decade ago.

Yes, errant golf shots and we’re talking extremely errant golf shots, do occasionally damage one of the many homes that line Remuda’s fairways. But it’s rare because of the space Aland’s construction team gave to both the homeowners and the golfers.

The homes don’t crowd or hug the fairways.

Remuda’s golfers still have plenty of room to let a shot slip left or right without shattering a window. Remuda’s fairways are generously wide, as in 70 to 80 yards wide and the buffering rough is wide as well and deep, so balls won’t bounce into adjacent property.

The mostly-flat Remuda layout isn’t one that will wear golfers out, beat them up or cost them oodles in golf balls. Rather, it’s a layout that provides just enough challenge to still require good shots to shoot low scores. It’s a layout that’s forgiving, with angles where golfers can usually run a shot up onto every green — few sand traps to carry. And with larger than usual greens, Remuda is a course where the putter normally decides the score.

“We get golfers of every kind here to play and they usually enjoy their experience here and return for more,” says Remuda manager Colten Hansen.

It’s a golf course where both the skilled golfers can keep their games sharp, where the average golfers can play with a little less pressure and beginning golfers can discover the fun of the game and have the freedom to learn and improve.

“It’s a golf course that’s easier than many, with the big greens and the wide fairways, but that doesn’t mean it’s a piece of cake either.

It is forgiving and doesn’t punish good golf shots and you don’t have to be a scratch player to score well here, but you better be a pretty good putter because you’re going to have a lot of long putts,” Hansen says.

Remuda, designed by Keith Downs, opened in 2005 and is considered a Modern American Parkland style course. Hansen, who began as a

21 a small mound on the right side of the green. There are two grass bunkers right of t he fairway and one behind the green.

With little trouble, there’s a good chance of starting your round with a par or birdie.

The second hole, Shetland, is one of only four holes on Remuda where water really comes into play.

A 158-yard Par 3 from the black tees, the tee shot is all carry over a pond. From the other The second hole, a 158 yard Par 3 titled Shetland, is one of only three tee boxes, water four holes on Re­muda where water re­ally comes into play. will catch any shot hit weak and to the right.

A grass bunker will catch most tee shots hit to the left. When the cart boy seven years ago and worked his way pin is cut to the right, aiming for the middle up through the pro shop, is in his first year as of the green is the best strategy. the course manager. James Keyes is the course Hole No. 3, Percheron, is the first of three superintendent. front-nine Par 5s. The hole, at 457 yards from The word Remuda is derived from western the black tees, curves to the left and is not long cowboy heritage and means a herd or corral regardless of the angle you take off the tee. A of working horses. Downs’ design is meant long, but not deep, fairway bunker lurks about to emulate the expanse of the western deserts 250 yards down the left side on the corner. A with the surrounding properties forming a grass bunker and small trees protect the right literal corral around all 18 holes. side.

Another fairway bunker sits on the right Remuda incorportates four sets of tees. The about 50 yards from the green.

Players comcourse plays at 6,372 yards from the black tees, monly reach this green in two and putt for 6,052 yards from the blue tees, 5,600 yards from eagle. the white tees and 4,974 yards from the yellow The Par 3s are Remuda’s most difficult holes. tees. From the black tees, the course has a slope The fourth, Mustang, runs east towards Ben Loof 103 and course rating of 67.7. mond Peak. It plays at 200 yards from the black Each hole at Remuda is named after a breed tees.

Other than out of bounds far left, a bunker of horse. Hole No. 1, Appaloosa, is a 400-yard about 20 yards from the green on the left side slight dogleg right Par 4. The driving range net is the worst place you can hit it, leaving one of runs down the left side, but the ideal approach those long bunker shots to a very large green. is from the left side of the fairway because of

Remuda is a popular venue for corporate events and gatherings and has a stocked pro shop, full-service restaurant and banquet fa­cilities. The club has active men’s, women’s and junior golf associations.

The fifth hole is another reachable-in-two Par 5. Called Arabian, the gradual dogleg left, 500-yard hole is protected by trees on the left and two fairway bunkers. Houses or out of bounds, also keep golfers from cutting the corner too much. The safe tee shot is to the right side, which leaves a nice opening to another large green that slopes gently from back to front. Another hole where two-putt birdies are common.

Hackney or hole No. 6, is ranked as Remuda’s toughest hole. Two bunkers left of the green are the biggest obstacles on the 212-yard Par 3. The first bunker is about 30 yards from the green and makes for a very difficult up-anddown should you find it. Small mounding on the right often aids a tee shot that is pushed slightly.

The 467-yard Par 5 seventh, Belgian, has houses and trees on both sides and two fairway bunkers down the left. The slightly elevated green is one of Remuda’s smaller greens and slopes more than most from back to front. Still, this is a very reachable Par 5 and another good chance for birdie.

The front nine finishes with two Par 4s. Hole No. 8, Morgan, bends slightly right and players tend to hit their drives in the deep rough right to avoid the homes on the left. A native walnut tree also guards the right side and a grass bunker sits left and front of the green.

