Kingdom 46

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The Great Lakes State

Talking a Good Game

Way of The River

Driving up the Michigan coast

The caddies of Royal Portrush

Fly fishing in Montana

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EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Reade Tilley ART DIREC TOR

Matthew Halnan

Matthew Squire

MANAGING EDITOR

Robin Barwick

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Arnold Palmer

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Kingdom magazine was first available to friends & associates of Arnold Palmer, members & guests of his designed and managed courses. Now it is available at distinguished private clubs and for discerning golfers everywhere.  Printed in the USA

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Just Go

S

t. Augustine once opined that “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Similarly, it might be said that golfers who do not travel play only one course (or only one hole, depending on how you define “travel”).

And while venturing forth in youth might be spurred by a yearning for adventure or escape, the fires of exploration can burn a bit lower once we’ve found a place to call home. Thank golf, then, for rekindling our spirit of discovery. Traveling for golf—especially traveling abroad—offers not just the opportunity to see new landscapes and perhaps to visit new cultures, but it presents a rather special chance to connect with those cultures across a shared pastime, and even to witness a few variations in how that pastime is enjoyed.

In South Africa, for example, visiting golfers might be put off or invigorated by a long lunch at the turn, which can happen. Similarly, those depressed by their home club’s plastic-wrapped American cheese sandwiches will be blown away by the stunning baguettes, Brie and meats available at some French courses. The wind from Lake Michigan over Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor (p30) is different from the wind bending the palms at Puerto Rico’s Dorado Beach Resort (p74), just as the sun across a river in Montana (p60) falls with different effect to the light on so many tracks in Turkey (p66). What doesn’t change, of course, is the goal: to get the ball in the hole. The personality of your caddie (p48), the philosophy of the challenge (p118) and the menu at No.19 (p78, 146 and 150) will differ, and that’s rather the point.

Whether you travel alone, with friends, or with your better half (p104), make the effort and find a game beyond your familiar. And remember, as Tolkein wrote, “not all those who wander are lost—some might just be looking for a lost ball.” * I added the last bit, lest you think me lost on course.

See you out there, Reade Tilley

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Enduring Game

W

e all have our favorite golf courses.

It is not just the layout but the overall experience that matters. Yes, the lie of the landscape is paramount, but other factors are your playing partners, caddies, your performance and your welcome at a club. These can combine to make a round memorable or miserable.

Two of my absolute favorites are in Scotland; Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart, both developed by Mark Parsinen. They are challenging courses with tour heritage, yet both are open for all to play and the overwhelming reaction of amateurs is not just that the courses are stunning—which they are—but how much they enjoyed playing them.

When the trend in Scotland was not to build new courses but to lengthen old ones, Mark’s vision was to challenge the pros, make courses as natural as possible to lower maintenance costs but above all, to provide an enjoyable challenge for all golfers, not a punishing one. His first development, Kingsbarns, was an instant success. Castle Stuart in the Highlands, his second development, was a bigger challenge but more and more golfers are making the journey to experience one of the world’s most wonderful courses.

Mark passed away in June and he will be missed greatly. I fondly recall enjoying drinks with Arnold Palmer and Mark at Castle Stuart and discussing golf development—what great company. They were different characters but both made exceptional contributions to the game.

Another great contributor is Warren Stephens and his splendid Alotian Club, which recently hosted the Arnold Palmer Cup. It was inspiring to see both young men and women compete so well on the same stage and congratulations to the International team on a rare victory on U.S. soil!

You will notice a new WGJ section in this issue of Kingdom and I particularly hope you enjoy our interview with Juli Inkster, an indomitable leader who is captaining the United States Solheim Cup team for the third time this year.

Kingdom is now available in the majority of private clubs across the country. However, if you are reading the magazine for the first time and your club doesn’t carry the publication, do feel free to ask your manager or club pro to reach out to me directly.

Enjoy the summer!

Matthew Squire

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KINGDOM 46

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CONTENTS

Kingdom Magazine ISSUE 46

48 56 60 74 78 84 88 92

Q UA R T E R LY

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30

42

66

Michigan

The Call of Destiny

Istanbul

White sands, turquoise water, and cold beer— are we in the Bahamas?

What Rory McIlroy would give to win The Open in front of his home crowd

Passing through the cultural tapestry of Istanbul, golfing in Belek

A Royal Reprieve Gleaning local knowledge in Portrush Life after Golf Justin Leonard on his clubs gathering dust Fly Cast without thinking, fish without fishing; finding purpose in Montana Jet Escape Break free to these stunning Caribbean getaways A Ramble Round the Globe Networking in epic proportions Golf & Grapes Great games and great wines, together and easily savored Major Milestones Golf’s A+ list; modern major champs All in One A triple-decker of world-class resorts

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CONTENTS

Kingdom Magazine Q UA R T E R LY

ISSUE 46

98

118

150

The Greatest 1/2

All-time Design

Mango Mahi

Juli Inkster, the Solheim Cup skipper still breaking records after all these years

The life and times of the original, professional course architect Harry Colt

Impress and satisfy with this fresh summery chance to show off your grill skills

104 107 112 114 124 126 131 140 146 154

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Home Away Lessons offered with a road game Experience of a Lifetime Interacting with the Arnold Palmer Experience 90 Years of Palmer A new campaign as we approach what would have been Mr. Palmer’s 90th Live on Course It’s Arnold Palmer! Big moves on the small screen Healthy travel Looking after the basics Backyard by Design How to build the stage for a perfect summer Gift Guide Sizzling summer selections Traveling Golfer How to hit the road in (functional) style Summer Wines Cool pours for when things heat up Last Page Sam Saunders in the Spirit

KINGDOM 46

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SCENE SETTER Golf

NORTHERN LIGHT

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ajors golf is returning to Northern Ireland after a 68-year hiatus. The Open was first played at Royal Portrush back in 1951 and now it is finally set to return, complete with what the local media there predict will be an economic windfall for the region to the tune of $100 million. We made the trip over to Northern Ireland and spoke to the caddies of Royal Portrush and to local hero Rory McIlroy, and there is one thought they all share: they never thought they would see the day The Open made its way back across the water. The 148th Open is going to be a celebration full of emotion, but then the majors always are, one way or another.

With McIlroy—four times a major champion already— we travel back to his first visit to Portrush and the former Open champ recalls the day, a few years on, that he set the course record on the club’s Dunluce Course as a fearless teenager. The crowds gathering around McIlroy at The Open

this year might even match those that follow Tiger Woods, who will return to The Open buoyed by his performance at Carnoustie in 2018, when for the first time in many years he had the look of a major champion again.

As for the caddies of Portrush; these are men who have seen, heard and felt it all on the rugged Dunluce Links.

They’ve felt every breath of wind over that golf course, they’ve seen every uneven bounce and they know how every putt will roll. Much of their knowledge has been picked up from fathers and grandfathers before them. That’s how it works in an Atlantic outpost like Portrush.

Last but not least, in this issue we explore the life and achievements of the great Harry Colt, the father of modern course design who was born 150 years ago.

Colt was responsible for shaping the Dunluce Course at Portrush into the timeless classic it is. Just wait until you see The Open there; you’ll wonder why it took so long for it to return.

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SCENE SETTER Travel

M O N TA N A

Y

our gear shouldn’t be on your mind, whether you have the latest NASA-engineered rod, whether it’s the exact perfect correct weight for what you think you might be fishing for when you arrive. The net with the handle made from rare wood and the unsinkable fly box with the 24k gold latch—are you serious? Don’t pore over lists, memorizing the names of various flies, and then order them online for hundreds of dollars. It’s going in a fish’s mouth, after all. Don’t think about getting a picture with your catch, don’t think about your appearance as you’re casting. Forget what the guidebooks say and do your best to disregard the advice you’ll get from all who know you’re going fishing.

Ignore anyone who says “this is the secret...”

Focus instead on why you want to go, why you want to be standing in the middle of a river in the early morning under the big sky with the wind bending branches over the water and the immense sound of the natural world around you. Consider your role in what’s happening, your place in the picture (which you don’t need to capture on your smartphone). Don’t talk the talk, don’t strut around like a fisherman, don’t act like “a fisherman” here. If humans don’t see you as a fisherman, the fish won’t either. Just be yourself, use your brain a little—and your heart and soul a lot. Think like a fish, not like a fisherman. Hunt, track, strategize, consider, react. You’re unlike anyone else on the river and you’re in a place unlike any other. You got yourself to Montana, now be here.

Feature on page 30

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SCENE SETTER Travel

GOLF & WINE

G

rapes and golf—or if you’re keeping score, golf first, then grapes; as perfect a pairing as ever was. As good as Manchego and Cava, as Camembert and Chardonnay, as Arnold Palmer and Nathaniel “Iron Man” Avery at the Masters. Did he really caddie for all four Green Jackets? (He did.)

Good game and good wine often are found together, but there are a few places that make it wonderfully easy—Chateau Elan Resort and

Winery in Georgia [pictured], for example.

Award-winning wines and great courses on site.

Meadowood in Napa, with its charming 9 and one of America’s best wine regions at its doorstep.

Terre Blanche in Provence, site of pro events and epic pours. And then there’s Docepiedras Golf & Wine Experience in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico.

Beat Rick on the course he built among his vines there, he’ll give you a free bottle of wine—in addition to the wines and cheeses he gives you during the round. Fantastico in any language.

Feature on page 84

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SHORT GAME Photography

Interior Design Photographer James Friedman goes deep in his revealing abstract series “Interior Design,� opening a celestial world of vibrant expression beneath the surface of the otherwise guarded golf ball

SUMMER 2019

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Signed, archival pigment prints from Interior Design are available for purchase. Contact jim@jamesfriedmanphotographer.com with inquiries about purchases, gallery representation, printed-on-paper and online publication and museum and gallery exhibition initiatives. w e b s i t e :Â jamesfriedmanphotographer.com

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FEATURE Michigan

WILD BLUE YONDER Sleeping Bear Dunes

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With beaches that could be mistaken for those in some Beach Boys songs and world-class golf along its coast, Michigan could be the summer destination you never knew you were missing—and that’s just fine with many of the locals, who like their beaches and their courses open for play. For a short time I did my best to get in their way, and instead found that I was welcomed and wowed at every turn.

A quick few days in Michigan having fun, fun, fun...

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M

Mention the State of Michigan and you might conjure pictures of cars, industrial landscapes and large factories. But for those who have spent warm days along the shores of Lake Michigan on the state’s west coast, the pictures will be quite different: Mediterranean, perhaps. Or Adriatic. Or if someone has been there on a particularly sunny day, maybe even Caribbean.

Blindfold a man and drop him on the right Michigan beach and he might guess any of those. Turquoise waters gilded by white or gold sands, the sun streaming down, people playing in the waves and doing their thing as sunbathers look on.

With 3,288 miles of shoreline Michigan has more than any other state except Alaska. That shore is on fresh water, and it often comes with huge expanses of soft sand.

Unsurprisingly there are beach towns to go with the beaches; some overdeveloped and packed with eager families who take up too much room; some charming and out-of-the-way-feeling with haphazard beach streets warmed in blown sand and the odd beach dog paddling through shadows to keep his paws cool. In the best of these, the only reminders of where you are come in the elegant Victorian homes crowded together on quiet residential lanes behind the comparably busy downtowns. It’s Michigan after all, and if the homes seem narrowly proportioned in summer they’re likely cozy come winter, long after the last sunburnt family has been packed into the last overloaded car and left town for the season. And when the sun returns the following year it begins again: beaches, ice creams, great golf and dining and wineries and some of the most amazing cold beer you’ll ever have. You want the best of a traditional American family summer with all the red, white and blue you can handle? It’s beautiful, and it’s right here in Michigan.

