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Volume 2 Issue 9 | September 2014
The Las Vegas Country Club Tradition of Excellence
THE BARN GOLF COURSE A Family Affair
RIVERBEND GOLF COURSE
The Perfect Blend of Nature & Golf
The REvere’sLexington
Unique Challenges and Panoramic Views
Mike Malaska:
Bridging the Gap Between Practice and Play pg. 18
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Rules of Golf
Rules of Golf Quiz for SEPTEMBER 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 is correct regarding a player’s ball being embedded?
— S e p t e m b e r
A) If he takes relief under the embedded ball Rule, but the ball embeds again and several times thereafter when re-dropped, he is entitled to place it as near as possible to the spot where it embedded after the second drop. B) If he plays a stroke at his ball which lies on a steep bank in a closely mown area through the green and it is driven straight into the bank without ever being airborne, he is entitled to relief without penalty for an embedded ball. C) If his ball is embedded in ground under repair in a closely mown area through the green, he must take relief from ground under repair.
2 0 1 2. A player incurs a one-stroke penalty for moving his ball in play 4
in which one of the following? The player accidentally moves his ball as a result of A) Removing a movable obstruction. B) Removing a loose impediment on the putting green. C) Searching for his ball buried in sand, through the green. D) Searching for his ball in tall grass, through the green. 3. A player whose ball lies in a depression through the green may mark and lift his ball to determine whether it is in a hole made by a burrowing animal. A) True B) False 4. The ball must be struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned. A) True B) False 5. In an 18-hole match, the players by mistake play three holes out of sequence. The error is discovered before the match concludes. What is the ruling? A) The players must be disqualified. B) There is no penalty and those three holes stand as played. If the players were to replay the three holes in the proper sequence, there would be no penalty and the three holes would stand as replayed. C) The match should continue and the result of the match stands with the holes played out of order.
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INSIDE
2 3 Publisher’s Notes 4 The LAS VEGAS COUNTRY CLUB 8 COBRA GOLF’s BAFFLER 9 Tournament Schedule 10 Golf Tips: BE A BETTER BALL STRIKER 12 Dining: Forte European Tapas 11 TAYLORMADE SLDR MINI DRIVER 14 THE BARN GOLF Club 18 Mike Malaska:BRIDGING THE GAP 20 RIVERBEND Golf Course 24 2014 RYDER CUP 28 THE REVERE GOLF CLUB’S LEXINGTON Rules of the Game
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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
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jim Rayburn Steve Mayer Ryan Mills Mike Malaska
Publisher’s Notes H
oly Cow – It’s September already. And although we will undoubtedly still have a few hot days in the upcoming weeks, there has been a distinct feel of fall in the air! Many of the courses in the St. George and Las Vegas areas are starting to prep for over seeding and fall aerification in preparation for snowbirds and vacationers who will soon start migrating into those areas, looking for perfect playing conditions and mild fall and winter temperatures. In the meantime, some great golf is still to be had before many start trading in their clubs for a little extra time behind the TV for fall football and doing a little hiking in the mountains for chance at a ‘wall-hanger’ during hunting season in the west. Speaking of great golf, Rory McIlroy had a pretty good July and August, with three consecutive wins at The British Open, The Bridgestone Invitational and The PGA Championship, while becoming one of only six players (Since the inception of the Masters) ever to have won all four of golf’s majors during their careers and by the way, McIlroy has accomplished it at the ripe old age of 25. It looked as if he might make a run at four in a row at the first stop on the Fall FedEx Cup schedule at The Barclays after a solid 65 during the second round, but two rounds of 70 on the weekend sent him reeling to a 22nd place finish as Hunter Mahan rose to the top of the leaderboard for his first win in almost three years. Next up is the Deutsche Bank at TPC Boston, then the BMW Championship at Cherry Hills CC outside of Denver, followed by The TOUR Championship at East Lake in Atlanta before all eyes focus on a little friendly competition called The Ryder Cup takes place in Scotland. A little over 90 years ago, 20 men assembled at Gleneagles in the heartland of Scotland for an international challenge match between Great Britain and the United States. Little did anyone know that it would turn into one of the most followed sporting events in the world today. A little closer to home, plenty of great golf has also been played as the 88th Utah Open Championship crowned a new winner as former PGA TOUR player B.J. Staten fired a blistering final round 64 and then was able to hold off second round leader Nathan Lashley (The 2009 Champion) on the third playoff hole for the win, while current BYU golfer and Utah resident, Cole Ogden carded a final round 65 to take home low amateur honors. And another local boy found his way to the winners circle, as Tony Finau continued his superb play this summer with his first Web.com TOUR win at The Stonebrae Classic, carding a 22-under par total of 258 for a three shot win, putting him in position to most assuredly secure his PGA TOUR card for the 2015 season! I hope that you enjoy this issue of Golf Southwest, as we highlight The Las Vegas Country Club and the Lexington Course at The Revere in southern Nevada and Riverbend GC and The Barn Golf Club in Utah. Also, some great tips are available this month from Mike Malaska and Las Vegas teaching pro Ryan Mills that just might be what your game has needed a little help with. Thanks for picking up this edition of GOLF SOUTHWEST and I hope to see you on the putting green soon. KD
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
4 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
In addition to the newly renovated 18hole golf course, an event lawn has been added facing a lake with a cascading waterfall backdrop, perfect for member events, cocktail parties, outside weddings and business outings.
The Las Vegas Country Club
The mission of the golf operations team of The Las Vegas Country Club is to deliver the best and most consistent golf experience to each and every member and their guests. It is their pleasure to maintain a course that is challenging, scenic and convenient for this purpose.
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h e L a s Ve g a s C o u n t r y C l u b h a s played host to the PGA’s Las Vegas Invitational and the LPGA’s Takefuji Classic in years past. Winners of these prestigious events have included many household names such as; Greg Norman, Curtis Strange, Cristi Kerr and Lorena Ochoa. Most recently the facility hosted the 2007 Nevada Women’s State Amateur Championship as well as a visit from the 2007 Callaway Junior Series, a summer tour which features premier junior players from throughout the country. At 7,200 yards and a par 72 this parkland golf course is a pure pleasure to play and will test players of all skill levels. The backdrop to several holes pans the Las Vegas cityscape and provides a truly unique visual experience to accompany the finely
manicured course. T h e L a s Ve g a s C o u n t r y C l u b i s a f a c i l ity whose rich history is filled with many individuals that were dedicated to making this club possible. During the 1950’s, the property was the site of a thoroughbred racetrack named Las Vegas Downs where the only access was a gravel road running from Paradise Road to the track. When the racetrack went into bankruptcy the property was purchased by investor Joe W. Brown who they later honored by naming the street after him. Brown later sold it to Marvin Kratter of Nevada Equities who proceeded to build the country club. The golf course was designed by Ed Ault and was completed in the fall of 1967, followed by the completion of the clubhouse in April of 1968. Mr. Kratter opened it under the name of The Las Vegas International Country
Club and operated it as such until he sold it to a Strip hotel named the Bonanza. The club was renamed The Bonanza Country Club and Corral. In late 1970, it was sold to four partners of Realty Holdings (Moe Dalitz, Harry Lahr, Nate Adelson and Irwin Molasky) who renamed it The Las Vegas Country Club and made it a private country club in July of 1971. The Dalitz group sold the Club to forty of its’ Members with the ultimate plan being to make it an equity type membership. This was accomplished by these forty Members holding a mortgage until they were paid off through the sale of memberships and the general operation of the Club. The mortgage was paid off in 1984 making a true equity membership Club that has operated as such to this date. The Las Vegas Country Club membership made a monumental commitment in early 2009
5 to undertake a major golf course renovation project that included re-building all of the greens, bunkers, some tees complexes and replacing the 20 plus year old irrigation system. The course closed and construction work started in April, with Golf Course Architect Mark Rathert leading the renovation design and daily project supervision along with Wadsworth Golf providing the construction expertise. The new green and bunker design developed by Rathert keeps a classic look while his adjusting of the bunker locations provides a new course strategy to stay current with today’s club and ball technology improvements. The finishing holes are more visually dramatic and require greater player strategy. T h e g re e n s w e re p l a n t e d i n T- 1 c re e p i n g bentgrass and provide the best championshipputting surface possible. Course Superintendent Kent McCutcheon is committed with his maintenance crew in presenting the best-manicured turf conditions found in the Las Vegas area. And we found this to be the case on our visit in early June. The new design is such that No. 1 and No. 10 tees layout side-by-side. The first at The Las Vegas CC is a 445 yard Par 4, doglegging slightly to the right. Bunkers are placed both left and right at the 260 yard mark from the back tees. Your second shot is to a green surrounded by three bunkers as it slopes back to front. A good birdie opportunity right out of the shoot. Hole No. 3 is a solid Par 3 as it runs side-byside, but in the opposite direction of the Par 3 fourteenth. A pond that services both holes cuts across in front of the tees and continues all the way to the green on the right. The green is large with bunkers right-front and back as well as left-front, while still offering a wide opening to the front of the green. The putting surface gently slopes up to its middle and then slightly
G O L F S O U T H W E S T —
Heading to the back nine, hole No. 11, a slightly moving right, 443 yard Par 4, is lined with trees down both sides of the fairway, while offering a great view of the Wynn Resort in the background.
away to its rear. The first of four Par 5’s on the course is also its’ longest at 560 yards when arriving at No. 6. The hole plays to a slight dogleg right, with three fairway bunkers staggered left and right starting at the 240 yard mark from the back tees. Homes and trees line both sides of the fairway, narrowing up the landing area as well. The second shot offers a go at the green for the big hitters, but is well guarded by bunkers along the way, with the first 90 yards short of the green on the right and then the front entrance to the green is split by a large bunker system. The green is wide and slopes slightly downward from the big bunker at its front.
S e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 Various pine trees and olive groves greatly 4
add to the character of the course as you soon find yourself at the finishing hole to the front nine, a seemingly docile, 484 yard Par 5, but don’t let the yardage deceive you – there is plenty of trouble lying ahead. As you head back towards the Las Vegas Strip in the background, your tee shot at the ninth seems to offer a gauntlet of bunkers starting at the 250 yard mark, with the first jetting out into the middle of the fairway. Two more bunkers on the right are perfectly placed to add to the difficulty of your tee continued on page 6
The gorgeous Par 3 seventh sits snuggled between beautiful homes on the right and LVCC’s practice facilities on its left.