The ninth hole, Quarter, is a 373-yard Par 4.

The houses on the right are closer to the fairway than most that border Remuda. The best angle to the green, and the one that takes a grass bunker left out of play, however, is from the right side of the fairway.

Remuda is a walker friendly course. However, the paths between No. 7 green and No. 8 tee and then from No. 8 green to No. 9 tee, run around and along some homes, across a street and down a sidewalk. continued on page 22

“We get golfers of every kind here to play and they usually enjoy their experience here and return for more,” says Remuda manager Colten Hansen.

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

22 REMUDA GOLF COURSE

G O continued from page 21 L F The 10th hole, Clydesdale, is Remuda’s S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

longest hole at 529 yards. Two fairway bunkers guard the left side and trees run down both sides. A greenside bunker on the right is the deepest sand trap on Remuda. This hole doesn’t give up as many birdies as the other Par 5s.

Hole 11, Spanish, is a 333-yard Par 4 with tall poplar trees guarding the left side. A bunker also sits short and left of the green. Bombers are tempted to go at this green from the tee, but often miss the fairway and walk away with a bogey At only 104 yards, the 12th, Welsh, is nothing more than a wedge. The tee area wraps around a large tree. Mounding to the right and a bunker short right of the green are the holes only defense. However, the large green makes a two putt no sure thing.

Hole No. 13, Tennessee, is a straightaway 517-yard Par 5. Trees and deep rough make accuracy off the tee essential. A pond left and behind the green will come into play on errant second shots. The mildly tiered green is one of Remuda’s more difficult greens to putt.

The 14th, Hanoverian, is a 432-yard Par 4 with large poplars down both sides of the fairway and a fairway bunker on the left side.

A bunker also protects the front left side of the green. Miss the fairway off the tee and you might be dodging trees all the way to the green.

Hole No. 15, Paint, is a 364-yard Par 4 that bends right with trees down the right side. A deep grass bunker protects the green to the right. A second shot that goes long of the green is trouble, with a pond that is not visible from the fairway lurking behind the green.

The 16th, Friesian, is a 453-yard doglegleft Par 4 with trees down the left that tend to force golfers to the right off the tee. However, a fairway bunker on the right makes that angle a challenge. Though the green is one of Remuda’s largest, golfers tend to miss this green more than others. The left side of the green also slopes more than others.

Remuda’s final Par 3 is the 212-yard 17th, Paso Fino. It’s just a straightaway long Par 3 to the smallest green on the course. The hole tends to play a club longer and most golfers usually have to get up and down from the grass bunker left or deep rough to make par.

The 18th, Thoroughbred, is the tightest hole.

Not long at 365 yards, the Par 4 is still demanding off the tee because of the driving range on the left and a pond that runs the entire length

The 18th, Thoroughbred, is the tightest hole at Remuda. Not long at 365 yards, the Par 4 is still demand­ing off the tee, making club selection very important.

of the hole on the right. Behind the green drops off, so long is dead. The green slopes more than most from back to front.

“If you slice the ball or push it at all here you’ll end up in the water,” Hansen says.

With golfers seldom losing balls on Remuda, rounds under four hours are common. The “zippy” electric golf carts are a bit speedier than those at other courses as well. Remuda also promotes “ready golf.” Another player friendly policy at Remuda is that you’re always allowed to play with whom you want.

The starters never pair strangers together unless requested.

A few days each summer the course gets hit with a mosquito swarm. Complimentary insect repellant is provided on those few days, however.

The practice facilities at Remuda are among the best in the Ogden area. The 300-yard deep driving range features covered tee mats for shade and protection from the elements. Grass hitting areas are also open. Putting and chipping are allowed on the large practice green adjacent to the pro shop and driving range.

Hansen and instructor Al Haag offer lessons by appointment.

Remuda is a popular venue for corporate events and gatherings and has a stocked pro shop, full-service restaurant and banquet facilities. The club has active men’s, women’s and junior golf associations.

Greens fees are $25 for 18 holes Monday thru Thursday. Carts are $12. Fees on weekends and holidays are $28 for 18 holes and $14 for carts.

The twilight rate is $31, which includes a cart, on any day after 3 p.m. Senior, junior and military discounts are available, as are discounted 10-round and 20-round punch cards.

Remuda is located at 2600 West 3500 North in Farr West and is only a few minutes west from two I-15 exits. More information and tees times are available online at www.Remudagolf.com or by calling 801-731-7200.

23

Scotty Cameron Adds Two Select Models to Dual Balance Lineup High-Performance, Counterbalanced Putters Provide Maximum Stability Through the Stroke

T

wo of Master Craftsman Scotty Cameron’s most popular, tour-proven models and shapes – Select Newport 2 and GoLo 7 – are now available with Dual Balance technology for golfers that want to stabilize their putting stroke.

Scotty Cameron Dual Balance putters are counterbalanced designs, developed through extensive research and testing in the Putter Studio and on the PGA Tour, that provide unmatched stability for golfers that struggle to make a consistent stroke with a conventional length putter.