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Vintage Michigan Pike map; beach at Benton Harbor; Harbor Shores No.2 [right]

Midwestern families have known about Michigan’s appeal for more than a century. Even in the northern part of West Michigan tourism was strong as early as 1875, but in 1911 state engineers gave it a boost. They built a byway called the West Michigan Pike, which ran along the lakeshore from Michigan’s southern border all the way to Mackinaw City in the north. It opened in 1922 with a rally and, designated as a state historic byway in 2016, it continues to help tourists discover the state’s wonders. It helped me, certainly, during what was my first visit to the beach communities along its route. I spent a rushed week driving and exploring, and along the way I was continually amazed by the natural beauty that I saw and the friendly people that I met. Truth be told I was a bit early for an area vacation, arriving the week before Memorial Day when winds off the lake can remind you that spring is a season of transition, but nevertheless I found warmth and wonder in large amounts, along with some great golf and quality libations. Driving in from Chicago, let’s get started:

BENTON HARBOR

G

oogle “Benton Harbor” and the headlines might put you off. For ages it has been a factory town full of hardworking people, and like so many of those towns it’s been through a rough patch and so it might appear a little worn at first glance. But look again and you’ll notice bright spots emerging, and none so bright, perhaps, as The Golf Club at Harbor Shores (harborshoresresort.com). The story of Harbor Shores deserves its own article, and in fact this magazine has written about it. In truth you could fill a book with the tale, which began with over 3 million square feet of dilapidated buildings and 140,000 tons of waste, and ended with a shining jewel of a golf course and a revitalized community. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2010, the course is part of a redevelopment spurred on by Whirlpool, which has long had its headquarters here. As the company’s now-retired former VP of Sales, North America Region Sam Abdelnour told me a few years ago after he described the cleanup effort effected by the company to build a world-class course on the site of what had been an informal dumping ground, “Restaurants, microbreweries…

We opened up the waterways so that the Paw Paw River is on the golf course, Lake Michigan is on the golf course. And with those waterways all opened up, even vendors are now on the edges of the golf course renting equipment for people

to use on the rivers and lake. As you play these 18 holes, you might see paddle-boarders and kayaks and sailboats, people on the beaches, big ocean liners out on Lake Michigan...

“I’ve lived all over the country working for Whirlpool and I’ve never seen the communities like we have here— along with Whirlpool Corporation and other big companies around the area—come together so often and so well for the general benefit of the greater community. Not just during the Senior PGA Championship, but in dozens of other events and activities that take place during the year, they come from their parts of the country and are astounded by the support and the positive impact on the community. Part of it is Harbor Shores, part of it is the tournament, it’s the people in the community, and it’s just amazing.”

Harbor Shores has hosted the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship every other year since 2012 and it’s scheduled to go on hosting it through 2024. With the excellent Inn at Harbor Shores just down the street serving up sophisticated cuisine and modern, cleanly designed rooms, this is a fantastic venue, an amazing story, and my first stop. A quick breakfast at The Mason Jar Cafe (masonjar.cafe), with its farm-fresh organic ingredients, crazy-good bacon and great lavender lemonade, and I was off.

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FRANKFORT

B

[Top down] Street scene, Frankfort; The Frankfort Hotel; sunset seating, Arcadia Bluffs

Image: Chip Henderson

etween Benton Harbor and Frankfort, my next stop, there’s a lot to see. Too much, in fact, for the quick schedule I was on. Had I been traveling with my clubs I might have stuck around the Benton Harbor area and dropped by Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club (pointowoods.com), host to the Western Amateur since 1976 and a design that Robert Trent Jones Sr. called “Probably my best American course.” Just about an hour north of that, I certainly would have stopped at Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck. This beautiful Arnold Palmer design is a real gem, with a full driving range and short game practice area as well. Another couple of hours up Hwy 31 is Arcadia Bluffs, where I did stop for a chat with the general manager. The place was bustling , people loading and unloading golf clubs, with new arrivals eager to get to the course, which is as nice as other magazines say it is. The lodge rooms are nice as well, and with Adirondack chairs out front and the dunes nearby it had a Hamptons vibe to it, in a good way. There’s a line of Adirondack chairs facing the 18th green, and the GM told me that in the evenings people will sit there with cocktails, watch the sunset and occasionally throw shade on poorly hit balls. Not 20 minutes from the good-natured hecklers, the town of Frankfort was my second overnight stop, and turned out to be one of my favorite places in the state.

It’s small, or at least it feels small. I stayed at the definitively named Hotel Frankfort, a B&B type of accommodation that was exactly what you want in a town like this. My room was incredibly well apportioned and even included a sauna in addition to its comfortable bed and view overlooking Main St. Walking distance to

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MISS YOUR SHOT COMING INTO 18, AND THE SUNSET COCKTAIL CROWD MIGHT LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT...

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everything in town, including the beach, and staffed by friendly, helpful people, I highly recommend it. In town there are mineral springs (try the water if you must, but it’s fairly intense), the nearby Point Betsie Lighthouse is one of West Michigan’s better known, and the beach here is wide and beautiful, exactly right for long, contemplative walks or summer fun and games, depending on your mood.

There are fishing charters, trails for hiking, and excursions to Sleeping Bear Dunes (more on that later) but the beach was enough for me—until I was hungry. Thankfully, just a few doors down from the Hotel Frankfort there’s the Stormcloud Brewing Company (stormcloudbrewing.com).

One of the state’s bajillion craft breweries (various lists have Michigan as third or fifth in the nation for number of breweries), Stormcloud was a pleasant find. The brewery proper began in what is now the pub, where I ate, but expanded in 2018 to a 13,000 square-foot facility on the east side of town. The team there can put out 4,500 barrels of beer each year in a facility that utilizes solar power and other systems to run as efficiently as possible. Their Whiled Away IPA was a particular favorite, but Belgian-style beers are their specialty, and their Birdwalker Blonde was great as well. They have no ambitions beyond Michigan, which is a shame for the rest of the country, but if you ever get to town definitely give them a try, either with a tasting at the brewery or at the pub, which also serves great food. And that goes for in winter as well, when part of the outdoor grass area is converted into a curling rink. It sounds like so much fun I’m half tempted to make the journey again when the ice starts falling… Well, maybe slightly less than half tempted.

SLEEPING BEAR DUNES

A Stormcloud Brewing Co.; Sleeping Bear Dunes

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bit of a winding drive north from Frankfort brings you to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (sleepingbeardunes.com), which was named the “Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America. Words fail nature even in its smallest display. When it is overwhelming, words fail miserably. Crowded with people I’m not sure if the effect is the same, but unpopulated in the cool of spring, the dramatic sand walls of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which stretch 450 feet above Lake Michigan, look almost impossible from a distance, the whiteness of them causing the water at their base to look almost candy blue-green in the sun. I would have spent some hours here but the road called and Traverse City was far enough away.

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BONOBO

T

here’s an old fishing village at Leland that’s supposed to be nice, and plenty to see between the Dunes and Traverse City if you poke around, but I had an appointment at Bonobo Winery and so I kept driving, just over an hour east of Frankfort. Bonobo Winery is just one of many grape-fueled operations in this part of Michigan. It used to be cherries up here, and it still is in many places with mom-n-pop cherry stands and multi-location Cherry Republic stores chock full of cherry soda, cherry salsa, cherry almond butter, cherry pepper jelly, cherry horseradish sauce and, one imagines, actual cherries as well; but over the last ten years vineyard area has doubled here, and Michigan is now the fourthlargest grape-growing state. Most of that is in the north on the 45th parallel, that fantastic band that passes through

Bonobo Winery [top]; Leland [below]

some of the greatest wine regions on earth, including Italy’s Piedmont, Bordeaux in France, and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Miles away from those but close in spirit, Michigan’s wineries are turning out some lovely pours, and among them the wines at Bonobo Winery are some of the best (bonobowinery.com).

The winery itself is beautiful, as one would expect in a place owned by carpenters, which Bonobo is. It was founded by brothers and local natives Todd and Carter Oosterhouse, with the latter perhaps known to DIY fans as the host of TLC’s Trading Spaces and of several HGTV shows. Todd is also a builder and understandably takes pride in the tasting room, which truly is a work of art, nicely proportioned and elegantly designed. It was hosting an event the day I visited, but Todd took the time to give me a tour and to walk me through why they do what they do. Beyond the obvious, that making wine is fun, Todd said the brothers genuinely wanted to invest in their community, create jobs, create beautiful unpretentious wines and create joy, and I’d say they’re doing a good job of that. As it happens a friend of mine visited Bonobo on his birthday and said it was a fantastic experience, and I’m not surprised. What I will admit surprised me, however, was the quality of the wines.

Having tasted wines as far afield as Greece, Alaska, the Republic of Georgia and other places not named Bordeaux, I was skeptical; but Bonobo’s wines were lovely, with their rosé a particular favorite; dry, balanced, beautiful—and thankfully not bursting with cherries. Not even close.

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PETOSKEY From Traverse City there’s The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, which hosted this year’s Michigan Open Championship (grandtraverseresort.com) and which has a great fly fishing school as well. But I was headed for Petoskey to find a famed Petoskey stone and to consider Bay Harbor Golf Club nearby (bayharborgolf.com). The club is lovely but I arrived too late in the day to swing by. It describes itself as “the Pebble Beach of the Midwest” and that kind of claim will make anyone curious. It’s certainly well regarded, with its Arthur Hills designs.

I’d really wanted to see Charlevoix and its Belvedere Golf Club as well (belvederegolfclub.com), a 1925 track that’s hosted the Michigan Amateur 40 times! The architect was William Watson of Olympia Fields and Olympic Club fame.

Moreover I wanted to try out my Michigan pronunciations, which were improving every day. I’d been corrected on “Charlevoix” when I told someone I wanted to stop by “Sharl-VWA” and, with her head shaking, she told me that it was “Shar-luh-voy.” Detroit is not “Day-twa,” right? What was I thinking. Charlevoix and Petoskey each are known for stones, and specifically for a kind of fossilized coral that features beautiful geometric designs. Petoskey’s are more hexagonal, and if you spend long enough looking, they can be found. I had some luck at Magnus Park on a foggy morning, stepping over the stony shore and looking in the water (they’re easier to spot when they’re wet). Satisfied, I returned to my room at Stafford’s Perry Hotel (staffords. com), which was built in 1899 and which retains its period grandeur alongside modern amenities, and then I left.

Bay Harbor Golf Club [top]; Petoskey stones; Grand Hotel porch

L E AV I N G My original plan had me going to Mackinaw City and taking the ferry to the car-free Mackinac Island (both are pronounced “Mak-ih-gnaw” for some reason) to see the incredible Grand Hotel (grandhotel.com) with its “longest porch in the world” and to perhaps shake loose memories of having seen the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour romance Somewhere in Time on TV in my childhood (it was filmed there). I also wanted to see the hotel’s Jewel Course, which looks charming, but it wasn’t to be. Stretched for time I pointed my car south and returned to Chicago and then home to the beaches of Southern California, not quite as far away from Michigan as I thought.