6 LAS VEGAS COUNTRY CLUB
G O L F continued from page 5 S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
shot. If you can fly it over that first bunker, you will be left with only about 200 yards to the green, even less for the big hitters. But again, trouble awaits between you and the green and a monumental decision must be made – lay up short of the mote surrounding the green on three sides or give it a go and hope you find the putting surface or leave yourself with a delicate chip from behind the green. Three bunkers are then positioned greenside; two right and one left. Now for the next obstacle at No. 9 – the green, which is very deep and gently slopes down to a swale in its center. The green then quickly slopes back up, forming a tier on the back right reaches, making birdie here definitely not automatic! Heading to the back nine, let’s begin with hole No. 11, a slightly moving right, 443 yard Par 4, lined with trees down both sides
of the fairway. A bunker guards the left starting 250 yards from the tee and water is present on the right at this point as well, with two bunkers buffering to help keep you dry. Your second shot is to a wide green with three bunkers. The putting surface offers three distinct levels, front left, back right and a tier back center with the clubhouse hovering in the background. The fourteenth is another of the solid Par 3’s at The Las Vegas Country Club as it runs adjacent to the Par 5 third. You are faced with water tee to green, so make sure you hit enough club, but the green flares back to front, giving you a very receptive surface and a great look at your target. Greenside bunkers are placed left, right and center back. The deep green offers a lower level in the front, then the rest of the green levels out, gently sloping back to front. The finishing three holes at The LVCC offer one of the best and most recognizable stretches in Las Vegas golf, as it has seen a lot of TV time over the years. The sixteenth is a straightaway, 458 yard Par 4. Again, a gauntlet of bunkers awaits, with three left and two right starting at the 260 mark. Many of the lavish hotels of the
The 205 yard seventeenth, plays as the longest Par 3 on the course and with the beautiful Westgate Las Vegas Hotel & Casino as its backdrop.
Strip hover in the background as your approach is to one of the largest greens on the course, with the fairway gently sloping up to the putting surface. Three bunkers wrap themselves around the green, making this one of the toughest test on the course. Next is the 205 yard seventeenth, playing as the longest Par 3 on the course and with the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel & Casino as its backdrop. Water spans the entire width of the green as bunkers are found left, right and back. The green again has three distinct sections, front left, back left and then lower right. If you managed to hit the green, but in the wrong section, you just may be in for a tough time on this exceptional Par 3. The last at The Las Vegas Country Club is a sweeping right, 525 yard Par 5. Your tee shot is somewhat blind from the back tees, so for you first timers, it may be a little tough knowing how much you want to challenge the right side of the fairway. But if you can avoid the bunker on the right at the 260 yard mark, you can take advantage of the downward sloping fairway that can set you up with great position for a go at
7 the green and a chance for a finishing eagle putt. For those laying up short of the pond guarding the green, bunkers also await in front of the pond. Make sure you leave yourself with a comfortable yardage for your short approach, which can be as short as 40 yards if desired. Your target is then very wide and is buffered in the back by two large bunkers. The green is ridged in its center and then slopes down to the left and right. A great finishing hole that can be very rewarding or very cruel. The Las Vegas Country Club also offers four championship outdoor hard courts next to the clubhouse and two indoor courts at the Tennis Pavilion. With indoor and outdoor courts, members can practice their tennis all year long, no matter the weather. LVCC also has a full service pro shop for any racket needs or gear. In addition to the newly renovated 18-hole golf course and the six tennis courts, The Las Vegas Country Club offers a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, a new state of the art fitness facility and a racquetball court. The clubhouse includes the Dining Room, Lounge, Private Bar, Member Grille and Outdoor Terrace, all with
The beautiful entrance at Las Vegas Country Club welcomes you to one of the most recognizable facilities in southern Nevada.
exquisite service. An event lawn has been added facing a lake with a cascading waterfall b a c k d ro p , p e r f e c t for member events, cocktail parties, outside weddings and business out ings. Plus, what’s the point of a country club without bei n g s o c i a l ? LV C C puts on year-round socials to celebrate the holidays such as wine tastings, 4th o f J u l y f i re w o r k s , kids’ events and many more. Whether a Vegas resident, visitor, golf fanatic or just a newbie, there are multiple membership options that can suit your needs, so why not give them a call today to talk about all of the possibilities!
G O L F S O U T H W E S T —
The Las Vegas Country Club 3000 Joe W . Brown Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89109 702-734-1132 www.lasvegascc.com
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8 G O L F S O U T H W E S T
Cobra Golf’s Baffler F or over 40 years, COBRA Golf has been at the forefront of innovative design in bringing golfers new and exciting products. The COBRA Baffler debuted back in 1975 and has been going strong ever since. Here is a timeline of its progression:
1973 • Club designer and former Australian amateur golf champ, Thomas Crow, founds a — small golf club company and names it COBRA Golf. S
e p 1975 t • Develops the “Baffler” - the first utility e wood. It introduces a new category of clubs, m plus sets the standard for future COBRA b product development. The Baffler has a e r patented sole-plate design that’s effective
from various lies.
2 0 1 1998 4 • Fall, COBRA launches the Baffler LP fair-
way metal and a new Baffler utility metal. The Baffler LP combines the benefits of offset with the unique Baffler sole design and a sleek, shallow face profile. The Baf-
fler utility wood, like the original, helps golfers get the ball out of fluffy lies, hard pan and buried lies.
2004 • COBRA launches the Baffler utility metals that are designed to provide the trajectory and distance of a fairway metal with the control of an iron. The unique contoured sole plate and low CG provide long, straight shots from any lie. 2005 • Three new King COBRA Baffler Utility Metals come out, including the Baffler 1/R and 6/R for men and seniors and 7/R for women. The King COBRA Baffler line is currently the No. 1-selling line of utility metals at on-course retailers. 2006 • COBRA debuts the King COBRA Baffler DWS and King COBRA Baffler Pro that promote a fairway wood’s high launch, forgiveness and distance, and an iron’s playability and control. The Baffler DWS features a new Dual Weighting System, while the Baffler Pro is the first Baffler for accomplished players wanting a non-offset, versatile long-iron alternative. 2007 • October, COBRA launches the 2008 King COBRA Baffler DWS and Baffler Pro. The Baffler DWS has a higher MOI and lower-and-deeper CG than its predecessor, creating COBRA’s most forgiving, longest-hitting utility metal ever. 2010 • April, COBRA introduces the sleek-looking, stainless steel Baffler Rail Hybrid featuring a thin, high-strength maraging steel clubface that’s designed to increase ball speed, and combined with stronger lofts, bolster distance. It has a new four-way rail sole and 9-Point Face Technology, as well. 2014 • COBRA introduces the Baffler XL Fairways and Hybrids, designed with the specific intent to make golf easier. The most forgiving and easy-to-hit fairways and hybrids COBRA has ever made. COBRA Golf is continuing to make golf easier. Easy to hit it far, easy to hit it straight and, most importantly, easy to enjoy the game. The new Baffler® XL Fairways and Hybrids feature a new, high MOI Tungsten Perimeter design with oversized rails to make the most forgiving and easiest to hit Bafflers COBRA has ever created. “The Baffler XL Fairways and Hybrids were designed with the specific intent to make golf easier,”
commented Tom Preece, Vice President of Research and Development. “We achieved that through the combination of a high MOI clubhead, low CG, pronounced rails and increased Tungsten in the perimeter. All of these technologies work together to increase ball speed, lower spin, improve confidence at address and ultimately make the ball go farther, helping to make golf easier and more enjoyable.” OVERSIZED RAILS • Provide smooth turf interaction through less surface drag on the sole and leading edge for consistently higher launch and longer distance from all lies. HIGH MOI TUNGSTEN WEIGHTING • 20 grams of tungsten positioned low and back in the head to deliver high moI and forgiveness for more distance and consistency on off-center hits. LOW CG AND SHALLOW FACE DESIGN • High trajectory with lower spin for easy distance from any lie. The Baffler XL Men’s Fairways are available in 13, 16, 18 and 20 degree models, with Women’s lofts in 18, 20 and 22 degrees. XL Hybrids offer 17, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 degrees in the men’s model, with women’s lofts in 22, 25, 28, 31 and 34 degrees. Most lofts are available in both left and right hand models.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE UGA/PGA Tournament Schedule September 2014 September 3
• Valley View State Women’s Chicago,Valley View GC
September 4
• American First Davis Park Open, Davis Park GC • Toana Vista Rainbow/Peppermill/Montego Bay 2-Man Scramble, Toana Vista GC • The Grandmother’s, Oquirrh Hills
September 5
• The Ranches Senior Amateur, The Ranches GC • Hideout Couples Fall Classic, The Hideout GC
September 6
• Vox Marketing Central Utah Amateur, East Bay GC • Canyon Breeze 2-Person 27 Hole, Canyon Breeze GC • Geico 2-Man Scramble, Eaglelake GC
September 6-7
September 8-9
• Utah Section PGA Assistant Championship, Victory Ranch, Park Meadows
September 9
• Shriners Hospital Charity, Birch Creek GC
September 12
• Glen Eagle 4-Man Scramble, Glen Eagle GC
September 13
• UGA Tournament of Champions, Soldier Hollow GC • Coral Cliffs 1-Person Scramble, Coral Cliffs GC • Sunset View Farm Bureau Delta 2-Man 27 Holes, Sunset View GC • Forest Dale Two-Man Scramble, Forest Dale GC • Dinaland 2-Man, Dinaland GC • Paradise 2-Lady Scramble, Paradise GC
September 14
• Oquirrh Hills Ivey Fore CF, Oquirrh Hills GC
• Moab Steak and Sudsfest Mixed Bestball, Moab GC
September 15
• Cedar Ridge Senior Amateur, Cedar Ridge GC
September 16
September 8
• Jeremy 2-Man Scramble, The Jeremy Ranch • Riverbend Rally for the Cure, Riverbend GC
September 15-17
• Utah Section PGA Championship/PNC & Pro-Am, Toana Vista GC
September 19
• Birch Creek Fall 2-Man Scramble, Birch Creek GC • Green River Melon Days 3-Man Scramble, Green River GC • Moab Red Rocks Amateur, Moab GC
September 20
• Canyon Hills 1-Man Scramble, Canyon Hills GC • Palisade Amateur, Palisade State Park GC • Canyon Breeze 1-Person Scramble, Canyon Breeze GC
• Riverbend 2-Man Scramble, Riverbend GC • Eagle Mountain 3-Man Scramble, Eagle Mountain GC • Bountiful Ridge McDonald’s Lone Wolf, Bountiful Ridge GC
9 G O L F
S O September 22 • Toana Vista Rainbow/Peppermill/Montego U Bay 2-Person Mixed Scramble, Toana Vista T H GC W • Wolf Creek Two-Lady Shamble Scramble, E Wolf Creek GC S September 22-23 T
• UGA Four-Ball Championship, Hubbard GC
September 25
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• Sand Hollow Open, Sand Hollow Resort