Cameron and his team, through two decades of high-speed video research with tour players, have found that the best putters in the world keep the butt end of the putter pointed to the same 1- to 2-inch circle in their midsection throughout the stroke.

Dual Balance putters, with a 50-gram heavier head weight (400 grams total) and a 50-gram counterweight in the butt of the putter shaft, are specifically designed to help golfers replicate that stroke, without anchoring the club to the body.

“The purpose of anchoring a putter is to stop the butt end of the club from moving. Now that anchoring will be against the rules, we’ve determined the best way to help golfers regain that stability and control is through Dual Balance, by adding 50 grams to the shaft and balancing that with 50 grams in the head,” Cameron said. “It eliminates that tendency for many players to flip, push or lead the putter with their hands.

“Instead of stopping the butt end, we’re able to slow everything down. The counterweight in the shaft helps keep the butt stable and pointed at your belly. The additional head weight makes the putter slower and more lethargic without it feeling too heavy. If you only add shaft weight, you actually end up robbing head weight, which makes the head

quicker. So you need to balance that out. We have found through our experiments that 50 grams in the shaft and head is ideal for weight, feel and performance. But you have to be careful to maintain the proper shaft flex. It took a lot of testing to make sure we got everything just right with these new models.”

The proper length of a Dual Balance putter is three inches longer than a golfer ’s conventional putter length. (Accordingly, the standard length of a Dual Balance putter is 38 inches, three inches longer than the standard length of a conventional 35-inch Scotty Cameron putter). The additional three inches provides stability while keeping the putter unanchored. The larger diameter, 15-inch long Dual Balance Flat Front Winn grip is designed so golfers can grip down to place the shaft weight above the hands for a smoother, more stable stroke. The grip has a colored section at the top that indicates proper hand placement (at 35 inches for standard models), keeping the 50-gram counterweight above the hands for maximum effect.

The combination of the heavier head, shaft weight and larger grip stabilize the stroke by reducing the common faults of flipping, pushing or dragging with the hands.

SHAPE CHOICES: The Dual Balance lineup now includes a shape from each of Cameron’s three tour-validated putter families: Select, GoLo and Futura X. “Putting is such a personal experience. That’s why we have three different putter families, with putters that are doing and saying different things,” Cameron said. “The shape of the putter may be something you like to look at or it could be more about alignment.

Either way, it’s all about finding what helps you and gives you confidence. That’s why it was important for us to bring Dual Balance technology to each of our families.”

Select Newport 2, Cameron’s most popular model both on tour and with players around the world, is a modern blade with crisp back angles and a single black sight line for refined precision. The Newport 2 Dual Balance head is slightly larger than the conventional model to accommodate for the additional 50 grams.

GoLo 7 is an elegant yet modern, easyto-align mallet, with a single black sight line that helps square the face. The putter has a rounded profile and racy soleplate design with a curved back that flows into the ground. GoLo 7 Dual Balance stores its extra 50 grams under the soleplate. The conventional GoLo 7 model is hollow under the soleplate.

Select Newport 2 and GoLo 7 Dual Balance putters use a deep-milled face to deliver tour proven feel and soft sound. Both models feature a soft Silver Mist finish with race-car inspired, framed and doublemilled cherry dot graphics in the back and cherry dot

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

graphics in the sole to help create a modern, but timeless appearance.

Futura X, Cameron’s original Dual Balance design, is a high-MOI mallet with advanced perimeter stability weighting and T-shaped sight lines.

Futura X Dual Balance has a steel center section, increasing the weight by 50 grams, as opposed to the aluminum center section of the conventional Futura X. The putter has a Frozen Titanium finish that helps reduce glare, two black sight lines and red cherry dot weights in the sole and balance bar. The mid-milled face texture draws a crisp sound from the aluminum face and body.

• Available in 1” lengths from 36-40”.

• Some lengths are custom order only.

• Custom Loft +/-1° Custom Lie +/-2°.

• Additional options available at www.scottycameron.com

24 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Stallion Mountain Golf Club S unrise Mountain, on the eastern reaches of the Las Vegas Valley, is the backdrop for a great golfing venue, Stallion Mountain Golf Club.

This great Par 72, 7,351 yard layout offer golfers at every level a unique golfing opportunity while walking the fairways that even the world’s best players have crossed. Stallion offers a beautiful, exclusive and varied golf escape in a wonderful southwestern theme.

The Club was originally a 45-hole facility named Sunrise Golf Club when it opened in 1992. Several years later, the owners decided that the land was worth more to the housing market of the early 2000’s boom and reduced the course to what they considered their best 18 holes of golf. The recession that hit the country in 2008 sent the Golf Club spiraling, but the new owners have now resurrected the once great facility and brought it back to life.

The original design of Stallion Mountain was done by Jim Colbert and Jeff Brauer, as Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley modified it into one course in 2004, adding tiered fairways, dramatic green complexes and plenty of deep bunkers and water hazards. Accuracy and length off the tee are necessary skills if you want to score well at Stallion Mountain and the greens can prove tricky for those lacking

a solid short game. Five tee options are available, allowing players a nice amount of options when it comes to catering the course to their skill level.