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GOLF Rory McIlroy

THE CALL

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OF DESTINY When Rory McIlroy was growing up in Northern Ireland he didn’t believe he would see the day when The Open would return to his homeland. Now, at 30 years old and in the prime of his career, McIlroy is preparing to realize the dream he thought would never come true.

Philip Reid, golf correspondent of The Irish Times, reports exclusively for Kingdom

Rory McIlroy tees off on the famous fifth hole on the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush

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ometimes plans just fall into place. You might even call it fate. Rory McIlroy doesn’t remember every birthday present that has come his way, but one—when he was 10—will never be forgotten. That was the time his parents, Gerry and Rosie, bought him a new wedge… and a tee-time on the Valley Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

McIlroy’s father took him on the daytrip from their home in Holywood, County Down, to the majestic links that forms part of an historic coastline of castles, cliffs and volcanic rocks in County Antrim. The young boy was chipping by the practice green, using his new wedge, when an extra treat was added to the birthday present: Darren Clarke, the then big shot of Northern Ireland golf, happened along, stopped to observe the boy—familiar to him as the kid who’d appeared on the “Gerry Kelly Show” on Ulster TV, hitting golf balls into a washing machine—and gave him three words of advice. “Practice, practice, practice,” Clarke told him.

That chance first meeting would develop into something far stronger as their careers developed. Within a couple of years, McIlroy would be brought into the Darren Clarke Foundation, which nurtured the best young golfing talent on the island of Ireland and held annual coaching weekends at Portmarnock in Dublin, where Clarke provided advice and guidance.

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McIlroy and Darren Clarke [left] practice together for The Open at Royal Liverpool in 2014, and [above] McIlroy at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill

“At 16... I had confidence and cockiness and sometimes I think I need to rediscover that a little bit, even now” For McIlroy, that first ever visit to the Causeway Coast would start a relationship with Royal Portrush that has blossomed. He was smitten from the get-go. “One of the great things about (going to) Royal Portrush is, when you are driving from Belfast, you come up over the crest of a hill and all you see in front of you is the golf course and the sea. That is when it really hits you how beautiful it is. You go down there and you have the smell of the salt air, usually the wind is hitting your face and more than likely some rain as well. That is what I grew up with.”

Although he played the gentler, shorter Valley that particular day, the championship Dunluce links—which plays host to the 148th Open in July—would in time become very much part of his golfing DNA: indeed, McIlroy’s precocious talent was shown to one and all when, as a 16-year-old, he shot a course record 61, one eagle and nine birdies, in stroke play qualifying for the North of Ireland amateur championship.

The YouTube footage of that round—a whippersnapper dressed in white, acting as if he owned the famed links—is revealing on many fronts. For one, the crowds clambering the fairways to follow his every move; for another, the confidence which McIlroy exuded.

“I can basically remember every shot, it was just one

of those days where everything is on song,” starts McIlroy, the world number four as the print presses roll.

“When I look back, at my links golf and development, I always think about that round of golf. As a 16-year-old, it takes a lot for your confidence to be dented. My confidence is probably more fragile now than it was then. I had confidence and cockiness and sometimes I think I need to rediscover that a little bit, even now.”

He adds: “It felt normal to me. I had that cockiness and thought this was what I was supposed to do. It is only when times goes on that I realize these things are special and you should savor them.”

McIlroy, of course, would bring that ‘A’ game with him into the professional ranks.

He hit the ground running, in many ways, when he turned professional following the 2007 Walker Cup on home terrain at Royal County Down, and secured his European Tour card without needing to go to Q-School. In 12 years as a professional, McIlroy has tasted global success and is one leg shy of achieving the career Grand Slam, only missing out on the Masters. The Claret Jug, the Wanamaker Trophy and the U.S. Open trophy have all been embraced, his name engraved on each famous piece of silverware.

Vintage Claret

McIlroy is knowledgeable about golf’s history, and of his part in creating new history.

“I remember getting a letter after I won the U.S. Open [in 2011] from Arnold Palmer when he said: ‘You’re now in a position where you have a responsibility’ and it does, it hits

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THE INVINCIBLE SUMMER The Open – 2014

Rory McIlroy led from the front at Royal Liverpool, and once ahead he never looked back. McIlroy took the firstround lead with a 66 and there was a sense of inevitability about The 143rd Open. Rickie Fowler briefly shared the third-round lead but once McIlroy had accelerated with a pair of eagles he glided into the final round with a six-shot lead. Fowler and Sergio Garcia challenged bravely but the Northern Irishman would win by two with Fowler and Garcia sharing second place.

Pos. 1 T2 T2

“It would be the biggest achievement of my career if I was able to win it” home with you,” recalls McIlroy, who framed each and every letter he received from Mr Palmer, putting them up in his office at home. “They mean a lot to me.”

He has already won one Open title, at Royal Liverpool in 2014. He fulfilled a dream that day.

“The Open was the one you really wanted growing up,” he says, “and the one you holed so many putts on the putting green to win, to beat Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els, whatever,” he said.

Yet, none of what has gone before would compare if McIlroy were to win the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush in The 148th Open, with the venue returning to the Open rota for the first time since 1951, when Max Faulkner triumphed.

“I’m trying not to think about it because I would get over-excited,” says McIlroy of a near impossible task. “It is one of my favorite golf courses in the world. I was pretty spoiled to have Royal County Down and Royal Portrush (growing up). I guess I didn’t realize how good they were until I spent a little time away and came back to play. The layout, the scenery, everything is spectacular. It is a dream come true for me [to play an Open at Royal Portrush].

I never thought I was going to be able to play an Open championship at home.”

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Player Rory McIlroy Sergio Garcia Rickie Fowler

R1 66 68 69

R2 66 70 69

R3 68 69 68

R4 71 66 67

Total 271 273 273

To par -17 -15 -15

Aged 25, McIlroy [left] became the third youngest golfer after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win three legs of the Career Grand Slam. In his next two appearances McIlroy would win the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and his fourth major title at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, defeating Phil Mickelson by a single stroke.

An indication of how McIlroy has prioritized playing in The Open came early this year when he stated that trying to join the super-exclusive club of career Grand Slam winners—by winning the Masters—was “on the backburner” behind trying to win his second Claret Jug at Portrush.

“It would be the biggest achievement of my career if I was able to win it,” adds McIlroy, who couldn’t capitalize on a strong start in his last major appearance, in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, eventually finishing in a tie for ninth.

“I’m going to be very proud to showcase where I’m from and to play in front of all the people who have supported me throughout my career.”

The course has changed since McIlroy tamed it with a record 61 as a teenager back in 2005. The old 17th and 18th holes were lost to accommodate the tentage and spectator facilities required for the championship, the first ever complete sell-out in its history. So two new holes—the seventh and eighth—were seamlessly integrated into the Dunluce layout by architects Mackenzie and Ebert.

“If you play really good golf, you get rewarded,” offers McIlroy. “It’s very fair. But if you hit shots that you shouldn’t you’re going to get punished.”

McIlroy’s homecoming promises to be special. If he were to win it would surpass everything he has already achieved. It would be the defining moment of his illustrious career, and that is saying something.

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GOLF Caddies Tale

A ROYAL REPRIEVE

The Open is returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years. Skipping two generations, the people of Portrush thought they would never see the glint of the Claret Jug again. To get a true sense of the golf club and what we have been missing all these decades, Robin Barwick met the caddies of Royal Portrush Photos: Chris Roberts

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Caddying gets hold of the young the old-fashioned way and there is little romance about it; it’s the money. Kids on summer vacation eat breakfast with empty pockets but if carrying a golf bag leaves them at dinner with $20 bills lining their pockets, well, that’s the padding of success. A couple $20 bills and now the world is an arcade of opportunity, open for business.

“I started 22 years ago when I was 12,” starts Chris Gaile Jnr., Portrush made and a caddie at Royal Portrush Golf Club. “My grandfather Robbie Gaile caddied here. He started back in the 1950s and one day he had two bags to carry so he made me come along. I didn’t want to do it but he thought it was a good way for a young fella to make a few quid.”

Robbie Gaile knew a thing or two.

“That first round of caddying, I thought it was the longest, hardest thing I had ever done,” admits Chris. “After two holes I was thinking, ‘when is this thing going to be over?’ Carrying that bag felt like torture but I made it to the end and basically, I got paid well; something like £20, which was a lot of money for a 12-year-old in Portrush in 1997, so I got the bug and kept coming back. Here I am 22 years later.”

Like Chris, fellow caddie Gary Stevenson was introduced to Royal Portrush by his grandfather, and lest it

should slip his mind, each time Gary glimpses the scorecard for the club’s storied championship Dunluce Course he sees his grandfather’s name. P.G. Stevenson was the club professional here and co-designed a couple of the holes, including the 11th, or “P.G. Stevenson’s”. And so began a Stevenson dynasty at “The Port”.

Starts Gary: “When my grandfather retired as the pro here in 1977 my father took over and we moved here, when I was seven.”

P.G. Stevenson was club professional for 55 years, from 1922 to 1977, and his son David—or “Dai” as he was known—maintained the tradition of repeating digits by serving for 22 years, until retiring in 1999. It was the job he always wanted. Before joining the caddie ranks, Gary worked as his father’s assistant, but before then he learned the game from his grandfather.

“Some of my favorite memories are playing golf with my grandfather,” says Gary. “This was back in the early 1980s. My father was working in the shop, my grandfather was retired and he taught me the game. He would take me out onto our sister course, the Valley Course, which is where the juniors start until they can play the Dunluce. I always swung the golf club far too quickly, and I do to this day. I always think I need to hit the golf ball as hard as I can but I can always hear my grandfather saying, ‘swing slowly’.”

Ian Bamford is the club historian at Royal Portrush.

He has been a club member for 75 years, since joining at the age of eight in 1944. He is not a caddie but must be forgiven for his sins. On the way to becoming one of the finest Irish amateurs of his generation, Bamford was taught by both Gary Stevenson’s father and grandfather.

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“His name was Philip George Stevenson but we just called him ‘Stevie’,” starts Bamford in remembering the first generation Stevenson to serve at Portrush. “Stevie was a renowned coach and clubmaker. If you were looking for a good set of woods—a driver, brassie and spoon—you always went to Stevie. In those days the clubs were hand-crafted from persimmon wood, before some of the manufacturers began to mass-produce them in the late ‘50s.”

Clubmakers in Stevie’s day would hold a stock of partially-shaped clubheads, ready for customization and hand-finishing.

Adds Gary: “He would measure you up and carve the woods out for you. Nowadays it takes a minute to just fix the clubhead onto a shaft but in my grandfather’s day the job took ages and he would plane the clubheads to the exact lofts.”

Good golfers would travel afar to get fitted by Stevie, but his most famous customer came from just around the corner; Fred Daly, who started out as a caddie at Portrush— whose father was an artisan member—and who became the first Irishman, north or south, to win a major; The Open of 1947 at Royal Liverpool. And he did it playing with woods made by Stevie.

“And Daly used those clubs for many years,” confirms Bamford. “I was a teenager when Fred won The Open and I would watch him play a friendly fourball at Portrush nearly every Sunday afternoon.

There would be more than 100 people out watching him.