S e September 27 p • Coral Cliffs “5 0f Clubs”, Coral Cliffs GC t • Cove View 2-Man 27 Hole (Scramble/Best e m Ball/Alternate Shot), Cove View GC • 17th Annual Norm Rackley Memorial, Moun- b e tain View GC r
• Ben Lomond Pepsi Challenge 4-Ball, Ben Lomond GC • Sky Mountain Hurricane City Amateur, Sky Mountain GC • Oquirrh Hills Elks Camp Wapiti, Oquirrh Hills GC
Southern Nevada Schedule (SNGA) September 24
• Rally for the Cure, TPC Las Vegas • SNGA Tour – 7-Club Event, Silverstone GC
October 2
• Shriners Hospital Section Qualifier, Boulder Creek GC
October 4-5
• 2-Day Virgin Valley Amateur, Casablanca GC
For Full Schedule See
www.Golf-Southwest.com
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10 G O L F
GOLF TIPS
A Simple Solution to Becoming a Better Ball Striker us to either stick the club head straight into the ground or pick it up and go right over the top of the golf ball. However with all that being said you are in luck as there is a very simple and easy solution to ensuring that your ball position is in the correct spot every single time. This solution has to do with utilizing the logo on your shirt as a reference tool (for right handed golfers with the logo on the left side of the chest). For our golf swing we will only need to use two ball positions:
S O U T H W E S T
1. This ball position is for our hybrids, irons and wedges 2. This ball position is for our fairway woods and driver
— S e p t e m b e r 2 By Ryan Mills, PGA 0 Revere Golf Club 1 4
I
n order to become a consistent ball striker you must have a consistent ball position. A lot of amateur golfers don’t pay much attention when it comes to choosing their ball position. This is one of the most crucial steps in your set-up and if done incorrectly can lead to a poor shot even if you’ve made a good swing! Yes, you read that correctly - a bad ball position with a good swing will almost always lead to a poor shot. The reason for this all has to do with the length of the golf club. Our golf swing moves up and down like an elongated “U” shape, which means that there is always going to be a point in that “U” where the club head will bottom out. We always want the ball to be placed just in front of that point where the club head will bottom out. This will ensure that we get the club head underneath the golf ball in order to get it up in the air and strike it as close to the center of the club face as possible. The most common issue with amateur golfers is they will either play the ball too far forward or too far back in their stance. A lot of this has to do with the fact that over time their swing has either changed and they’ve attempted to adjust it in order to make good contact or quite simply they lack the proper education on how to set-up correctly. A ball position that is too far back will most often lead to either a topped or bladed shot. This is because the club head hasn’t had enough time to get back to the bottom of our “U” shape and therefore drops down on top of the golf ball rather than underneath. A ball position that is too far forward can lead to either a chunked or topped shot. This has to do with the fact that the club head has already reached the bottom of the “U” shape but the ball is so far forward the club head can’t reach it thus leaving
Hybrids, Irons and Wedges The most common ball position for golfers with these clubs is right in the middle of their stance. While this is very understandable, because it makes the most sense, I can tell you right now this is not the right spot. The reason being is that for these golf clubs the middle of our stance is where the club head will reach the bottom of that “U”. The problem with that is there is a golf ball already occupying that space and we end up coming down right on top of the golf ball. You might have recently heard an interview with Lee Westwood on the Golf Channel talking about his ball position being just forward of center, which is the correct ball position we want for these clubs. To consistently get ourselves into this position we can utilize the logo on our shirts. If we were looking down on that logo we would want to place that ball in between the right side of that logo and the buttons on your shirt. Please see the image 1. In the picture on the left you will notice the white stick in between the student’s legs. If you were to trace that white stick up you will notice that it falls just to the right of the buttons on his shirt. This means that his ball postion is just forward of center and he has set himself up to hit a succesful shot.
Photo 1
Fairway Woods and Driver The ball postion with our woods is incredibly important due to the fact that the length of these clubs can make it difficult to control them during our golf swing and by having a good ball position it can make it easier to ensure at the very least we make good solid contact. Because of how long these clubs are it means that the club head will need more time to get back to the groud, thus making our “U” shape even wider. Utilizing the logo on our shirt again we can use that to help find our correct ball position with these clubs. Again if we were looking down at our shirt we will want to focus on the left side of the logo. We will always want to try and place the ball somewhere in between the left side of the logo and our armpit. Please reference image 2. You will notice that the white stick in between the student’s legs is placed very closely to his forward foot. If we were to draw a line up from that stick we will discover that it is just inside his armpit. This means that the ball position is placed just in front of where the club head will bottom out ensuring him the best possible chance of making good contact. Final Thoughts So remember in order to give yourself the best chance of making good consistent contact you must have not only the correct ball position but a consistent ball position. You can utilize the very simple procedure of placing the ball either to the left of the logo on your shirt or to the right of the logo on your shirt depending on what club you are hitting. I hope that you find this tip very helpful, good luck! About the Author Ryan Mills is the 1st Assistant Golf Professional and lead instructor at the Revere Golf Club in Henderson, NV. Ryan graduated from Methodist University’s PGM Program in 2011 and was elected to PGA of America in 2012. Ryan is also an Associate Member of the Proponent Group, which is a network that comprises of some of the best golf instructors in the country .He can be reached at rmills@reveregolf.com or 702.617.5710
Photo 2
11
TaylorMade’s SLDR Mini Driver The 3-Wood As You Know It No Longer Exists
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our pros and elite golfers needed a club with the accuracy of a 3-wood, but built specifically to hit longer than one off the tee. Make way for the SLDR Mini Driver. It’s a whole new breed of club like you’ve never seen before. And the results are anything but mini. What’s even better, everything that makes the Mini Driver long and accurate off the tee makes it long and accurate from the fairway too. That’s why you’re going to want to replace your 3-wood with it. TaylorMade noticed that TOUR pros and better amateurs hit their 3-wood off the tee a lot more frequently than from the fairway, so they embraced that insight and created a new golf club that incorporates their cutting edge metalwood technology, including the distance-enhancing Speed Pocket and sized it between a 3-wood and their 460cc driver. At 260cc, the SLDR Mini Driver’s footprint is larger and face deeper, than a 160cc 3-wood. That gives you more stability and forgiveness on mis-hits and allows you to tee the ball higher, which makes it easier to launch off the tee than a 3-wood. The SLDR Mini Driver has a low-forward CG like the rest of TaylorMade’s SLDR metalwoods and a Speed Pocket too, which promotes more ball speed and less spin to give you more distance when you loft up. In addition, the SLDR Mini Driver’s relatively short shaft (43.5” compared to 45.5” for the average driver) gives you the added clubhead control necessary to help you hit the ball straighter. And there’s more. The Mini Driver’s sole, smaller than a driver’s, is designed to make it easy to hit this club off the deck. That’s why, even though it’s called a SLDR Mini Driver, you’re going to want to replace your 3-wood with it. Then you’ll have a great option for long, accurate tee shots when placement in the fairway is vital. So you’ve got the perfect club for getting home in two on those previously unreachable Par-
5s. Because everything that makes the SLDR Mini Driver long and accurate off the tee makes it long and accurate off the turf too. There are two models, Standard and TP. The Standard model is equipped with a lighter, driverweight shaft, while the TP has a heavier, 3-wood-weight shaft. For many players, the lowest lofted fairway wood in the bag, usually one with 15 degrees of loft or less, has become at best a club of compromise and at worst, somewhat useless. Here’s the problem: As fairway woods have gotten longer, they’ve become much more difficult to hit off the ground for average golfers. In addition, as better players are hitting the driver increasingly farther, the need to hit a 3-wood off the deck is far and few between, if ever. So there are two resulting scenarios: Average players have a fairway wood they struggle to hit from the fairway or better players have a 3-wood they don’t need to hit off the fairway. In either case, the newest versions of these fairway woods boast the technology of thinner, hotter faces that promise more distance through lower spin and higher launch. But the technology that would make these clubs an ideal choice as a secondary option for tee shots isn’t as easy to use because many of these clubs have been designed for use primarily off the fairway. All the elements that make a club more useful off the fairway (shallower face, smaller overall size) are either u n n e c e s s a r y, counterproductive or even intimidating when you ask a player to hit that same club off a tee. TaylorMade’s new SLDR Mini
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2
Driver is the company’s answer to the issue of 0 1 making a fairway wood that acts more like a 4 driver. SLDR Mini is among the largest fairway woods on the market, checking in at 260 cubic centimeters. That’s larger than the titanium drivers of the mid-1990s. The extra size is designed to make the club more stable on off-center hits compared to most average fairway woods, which typically are a third smaller in size or more. The larger face also makes it easier to achieve a larger area of maximum flexibility for the highest ball speeds and more distance. SLDR Mini is made of high-strength steel and features the similar low-spin-producing center of gravity location found on the SLDR drivers. The idea with a low-forward CG is that shots launch higher with less spin, two keys to optimizing distance at any ball speed. In addition, the lowforward CG is better aligned with the center of the face to produce better energy transfer. The higher loft of a fairway wood might even make it easier for average golfers to get shots launched more optimally than with a driver. The shorter shaft vs. the driver (43.5 inches on the SLDR Mini vs. 45.5 inches on the SLDR) might also help average golfers more consistently contact the center of the face and return the clubface to square at impact. The club also features the now familiar slot in the sole near the leading edge that’s designed to improve ball speed on shots hit lower on the face. SLDR Mini is available in three lofts (12, 14 and 16 degrees) and two versions. The standard version features the same Fujikura 57 shaft found in the SLDR, though two inches shorter. A TP version also is available and features a Fujikura Motore Speeder 7.3 shaft and is built to a heavier, D5 swing weight.