Stallion Mountain has a decorated history in the Las Vegas golf scene as a host venue for Golf Channel’s Big Break II and also past host of the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Classic and the PGA Tour’s Las Vegas event (at the time known as the Las Vegas Invitational). Also, it is the home of PGA Tour Professional Chip Beck’s well known round of 59 during the third round of the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational.

In those years, the tournament was five rounds.

Beck shot a 13-under par round which consisted of 5 pars, 13 birdies and no bogeys. Interestingly, Beck did not win the tournament, instead coming in 3rd behind eventual winner Andrew Magee and runner-up D.A. Weibring. Beck received a $1 million bonus for his feat.

For our tour of the course, let’s start right out with Stallion Mountain’s first, a 428 yard Par 4. The hole plays straightaway and is guarded by a series of fairway bunkers both on the left and right, but these bunkers can be carried with a decent tee shot.

There are two more bunkers on the left at about the 260 mark and two more on the right starting at about the 290 yard mark to the green. Homes

and OB line the right side of the hole to the green.

There is a large, lone greenside bunker on the left of the slightly elevated putting surface. Hint: Use one extra club or you will find yourself chipping up and on in hopes of saving par.

The third is a challenging 213 yard Par 3, with water starting just in front of the tees on the left side, continuing all the way to the green. Three small bunkers line the right side as you approach the green along with one centered behind the green.

The green narrows as it climbs the small tier to its rear. The green banks slightly, back to front, helping it to receive incoming shots quite well.

The course to this point, through only three holes shows its true colors as 17 bunkers offer a little extra degree of difficulty for those that find them.

There are some 85 bunkers situated throughout the Stallion Mountain layout. The hole designs blend in very well and most fairways gently filter to the center, helping to keep you in play.

Par 3’s are the nemesis for many of us and Stallion Mountain offers another good one at #5. Six bunkers again highlight this 230 yard Par 3 along with a grove of Russian olive trees, short right. The long, narrow green is accentuated by lots of little ridges running from its edges as it slopes back to

25 front. A very good Par 3 and one that will have you smiling if you walk away with a par.

Hole #6 is a reachable, 535 yard Par 5 from tees that are elevated, giving you a good view of the straightaway design. Two fairway bunkers guard the right side at the 260 yard mark, making them tough to clear. There are homes right and OB left, so accuracy is key to scoring low. The approach narrows, but if you keep it left, away from bunker front right, you can run it up and on. The green angles right to left and offers a false front, middle right. A back left pin placement can be a little tricky.

The 8th and 9th offer a tough one-two bunch as you cruise toward the finish of the front nine. The eighth is a solid golf hole measuring 425 yards from the back tees. Water starts on the left next to the tees and continues all the way to greenside. The hole design forms a slight dogleg left with the water routing the hole to the right in front of the green.

There is a fairway bunker on the right side in the landing area, about 250 yards from the tee, with the fairway offering a lot of subtle slopes, requiring you to make good contact on your second shot in order to get it close. A large bunker guards the right, greenside and another is placed at the rear.

The ninth is a great finishing hole, again guarded by water approaching the green and at 452 yards in length requires you to hit a couple of your best shots of the day!

Your back nine starts out with another of the great Par 4’s at Stallion Mountain. This slightly doglegging right hole again requires two well hit shots to reach its 449 yards. A short forced carry presents itself from the tee to the fairway that slopes right to left. There is a bunker on the left at about the 290 yard mark and will catch plenty of tee shots for the longer hitters. There is a bunker left, slightly away from greenside and another pot bunker back right. Adding to the difficulty of your second shot is a pond behind the green. The

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y

Stallion Mountain Golf Club’s finishing stretch of holes are three of the best in Vegas. The sixteenth is a long, narrow Par 4 measuring 466 yards from the tips and just may be the toughest on the course. putting surface is one of the smallest on the course and is slightly elevated.

Number eleven plays as the shortest Par 3 on the course, next to the entrance and then it’s off to another of the tough Par 4’s, the straightaway, 429 yard twelfth. It is lined with desert terrain both left and right and has another one of those perfectly placed fairway bunkers on the left at about the 250 yard mark that is just barely visible from the tee.

The rolling fairway adds another degree of defense to this solid Par 4 as it runs parallel to hole No. 1, but in the opposite direction towards Sunrise Mountain to the east. There is a large bunker just short of the green left and can offer you one of those torturous long bunker shots to a green that slopes back to front. The twelfth is one of those holes that doesn’t really look that hard, but can really jump up and grab you if you let down your guard.

As with the twelfth, many of the hole designs

The eleventh plays as the shortest Par 3 on the course, but is an eye catcher as you make your way through the entrance at Stallion Mountain Golf Club.

at Stallion Mountain use deceiving bunker placements that appear to be greenside as you approach, but as you walk up to your ball, you find that you are faced with a tough, long bunker shot, many times in that disastrous 30 to 40 yard range.