“A very fine golfer he was. He would address the ball with a few wiggles of the club and then before he would take the club back he would move his right foot back just about two inches, to help his rhythm. He used that method for most of his life. I have tried it. Sometimes if you are off your game it can be a good tip.”

Daly was born in Lower Causeway Street in the heart of Portrush, and on his death in 1990 he was buried in the graveyard of Ballywillan Church, on the edge of town. By the age of 10 Daly was well established among the caddie ranks.

“When he was younger Fred caddied for a Mr. MacMillan, who owned a hotel in Portballintrae,” adds Bamford. “Mr. MacMillan lent Fred his fine set of clubs to play in the caddies’ tournament at Portrush and certainly Fred won that two years in a row before he turned pro.”

Later, as an aspiring professional, Daly was recruited to help shape course changes, as prescribed by Harry Colt.

The Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush meets the Atlantic [right]; Gary Stevenson and Eamon Hughes [left to right, below]; Fred Daly returns to Belfast with the Claret Jug in 1947. To Daly’s immediate left, hoisting him up, is Max Faulkner, who would win the 1951 Open at Portrush

Good golfers would travel afar to get fitted

by Stevie, but his most famous customer came from just around the corner

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“Fred was employed as a part-time member of the greens staff because an awful lot of work had to be done in a very short time,” states Bamford. “Colt’s final design was ready in 1932 and the course was officially re-opened, with 17 changed holes, in July 1933.”

Royal Portrush originally opened with 36 holes in 1888, but it was this Colt re-design between the wars that set the club on a major championship trajectory. Reporting on The Open in 1951 at Portrush, renowned correspondent Bernard Darwin wrote: “Mr. H.S. Colt... has thereby built himself a monument more enduring than brass.”

PORRIDGE FOR BREAKFAST

PRIDE OF IRELAND The Open - 1947

Fred Daly of Portrush became the first Irish major champ when he edged England’s Reg Horne and the great American amateur Frank Stranahan by a shot at Royal Liverpool. It could not have been much closer. Horne dropped a shot on 17 and saw his birdie putt miss on 18 to spoil his final-round charge, before Daly holed for birdie from 30 feet on the closing hole. Stranahan’s late challenge faltered when he three-putted 17.

Pos. 1 T2 T2

Player Fred Daly Reg Horne Frank Stranahan

R1 73 77 71

R2 70 74 79

R3 78 72 72

R4 72 71 72

Total 293 294 294

To par +21 +22 +22

Like almost all the “Open” towns around the shores of the UK—Southport (home of Royal Birkdale), Lytham St. Anne’s (Royal Lytham), Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) to name a few—Portrush enjoyed a Victorian heyday as a seaside resort. A fishing village before that, the heart of Portrush town lies on a mile-long peninsula, Ramore Head, which outstretches from the coastline of Northern Ireland into the brooding North Atlantic. This is not the northernmost part of the province but it is not far off, and stoic Portrush withstands the prevailing south-westerly winds that whip in off the ocean.

A broad sandy beach stretches along the West Strand of Portrush, just outside the town’s harbour, and on the other side of the peninsula the unspoilt swathes of sand resume, along the East Strand and separating Royal Portrush from the Atlantic. Those south-westerlies regularly cause consternation on the links and it is little solace to golfers that the same winds render Portrush a haven for surfing.

Traditionally, the British working man might have porridge for breakfast in winter, to warm him up and hold him down when the breeze picks up, but in the Antrim House bed and breakfast on Eglinton Street in Portrush— with a view of the West Strand from the front and the East Strand no further away from the back—they serve porridge every morning, winter, spring, summer and fall.

And if you can hear the wind buffeting the tall, elegant sash windows then you might choose to add a “drop of Bush” to the porridge, as they call it—a dram of the locally distilled Bushmills Irish whiskey—which always sits next to the porridge pot.

“A 20 mile-an-hour wind is normal here,” warns Chris.

Eamon Hughes is originally from Antrim, 40 miles down the road towards Belfast, but has lived in Portrush for 40 years, all his adult life, and has caddied at Royal Portrush for 25 years.

“We get visitors from warmer climates and when we have a really cold, wet day they say, ‘I suppose you guys are used to this’, but the truth is that how can anyone get used to that kind of weather on the golf course? We live here, sure, but no-one likes the cold, wet weather. Golf is best in sunshine and shorts.

“One day last year my woolly hat blew away. It took off in the wind, probably ended up in Scotland. We were walking up the 12th hole, straight into the wind, we could hardly walk into it, and this gust took my hat and off it went like a bullet. Never saw it again. It was absolutely freezing. That had to have been the single windiest day I have ever had on the golf course. We were talking about 80, 90 mile-an-hour winds. One guy only played two holes, another played six, but my guy was very dogged and he was determined to finish, and he did.”

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TITO’S TEE TIME

ROYAL DEBUT The Open - 1951

The 80th edition of The Open was the championship’s first outside Scotland or England, at Royal Portrush.

Unfortunately, pre-qualifying for the championship clashed with the PGA Championship at Oakmont, meaning very few leading Americans made the trip to Northern Ireland.

England’s Max Faulkner had twice been runner-up in the Irish Open at Portrush and he forged a six-shot lead after three rounds. Faulkner was unconvincing in the fourth round but held on to win by two. Local hero Daly finished fourth.

Pos. 1 2 3

Player Max Faulkner Antonio Cerda Charlie Ward

R1 71 74 75

R2 70 72 73

R3 70 71 74

R4 74 70 68

Total 285 287 290

John McIntyre [right] and Chris Gaile Jnr. [below]

To par -3 -1 +2

Hopefully he was a good tipper.

“You do get the odd day without wind,” offers John McIntyre to redress the balance, who started caddying here in childhood in the 1970s. “Any day that the sun shines is a good day. Last year was the hottest summer we can remember. People were going on holiday and coming back to find everyone at Portrush as brown as berries. It was crazy.

“Portrush is a fantastic place to grow up although you might not realise it at the time.”

The caddies of Portrush enjoy brisk business these days, particularly from May through October, but on this particular day in April the weather is being uncooperative.

“On a windy day like this, what looks like a rightto-left putt could be left-to-right,” says Gary.

The winds are brisk, the clouds are thick and the porridge was necessary. Only a handful of groups are venturing out, enabling Chris, Gary, John and Eamon some time to rest their shoulders and reflect on their hometown’s return to stardom. Royal Portrush first held The Open back in 1951, when England’s Max Faulkner won. It was the first and last time The Open was held off mainland Britain but now, 68 years later, The Open is returning.

“It’s brilliant,” says Chris. “When I was young it didn’t seem possible. The regular caddies will miss the work when the course is closed over the summer but overall in recent years the number of caddie requests has gone up quite a lot because The Open is coming back. The number of caddies here has doubled. We have packed tee sheets from morning until the end of the day.”

Like Chris, John caddies, works on the practice ground and also on the morning divot squads.

“I first came to caddie in the school holidays in the early ‘70s and in those days it was very quiet up here,” says John, who also serves as a starter.

“The older caddies would get priority over the kids. We would all start at the bottom of the pecking order, eating humble pie, and you might only get one round a week. Visitors were scarce due to the political situation in Northern Ireland.”

The Northern Ireland Conflict—or “Troubles” as they are often called with understatement, which have caused more than 3,600 deaths—occurred mainly in the 30-year spell between 1968 and 1998, until the Good Friday Agreement was signed. As a town, Portrush was largely beyond the areas directly afflicted by street battles and acts of terrorism but in terms of tourism, all of Northern Ireland was off the grid.

A turning point for Royal Portrush came in 1995 when it hosted the Senior Open for the first time. England’s Brian Barnes won but the star turns were the 65-year-old Arnold Palmer and 59-year-old Gary Player.

“Like many, I followed Palmer,” recalls historian Bamford, a retired judge who captained Royal Portrush in 2002. “On the par-five 18th hole, Palmer hit one of the finest five-irons that I can remember—it was his second shot into the green. I was amazed he was still able to hit such a shot.

“The fact that Arnold Palmer attended the Senior Open in Northern Ireland was a great accolade for Royal

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Portrush. Northern Ireland was just three years short of the Good Friday Agreement and there was a strong movement towards peace and the laying down of arms. From then, Northern Ireland was able to begin to take its place on the international golf map and attract visitors, which it could not have done in the 1980s when the troubles were still rampant. And once the Americans started to come over the caddie master was able to recruit.”

“I started caddying here when the seniors came here in 1995,” says Eamon. “After that it got busier and busier with visitors. The past 10 years have been pretty flat-out.”

Portrush held the Senior Open for five consecutive years and then for a sixth time in 2004. In 2012 Portrush re-confirmed its championship caliber by hosting its fourth Irish Open on the European Tour, but for the first time in 65 years. Three years later the renaissance was completed by the R&A’s announcement that The Open would be played over the Dunluce Course in 2019.

Rory McIlroy will have to shoulder local hopes in July.

The Open champion of 2014 at Royal Liverpool, McIlroy was born and raised just outside Belfast and 60 miles from Portrush. For local knowledge he has his share; McIlroy shot 61 to break the old Dunluce course record by three shots in 2005, playing in the North of Ireland Amateur Open.

“When Rory set the course record—before the new back tees were put in and the new holes—he was 16 years

“His mother and father still live here and his brother works on the course along with us guys. G-Mac is the man”

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TAKING SHELTER

When the flag is at full mast it means the Tavern on the Dunluce Course is open for business. Golfers rarely decline halfway refreshments but the question is what to order…

Ian Bamford: Hot Bushmills in winter. Enjoying hot whiskey and staying warm is more important than playing well!

Eamon: We’re seasonal drinkers here. In the summer it’s gin and tonic. Always large ones.

Gary: Sometimes it improves the golf…

Eamon: You’ll get six [Stableford] points on the front and 26 on the back!

Gary: I’m old school—a bottle of beer would be my usual.

Ian: My father’s choice was whiskey and water and mine is a glass of beer. Guinness is also popular.

Note: You can avoid alcohol if preferred and the Tavern’s hot soup is its top seller.

old, with all this curly hair,” recalls John. “I was there when he did it and you thought, ‘Who is this crazy little kid?’”

Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champ at Royal St. George’s, is from Dungannon, 50 miles due south, although he has a home in Portrush and will receive warm support.

But for the townsfolk—and for the caddies, each and every one—the player they really want to see play well in The Open is Graeme McDowell, the U.S. Open champ at Pebble Beach in 2010 and who only recently qualified for The Open with a top-10 finish at the Canadian Open in June.

“Graeme is the local man,” says Chris. “He is definitely the favorite around here. He was born and raised in Portrush.

His mother and father still live here and his brother works on the course along with us guys. G-Mac is the man.”

“He’s a gentleman,” adds John.

“He’s the local lad who won the U.S. Open. This place was buzzing when that happened, and at the Rathmore Club too, where he grew up playing.”

Says Chris: “G-Mac is down to earth and that is one of the reasons people love him so much here.”

If you are heading to Portrush for The Open in July you have a lot to look forward to. Portrush as a town, as a golf club, as a population, is overdue its second chapter in The Open. And July it may be—the heat of the summer—but please, for the love of porridge and Irish whiskey, come prepared for all weather.

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GOLF Justin Leonard

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Justin Leonard, 25 years a professional golfer and a major champion, is still on tour, but not inside the ropes. The former Open champion spoke to Kingdom about his new career in broadcasting

J Justin Leonard, major champion, 47 years old, doesn’t play golf any more. It is a little surprising, right?