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DINING
G O L F
Italian American Club
S O U T H W E S T
Story and photos by Steve Mayer
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f you want to eat some great Italian food, head over to the Italian American Club. This is the real deal Italian. This gem has been open since 1960, started by local Italian-Americans to celebrate their heritage. I met with the current club president, Angelo Cassaro, and he briefed me on the history of the club and the recent revitalization to establish it as one of the best Italian eateries in Las Vegas. The club was originally an exclusive social club for Italian men and attracted some old school Las Vegas entertainers and celebrities. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Durante, Perry Como, Joe DiMaggio, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme, to name a few. There is a “wall of fame” just inside the front door, with framed pictures of the celebrities that have patronized and supported the club. The swanky “men’s club” first allowed women to join in 1990, but now you don’t even have to be of Italian heritage to become a member. The Italian American Club operates the oldest Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas. The restaurant is now open to the public, but still has that sort of old world vintage-Vegas “family” Italian feel. It is the perfect place for a romantic meal, a family dinner, or a few drinks and a great meal with some friends. Once you enter the foyer and are greeted by the hostess you instantly feel welcomed with none of the pretentiousness of some other “members clubs”. Hey, the Italians are a friendly group, and boy they love to eat and drink. “Everyone
is treated like family here”, states Angelo. “Everyone is welcome, young or old, Italian or not, we’re all family.” He calls it “the swankiest supper club in town”. It does, in fact, have a unique feel with a jukebox in the large bar area, and live entertainment nightly. Ben Spano manages the restaurant and has a very talented executive chef in Guillermo Perez, “chef Memo”. Chef Memo was the chef from another of my favorite Italian eateries, Fellini’s. Ben surveys his kingdom, going from table to table and making sure everyone is happy and the service exceptional. He has added some of his recipes to the menu, which is chock full of Italian favorites with sumptuous appetizers, tasty soups and salads, pasta specialties, seafood, chicken and beef entrees, and decadent deserts. Let’s get into some of the food that I tried, and I was fortunate to try quite a few items. First up was the stuffed banana peppers. The fresh sweet, spicy peppers were presented two ways. Some were stuffed with anchovy flavored ricotta cheese, and the others were halved and covered with home-made Italian sausage and covered with melted cheese. These babies are really tasty and right then I knew it was going to be a great meal. Then came the sautéed calamari. The generous portion of breaded calamari was sautéed and tossed with tangy cherry peppers. This was the most tender, succulent calamari I have ever tasted. Perfecto! The escarole and beans wound up the appetizer tastings. The meaty, tender Cannellini beans together with the savory escarole are really classic Italian fare and work together perfectly. This is great Italian comfort food. Of special note also is the crab tower. I did not get to try this, but man anytime crab and tower
Angelo Cassaro flanked by honorary members Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
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are mentioned together I get excited. The Caesar salad was really over the top. The bowl is a star shaped crispy cheese shell, brimming with crunchy romaine hearts, classic homemade dressing, and topped with anchovy fillets. This was zesty and refreshing with tons of flavor. Next course was pasta! The Penne Rustica was hearty Caesar Salad and well, rustic. The quill shaped pasta and rapini are tossed with toasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a generous amount of their homemade Italian sausage. The flavors blend perfectly and I really enjoyed it. The rigatoni putanesca was a tube shaped pasta, with onions, garlic, and capers in a chunky tomato sauce. There is a nice kick of spice in the herb laced sauce which adds depth and character Tiramisu to this flavorful pasta. I am getting full again just thinking about it! The chicken piccatta was nice and tender, with a delectable white wine sauce with just enough lemon, and a sprinkling of capers over the top. The dish was
accompanied by an assortment of vegetables and roasted potatoes. Angelo then insisted we try their signature dish, the sole parmigiano. This is in my “you must try” category of all-time great dishes. It is incredible. The sole is pan fried with a crispy panko crust. It is then draped with a rosemary-caper sauce and served with “Alla Checca” pasta. The angel hair pasta is tossed with fresh Roma tomatoes, spinach with toasted garlic, and fresh basil. The pasta complimented the fish perfectly, but the fish and the sauce, WOW, this is really special. The fish is incredibly fresh and super tender, melt in your mouth, with that crunch of breading, and the sauce. That’s what I am talking about. To wash all this wonderful food down the wine list is super approachable. There are imported and domestic whites and reds at a fraction of the price you would expect at other restaurants. Most wines are in the $20 to $50 a bottle range and I enjoyed a nice bottle of California Cabernet from Healdsburg at $32. They also have a full bar complete with homemade lemoncello, and select beers. What is an Italian meal without dessert? Well not to be even thought about I was told. Out came the tiramisu and that Italian favorite cannoli. The tiramisu, an ageless favorite layered with mascarpone, ladyfingers, espresso, and Belgian cocoa, is velvety goodness. Our waiter, Renee, insisted we try the “best cappuccino in town”, and he was right! The cannoli was crunchy, creamy and decadent. The evening turned out to be more of an Italian experience than just a meal. The food was prepared and presented at a very high level. The service was some of the best, most informative, friendly, and personal I have received in some time. Everyone is so friendly, no wonder all the celebrities love this joint. This coupled with the wine prices make this a no-brainer of a place to come often. There are many Sole Parmigiano other great menu items I did not get to try that I am definitely coming back for. Reservations are a must as this popular local’s spot fills quickly. At 7:30 the nightly live music cranks up, and the atmosphere shifts into another gear. The first Thursday of the month is swing dancin’ time at the swanky supper club soiree! They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 until 10:00 and are Stuffed Banana Peppers located at 2333 E Sahara Avenue. There is a reservation form on line at www.iacvegas.com or call 702-457-3866. Get over to the Italian American Club and get your Italian on, tell them Golf Southwest sent ya.
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14 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
The Barn Golf Club C
ustomer service always seems to be a touch better at a family-owned business. Brothers Kelly and Shon Woodland believe that’s what golfers find when they play The Barn Golf Club in Pleasant View. The Woodlands have owned The Barn for the past seven years. The 20 years previous, their mother Colleen and stepfather, Dean Randall, owned and operated The Barn, located at the base of Ben Lomond Peak. Combined, the Randalls and Woodlands have pretty much greeted and met every golfer in Northern Utah for the past four decades. “One of us is always around here so golfers see the same familiar faces here everyday,” Shon Woodland says. “They know that Dean and Colleen took a lot of pride in how they did things, and they now know that we are doing the same. We deeply care about how we treat the golfers and how this course looks and plays. We work as hard as we can to make sure the course is in great shape, well manicured, and that every golfer has a great experience golfing here.” The Randalls still own the property, but the Woodlands own the golf corporation. The Randalls obtained the property in 1986, at the urging of their sons, after original owners Keith Downs and Ab Sanone decided to sell the golf course property after more than 20 years in operation. Dean and Colleen devoted countless hours of hard work the first several years to rejuvenate the facility and get it back on its feet. Dean still drops in occasionally to oversee small beautification projects. “We basically grew up on this place, and we knew the potential, we knew what the course needed and we knew all the people, so it made sense,” Shon Woodland says. “Kelly worked for the previous owners in the early 70s and I came on board in the late 70s. We knew what the problems and the drawbacks were, but felt like together we could make it work” For years, Kelly, a PGA professional for 43 years, ran the pro shop and Shon worked as the course superintendent. Shon now manages the food and beverage while Kelly’s son Justin is doing an outstanding job as superintendent. Kory, Kelly’s other son, is the assistant and teaching professional. “Our clientele used to mainly be government employees from the IRS, Hill Field and the Defense Depot. But now we have a mix of people from every walk of life and through several generations. And they all have the same love for the game,” Kelly Woodland says. The Barn name is fitting, considering a barn is the first thing golfers see when they enter the parking lot off of Pleasant View Drive. The property is historically significant, operated as farm by the Potter and Schmidt families for decades. The actual barn itself is now a banquet facility and sports pub, with big screen TVs and billiards. It’s open on weekends as a restaurant. The adjacent patio is perfect for weddings, tournaments and other receptions. The barn also houses iGolf, an indoor golf simulator that features more than 30 world-renowned golf courses. Overall, golfers enjoy The Barn’s fairly short and tame layout. But while the holes aren’t overly intimidating, and the terrain is only slightly uphill and downhill, The Barn has plenty of obstacles to present the perfect balance of challenge. Water comes into play on eight holes, and multiple towering and mature trees come into play on every hole. Homes and condos now border several holes. The Barn, with small and slightly elevated greens, also requires a lot of imagination and creativity with the wedges. Chipping is a big part of scoring, and anytime you’re long or pin high either to the right or left, you’ll be chipping to a green about three to four feet above you. “It’s a very playable golf course and always in great condition. It’s a golf course that suits golfers of every skill level,” Shon Woodland says. The Barn is only 6,128 yards from the back tees and 5,800 yards from the whites. It has a course rating of 69.2 from the blue tees and a slope of 117. Every hole on the Par 71 is tree lined.
The Barn name is fitting, considering a barn is the first thing golfers see when they enter the parking lot, serving as a banquet facility and sports pub.
15 Hole No. 1 is a 500-yard dogleg right Par 5 that offers a great chance to open with a birdie, or even an eagle. A huge cottonwood protects the right side, which forces players to hit left off the tee, which brings pine trees and a pond down the left side into play. The second hole is a 355-yard Par 4 that bends sharply to the right about 125 yards from the green. A pond runs all the way down the right side and it’s out of bounds left. Through the fairway and around the green are a series of tall willow trees, and a ditch runs in front of the green. An iron or fairway wood off the tee that leaves a 125-yard wedge shot approach is your best bet on this hole. Hole No. 3, a 521-yard slightly uphill Par 5, has a little of everything. The hole doglegs a bit right off the tee, with large trees down the right side, but left is deep rough and a series of Russian olive trees. Up near the green the hole then doglegs sharply left. To reach the green in two requires a towering second shot over a huge tree and a pond. A bunker keeps shots that land short from rolling back into the pond. The safest way to play the hole is to lay up to the right for a pitch shot to the shallow green. “This hole has more character than any other hole on the golf course. You have to play it certain ways and hit it in the right places, or it’s going to get you,” Shon Woodland says. Four is a slightly uphill 162-yard Par 3 with an elevated green, which is one of the larger and flatter greens on the course. No. 5, a 435-yard Par 4, is the tightest hole on the course, with out of bounds and Pleasant View Drive on the left, trees down the right, and a fairway that narrows severely about 180 yards from the green. The sixth is a downhill 147-yard Par 3. Any shot short or right will likely kick on the green. But any shot to the left will kick down a steep hill and leave a treacherous chip. Straight, believe it or not, might not be the best way
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
The Barn Golf Club offers golfers great playing conditions and exceptional service. to play hole No. 7. The 407-yard Par 4 has an enormous and towering willow tree about 300 yards off the tee. Any drive that is straight and about 250 off the tee will be stymied behind the willow. If you stay a bit left or right of middle you can curve a second shot around the tree. Most choose to stay back far enough to leave room to hit over the tree. The eighth hole is a 175-yard Par 3 over a pond, which
really doesn’t come into play on any shot hit even close to solid. Short and left is better than short and right. No. 9, a 450-yard Par 5, heads back toward the clubhouse and is slightly uphill. The hole looks simple enough but a pond about 250 yards off the continued on page 16
Now is that a perfect picture or what? Green lush fairways, shimmering ponds and a beautiful mountain range as its backdrop as you look back from the first fairway.
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Mature trees and water features give players at The Barn plenty of obstacles to overcome at one of northern Utah’s most popular venues.