Stallion Mountain Golf Club’s finishing stretch of holes are three of the best in Vegas. The sixteenth is a long, narrow Par 4 measuring 466 yards from the tips. Fairway bunkers are placed on the right at the 240 yard mark and on the left at about 280 yards. The fairway then falls off to the right side of the fairway near the 130 yard area to the green. A giant bunker starts some 80 yards short of the green on the left and continues to almost greenside. The long, raised green comes to a ridge in its middle and then gently slopes away to its back. This just might be the toughest hole on the course.

The seventeenth is the last of the superb Par 3’s as it stretches to 218 yards from the back tees. No matter the tees that you choose to play, you will have a total carry over water to the green, all the while into that sometimes nasty southern wind.

The green is wide and jets out to a point in the middle, back with a bunker on both sides in the rear. The green doesn’t tier, but slopes considerable from back to front. You had better have one of your best swings of the day left for this great Par 3.

The finishing hole at Stallion Mountain is its longest, lengthening out to 566 yards with plenty of obstacles to navigate on your way to its finish. A long pond starts on the right about 140 yards from the tees and continues all the way to greenside.

Four bunkers dot the left side at about the 290 mark as the fairway gently swings to the right. The fairway narrows as you approach the green, putting a premium on accuracy on your second shot. There is another of those tough-distance bunkers at the 86 yard mark to the green on the left and another continued on page 27

2 0 1 4

26 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Odyssey Tank Cruiser D riven by feedback from the PGA Tour, the Tank Cruiser brings a new level of fitting options in the most technological counterbalanced putter in golf. Now you’re getting adjustable weighting at the head level AND three different weights to choose from at the counterbalance level. And you’ll dial in your balance better than ever for your most consistent stroke.

Last year during the Florida Swing, Odyssey released a counterbalanced putter called the Tank. With a 400-gram head, 30 to 40 grams of additional weight beneath the top of the grip and a heavy shaft.

Now Odyssey has a putter that can be thought of as the Tank Lite: the Odyssey Tank Cruiser.

Heavy, counterbalanced putters are designed to slow a player ’s hands during the stroke and provide belly putter-like stability. However, making a transition from a traditional putter that tips the scales at around 340 grams to something like the Tank can be jarring. At least that is what Tour players told Odyssey.

The Tank Cruiser putters were developed in response to that feedback.

Thanks to adjustable 10-, 15- and 20-gram weight screws that go into the heel and toe of the sole, the four Cruiser models can have a head weight of either 365, 375 or 385 grams.

Golfers also can change the weight at the top

of the 15-inch SuperStroke grip by affixing a 5-, 15- or 30-gram plug.

A player can dial up or down the counterbalancing effect to make transitioning into this type of putter a lot easier.

Odyssey gave the Tank Cruiser putters the same White Hot face insert found in the Versa and White Hot Pro putters. According to Odyssey’s PGA Tour representative Johnny Thompson, about 80 percent of the players on the Tour who use an Odyssey putter prefer the White Hot face insert because of its combination of sound and feel.

The Tank Cruiser #1 is a heel-toe weighted blade. The Tank Cruiser 330, Tank Cruiser #7 and Tank Cruiser V-Line are mid-size mallets.

To get the full counterbalancing effect, golfers should select a putter that allows them to comfortably hold the club with an inch or two of the grip above their hands. Each Cruiser will be available in 35- and 38-inch lengths.

Odyssey Principal Designer Austie Rollinson explained in 2012 that the ban of anchored-putting styles by golf’s ruling bodies would fuel putter innovation. The Tank Cruiser was exactly what he had in mind.

Counterbalanced putters like the Tank Cruiser are nothing new to golf, as many serious

players have tinkered with different head weights and “back weighting,” the process of adding weight to the handle of the putter, for decades. But Odyssey is the first major putter manufacturer to simplify this process with adjustable weight ports in both the head and handle of a putter, saving tinkerers time and money.

Adjustable Balance Design Now you’ll really find the balance you like. Adjustable head weights (365g, 375g, 385g) and counterbalance weights (5g, 15g, 30g) allow you to dial in your putter balance so that it’s exactly how you want it to feel for your most consistent stroke.

White Hot Insert Highly engineered for consistent sound, feel and performance across the striking surface.

New 15” SuperStroke Grip A new longer version of the SuperStroke Grip, the fastest growing grip on Tour.

Odyssey advises golfers who are interested in a counterbalanced putter to try the 38-inch model if they use a putter that is 35 inches or longer or to try the 35-inch model if they use a putter that is 34 inches or shorter.

T h e Ta n k C ru i s e r p u t t e r s c o m e stock with a 15-inch SuperStroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip that weighs about 70 grams without weights. Its extra length allows golfers to choke down on the longer-than-standard putters as Odyssey advises without the worry of running out of grip. And s i n c e t h e g r i p s a re n o n - t a p e re d , golfers will have the same feel at the top of the grip as they do at the bottom.