And to be clear, it is not just PGA Tour golf we are talking about, but all golf; friendly, competitive and everything in between. Leonard exists in almost complete abstinence.

“I have played one round of golf this year,” admits Leonard, the Texan who these days enjoys family life in Aspen, Colorado, at an altitude of over 7,900 feet and where the winter snow enjoys a famously long lifespan, which partly explains the dust on his golf bag. But still, it is staggering that when Leonard spoke to Kingdom at the end of April, literally the only round this pro golfer had played in 2019 was at a fund-raising golf day for the Jim and Tabatha Furyk Foundation at Sawgrass Country Club in Florida, to start the week of the Players Championship in March.

“I am not too concerned about my own golf these days,” he adds. Leonard’s last PGA Tour appearance was in 2017 at one of his old favorites, the Valero Texas Open. He made the cut but it wasn’t like the old days when he took home the trophy three times in the space of eight years, between 2000 and 2007.

Leonard is one of the smoothest putters of his generation, but from the other end of the fairway he drives the ball around 275 yards, and on today’s long-bomb golf courses—and when the 2019 PGA Tour driving average is 292.7 yards—it is hard to make up that much lost ground on the greens.

“Once I decided not to play on tour anymore I found other interests. If my sons want to go out and play then I would certainly be happy to oblige them, but I am just not overly concerned about playing. When I played on tour, life was all about golf, but now I am not playing tournaments you get the feeling of ‘what is the point?’”

When you have reached the heights of winning The [British] Open, as Leonard did at Royal Troon in 1997, and when you have holed a putt that—more or less—decided a Ryder Cup, as Leonard did, over a distance of 45 feet on the 17th green at Brookline nearly 20 years ago, in 1999, perhaps less historic rounds of golf can lose their luster.

“I know that taking this much time off from golf is a little out of the ordinary but I find that when I do go out I hit the ball fine,” says Leonard, sounding surprised by his own innate ability after all these years. “It might not be tour quality but every time I go and play after a long stretch without picking up a club, I think, ‘Huh’, and I kind of surprise myself.”

You can take the golfer out of the championship caliber competition but there’s no taking the championship caliber out of this golfer.

Anyway, it is not as if Leonard is sitting at home twiddling his thumbs. Instead of playing on tour in 2019 he has a schedule of 16 tournaments in the broadcast booth for NBC and the Golf Channel, and other commitments include his work with the innovative golf exercise program, GolfForever, an online fitness program designed to relieve back, shoulder and neck pain.

Leonard wins The Open in 1997 [left] and makes his last PGA Tour appearance [above] in the 2017 Valero Texas Open

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The Open road

One of Leonard’s 16 weeks on broadcast duty this year will see him visit Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for the first time.

“Being with NBC I get to go back to The Open each year without the pressures of trying to compete and so for as long as that continues I’ll be happy,” admits Leonard, who was 25 when he shot 65 in the final round to win The Open of 1997.

From five shots back on the first tee that day, he eventually defeated Darren Clarke and Jesper Parnevik by three shots.

Last year, working in the booth at Carnoustie, Leonard could not fail to be impressed with how Italy’s Francesco Molinari rose to the challenge to join Leonard among the select club of Open champions.

“It was phenomenal,” says Leonard. “The way Molinari handled himself, playing that final round with Tiger Woods, being in the middle of all that, and the way he went about playing. He had not really been in that situation before, with a major championship on the line, so it was very impressive how he handled himself.

“And the way Tiger contended last summer was also extremely impressive, although he was not able to quite handle the opportunities. The Tiger of old would have pulled away once he took the lead in the final round of The Open, but Tiger couldn’t do that at Carnoustie which kind of raised a couple of red flags. But it had been a long time since he had been in contention and he just needed to get there and feel it a couple of times, which he did, before coming through in the Masters. That was particularly impressive if you think that just two years ago Tiger didn’t know if he would play again, and now he is sitting there having won the Masters, his 15th major. That is remarkable.”

As for Leonard, perhaps the renaissance of Woods will inspire him to return to tour golf and to the PGA Tour Champions when he turns 50, in June 2022. But things are working out well for Leonard right now. He says, hedging his bets: “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it”.

Playing the long game

Leonard works on the GolfForever programme with Dr. Jeremy James [above, right], who has built a career helping people from all walks of life—professional athletes and amateur—overcome pain and injury so they can enjoy a full range of sports and activities.

“Justin has never had debilitating back pain but he deals with the same problems that lots of other golfers have,” Dr. James told Kingdom. “Justin is very big into strength training and he is very disciplined so he is the ideal partner for my program and he has taught me a lot about golf.”

Adds Leonard: “I am very into my own health and fitness.

I really like the GolfForever concept and it is something I believe in. During my career I have seen a lot of golfers try a lot of things to get an edge. I have seen what works and what doesn’t. One thing I know for sure is that the single most important tool to play the best golf of your life is not your clubs, golf lessons or some gadget, it is your body.

Following a physical training program designed specifically for golf is the most valuable thing you can do to improve your game.

“Generating real power behind your swing requires strong, mobile hips and a balanced, stable core. GolfForever is the most comprehensive golf training program available.

It will improve your game, prevent injuries and end pain.”

Backforever.com/golfforever

Ryan Burr [left] and Justin Leonard in the Golf Channel booth during the Players Championship in 2017 (Leonard won the Players Championship in 1998)

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BEST BODY. GOLF. LIFE

WITH THE ONLINE GOLF EXERCISE PROGRAM BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU The GOLFFOREVER program, led by Dr. Jeremy James and 12-time PGA TOUR winner, Justin Leonard, is a research-based golf exercise program you can stream online at home, in the gym or at the course.

Whether you’re in pain, want to prevent future injury or aspire to fine-tune your body for performance, GOLFFOREVER'S online golf video library is built precisely for your needs, in a format you can easily follow anywhere.

www.GolfForever.com

Fly

TRAVEL Montana

There are words and books and techniques and lessons, and then there is the river and how you enter it. Does the current push you or flow around you? Is anticipation something you learn in a library or in the water under a big sky? And did you ever pause to wonder which end of the line really holds the hook?

Levin O’Connor invites you to not look like a fly fisherman in Montana

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M

y earliest fragment of a memory is of being perched, uncomfortably, in a green canvas child carrier backpack as my father’s false casts screamed back and forth beside my ear and of being nervous over every slip and stumble as he waded into deeper water in the river. It was from this vantage that my relationship with fly fishing began.

At least partly because fishing was such an early and natural part of my life there are many aspects of the sport in which I am woefully lacking knowledge. I do not know the names of many flies, I am uncertain what weight my own fly rod is and I don’t purchase new waders until the old ones inform me—most rudely—that they have succumbed. When I enter a fly shop I am generally disregarded by the clique of experts deep in conversation.

I imagine that if I had been left to find my own way with fly fishing I might have read and researched the rivers,

the gear and the techniques in a more traditional way.

But my father had already done that. So, for better or worse (I believe better) a rod was placed into my hand and that, essentially, was that. I was accountable to be able to tie a leader, to select a fly (by appearance, not name), to cast in any conditions and to see everything. All of my training was practical, wet, hands-on. There was no literature or classrooms to it. I have many thousands of hours studying rivers, flow, lies, the body language of fish and light and shadow, as well as the tendencies and patterns of both fish and water. I tell you this because if you are seeking a highly practical and academic approach to fly fishing for trout in Montana, I am not the guide for which you are looking. But if it is an experience and an approach that you are after, I can help. Here, then, is advice on how to invite criticism and how to make heads shake when fly fishing in Montana.

Follow this advice and I promise that you won’t be alone— maybe almost alone, but not completely alone.

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First, disappear.

When my father and I step into a river, we dissolve. Our participation more closely resembles a heron than it does a fisherman—and we rarely look anything like the other fishermen around us. Slow, careful steps. No self-awareness, no ego. Develop a non-presence, like a photojournalist or an easily forgotten painting in a bad mall store that you walk right by. We are rarely noticed or regarded, and when we are typically it is with peculiarity and pity: “Look at those two, just standing around, staring endlessly into the river. You can’t catch a fish without casting!” I’m sure these are the sorts of judgements silently hurled from guided drift boats passing by, and yet we remain unshaken. Silence. Invisibility.

You have no presence, you’re not there. If others don’t identify you as a fisherman, then neither do the fish.

Next, forget numbers.

We don’t photograph great putts, we enjoy them in the moment —it’s kind of like that

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My father and I are, by choice, not a high-volume team.

The goal of our day has very little to do with catching and everything to do with pursuing. The harder the conditions, the less likely the odds, the more attractive the day becomes.

We hunt the rivers more than fish them; stalking, sneaking and crawling our way forward, eyes scanning for a fish that might evade us. And when we spot one we pluck a fly from our guides, make a few false casts and then the fishing can begin. Stay low—trout can see you, they can see shapes roughly six feet above the surface and so they’ll know you’re there. Crawl on your belly to approach a prime area. Fish from the bank with the sun at your back if possible, leaving the fish in the shadow of a rock or log. And if you do enter the water, do so slowly, casually, not purposefully. Clomping around and wreaking havoc on the river bottom won’t help.

Imagine if a giant foot came through the roof of your house or even your neighbors’. Again, move like a heron. Like a ballerina. Grace, poise, deliberation.

Yeah, this might look peculiar, but this is fishing as I know it, and if you are willing to let go your need to catch and talk—and your need to talk about catching—there is a deep experience waiting for you, even on the crowded rivers of today’s Montana.

The next lesson: accept it.

The longest, hardest and most easily ignored lesson that fly fishing has taught me is to let go of my need and accept what the day brings. It is a lesson that applies to all aspects of life, of course, but its application inside of fishing brings immediate relief and increased joy. It was, however, not so easily learned. And here I’ll pause to talk about how this lesson came to me:

I was born lucky.

I spent my childhood learning how to fly fish on the many fantastic rivers, spring creeks and streams that braid through the area around my family’s ranch in Montana. Any evening I had the urge, I needed only to grab a box of flies, a rod and tippet and head to a beaver pond to catch brook trout.

But when I concentrate my mind on those years, rather than accepting the warm, romantic glow that time wants to place upon them, I can remember days spent sulking and frustrated to the brink of tears (sometimes over the brink). Stomping along the shores of some river wondering when my father would have had enough for the day so we could just leave. I know that for a long time this was the majority of the experience. A repetition of the cycle of building excitement for the day: loading up the boat, filling the cooler, organizing the gear. We would leave before dawn to make it to whatever river we had our eyes on in time for the morning hatch. Only to have all of that excitement and anticipation crash down in a repetitive loop of wind knots, missed fish, pricked fingers and sunscreen sweating into my eyes while heavy glasses slid relentlessly down the bridge of my nose.

And yet here I am, many years later, watching the Montana landscape thaw from a long, frozen winter and feeling the pull toward my first trip of the year. How did this happen?

Surely some of my pain was caused by youthful impatience. I needed to catch many fish, or big fish, or many, big fish. It is this want that drives so many to the water and it is this want that ruins more days than rain or wind ever could.

Consider, why are you going fishing?

Why are you, given all the opportunities you have to use your time, selecting to travel to Montana and chase trout around? Is it to pose for a picture? I don’t judge you for it (maybe a little but I applaud your honesty). The photograph is an outcome that you can certainly create. But in fixating on that particular result you will be forgoing so many meaningful and pleasurable experiences. What would it mean if you didn’t return from your trip with the photo to prove it? Could you still feel satisfied? The why you are there sets the course for all that comes after.