THE BARN
continued from page 15 tee forces golfers to lay back for a 200 to 225-yard second shot to a small and elevated green. There is a slight opening to run up a shot on the left, but most approach shots that don’t hit the green will kick farther away. A shot long leaves an impossible chip. The back nine begins with a 187-yard Par 3 that shoots down a line of tall willow trees. A shot left should kick onto the narrow kidney shaped green, but anything right will kick farther right and into a large greenside bunker. The eleventh is a tight 373-yard Par 4. A towering tree about 100 yards from the green forces golfers to think about the out of bounds and homes to the left. No. 12 is a reachable Par 4 for some at 322 yards. But tall trees line the right side and homes are on the left. Hole 13, at 355 yards, is another Par 4 with tree trouble down both sides. The 14th hole is an uphill 144-yard Par 3 with a shallow green. Any shot a little long will likely roll back on to the green, but out of bounds lurks only about 15 yards past the green. No. 15 is a good birdie or eagle opportunity. If you hit it straight the 511-yard Par 5, with trees lining both sides, is reachable in two. Knobs, however, surround the green, so any shot that doesn’t hit the green will leave a difficult chip. The Par 4 16th has out of bounds left, a flood basin left and trees right. This hole also has a bit of a stadium effect with knobs around the green.
No. 9, a 450-yard Par 5, heads back toward the clubhouse and is slightly uphill. The hole looks simple enough but a pond about 250 yards off the tee forces golfers to lay back for a 200 to 225-yard second shot to a small and elevated green.
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The eleventh is a tight 373-yard Par 4. A towering tree about 100 yards from the green forces golfers to think about the out of bounds and homes to the left. Hole No. 17 is a simple 173-yard slightly uphill Par 3. The finishing hole is a 520-yard par 5, doglegs left but a pond and a giant cottonwood protect the left side. The perfect tee shot is one that starts down the right side and draws a bit left to shorten the hole. However, longer hitters can hit it through the fairway right. The postage stamp green is the smallest on the course, with a slope from back to front and a deep bunker on the right side. “You have to hit it straight all the way on this hole. It’s tight off the tee and gets really skinny up by the green. A lot of golfers try to get home here in two, but the green is so small only a few actually get there,” Shon Woodland says. As a part of the Play it Forward program, the Woodlands implemented “family tees” which are represented by yellow and green tee markers located in the
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fairway. The yellow tees play 75 percent shorter than the red tee distance and the green tees are positioned so that smaller children can hit all Par 3s, 4s and 5s in regulation. “For years we have heard parents mention that they will let their kids play from their drive but noticed that not all drives were long or straight. After eight or more swings they would have the kids pick up the ball to keep up the pace of play. We believe with the positioning of the forward green tees the kids can enjoy teeing off well ahead of everyone in the group and still finish the hole with a score around par while staying ahead of groups that are following behind. Once these kids start hitting it up near the green in one shot we recommend that they move back to the yellow tees so that a green in regulation is more realistic. Surprisingly, we have noticed that more seniors and women have
The finishing hole is a 520-yard doglegging left Par 5 with that familiar red-roofed “Barn” in the background.
S e p t started playing the yellow tees as well. It makes for a e more enjoyable experience for all players that aren’t m capable of hitting the ball a long ways and are just out b e to have fun,” Kelly Woodland says. r
The Barn has full practice facilities, with a putting green and driving range, and lessons are available. The course has very active men’s, women’s, couples and junior golf associations. Greens fees range from $26 to walk nine holes to $38 to ride 18 holes on weekdays and $40 on weekends. Discount cards and season passes are available. Discounts are also offered to seniors, juniors and couples. The Barn, with its outstanding banquet facilities, is a popular course for corporate events as well. To book a tee time or for more information call The Barn pro shop at 801-782-7320 or go online to www. thebarngolfclub.com.
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18 G O L F S O U T H W E S T
Bridging the Gap Between Practice and Play
By Mike Malaska – Nicklaus Academies’ The Importance of World-Wide Director of Instruction Footwork in the Golf Swing
— S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
By Mike Malaska
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henever I am going to practice, I’m going out to work on technique. I spend all day finding a feel for the golf course the first straight shop you’ve hit Once you’ve warmed up and finished your weight of the club head or how my left arm Images courtesy of the Nicklaus Academy at practice, DragonRidge www.nicklausacademylasvegas.com all day? you find all the shots you can hit rotates down through impact. As we discussed last month, if you go to that day. Now, take a few moments to relax, When I prepare to compete, I might do all doofnot realize thea student can feel how their weight practice, there’s t h e should n pick up the these thing, but now any I onlyplayers hit a couple checklist that you driver and pick out balls with each drill and each club. move during the golf swing. importance that their feet play go through. you a fyou airway in your The reason for the quicker ‘run through’ is in the golf swing. Your feetIf are Take your regular stance. As go to compete, mind and a new I’m looking to build up my swing and figure the only point of contact begin your back swing, bring your left t h e r the e ’ s a ground differtarget. Go through what will work for me that day. What’s the with and provide the platform from which foot back so it is next to the right. Just ent checklist with your standard preball doing? What shots can I hit? I’m finding a d iis ff e re nt set of shot routine, set up my swing and the arsenal of weapons I have a fundamentally sound swing built as you reach the top of your backswing, desired outcomes. – then hit your drivthat day to compete. step forward to begin the downswing. from. Golf is one of only a few ‘ball and You practice. Or er. Watch where it Complete your swing with yourlands normal stick sports’ (baseball, softball & tennis you play. then put the Can The Range Show Up On The Course? forplanning example) the athlete stance. Notice how difficult it isdriver to ‘spinT h i sdoes b r i n gnot s us down. If you’re to play, where you need to know to the age-old question: How Go get aadrink or takeweight a break. Walk around step swing. As with these other out do ofyou themake shot’ with proper what shots youinto have intheir your arsenal. If you’re what you can in do on the shift. range show on Step for a minute then during grab an iron for your slicing sports, the ball 40 it yards on the range, when is critical that your feet are Useupthe Into or Ittwo Drill the course? approach shot. Set up to another ball, aimyou get up to the first tee, you aim left and your practice sessions, and in time, a synch with your body throughout the Here’s my favorite drill to help. It’s taught ing at a different target, going through your play the slice. You don’t try to hit it straight. proper weight shift intrysynch entire for yet a proper shift. by a number of great teachers. It lets you play routine.that Thenis you to hit thewill target. You haven’t hit swing one straight – so why weight Into It Drill so ofthat the become a round golf on the range. Try it. second nature. Watch where the ball goes again and if would you tryItouse makethe yourStep first shot on the
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This brings us to the age-old question: How do you make what you can do on the range show up on the course?
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 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r
it’s on the green, in your mind, you can make a putt and move on to the ‘next hole’. If it’s not close, you give yourself a few seconds, set another ball down and hit the chip shot or the pitch shot. After the shot, put the club away. Then take a break for a couple of minutes and pull out your driver again – or maybe an iron for a Par 3. You pick another target. You take aim and you hit it. As you work on this drill on the range, pay attention to shot shapes and ball flight. If you see that your swing and your shots are consistent – you have control of the trajectory and where the ball is going – then you can start to expect that what you’re working on will show up on the course. If you find you’re struggling to hit the ball solidly or in the right direction, then you shouldn’t anticipate what happens on the range, hitting multiple balls is going to hold up when you play a round out on the course. As you’re playing this game, watch not only the shots you hit well, but also your misses. Playing on the course is leaning how to play your misses, as well as your best shots. Whoever mis-hits the ball the best out on the course wins! The Pressure of Playing on the Course Assessing yourself honestly isn’t an attempt to put yourself down. This is just a reality check – an evaluation of where your game can actually function, relative to play. During the pressure of a round, your swing will tend to ‘break down’ or revert back to your original swing. As you train yourself on the range to replace the old habits with more advanced techniques, you can expect some im-
provement for the first few holes. It may even last the entire front nine. However, as you continue through a round, the tendency is for your old habits to return. This is the nature of golf and the reason it is such a challenge. On the course, you tend to hit harder and expect more. As the holes continue, it becomes likely that the new habits won’t hold. What do you do now? Remember the process. When habits are still new, you have very little chance of compensating. Once new skills leave, they tend to vanish completely. So before you expect to conquer the course with newly learned technique, you should first look to conquer ‘playing’ on the range. And yes, I feel your pain. Test – Before You Move On The key to practice is motivation. The key to motivation is to see improvement. To progress as a complete golfer, it is important to understand your successes on the range, then develop these into accomplishments on the course. D o Yo u H a v e a Checklist for Practice and Play? A well-defined goal is critical when y o u a re p r a c t i c i n g – and before you go to play. Do you under-
2 0 1 s t a n d t h e d i ff e re n c e b e t w e e n w a r m i n g 4
up to practice and preparing to compete? D o y o u f o c u s o n c l u b a n d b a l l c o n t ro l – and how your body moves to assist in that goal? Simulate the golf course. Put time bet w e e n s h o t s . C h a n g e t a rg e t s a n d c l u b s . Can you perform doing this routine? Do you know when you can expect new s k i l l s a n d h a b i t s t o s t a r t w o r k i n g m o re f re q u e n t l y o n t h e c o u r s e ? Every day is an opportunity to start f ro m t h e b e g i n n i n g . Wa r m u p o n y o u r skills through a checklist. Never assume b e c a u s e y o u h a d s u c c e s s y e s t e rd a y t h a t i t w i l l a u t o m a t i c a l l y b e h e re t o d a y. D o you understand why you don’t start with full swings and drivers in your p r a c t i c e s e s s i o n s ? T h e b e s t p l a y e r s re build their games on a daily basis. Do you?
20 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
Riverbend Golf Course S alt Lake County has been in the golf business for over 60 years. Meadow Brook was the first course to open back in 1951 and a dozen years later, Mick Riley GC in Murray became the second. As golf became ever more popular in the valley, my old stomping grounds, Mountain View Golf Course opened in West Jordan in 1969. The county’s ‘big three’ continued to gain popularity with players of all calibers and became the homes to very strong men’s and women’s clubs, hosting Ladies’ Days on Tuesday mornings and Men’s Days at most on Sunday’s throughout the playable months of the year. As the golf boom again started to hit the state in the early 90’s, the County Recreation Department started to whittle down possible locations for more courses to add to their existing core. With the great success and national exposure that Washington City’s Green Spring Golf Course had received since the fall of 1989, the County invested in the services of Gene Bates Golf Design, based in Florida, to create two new courses, Riverbend GC (1994) in the southern Salt Lake valley area of Riverton and Old Mill GC (1998) on the upper, east side. South Mountain Golf Course, in Draper, was also purchased from a group in 1998 and rounds out the golf course holdings for the County. Note: Green Spring GC was the first solo design by Gene Bates in the west, after holding the position of Lead Designer for the Jack Nicklaus Design Group for a half dozen years. Since then, Gene has put his stamp on many new projects
in Utah (Riverbend, Old Mill, TalonsCove, Soldier Hollow and a new facility in the Park City area), as well as redesign work on a few more (Meadow Brook, Gladstan and The Ridge). Each of these new locations would challenge Mr. Bates, as wetlands would have to be preserved and weaved through at the Riverbend project and the ‘old rock The 426 yard Par 4 first hole heads west from the clubhouse as quarry’ would have sage lines the left side and well placed bunkers give you an idea of to be dealt with at Old the designers’ characteristics in his Riverbend creation. Mill. Well, I think it is with the two very different pieces of land that he safe to say that the County made a good decihad to work with for the front and back nine’s. sion in commissioning Gene for both projects, The first hole is a 426 yard Par 4, that from the as they have become two of the most popular back tees, angles left to right with bunkers set on public golf courses in the state. the left starting at the 210 yard mark and then Since I have had the great opportunity to work on the right at 280. There is actually plenty of with Mr. Bates on a couple of projects, I have room in the landing area, but the design gives really grown to appreciate his design work. the illusion that there is not much room to work This month’s review of Riverbend Golf Course with. Sage lines the left side of the hole for much is no exception. Gene has become masterful of its length and white fencing borders the right, in incorporating previously unused wetland acting as the course boundary along its entrance. areas into his designs and really highlighting Your second shot is to a large green that somethem throughout his often, links-style layouts. what wraps around a large bunker centered in At Riverbend, he brought this to life even more
Riverbend Golf Course offers beautiful views as it interacts with the Jordan River bottomlands at the south end of Salt Lake Valley.