Many long putter user were devastated when the USGA announced that starting in 2016, players will no longer be able to anchor their 50-inch broomstick to their sternum during tournament play.

What most golfers will be looking for, is the feeling of an effortless release of the putter at impact. In theory, the extra weight in the handle should slow down that portion of the putter during the stroke and allow golfers to more easily square up the toe with the heel at impact, but that won’t be true for all golfers. Some players will like the overall heavier feel, which can add stability to a golfer ’s stroke.

27 Some golfers won’t know why they like it they just will.

So how do you know if a counterbalanced putter is for you? Making changes to the putter ’s adjustable weight system creates noticeable differences in feel, but if you’re strongly opposed to the way the putter feels in its stock configuration (two 15-gram weights in the head and a 15-gram weight in the handle), it’s probably not right for you. And if you do like the stock setup, you should still experiment with the different weights. You’ll know when you get it right, even if it takes you some time.

The Tank Cruisers have Odyssey’s Black Matte finish, which gives the putters a classic, no-glare look and offers a nice contrast with white alignment aids on each putter. Odyssey also took care to offer several d i ff e re n t a l i g n m e n t a i d s i n t h e l i n e . T h e #1 Wide has a single alignment aid that is l o c a t e d i n t h e f l a n g e o f t h e p u t t e r, w h i l e the 330M has two lines on the flange that frame the ball nicely at address. The #7 has a sightline on the putter ’s top line, as well as two longer lines that reinforce a golfer ’s alignment on the fins of the putter. The VLine has the most aggressive alignment aid with three long, sightlines on its flange. Each of the putters has Odyssey’s re-formulated

White Hot insert, which feels extremely soft and is Odyssey’s most popular insert on the professional tours.

If you’re struggling with your putting, there’s no reason not to try a counterbala n c e d p u t t e r. T h e y ’ r e g r e a t f o r g o l f e r s looking to get a jump on switching from their anchored putters and while they’re not for everyone, they can be a nice change of pace for golfers who want to feel something a little different. Stop in and check out Odyssey’s Tank Cruiser line of putters at your local pro shop and see for yourself and maybe it will help to lower your scores!

STALLION MOUNTAIN

tain, featuring several different options. The course management offers family, individual, junior and corporate memberships, among others. These memberships allow individuals and families to best take advantage of the golf course and its amenities Stallion Mountain Golf Club provides lovely views of nearby mountains and the distant Strip. The course’s

continued from page 25

almost greenside. The green is one of the largest on the course and although it doesn’t form a tier, it is definitely influenced by a swale in its middle on the right side. A very good finishing hole to a great round of golf.

The course offers mature pines, undulating bunker lined fairways and six lakes in play on 10 holes, making Stallion Mountain Golf Club a challenge for golfers of all levels. In addition, Stallion Mountain boasts one of the finest practice facilities in Las Vegas: 16 acre, 40 tee driving range, five practice putting greens, including practice chipping greens, complete with practice bunkers.

Memberships are available at Stallion Moun-

G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

The finishing hole at Stallion Mountain is its longest, lengthening out to 566 yards with plenty of obstacles to navigate on your way to its finish.

southwestern theme also provides a charming setting, with small but whimsical decorative touches throughout. Horseshoes serve as tee markers and marked whiskey barrels provide the basis of most signage throughout the course.

Players will feel like the red carpet that has been rolled out for them at Stallion Mountain. A hearty

breakfast or lunch can be enjoyed at “Squirres” located in the main entry to the clubhouse and also a cool drink can be had after your great round on the course. Groups of up to 600 can be accommodated in Stallion Mountain’s clubhouse and garden areas, with the elegant 38,000 square foot facility available for banquets, business meetings and lavish wedding receptions. Why not give them a call today to talk about all the possibilities.

Stallion Mountain Golf Club 5500 E. Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89122 702-450-8077

28 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

G

The Open Championship

olf’s oldest ‘Major’ will be held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the twelfth time in the tournaments storied history. The Hoylake links can be, by turns, beautiful, uplifting, awe inspiring and, on occasion, soul-destroying. They were created to be a demanding test of golf and remain so and they lie at the very heart of the history and development of golf in Great Britain.

Built in 1869, on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, Hoylake is the oldest of all the English seaside courses with the exception of Westward Ho! in Devon, which was established just a few years earlier.

Robert Chambers and George Morris were commissioned to lay out the original Hoylake course, which was extended to 18 holes in 1871. This was also the year in which the Club was granted its Royal designation thanks to the patronage of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Connaught. Harry Colt, one of the world’s leading golf course architects of the day, redesigned the course early in the 20th century and it has since been tweaked periodically, mainly as a response to advances in equipment.

For the first seven years of its life the land still performed its original function, doubling as a golf course and a horse racing track - indeed, echoes of this heritage can be found today in the names of the first and eighteenth holes, Course and Stand, while the original saddling bell still hangs in the club house. Once the horses had been dispatched to pastures new Hoylake began to take its place in the history of golf in general and of the amateur game in particular.