Eventually, I grew up and much of the want has faded away. I have caught many fish and big fish and many big fish and I have pictures of some of them. My journey progressed slowly, from want to experience. But I didn’t know this was even a hurdle, and now you do. I could have saved myself so many days if I had only accepted what I am now sharing with you. The first step toward enjoying fishing is simply letting go. When you feel your blood begin to boil or shame sliding over your shoulders, remember that you are being driven batty, not by a small fish, but by your own self. I am certain you can make this progression much more efficiently than I did simply by being conscious of it. My hope is to help you shave years off the process so that you can begin to truly

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enjoy what Montana rivers have to offer. Simply take the day as it comes. Some days you catch many fish. Some you catch big fish and some you catch no fish at all. As I grew those needs began to quench and the real gift of fly fishing, and specifically of fishing Montana, began to open for me. It is a gift of presence and awareness that allows appreciation for the wild beauty of this country.

If you are willing to risk the absence of photographic validation your options open up considerably. As your mind quiets of this need your awareness can take root. You can begin to dissolve, as we do, allowing your curiosity to lead you. Do not select a fly because it is the right fly, choose the fly that you would eat if you were a trout. It’s okay, nobody needs to know that you nourish thoughts like these.

And when in your exploring you bolt a fish, and you will, instead of hanging on to the feeling of immediate regret, allow yourself to learn. Where was the fish lying?

Why was it there? What about this swirl of current that made it attractive? Is it deeper and therefore safer? Is it darker and protected? Does the current funnel food easily to the fish? How did it see you? How can you adapt? Do not lament the loss of the fish. Instead, remain curious and learn what each fish has to teach you.

Here are some resources to help you book your next trip to Montana:

AIRPORT : I recommend Bozeman (BZN) as it is centrally located near a variety of different world class fisheries.

GUIDE: Mike has been guiding for 25 years and has never lost the joy of it. He is an expert of the Madison river and he and his guides are excellent. riverborne-outfitters.com

FLY SHOP: My favorite local fly shop. They are knowledgable, friendly and welcoming as well as well-stocked for any and all needs. theriversedge.com

You will need to train your eyes.

Fly fishing lives in the marriage of vision and imagination, and imagination is really just another way of seeing when you can not see. I am happy to exchange volume of fish caught for the experience of catching a fish in the way that excites me most. And if you are willing to commit to it you will too, of this I am certain. I implore you, do not spend another day doing as you are told, blindly chucking and watching a bobber bumble along downstream. You are robbing yourself of the moment. For me the moments that matter are the fractions of a second of anticipation that occur when I am able to see the fish, watch as it notices, considers and ultimately takes or rejects my fly.

This moment of limbo elevates my heart rate, tightens my muscles and is absolutely pure and still. In as much as catching fish is my reason for fishing, this is the experience within it that makes it all worth while. It is a moment of total connection.

If you want to be able to fish in this way you must train your eyes. You will miss fish. You will spook fish. You will experience doubt. But if you can focus on being able to look into the water and spot the next fish before it spots you then you will begin to surprise yourself at what you are able to do. You will absorb and process details of the river and the behavior of the fish within it. No longer will the day be a passive tour down the waterway. You will become an immersed member of the ecosystem. Like a heron stalking and peering along the edges of rivers. Odd perhaps, and maybe mostly alone, you will be truly fishing.

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It is worth the cost.

Once you are able to experience this way of fishing you will be….hooked (my apologies). And this brings us to the last lesson of fly fishing, which isn’t a lesson at all if you’re enjoying yourself. It’s “persistence.” Your wives, children, husbands, fathers and co-workers will all wonder why you continue to fish and return without a picture to prove your mastery of the natural world. But we do not photograph our best putts or drives. We simply appreciate them and know that they are fleeting. If you can learn to apply this same rule to your fishing, then happier, more fulfilling days lie ahead.

I guarantee it.

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TRAVEL Turkey

East Meets West

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Traveling golfers seeking an ancient culture coupled with five-star luxury should explore Turkey. The best place to start is where you will land, Istanbul, the historic gateway between east and west, before heading south to Belek, a haven of sunkissed golf.

Paul Trow is your guide

I

Suleymaniye mosque in Istanbul

Istanbul, home to 15 million people across 39 districts, has been the Silk-Road sliding door connecting the continents of Europe and Asia since the dawn of civilization.

Founded as Byzantium by Greeks in 667BC and rebranded in 330AD as Constantinople, this economic powerhouse served as the capital city for four empires— Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman—and was the seat of eastern Mediterranean Christianity until its fall to Islam in 1453.

The dismantling of the Ottoman Empire after World War I led to the city’s renaming as Istanbul, Turkey’s restyling as a secular republic under the presidency of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the government being moved to the mountain citadel of Ankara.

However, the loss of ‘capital city’ status affected Istanbul not a jot. If anything, its allure was enhanced. In 2018, the city hosted a record 13.4 million tourists, many of them delivered to its two international airports by Turkish Airlines flights from 11 North American hubs—New York (JFK), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Toronto, Washington, Boston, Miami, Atlanta and Montreal.

Istanbul consists of three land tracts divided by two waterways—the Bosphorus, between the Sea of Marmara to the southwest and the Black Sea to the northeast, and the Golden Horn, an estuary that flows in the opposite direction, from southeast to northwest.

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Its commercial activities center upon the harbors of Eminönü, Şişli and Beşiktaş while the majority of the population lives in and around Maslak, Bebek and Sariyer to the north, and Üsküdar and Beykoz on the Asian side.

Palaces, mosques and churches frame Istanbul’s magnificent skyline as visible reminders of its cultural and religious diversity, happily co-existing with restaurants, galleries and nightclubs. But for time-pinched visitors the must-see sights narrow down to an iconic half-dozen…

Created in 536AD by Byzantine emperor Justinian, the Hagia Sophia was first a church of staggering beauty, then a mosque and finally a museum. The Grand Bazaar, a haggler’s paradise surrounded by thick walls and occupying an entire quarter, was arguably the world’s first shopping mall. Dating from 1498-1505, it can be entered via 11 gates.

Topkapi Palace, built in the 15th century beside the Bosporus, was the Ottoman Empire’s headquarters.

Its opulent courtyards are lined with hand-painted tiles and intricately decorated battlements, walls and towers.

The highlights are an object bound in swaddling clothes purported to be John the Baptist’s right arm, but perhaps more appealing is the Harem, where the sultan’s concubines and children amused themselves in aromatic splendor.

The Harem is where the sultan’s concubines and children amused themselves in aromatic splendor Sultan Ahmet I’s gift to the city was the beautiful structure known as the Blue Mosque. It caused a furore when finished in 1616 as it had six minarets (the same as the Great Mosque of Mecca). A seventh minaret was eventually gifted to Mecca to assuage the embarrassment.

The 14th century Genoese Galata Tower is one of Istanbul’s most recognizable landmarks. Take the elevator or stairs for panoramic views over the city from the top balcony. High on the hill above Sultanahmet district, the Süleymaniye Mosque is part of an UNESCO World Heritage site. Built (1549-75) for Süleyman the Magnificent, its interior is covered by a soaring dome.

Not surprisingly, given this confluence of culture and ancient history, Istanbul is a honey pot for students and scholars. Most established colleges in Istanbul are backed by the government, but the city also has several private universities. The most prominent of these, the oldest American school in existence in its original location outside the U.S., was founded in 1863 by Christopher Robert,

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a philanthropist, and Cyrus Hamlin, a missionary, and continues to this day as a boarding high school under the name of Robert College.

Istanbul is also home to three golf clubs, including one of the four oldest on the continent of Europe. Founded with 12 holes as Constantinople GC in the Okmeydani district in 1895, it moved to Bebek in 1911 and became the 9-hole Bosporous GC before relocating again in 1920 to Maslak with eight holes, eventually expanding to 18. Today, known as Istanbul GC, it is a 9-hole layout on the same site— compact by modern standards but conveniently close to the business center.

Kemer Golf & Country Club, a 20-minute drive north of Maslak in Belgrad Forest, has superb leisure facilities and restaurants, plus an 18-hole course with stunning countryside views. Then an hour’s drive west leads to Silivri, a Sea of Marmara retreat, and Klassis Golf & Country Club.

Klassis offers an 18-hole course, the brainchild of English double major champ Tony Jacklin.

T

Three decades ago, Belek was a sleepy coastal village with impressive inland views of the snow-capped Taurus Mountains and glorious golden beaches where Caretta turtles lay their eggs. Since then it has blossomed, with government encouragement, into one of the Mediterranean’s premier golf destinations.

This scenic coastline boasts 11 thoroughly modern and attractively maintained golf developments, all carved from pine and eucalyptus forests and showcasing, at the last count, a total of 288 holes.

Outside Antalya (an hour’s flight south from Istanbul), this golfing oasis boasts more than 50 five-star hotels, where full-board means virtually unlimited food and beverage.

Teeming with colonies of privately-owned villas and apartments, it also offers a kaleidoscope of old-fashioned retail therapy for jewelry, designer apparel and local art.

More supine relaxation can be enjoyed in the spas.

Belek presents a sophisticated and historic range of invigorating procedures, from a good scrub in a piping hot hammam (Turkish bath) to Thalasso therapy, founded locally by Hippocrates, the father of medicine in the ancient world. The good doctor noticed that when fishermen cut their hands on hooks, their wounds never became infected.

He developed an entire therapy system after concluding the salt water and seaweed was protecting them.

The hotels all offer an ethnic variety of restaurants, but at least one evening should be spent savoring the indigenous cuisine (a sumptuous blend of fresh meat, kebabs, cooked vegetables and salads). A typical repast might consist of dips (like humus), dolma (stuffed vine leaves) and mezes, followed by some locally-caught fish or a choice of grilled meat from the Ocakbaşı (charcoal barbeque). The coup de grâce will be a baklava (a sugary pastry) or Turkish Delight, made from pistachio nuts, all washed down by a strong cup of Turkish coffee, a bottle of Efes, the national beer, or perhaps a glass of Yakult (red) or Cankaya (white) wine.

Belek might now be a haven of modernity, yet it lies in the cradle of civilization. Nearby links with the distant past include the erstwhile cities of Side, Phaselis, Termessos and Perge, dating from 1200BC following the fall of Troy.

Meanwhile, Aspendos, beside the River Eurymedon in the Koprulu Canyon National Park, has an amphitheater that can hold up to 15,000 spectators for concerts and dramatic performances, along with an aqueduct spanning more than half a mile and a basilica-topped Acropolis.

To explore the local geography, no visit is complete without witnessing the Manavgat and Kursunlu waterfalls, the Carain caves, the lakes at Isparta in the Taurus Mountains, and Antalya’s picturesque harbor where the Roman emperor Hadrian once dined.

Skiing in the Taurus Mountains can be accessed via a network of winding roads, scattered donkey carts and ubiquitous herds of goats, while a day at sea is another popular diversion. A journey west to the resort of Kemer by gulet (a two- or three-masted sailing vessel) will stop off at Phaselis, colonized by Greeks from the island of Rhodes, so passengers can swim and snorkel. Safari-style tours, fishing, rafting, diving and trekking are also popular.