21 its front. The putting surface angles right to left, with grassed mounds surrounding the rest of the green. A good starting hole that incorporates many of the designers’ characteristics. Hole No. 2 offers a somewhat blind view of the hole from the tee, so if you have not played the course a lot, it isn’t a bad idea to take a little stroll to get a better look at what lies ahead. Wetlands form on the right side and cut across in front of you and then continue up the left almost too greenside. Also, a long waste bunker borders the edge of the wetlands on the left, helping to form somewhat of a buffer between the fairway and marsh. There is a fairway bunker visible on the right in the distance, but if you use it as a target, you will add yards to your second shot that in turn make the 432 yard Par 4 hole play much longer than needed. The green is then slightly elevated, angling left to right with a big bunker front right that really guards the green well, making it even more important to put your tee shot in position to hit the most lofted club possible into the green. Another unique facet of the second is the green then forms three distinct areas – front, back-left and back-right making birdie a little tough to come by! Now we come to the third, a very solid, 170 yard Par 3. Water awaits on the left starting just in front of the forward tees and continues all the way to the back of the green. A large bunker also guards the right side, so you better make one of your best swings of the day to get it on the putting surface. Once there, you find that the green is almost three clubs deep, making club selection critical in your quest of getting it close to the pin. The green gently slopes down to its center and then back up to a tier that forms on the back portion. The sixth is the first of four Par 5’s at Riverbend and again, Bates uses depth perception to lure you into possibly making a wrong decision.
Water starts at the tees on the right and continues the full length of the hole as it cuts across the fairway at about the 300 yard mark, then up the left side and to the back of the green in the d i s t a n c e . F ro m t h e championship tees, positioned some 60 yards back, you are faced with a forced carry of the water to a somewhat blind landThe sixth is the first of four Par 5’s at Riverbend and again, Bates ing area. One option uses depth perception to lure you into possibly making a wrong that is then presented decision. is to take aim at the long waste bunker in big numbers on your scorecard. the distance on the right, but many have abanThat hillside that I mentioned on the right doned that possibility because of the OB stakes runs the full length of the hole and along with that line the right side of the bunker, making the rolling moguls in the fairway, can sometimes the possible reward of a shorter second shot not make for some interesting bounces and lies. worth the risk. Also, the left side of the fairway then drops off The second shot for most players will then be about 25 feet to the lower level of the eighteenth over the narrow wetland area that cuts across fairway that runs parallel to the eighth. So again, the fairway and then continues on the left side. accuracy from the tee is very important! The fairway then picks back up and offers plenty The second shot for many will be a long iron or of room with just a small bunker on the left at hybrid to a deep, narrow green that is guarded about the 140 yard mark to the green. Another by two bunkers on its left. The green has plenty greenside bunker guards the left-front with of movement throughout, but still the eighth grassed mounds then surrounding the rest of the offers you one of the best birdie opportunities green. The green angles right to left and raises of the round. to the center slightly, then slopes slowly down No. 9 offers another good scoring opportunity to a tough left pin location at times, making as it measures a shortish 369 yards from the back birdie here not that easy to achieve but doable. tees. The hole runs parallel to the eighth, but After completing the 394 yard, Par 4 seventh, it in the opposite direction, but because you are is back past the clubhouse as you work your way now back up on the upper level of the course, off of the plateau that the clubhouse and 10 of you cannot see the eighth because of the thick the holes at Riverbend site on, to the lower level growth that separates the two holes. There is a of the rest of the course. Your tee shot on the Par bunker down the left side at 250 yards that acts 5 eighth is from as a good target as the hole then slowly doglegs slightly elevatto the right. The big hitter can get it pretty close ed tees that are to the green, but many will lay back to about 100 surrounded by yards, leaving a full sand wedge to the green lush, growth and that offers a great target and a mild slope from towering trees, a back to front on its left side, kind of a dart board completely difaffect that will have you licking your chops in a ferent look from quest for birdie! The green then slopes up to its t h e re s t o f t h e center and forms a tier as it angles left to right. course. Now at I usually like to talk about three or four holes a length of only on each nine when I do reviews of courses, but 500 yards, you in some cases, that is a tough rule to follow, as might think that is the case at Riverbend. I really like the variety the eighth would of hole designs that Gene uses and as with most be a push-over of the courses that he has created, repetition is and sometimes not an issue and you will come away from the it is, but there Water awaits on the left starting just in front of the forward tees at the course with a very good recollection of the great are still plenty very solid, 170 yard Par 3 third. A large bunker also guards the right side, design work that he incorporates throughout. of possible sceas you need to muster one of your best swings of the day to get it on the narios that can continued on page 22 putting surface. make for some
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
22 RIVERBEND
G O continued from page 21 L F He is very consistent in his approach and as you S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
play a few of his layouts, you will soon notice every time you play them, a definite mark of a good architect. After a quick stop at the snack bar for a little pick-me-up at the turn, it’s off to the back nine, which starts with the picturesque tenth, a 398 yard Par 4 that drops almost 100 feet from its elevated tees to the fairway below. The next six holes are positioned on this lower level of the course as well. With the extra distance that you will receive from the elevation drop, the tenth will help to keep you on that ‘birdie binge’. If you can keep it out of the long waste bunker that lines the right side of the fairway, you will be left with a short iron to one of the largest greens on the course, which is also one of the most level as well. The 577 yard, Par 5 eleventh is the longest hole on the course and for almost all, plays as a three shot hole, as it incorporates a double dogleg – first left around the fencing that borders the Jordan River, then back to the right as it narrows between the river on the left and wetlands on the right. With the wetlands straight ahead of you, visually from the tee, big hitters either need to lay up or flirt with the river left to keep it in
Holes 16 and 17 again raise up to the upper level of the course, with the Par 4 sixteenth full of plenty of demands from the tee and the short, Par 3 seventeenth, which plays the shortest on the course at 135 yards, but as mentioned is up on the plateau, opening itself up to swirling winds from seemingly every direction. the fairway. If shorter hitters don’t quite catch their tee shot, their second will force about a 200+ yard carry or a layup to the corner of that second dogleg. Another Note: Don’t be surprised with a visit from a local family of ‘friendly foxes’ that often make an appearance and sometimes help themselves to a treat or two from your cart while you are away hitting your shot on the 11 th hole! Once you make it over the wetlands on your hopefully second shot, the hole opens back up.
There is a bunker left about 145 yards short of the green and then another left, greenside. The green is again large, with gentle slopes throughout. Driver, 3-wood, 50 yard sand wedge had me putting for birdie once again! Most of Bates’ layouts that I have had the pleasure of playing have at least one monster Par 4 and then a drivable one to work with your mind a little. That is the case again at Riverbend, but in this instance, they just happen to be back-toback with No. 12 playing 497 yards from the tips and the thirteenth at 304 yards. If you happen to play the course when the north wind is picking up a little, all I can say is you better make a birdie on #13 to make up for your score at the 12 th! The Par 3 fifteenth is another beautiful creation by Mr. Bates, as wetlands engulf about 80% of the hole. Your tee shot is a total carry from the seemingly isolated tees, although the fairway does pick back up about 30 yards short of the green on the right. But a sagebrush hill side awaits on the right that plays as a lateral hazard. Once you reach the green, an even bigger obstacle awaits as the ‘LARGE’, rolling putting surface After a quick stop at the snack bar for a little pick-me-up at the turn, it’s off to the back nine, which forms a level tier in starts with the picturesque tenth, a 398 yard Par 4 that drops almost 100 feet from its elevated tees to t h e f ro n t a n d t h e n the fairway below. The next six holes are positioned on this lower level of the course as well. slopes downward to
23 its back two-thirds, really opening up both to the left and right sections. To say the least, you may be faced with a very challenging putt or two or three. Holes 16 and 17 again raise up to the upper level of the course, with the Par 4 sixteenth full of plenty of demands from the tee and the short, Par 3 seventeenth, which plays the shortest on the course at 135 yards, but as mentioned is up on the plateau, opening itself up to swirling winds from seemingly every direction. A short ride back down to the lower section of the course brings you to the 565 yard Par 5 eighteenth and sadly, to the end of your round. The back tees are isolated and elevated, but the rest of the hole then plays slightly up hill. Wetlands await on the right, with another of the long waste bunkers buffering them the full length, tee to green. With the eighth hole running the opposite direction on the left, the fairway begins to narrow as you work your way to the green. Because of this, many will layup with a mid to long iron for their second shot, leaving themselves with about 100 yards for their third. The green is wide with a large bunker guarding much of its surface in the front. Another small bunker is present back, left. The green then forms a tier on the right side, with the rest of the green incorporating a ton of movement. A very good finishing hole to a great round of golf.