In 1885 the links hosted the first Amateur Championship; in 1902 the first international match between England and Scotland, later to become the Home Internationals; and, in 1921, the first international match between Great Britain and the United States of America, which we now know as The Walker Cup. In fact, it is Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s contribution to the

amateur game that has set it apart from all other clubs in England. Although, at the end of the nineteenth century, it was the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews that took on the role of the governing body in golf as the game developed, it was at Hoylake that the rules of amateur status were laid down.

Ironically it was John Ball, who was to become the Club’s greatest player, who almost fell foul of them.

Harold Hilton’s record was just as impressive. He won the Open twice, in l892 (the first year the Open was played over 72 holes) and again five years later, making him the only amateur apart from John Ball and Bobby Jones to win the title. His victory at Hoylake in 1897 was marked 100 years later by the creation of a new, annual Harold Hilton Medal tournament open to amateur golfers aged 30 or more and handicap 5 or less.

No history of Hoylake would be complete without mention of the legendary Bobby Jones. In 1930 the club was privileged to host his winning of the Open Championship, a victory that would become the second leg of his remarkable Grand Slam - the winning in the same year of the Amateur and Open Championships of both Great Britain and the United States.

Shortly afterwards, a mere twenty-eight years old, Bobby Jones found himself with no golfing peaks left to conquer and he retired from the game.

Much time has passed since then, but the Hoylake links, despite their at first glance flat and benign appearance, are still very much among the toughest and most demanding tests of golf. What’s more, in recent years, under the guidance

29 G O L F S O U T H W E S T —

As in true “Open” form, rolling fairways and well places bunkers definitely make Royal Liverpool Golf Club a worthy venue. of renowned course architect, Donald Steel, the course has been lengthened and upgraded to take on twenty-first century technology and increasingly athletic big hitters.

In July 2006 another chapter of Hoylake history began as The Open returned for the first time since 1967. The fabled mighty winds did not blow. But there was no denying that another mighty champion was born - in the shape of one Eldrick “Tiger” Woods. The event was deemed a fantastic success and attracted huge crowds, with the total attendance the second highest in Open history. It was therefore no surprise when the R&A announced that The Open would return in 2014.

Hole 1 - 457 yard - Par 4 – ‘Royal’ Setting off away from the Clubhouse, this hole is named after the Royal Hotel which housed the first Clubhouse at Hoylake in 1869. A brand new green complex was created in 2010 and is incredibly difficult to hit with a long iron in hand. If you can keep your drive close to the bunker on the left you will have the best angle of attack to this well protected, long, narrow green. The green is one of the toughest to putt on, so accept a two putt and move on.

Hole 2 – 456 yard – Par 4 – ‘Stand’ Bunkers right and left necessitate an accurate tee shot at this great driving hole. The second shot is played to an undulating green which has cleverly positioned bunkers which will allow flag positions to be tucked behind them.

Don’t be too greedy as slopes will throw your ball off the green leaving you with a very tricky recovery shot.

Threading a drive between the gorse to the left and the strategically positioned bunkers on the right are the demands of the 535 yard Par 5 fifth.

The seventh titled Telegraph is a demanding, 483 yard Par 4.

J u l y 2

Hole 3 – 429 yard – Par 4 – ‘Course’ 0 With a tee shot flanked by out-of-bounds on one side and the Clubhouse 1 on the other, this is an extremely challenging hole which requires both ac- 4 curacy and courage. A sharp dogleg to the right demands a well-positioned drive as near to the corner of the practice ground as confidence will allow.

The second shot is of some 190 yards to a green protected by a swale on the safer left side, away from the out-of-bounds close on the right.

Hole 4 – 372 – Par 4 – ‘Road’ Played to the only green which remains from the original course layout, the Road hole at first glance takes on a high benign appearance, but three newly situated bunkers at drive length will swallow any wayward tee shots. A drive positioned close to the left hand side of the fairway will offer you the best angle of approach to a well protected green which falls away from front to back.

Hole 5 – 535 yard – Par 5 – ‘Long’ Threading a drive between the gorse to the left and the strategically positioned bunkers on the right, most players should look to play their second shots to the right side of the fairway from where they will get the best angle of approach to a two tier green. Be careful to check the pin position. Should you end up in the wrong part of the green, two putts will be a challenge. continued on page 30

Robert Chambers and George Morris were originally commissioned to lay out the course, with Harry Colt, one of the world’s leading golf course architects of the day, redesigning the course early in the 20th century and Donald Steel taking it into the twenty-first century.

30 OPEN

G O continued from page 29 L F Hole 6 – 202 yard – Par 3 – ‘New’ S O U T H W E S T — J u l y 2 0 1 4

Normally played into a crosswind, the ‘New’ is the first of Hoylake’s Par 3’s and is surrounded by deep bunkers. A tip for newcomers to Hoylake is to take one more club from the tee and aim to the right hand side of the green. The extra club will help carry the cavernous bunker on the front right of the green and natural slope will swing the ball back towards the hole.