A day on any itinerary must be found for a guided tour of Antalya, a venerable port with a population in excess of one million. Its museum is filled with Roman and Greek archaeological finds, including a naked statue of the god Apollo, while the old quarter with its walled city is now rejuvenated with fashionable boutiques and restaurants. For seasoned barterers looking to establish a fair price, Antalya is replete with leather goods, textiles, jewelry and carpets.

Topkapi Palace [top left], Manavgat Waterfall [bottom left], Antalya [top right], Turkish Delight selection [above]

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The Old at Gloria

Golf arrived in Belek in November 1994 and Northern Ireland had more than a passing influence on this genesis. David Feherty, then a recent Ryder Cup star before retiring to become a prominent TV celebrity, teamed up with fellow Ulsterman and former Tour pro David Jones to design the National Golf Club. The upshot was an imaginative 27 holes with a variety of doglegs, blind approaches and intrusive lakes. The signature 18th only measures 370 yards, but no matter how far you hit your drive you still have to negotiate the pond that shields most of the green. No wonder Feherty’s known for his fiendish sense of humor!

The Old at Gloria, characterized by pine vistas and expansive lakes, was the next Belek course to open in 1997. The New, designed like the Old by Frenchman Michel Gayon, is heavily bunkered and undulating.

TURKISH AIRLINES WORLD GOLF CUP

The Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup is flying further than ever in 2019. The amateur series was established in 2013 with 12 qualifying events, but in 2019 the competition is reaching no fewer than 103 destinations in 71 countries.

It is one of the world’s largest, most far-reaching and prestigious amateur tournaments, and offers a fitting reflection of the expanding Turkish Airlines flight network.

As well as offering corporate teams exceptional networking opportunities, tournament entrants receive first-class Turkish Airlines hospitality and golf at only the finest golf courses around the world. The final of the 2019 World Golf Cup will be held in Antalya just prior to the Turkish Airlines Open.

The winning team can then look forward to competing in the pro-am of the Turkish Airlines Open, a Rolex Series event on the European Tour, with past winners partnering major champions including Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer.

In North America, Turkish Airlines flies to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington D.C. turkishairlines.com

At Antalya Golf Club in 2012 a U.S. team including Justin Thomas won the amateur Eisenhower Trophy Across the road from Gloria, Robinson Nobilis— designed by the late Dave Thomas, a former Ryder Cup player—is routed through mature conifers and meandering waterways. The Welshman’s claim to fame, apart from twice finishing runner-up in the [British] Open, was to co-design The Belfry near Birmingham, England, with Peter Alliss.

Another 1998 creation was the 27-hole Titanic Golf Club, close to a windy stretch of coastline. Designed by English architects Hawtree, it offers rugged Mediterranean views on its second nine, though, ironically, the first and third nines are more threatening.

Antalya GC (2003) consists of two 18-holers—the Pasha and PGA Sultan—both constructed by Jones, who added the Kaya Palazzo to his portfolio four years later.

The Pasha is an open resort layout but the PGA Sultan is a serious tournament venue with tight, rolling fairways, a dozen water hazards and nearly 100 sand traps. It was here in 2012 that a U.S. team, including 2017 PGA champion Justin Thomas, won the amateur Eisenhower Trophy.

Just as Antalya Golf Club has two courses, it also has two hotels—the Kempinski Dome, an architectural tip of the hat to pre-Ottoman (11th century) styles, and the Sirene, a palatial establishment featuring a 50-meter, Olympic-

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sized swimming pool and a mosaic Silk Road thoroughfare DOUBLE TURKISH DELIGHT FOR ROSE The 2019 Turkish Airlines Open will be held at the stunning comprising more than a million colored stone chips.

Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya, November 7-10, where The classy Sir Nick Faldo design at Cornelia Golf Club former world number one Justin Rose is set to defend for dates from 2006 and consists of three 9-hole loops, named, the second consecutive year, having won the prestigious charmingly, Tiberius, Sempronia and Galus. The three nines title in both 2017 and 2018. blend to create three different 18-hole combinations, named, Last year Rose claimed the title after defeating highequally charmingly, Prince, Queen and King. Built on either flying Chinese star Li Haotong in a sudden-death play-off side of a spine of sand dunes, it threads its way through a at the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort. The victory was the colony of umbrella pines and, typically for a Faldo design, first time Rose—a major champion at the 2013 U.S. Open— has several doglegs that place more emphasis on strategic had successfully defended a professional title. acumen than brute force. Factor in elevated tees, tight “It’s taken me 20 years to defend a title, so that’s great,” drives, numerous beautiful but treacherous lakes, along with said Rose after the final round. “I’ve had some pressurepar-5s that are genuine three-shotters, and patience as well packed Sundays of late, coming away with consolation as skill is required to construct a decent score. prizes, so I was keenly aware I wanted to get back in the The 36-hole Sueno resort also offers strategic golf, winner’s circle and it was good to get it done today.” where the 18th greens of both the Dunes and Pines layouts The Turkish Airlines Open is one of only eight Rolex are islands surrounded by a lake in Series events on the 2019 European Tour schedule, which front of the hotel. carry greater ranking points and prize money than regular Five-time [British] Open European Tour events. The Turkish Airlines Open carries champion Peter Thomson, one even greater significance because it is staged just two of Arnold Palmer’s close friends, weeks prior to the end of the European Tour season, and deployed nearly a million heather when the tour’s leading golfers are throwing all they have sprigs in 2008 when he rolled out at trying to secure honors in the tour’s season-long Race the course at Regnum Carya Golf & to Dubai.

Spa Resort, venue for the past three years of the Turkish Airlines Open, one of the European Tour’s eight Rolex Series events. Cultivated in specially constructed greenhouses at a neighboring nursery, the heather enabled the late, great Australian to create a genuine heathland experience.

Also well worth a visit is Lykia Links, designed by Pete Dye’s son Perry in 2008 and a half-hour’s drive from Belek. As a links the wind can make a huge difference, especially over the final six holes sandwiched between the dunes and the sea. “Lykia Links can play like five different courses on five different days,” is Dye’s description Justin Rose plays the 18th in the final round of the 2018 Turkish Airlines Open at Regnum Carya of his baby.

The most recent addition to Belek’s array of golfing gems is Montgomerie Maxx Royal, where the first three Turkish Located on a 300-yard stretch of beach with its own pier, it Airlines Opens were staged and where the event returns caters for all tastes—families, couples, honeymooners, for its seventh edition this fall (November 7-10). Colin golfers, business folk and sightseers.

Montgomerie is rightly proud of his creation. Laid out More recently, golf has arrived in Bodrum, Izmir, across 250 acres (there is also a nine-hole floodlit academy Ankara, Dalaman and Samsun, but it will take some time course), it blends strategically with trees and sandy ridges. before the game takes off at this eclectic mixture of Meanwhile, the Maxx Royal hotel is the perfect complement. destinations the way it has in Belek.

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TRAVEL Caribbean Jet

Jet Escape A getaway isn’t a getaway if you feel imprisoned, and the pains of modern commercial air travel are less than liberating. Likewise, if “the journey is the destination” but the path includes surly checkin attendants and long TSA lines, then home, really, is where the heart is—and where it shall remain. But for those with access to private air travel via a private jet or jet service, freedom awaits on easily accessible beaches and courses that will untangle nerves and restore diminished patience. Here, then, are unchained options reachable by private plane. No bag fees, no middle seat, and you can have the whole can of soda if you like

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Cayman Islands

Just an hour and a half flight time from Miami (or less, depending on what you’re flying), Grand Cayman offers tranquil waters and seven miles of worry-free wandering along its famous Seven Mile Beach, just one spot (albeit a big one) for ambling down the sands. For SCUBA enthusiasts, the late Jacques Cousteau said the world’s best diving, hands-down, is at Bloody Bay Marine Park on Little Cayman, and we’re not going to argue with Jacques. A reef wall that drops nearly 2,000 meters into darkness is reportedly a transformative experience for those beneath the surface, but for those more inclined toward sunshine there’s golf available at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, which is also a nice place to lay your head. Befitting the islands’ laid-back style it’s a 9-hole course, but the Greg Norman design plays to championship standards and is impeccably well maintained. A full pro shop and top instruction facility are here as well, along with stunning views and plenty of waterside golf.

Traveler tip: If you visit both the island of Cayman Brac and the town of Hell (real name) on Grand Cayman, later you can tell friends that you’ve “been to hell ’n’ Brac” and revel in the groans. Simple pleasures.

The Abacos

Not as talked-about as some of the Caribbean’s bigger hits, the Abaco Islands are at the north end of the Bahamas, roughly due east of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 180 miles off the coast. If the crowds are heading for Freeport to limbo the night away, the Abacos are a nice option for those in search of desert island escapes. Great Abaco and Little Abaco are the two main islands, but there are countless smaller Cays and even uninhabited islands to explore. The bone fishing here is excellent, as visitors to The Delphi Club will discover.

The small luxury hotel and fishing lodge will put you in all the best places to get on the fish, and it’s an elegant getaway in its own right, with plenty to keep non-fisherpeople happy.

Elbow Cay is worth a stop as well. The former refuge for British loyalists in 1785 who preferred baking themselves on an isolated spit of sand in the sun to the company of new American citizens is a charming town now with a distinctive red-and-white-striped lighthouse (built in 1863) and, in proper British fashion, more than a few places to grab a beer. With surfing, diving and even golf (at the Abaco Club on Winding Bay), the Abacos have everything a willing castaway could want, including smaller crowds.

Beach front at Abaco Club [left]; sunset off Seven Mile Beach [top], the Greg Norman 9-Hole course at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club [middle]; Delphi Club [above]

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Greater Heights

Scrub Island [above]; at the Baths, Virgin Gorda

British Virgin Islands

You know it’s British when your private jet lands on Beef Island and one of the main attractions is a bath. Being honest, the British Virgin Islands (BVI for short) are fairly stunning, and that includes the Baths at Virgin Gorda, a beautiful beach area defined by large granite boulders that form natural tidepools. Swimming and snorkeling here are immensely popular and it’s a must-see if you’re in the area. One thing you won’t see in the BVI is golf. In the least-British thing about the place there’s none of it to be had, and so golfers must take the quick ferry to Mahogany Run Golf Course in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most private jets can get you to the BVI in around four hours from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and compared to some Caribbean islands the infrastructure is thoroughly modern, with all the comforts of home. Many of those are found at the Scrub Island Resort, yet another British bath reference and a private island hotel that looks as if it was created for the purpose of having something beautiful to photograph. Don’t even bother with the viewfinder: just point your camera in a random direction and click. Friends at home will be jealous.

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Rolls-Royce sets the bar for aviation performance and services.

When purchasing a business jet, engines are of paramount importance—and few engine-makers can claim the legacy of quality and service held by Rolls-Royce.

A stalwart of the aviation world since 1914 and with its engines appearing on many of the world’s finest aircraft since then, Rolls-Royce recently introduced an enhanced level of service that’s already thrilling current customers— and which is sure to be a deciding factor for future clients.

Named CorporateCare Enhanced, it is a comprehensive fixed-cost maintenance management program for business jet customers. It’s a next-level upgrade to the alreadyincredible CorporateCare program, covering a wide range of service items, including unlimited troubleshooting and mobile repair team travel costs for the AE 3007 and Tay engines and, for the Pearl 15, BR710 and BR725 engines, it also covers maintenance for the whole power-plant, including nacelle, engine build-up and thrust reverser united-related services. Introduced at the beginning of this year, the program already attracted 150 new contracts in less than five months, underlining its effectiveness and attractiveness.