Head Golf Professional, Brent Baldwin and his staff do an excellent job dealing with a steady stream of daily play, men’s and ladies’ c l u b s , j u n i o r p ro grams and hosting high school golf teams from all over the valley. Brent also does a great job of stocking the shop with great clothing and equipment choices. The clubhouse also houses a grille area that is open daily with a menu focusing on breakfast and lunch items, with indoor and outdoor seating available. Riverbend’s semi-links style layout, situated above and along the banks of the Jordan River, offers picturesque views of the Wasatch Front and the beautiful surroundings of the southern Salt Lake Valley. The course is a wonderful mixture of illusionary challenges, with multi-swelled greens that receive shots well and always roll smoothly,
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t making the course a scoreable challenge for e golfers of all levels. Why not give them a call m b today and find out for yourself. e r
Riverbend Golf Course Brent Baldwin – PGA Professional 12800 S. 1040 W . Riverton, Utah 84065 385-468-1460 www.slcountygolf.com/cRiverbend
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24 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
The Ryder Cup T
he 40th Ryder Cup Matches will be held from 26–28 September 2014 on the PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder in Perthshire, Scotland. This will be the second time that Scotland has hosted the Ryder Cup; the competition was held at Muirfield in 1973. Europe enters the contest as the cup holders, having defeated the USA by 14½ points to 13½ in 2012 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Europe also won in 2010 in Wales. The PGA Centenary Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and one of three at Gleneagles, measuring 7,262 yards off the championship tees Tom Watson was named the USA team captain in December 2012. At 65 he will become the oldest Ryder Cup captain; a record currently held by J.H. Taylor who was 62 when he captained the Great Britain team in 1933. Currently the oldest United States captain is Sam Snead who was 57 when he was captain in 1969. Paul McGinley was named the Europe team captain in January 2013. He will be the first Irishman to captain the European Ryder Cup side. McGinley has never lost in the Ryder Cup, as a player or an assistant. The Ryder Cup is a biennial men’s golf competition between teams from Europe and the
United States. The competition, which is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the USA and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named after the English businessman Samuel Ryder who donated the trophy. Originally contested between Great Britain and the United States, the first official Ryder Cup took place in 1927 at Worcester Country Club, in Massachusetts. The home team won the first five contests, but with the competition’s resumption after the Second World War, repeated American dominance eventually led to a decision to extend the representation of “Great Britain and Ireland” to include continental Europe from 1979. The inclusion of continental European golfers was partly prompted by the success of a new generation of Spanish golfers, led by Seve Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido. In 1973 the official title of the British Team had been changed from “Great Britain” to “Great Britain and Ireland”, but this was simply a change of name to reflect the fact that golfers from the Republic of Ireland had been playing in the Great Britain Ryder Cup team since 1953, while Northern Irish players had competed since 1947. S i n c e 1 9 7 9 , E u ro p e h a s w o n n i n e t i m e s
outright and retained the Cup once in a tied match, with seven American wins over this period. The European team has included players from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. The Ryder Cup and its counterpart the Presidents Cup, remain exceptions within the world of professional sports because the players receive no prize money despite the contests being high-profile events that bring in large amounts of money in television and sponsorship revenue. T h e P G A C e n t e n a r y C o u r s e , c re a t e d b y Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic. Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, The PGA Centenary Course was a challenge. It had to be a great golf course and, set as it is in the heart of Scotland, the country that gave the world golf, Nicklaus described the course as “The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with”. It had to be unique in its challenge, a golf course in the modern design ethos that at its fullest stretch tests the greatest players, while, in the immortal phrase of Bobby Jones, “offering problems a man may attempt according to his ability - never hopeless for the lesser player nor failing to concern and interest the expert.”
25 G O L F S O U T H W E S T —
Fittingly, the PGA Centenary Course begins by playing southeast towards the glen, sweeping up the Ochil Hills to the summit of the pass below Ben Shee which joins it to Glendevon. A feature of the PGA Centenary Course is the feast of views of the spectacular countryside in which Gleneagles is set. Putting on the two-tier second green, you are distracted by the lush panorama of the rich Perthshire straths. As you move westwards over the next few holes, the rugged Grampians come into view on the right, then distantly purple ahead, Ben Vorlich and the mountains above the Trossachs. Hole 1: Bracken Bra (Fern hill) - 442 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: The drive should be played down the left of the fairway to open up the green. Approach: The green, slightly raised above the fairway, is bunkered at the front and back and lies at an angle.
Hole 2: Wester Greenwells (Name of the ruined croft) - 516 Yard Par 5. Tee Shot: The best place to drive is down the right half of the fairway. Approach: A second shot, short and right, opens up the green for the third shot. Stay away from the loch and bunkers on the left of the green. Green: A well-bunkered green with two tiers. It is very narrow and rises from front to back. Hole 3: Schiehallion (Hill of Scots) - 431 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: The drive should be aimed well left to avoid the cluster of bunkers on the right side. This opens up the second shot to the green. Approach: Players will take one club more as all the trouble is at the front. There is a very narrow entrance to the green which widens at the back. Green: A narrow front and wide back to this gently sloping green.
S e p t e m b e Hole 4: Gowden Beastie (Golden Bear) - 239 r
Yard Par 3. Tee Shot: Players must avoid the large bunker on the left of the fairway and green. A tee shot aimed to the right half of the green is advisable. Green: A large, three-tiered green rising from front to center and dropping towards the back.
Hole 5: Crookit Cratur (Twisted and undulating) - 461 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: The bold shot is to drive left of the center of the fairway to give a good line into the green, although the safe line is to the right. Approach: As the entrance to the green is very narrow, players will aim for the center of the green and take one club more. Green: A large, gently undulating green. Hole 6: Mickle Skelp (Small hit) – 201 Yard Par 3. Tee Shot: There is a large bunker to the left and continued on page 26
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26 RYDER CUP
G O continued from page 25 L F marshland to the right. Players will take an S O U T H W E S T —
extra club here and possibly aim to the right for a safe option. Green: A narrow green with gentle borrows.
Hole 7: Larch Gait (Larch walk)– 468 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: The drive should be aimed just left of center to avoid the fairway bunkers. It may be better to hit a long iron or a 3-wood to avoid the bunker on the left. Approach: Care must be taken as the approach shot is blind, but the green is free of bunkers and a generous size. Green: An unguarded green with no significant borrows.
S e p t e m b Hole 8: Sidlin’ Brows (Succession of une r dulations along the side of the hill) – 419
Yard Par 4.
2 Tee Shot: The drive should be aimed just to 0 1 the right of the center of the fairway. Approach: If the approach to the green is 4
missed to the left or long, it can leave an awkward pitch so accuracy is at a premium. Green: A green with a severe difference in the front and back levels. Hole 9: Crook o’ Moss (Name of the source of the water supply) – 564 Yard Par 5. Tee Shot: The drive should be aimed down the center between the fairway bunkers.
Approach: The carry to the green is long a n d d a n g e ro u s , s o p l a y e r s l a y i n g u p o n their second shot will be aiming well to the left, leaving an easy pitch up the length of the green. Green: This long, narrow green falls away to the left, but plenty of birdies will be had.
Hole 10: Sleekit Howe (Tricky hollow) – 208 Yard Par 3 - Tee Shot: The tee shot is from an elevated position so the whole green is visible. Club selection is important if the tee shot is to finish on the same level as the pin. Green: There is a small ridge running through the center of the green, making long putts difficult.
27 Hole 17: Ca’ Canny (Be careful) – 194 Yard Par 3. Tee Shot: The safe line is right of center from the tee. Green: There is a ridge running up the green making long putting difficult. Hole 18: Dun Roamin’ (Returning home) – 533 Yard Par 5. Tee Shot: Players will keep it well left on the fairway to open up the second shot. Trees will block their second shot if they stray to the right. Hole 11: Laich Burn (Name of the stream you play over) – 350 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: Should be aimed to the left of the fairway. Players will have to be careful to not go too far or they will reach the hidden ditch, which is just beyond the top of the ridge. Approach: The right club is vital, due to an angled, well-bunkered green with no bail-out area. Green: One of the more undulating greens and tricky to read. Hole 12: Carn Mairg (Hill of sorrow or difficulty) – 445 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: A good drive will hug the left side, avoiding the two fairway bunkers. Approach: The second shot could be anything from a fairway wood to a short iron, depending on conditions. Green: Bunkers front left and back right protect a green that has a pronounced ridge running across it. Leaving your ball on the right level is key to scoring here. Hole 13: Wimplin’ Wyne (meandering turn) – 481 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: Drive down the left of the fairway to avoid the bunkers on the right. Approach: Take enough club to carry the front bunkers which are some distance short of the front edge of the green. Better to be big here: err on being long as all the trouble is short. Green: A rolling, medium-size green with fairly big borrows and sloping from front to back. Hole 14: Nebit Knowe (Pointed hillock) – 320 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: Players must be careful with club selection here as the two bunkers in front of the green make this hole deceptive and the green has very narrow depth. Green: The green is fairly flat and wide, but not deep, but birdies will be abundant. Hole 15: Ochil Sicht (View of the Ochil Hills) – 463 Yard Par 4. Tee Shot: Drive to the right half of the fairway to avoid a depression of severe rough on the left. Approach: Accuracy is paramount as the green is very narrow and well bunkered. The second shot is deceiving and requires a longer club than most may think. Green: A long, undulating green with four levels. It is very difficult to read and judge the pace. Hole 16: Lochan Loup (Leap over the small loch) – 543 Yard Par 5. Tee Shot: The ideal line is left of the fairway bunker off the tee. Approach: Can definitely be reached in two, but some will have to lay up short of the loch and in a central position, leaving a short to mid-iron third shot. Players have to be careful to not be too aggressive here as they could be left with a nasty pitch back down the green. Green: The green has a slight step in the back left corner and small undulations.
Approach: The distance says it is easily reached in two, but is not always the case. The second shot if laying up should be placed towards the right of the fairway, leaving a pitch to the angled green. The bunkering around the green is very severe, so the players must beware of straying. From the left, the approach is blind due to the mound behind the bunker. Note that this bunker is set a good 15 yards in front of the green. Green: An undulating green which makes long putting difficult. It is narrow from front to back and has obvious bumps and hollows.