Hole 7 – 483 yard – Par 4 – ‘Telegraph’ ‘Telegraph’ is a very difficult driving hole with a bunkers left and right. The right side is further protected by extensive gorse to which the westerly wind pushes your ball. Nevertheless, the best line from the tee requires a drive close to the right hand side of the fairway. Any tee shot which is too cautious will mean a second shot played over a bunker which jealously guards the front left of the green. Remember to believe the yardage here as this hole always plays one club longer than you first think.

Hole 8 – 433 yard – Par 4 – ‘Briars’ The first occasion you play at Hoylake you could be forgiven for wondering where to drive, as you are faced with an out-of-bounds hedge in front of you, but more perturbing is the fact it is some 190 yards away. So just take an easy swing and place one in the wide part of the fairway. Just to the left of the marker will do nicely. Well done! Now all that is left is a middle iron to the green.

Hole 9 – 198 yard – Par 3 – ‘Dowie’ At ‘Dowie’, there is a lot to take in while standing on the tee. The wind is often coming from right to left and the pin position can make

No matter how well or badly you are playing, one cannot help but enjoy the panoramic view which awaits on the four hole stretch which runs along the shore of the Dee estuary. a big difference to your choice of shot. Bunkers front left and right protect a narrow green which will throw the ball from a less than perfect shot into complex swales.

Hole 10 – 534 yard – Par 5 – ‘Far’ The furthest part of the course away from the clubhouse, ‘Far ’ has seen some famous players come to grief, none more so than the great Bobby Jones, who, on his way to his famous Grand Slam in 1930, took a 7 on this relatively straight forward Par 5. Whatever you do, stay away from the bunker which protects the front right hand side of the green.

It is very deep!

Hole 11 – 393 yard – Par 4 – ‘Punch Bowl’ No matter how well or badly you are playing, one cannot help but enjoy the panoramic view which awaits on the tee at ‘Punch Bowl’. The Welsh hills and Dee estuary provide a scenic backdrop to the first of four holes which run along the shore.

Hole 12 – 448 yard – Par 4 – ‘Dee’ A dogleg to the left which invariably plays longer than its yardage, ‘Dee’ is a demanding Par 4. It could be tempting to take off some of the dogleg when you are faced with three bunkers on the right of the fairway, but the new broken ground in the rough on the left makes that very dangerous.

Hole 13 – 198 yard – Par 3 – ‘Alps’ Don’t be distracted by the beautiful scenery around Hilbre Island. Make sure you take enough club to carry the mounds which guard the front left hand side of the green. One thing to note is that the green extends further left than it looks from the tee.

Hole 14 – 456 yard – Par 4 – ‘Hilbre’ Arguably the finest hole of the links, ‘Hilbre’ is a dogleg to the left. The big-hitters and the brave may try to carry the bunkers protecting the corner of the hole, but this is a lot to ask. Don’t overshoot the dogleg as thick rough awaits. A long second shot is played into the prevailing wind to a green which will throw any shot veering to the right down into a hollow, from where it is difficult to recover.

Royal Liverpool’s sixteenth, played as the 18th hole for The Open Championship, is a great, 560 yard Par 5 that can be reached in two.

Hole 15 – 161 yard – Par 3 – ‘Rushes’ ‘Rushes’ is a classic example of a Par 3 which does not require great length to make it an inter-

31 esting hole. The tee is elevated and set into the sand dunes with great views of the Dee estuary.

At first glance, there appears to be little trouble, but a wayward shot will leave an extremely tricky chip or bunker shot.

Hole 16 – 576 yard – Par 5 – ‘Field’ This is the start of Hoylake’s much admired and feared stretch of finishing holes. A long Par 5 which requires a drive towards the fairway bunkers on the left side and then demands a

full wood to stand a chance of reaching the green. Beware of Farrar ’s Folly, a grassy hollow at the front right of the green, affectionately named after a former Secretary of the Club.

Hole 17 – 459 yard – Par 4 – ‘Lake’ I n t o t h e p re v a i l i n g s o u t h w e s t w i n d s , ‘Lake’ at 459 yards is certainly one of the most difficult. A long, straight drive, avoiding bunkers at driving distance is necessary to have any chance of hitting the classic MacKenzie green. A long second shot is played to a deep two tier green. Anything missing the green short left has the dual challenge of thick rough and tricky bunkers.

Despite its name, there are no hidden water features to look out for.

In July 2006 another chapter of Hoylake history began as The Open returned for the first time since 1967. The fabled mighty winds did not blow. But there was no denying that another mighty champion was born - in the shape of one Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, who will be entered again this year as he makes his returns after back surgery.

Hole 18 – 560 yard – Par 5 – ‘Dun’ Played around the out-of-bounds line of the practice ground, the tee shot should be aimed at the dogleg. From there you can either play safely to the left or skirt the out-of-bounds line, which will reward you with an easier third shot to a long green set at an angle to the second shot and protected to the front by bunkers to the left and right.

The Open Championship, which was first played in 1860, has been played every year since, expect for breaks during World War I (1915-1919) and II (1940-1945).

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