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
28 G O L F
D
The Revere Golf Club’s “Lexington”
esigned by PGA legend Billy Casper and architect Greg Nash, The Revere Golf Club at Anthem opened on April 17, 1999 and is located at Del Webb’s
S Anthem community, just 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Revere is the fifth golf course in the Vegas area for Nash and Casper and, by far, it is their O greatest achievement to date. U T H W According to Nash in a recent interview, sweeping panoramic views. The course laces its plenty of room to land. Grassed hills on both sides E the surroundings were a gift from Mother way through dramatic desert canyons, far above help to funnel your approach to the long, narrow S Nature. “The site for the golf course has to the city lights. Of the 18 holes, no fewer than 16 green that has a swale in the middle, running off T
be one of the best we’ve ever had. It’s a very
— unique piece of property and hopefully we S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
enhanced it.” The interview continues to quote player/ consultant golfing legend Billy Casper, a player with 51 PGA Tour victories in the bag. “It’s one of the most beautiful golf courses I’ve ever seen and it’s very playable, but it’s also a little frightening to look out from many of the tees to see what’s before you.” Many would agree with the fear factor. The fairways and greens look intimidating even before you take your clubs out of the car. As you drive toward the golf course, the desert canyon views roll out below you to reveal a course that cuts through canyons like a work of art on canvas. Built in a desert canyon setting, the lush, 7,143-yard, par 72 course features countless natural elevation changes and beautiful views of the Las Vegas skyline. Every hole offers
have elevated tee boxes, many play over rugged desert canyons and several finish at elevated greens. Water isn’t a major factor, with only two holes affected, but you’ll be glad you don’t have that albatross to deal with also. To pick one signature hole over another would be a travesty, as each progressive hole is more picturesque than the last. The Lexington layout is the original offering. The front nine heads to the west and offers many great views of the Strip in the distance. The second is a 591 yard Par 5 with isolated tees and the start of a dogleg right in the distance below you. Depending how daring you are (and if you have played the course a few times) the bunker on the right side is a great target if you want to try and cut off a little extra yardage. The bunkers are staggered on the left to possibly catch those trying and play it safe. Your second shot is then still pretty hard sloping down the wash, so the choice for many will be to hit a hybrid or mid iron to the 130 yard point where you still have
Buckman’s Grille at the Revere Golf Club, offers panoramic views of the famed Las Vegas strip and of course the perfect golf setting.
to the right and down a slight slope. You will be well served keeping it away from the left rough, greenside as any shot left on the slope will give you little chance of getting up and down. A good Par 5, but definitely not a push over. Holes three and four continue to run down the sage and gravel wash. The fourth is a pretty, 182 yard Par 3, again from elevated, isolated tees and ranging from 182 yards from the tips down to 96 from the bronze tees. The elevation drop will definitely help you shorten the distance, but the swirling breezes will still make your club selection a tough one. The green is one of the largest on the course and angles right to left as it raises to a second level toward the center and continuing to its back. Greenside bunkers guard left and right. The fifth hole is one of the few on the course that actually plays relatively flat as you make your way from the fourth green, weaving your way along the cart path and up the hill to the 400 yard Par 4 which offers a good birdie opportunity.
29 But it is then to the sixth, which heads back down the wash. With only 384 yards in total at #6, driver from the tee is a no-no. The narrow fairway sweeps slightly right, with desert surroundings eating up any errant shots. Fairway bunkers are placed on the right some 230 yards from the tee on the side slope as the fairway leans right to left. Any shot hit a little bit too hard and to the right will catch the pond guarding the green. Five iron, eight iron worked out perfectly for me as I was able to walk away with a very satisfactory par. Number eight is another of the great Par 3’s at The Revere. After climbing back up the cart path from No. 7 green, the eighth again plays relatively level, but at 223 yards from the back tees. The green is deep, angling from left to right. Bunkers start on the left and are then placed about every 30 feet to about the twoo’clock point on the right side of the green, seven bunkers in all, although the two past the twelve o’clock point really don’t come into play. The large green slopes back to front, especially to the rear. If you have not played the Lexington layout at Revere, I am sure it is hard to understand how
G O L F S O U T H W E S T —
The interesting thing about No. 13 at The Revere is the depth perception, as a grassed knob forms short of the green, giving you the illusion that it is guarding the front edge of the green. A series of six bunkers also add to the allure as well as a large pond to the left. As you approach the green, the illusion is revealed as that grassy knob is some 60 yards short of the green. A great hole, with plenty of ‘hidden’ dangers.
The challenges ahead of you continue at the 625 yard Par 5 eleventh. Your tee shot is again from isolated, elevated tees and the long, sweeping sliver of green that lays out below you. Desert cutouts weave in and out in key areas, making shot placement critical if you want to keep your score low.
S e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 almost every hole seems to play downhill. I 4
have always thought the same thing, but somehow it does and then eventually brings you back to the level clubhouse hovering above with a gorgeous view of the Las Vegas Valley below. The 10th is the first of many holes on the back nine that require accuracy as well as distance control. Your tee shot at No. 10 is totally blind, requiring you to either have a lot of faith in your playing partners or take a short stroll along the cart path to take a look for yourself. The hole is set up sloping hard down the wash, slightly doglegging left as both sides of the fairway are lined with bunkers in the landing area. You will find that there is a little bit more room along the right side of the hole if you choose to hit a little bit more club from the tee. My choice was to hit a hybrid from the tee, leaving me with about 140 yards to the isolated green fronted by a rock wall. The wide, shallow green is guarded by two bunkers back and right. The wind again can play a big part in your scoring on this short, but challenging Par 4. The challenges ahead of you continue at the 625 yard Par 5 eleventh. Your tee shot is again from isolated, elevated tees and the long, sweeping sliver of green that lays out below you. Desert cutouts weave in and out in key areas, making shot placement critical if you want to keep you score low. The fairway leans hard right to left for the first 300 yards, then switches over and slopes left to right to nearly greenside. Because of the elevation change, the hole doesn’t play anywhere near as far as you may think. A solid driver and then a well hit continued on page 29
30 LEXINGTON
G O continued from page 29 L F 5-wood had me on level ground in the fairway, S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
80 yards short of the green. Your approach is then to a slightly elevated putting surface with a large bunker right, greenside. The green is deep and narrow with a ridge in the middle, forming a slight tier on the back half. You are faced with plenty of obstacles at #11, but you can still walk away with a par or better if you play your cards right! You may think that I sound like a broken record by the time we finish our round at Revere, but I just love all of the great Par 3’s that it offers. The thirteenth is the next in line for praise. Again a long one at 238 yards from the back tees, the hole plays east to west and again from elevated tees. But this time the angle is not quite as severe, requiring you to hit a solid shot to make the putting surface. The interesting thing about this hole is the depth perception, as a grassed knob forms short of the green, giving you the illusion that it is guarding the front edge of the green. A series of six bunkers also add to the allure as well as a large pond to the left. As you approach the green, the illusion is revealed as that grassy knob is some 60 yards short of the green. A great hole, with plenty of ‘hidden’ dangers. Holes 16, 17 and 18 form one of my favorite finishes in southern Nevada. First the Par 5, 534 yard sixteenth, the first of these gorgeous golf holes that work their way back toward the clubhouse. The hole lays out in front of you with plenty of space from the tee. A slightly downhill tee shot can put you in per-
fect position for a go at the green in two. Its defense though is a rock-lined wash that jets out in front of the entrance to the green at about the 100 yard mark and then continues up the left side of the hole to greenside and beyond. The green area is then elevated with a large bunker positioned in front, which in this case really is not a bad place to be if you miss-hit your approach. Once you arrive at the green, if you took the challenge and gave it a go in two, now you get to see, first hand just how precise you must be. Any shot to the right will find a steep, grassed side hill, making for a tough up and down and as mentioned, that wash lurks to the left and puts you in jail if you find it. All the while, the Sun City Anthem rock wall hovers in the background. A very good shortish, risk/reward Par 5. Now for the seventeenth, the shortest hole on the golf course, measuring 166 yards from the back tees. This beautiful Par 3 is highlighted by a series of cascading water features, starting above the green to the right, then pooling greenside and then again freefalling to the pond below the green. If you can pull yourself out of the trance you have fallen into, the tee shot you face is all carry, of course, but to a large, gently undulating
green, slightly sloping back to front and right to left. A truly breathtaking Par 3 and again, one of my favorite holes in Vegas. The eighteenth offers a good birdie opportunity to finish your round as the slow moving dogleg right measures 431 yards from the back tees, but seems to play a little shorter. A series of fairway bunkers line the left side at the turn and the right side at this point is guarded by a long bunker, accented by clumps of pompous grass surrounding it. Your second shot should be a short iron approach to a slightly elevated green, possibly the largest on the entire course. The putting surface offers a lot of undulation and tough pin placements, so the key to finishing out your round at Revere’s Lexington on a high note is to hit your mark or a three putt will be in you near future. Besides the two great layouts, many other great amenities are available at The Revere, including
The 534 yard sixteenth, the first of these gorgeous golf holes that work their way back toward the clubhouse. A very good shortish, risk/reward Par 5.
31 the Revere Golf Academy. They are proud to offer a multitude of Las Vegas golf instruction packages that will fit any and all of your golfing needs. The Golf Academy was designed to provide the highest quality of instruction from PGA Professionals to juniors and men and women of all ages and skill levels. Their goal is to make sure that every student of the Golf Academy walks away with not only an improved golf swing, but also a better understanding of how the golf swing works. Their staff is dedicated to helping every student reach their goals while providing a fun and relaxing atmosphere. The Revere Golf Club also provides an allinclusive Las Vegas wedding experience from the venue to catering to florists and photography. They can truly handle every detail of your special day, offering four unique ceremony sites, three outdoors and one indoor site, with space enough to host up to 350 of your guests. The outdoor sites each highlight a feature of the Club from the rolling hills of the championship golf courses to lake views to panoramic views of the famous Las Vegas skyline. Following your ceremony, your guests will be treated to a gourmet dining experience at the clubhouse which maintains that unending view to the Las Vegas skyline. The clubhouse features accommodations for up to 200 guests at one of three banquet spaces or host up to 350 friends and family on their vast lawn for an al fresco event. Whether you are planning a small corporate meeting or a major client appreciation event, the professional service and amenities of the Revere Golf Club ensures your events’ success. Their events staff has years of experience in
hosting and organizing business meetings and corporate functions such as annual meetings, team-building sessions or award galas p ro v i d i n g a l l o f t h e refinement and modern event planning expertise your event requires. From small business meetings to large corporate functions, they have the amenities, event capabilities and unparalleled service to ensure your event is flawlessly executed and truly unforgettable. The culinary and event planning team at the Revere Golf Club have developed specially designed menu offerings that allow for custom tailoring to your event needs for any time of day, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Along with an engaging ambiance, they provide audio-visual services that contribute to the professionalism and success of your meeting. Also, Buckman’s Grille at the Revere Golf Club, offers panoramic views of the famed Las Vegas strip and of course the perfect golf setting. Choose Buckman’s Grille for dining with family and friends, celebrating special occasions or grabbing a quick bite before or after your round. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Buckman’s Grille features a variety of menu selections to ensure everyone finds
No. 17, a beautiful Par 3 that is highlighted by a series of cascading water features, starting above the green to the right, then pooling greenside and then again freefalling to the pond below the green.
G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t something they will enjoy. With floor to ceiling e windows, the view is unmistakable and unmatched m b which is sure to enhance your dining experience. e Experience Las Vegas golf at its finest at the Re- r
vere Golf Club. Offering 36-holes of championship golf nestled just off the strip in Henderson, Revere Golf Club provides golfers unique challenges with panoramic views of the Las Vegas Valley below. Teeing off at one of Revere Golf Club’s two distinct courses, Lexington or Concord, guarantees locals as well as Las Vegas golf vacationers of having an exciting and unique experience. The Revere Golf Club 2600 Hampton Road Henderson, NV 89052 702-259-4653 www.reveregolf.com
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32 G O L F S O U T H W E S T — S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4
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