Combined with Rolls-Royce’s extensive network of Authorised Service Centers, the CorporateCare Enhanced program ensures faster response times, reduced maintenance times and reassurance in service no matter where in the world you might have landed.

“The program was developed with the mindset of, ‘if we provide it, we cover it,’” said Alan Mangels, Rolls-Royce VP Sales & Marketing—Business Aviation.

“Our customers love that. By listening to them, we continuously strive to improve our service solutions, which ultimately raises the bar for the entire industry.”

Raising the bar and then challenging others to meet it is something to which Rolls-Royce is well acquainted. In the air or on the ground, there simply is none better.

Learn more about Rolls-Royce business aviation and CorporateCare Enhanced at bit.ly/2HYvyET

Truly Remarkable

Among private aircraft companies, Embraer has forged a fantastic reputation for its technological sophistication, ergonomic designs and incredible performance. Case in point: the new Praetor 600 super-midsize business jet, which received key certifications this May. The company calls it “the most disruptive and technologically advanced super-midsize business jet to enter the market,” and for good reason. Capable of flying beyond 4,000 nautical miles in long-range cruise speed or beyond 3,700 nautical miles from Mach .80 from runways shorter than 4,500 feet, it also has an incredible payload capacity. Able to make nonstop flights between such points as London and New York, Dubai and London or São Paulo and Miami, the Praetor 600 opens up a whole new world of destinations and scheduling, whether traveling for business or pleasure. With sophisticated technologies that help to ensure a smoother, safer ride, and a whisper-silent comfortable cabin—the only super-midsize to feature a six-foot-tall, flat-floor cabin, stone flooring and a vacuum service lavatory—the journey will be as pleasant as the destination. With a host of top tech in the cockpit and plenty of options and additional services, the Embraer 600 is everything you need for any aviation task, delivered with speed, confidence and luxury.

Find out more at executive.embraer.com

Antigua

Darkwood Beach, Antigua

When Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson arrived here in 1784, it wasn’t much to look at. Well, that’s not true. It was fantastic to look at, and it still is. With its nearly unbroken wall of coral reef and numerous safe harbors, Antigua and the small island of Barbuda are the stuff that postcards are made of: swaying palms, powder-soft beaches, and views in every direction. If you can pull yourself off of the incredible beaches, such as Darkwood Beach, and get dressed for golf, there are two good options: Cedar Valley, which offers views from its high perch, and Jolly Harbour, which is closer to the waves, wrapped by the Caribbean. Offering thoroughly modern amenities, Antigua’s past remains in Nelson’s

Dockyard, a beautifully restored English Harbor that was the home of the British fleet during the Napoleonic Wars.

Nelson himself headquartered here from 1784 to 1787, though without quite so much to do as visitors today have at their disposal. An afternoon here and a taste of rum nearby will inflame adventurous hearts—just in time for a siesta on the beach.

Valle De Guadalupe

First off, if you’re in your jet as you’re reading this and you’re flying south towards the Caribbean, tell your pilot to turn right—west, we mean. The Valle De Guadalupe is in Baja California, which is in Mexico. Still, for those on the sunset side of the United States, the area offers a fantastic private jet getaway as the dining, accommodations and experiences here are perfectly lined up for short hops or extended stays, as you like. Often described as the Napa Valley of Mexico, the region is producing some fabulous wines in recent years.

The valley sits at 1,000 feet and it’s dry and sunny, so think Mediterranean-style grapes and lifestyles. Tempranillo, Carignan and Grenache come into play at vineyards such as Vena Cava, Viñas de Garza and Monte Xanic. There’s golf here as well (see our “Golf Among the Grapes” feature on p84) but as this is an escape, we suggest just kicking back with a glass and a smile.

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TRAVEL Dewar’s

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A Ramble round the globe In August 1892, Tommy Dewar set off on a round-the-world journey.

This was an age of horse-drawn carriages and steam engines. Pace was slow and days could be long.

Dewar’s mission was to establish global distribution for his family’s Scotch whisky distillery, and over two years he would visit 26 countries. Dewar wrote a celebrated book on his adventures and in keeping with Dewar’s tradition, it aged well

B

efore the ship sailed by the Statue of Liberty on its way into New York—a passage no traveler ever forgets—Tommy Dewar caught his first sight of the Jersey shore. He asked an American companion what made New Jersey famous and got the reply, “Mosquitoes”. Poor old New Jersey, getting a hard rap more than 125 years ago, as it still often does today. In his book “A Ramble Round the Globe”, Dewar noted in added condemnation: “I found out afterwards that the young lady was right”.

This was Dewar’s first trip to the United States but his Atlantic crossing was just the beginning of an epic adventure. The Scotsman had set out on a cruise liner from Liverpool docks in England and headed west, and west is the direction on which he would continue—more or less—for two years, until his travels returned him home. And while the mosquitoes of New Jersey made their mark, Dewar’s description of arriving in New York is more vivid:

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Certainly the approach to New York is a very fine view; the great Statue of Liberty, standing well out as it does, seems to give a welcome to all who are approaching that great and marvellous country—America. As we gradually drew near land, the enthusiasm of the American portion of the passengers grew more intense, and almost wild excitement glared from every eye.

Suddenly, without seemingly any warning, there burst out from the shore and on board a waving of miniature ‘Stars and Stripes.’

Almost everybody seemed provided with these little flags, and they waved them wildly and excitedly, with a vigour almost bordering on frenzy… as the stolid Britisher does not care to advertise himself so much, this display is never seen on our shores.

Well, my first impressions of New York were that it was a wonderful place; but I had not been there long before I came to the conclusion that the streets are about the worst I had ever seen, and I am still of that opinion. I suppose the reason is that it is such an awfully busy place, and everybody is so much on the rush striving to make money, they have not time to look after such matters as cleaning the streets or keeping them in good order. It is a busy place, a very busy place indeed; and really everybody seems wild on the one idea—make money. I asked an American, soon after I got there, what was the use of all this rush and bustle and excitement? What came of it? Was there anything attached to it? What did men do after they had made their pile? He simply replied “I guess they die”.

New Yorkers are very hospitable people, and I was treated right royally wherever I went, and was made an honorary member of most of the best clubs.

From NYC Dewar headed to Washington DC where he took a tour of the White House. A few months earlier, a keg of Dewar’s Scotch had been delivered to President Benjamin Harrison as a gift from his friend Andrew Carnegie, the ScottishAmerican industrialist and philanthropist. The Scotch was laced with irony as President Harrison had recently passed the McKinley Tariff, raising the average duty on imports to almost 50 per cent, in a move to protect domestic industry from foreign competition. When the keg of Scotch arrived at the docks in New York uproar spread through the American newspapers that Harrison was not supporting Americandistilled Bourbon and rye whiskies. So when the White House tour guide explained that almost everything in the White House was American-made, Dewar interjected: I mentioned that he must not forget there was something from Scotland in the cellar. At first he looked hurt; but when I gave him my card, and he saw who I was, his countenance relaxed, and the meaning smile which beamed over it proved that he was as aware as I of what had traveled from Perth to Washington some few months previously.

The enjoyment of fine Scotch was well established within the territories of the old British Empire but much less so in the United States, so the first months of Dewar’s travels were well spent on the left side of the Atlantic, even though he came up against prohibition in some states.

Dewar recounts a particular shop visit: ‘Do you sell whisky?’

‘Are you sick mister, or got a medical certificate?’

‘No.’ ‘Then I can’t do it. See, this is a prohibition state so I can’t sell it, but I reckon our cholera mixture’ll about fix you. Try a bottle of that.’

“A Ramble Round the Globe” was published in 1894. The complete history of Dewar’s, “The Enduring Legacy of Dewar’s” by Ian Buxton, was published in 2009

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To my great astonishment I received a very familiar bottle labelled on one side, ‘Cholera Mixture: a wine-glassful to be taken once every two hours’… the other side [had] the wellknown label of a Scotch distillers, whose name modesty requires me to suppress.

American pharmacies never had it so good.

ALL IN THE TIMING

TOMMY’S NEW YO R K L EG AC Y Various theories abound on the origination of the Scotch Highball and plenty of serving suggestions go with them, but it is thought the first Scotch Highball served in the United States was in New York in 1892, while Tommy Dewar was discovering the boisterous charms of Broadway. Dewar and his friends went into a saloon for a “ball”, but on receiving drinks in what one of Dewar’s friends described as “beastly small glasses”, Dewar asked the barman to serve “High balls” in taller glasses. Newspaper coverage from the era supports the story and in 1902 Dewar’s went so far as to trademark the “High ball”.

Today, any spirit combined with a carbonated mixer and served over ice in a tall 8oz glass can be called a Highball, but if he were with us today Dewar would heartily recommend the ingredients be 50ml of Dewar’s White Label, 100ml of soda water and a lemon twist to garnish. The 2:1 ratio of soda and Scotch ensures the rich, honeyed warmth of the White Label reigns, with a sprig of Scottish heather coming through.

From Washington, Dewar traveled through Philadelphia, Boston, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago—and plenty more stops in-between—then back into Canada before departing the American mainland from San Francisco.

Having been enchanted by the unspoilt, tropical idyll of Honolulu, Dewar headed down into the South Pacific and to another island paradise, Samoa. He writes: It was here that I paid my first visit to a crowned head… [and] had a long and friendly chat… also some bananas. It was King Malietoa; and although he couldn’t speak English well, his Majesty and I got on very well indeed... His surroundings may not have been equal to those of European Susuga Malietoa Laupepa (1841-1898) was the ruler (Malietoa) of Samoa Courts… neither was his residence to be compared with Buckingham Palace; but, nevertheless, he was a king... I pointed out to his Majesty that his clock was wrong, and put it right and wound it up for him. This pleased him so much that he wanted to create me a Knight of the Order of the Cocoanut on the spot; but I explained that our Queen always liked her subjects to consult her before they accepted any distinguished foreign orders, so he allowed me to decline the honour. He is a nice, quiet old man… …Any one selling or giving alcoholic liquors to the natives is fined or imprisoned, and any native found drunk or drinking is punished severely. The reason for this is that, when they reach a certain stage approaching inebriation... the spirit of their forefathers arises within them; and being such thorough sportsmen, it is more than likely that they would have shots at a white man [rather], or… to dine off grilled missionary.

The drink of the island is kava… The ‘distillery’ was a very large hut in the woods, and the working staff consisted of about five-and-twenty natives; but an admiring crowd had followed us to the place, so that there was quite an audience. The operation consists of grinding the root of the kava between stones, then putting it into a bowl and making it into a pulp, then straining it off. Great excitement was caused when I tried my hand at making it... all the ‘staff’, as well as the audience, chattered and laughed so much and got so interested, it was quite amusing. One who spoke a little English said... they all declared I made it as though I had always been in the business.

The poetic and romantic Samoa, with its hundred and one attractions, had to be left; for although I would gladly have followed the example of Robert Louis Stevenson and made the islands my home, to fulfil my mission I had other climates to sample.

He wanted to create me a Knight of the Order of the Cocoanut

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HEARTBREAK HOTEL After Samoa, Dewar next set foot on dry land in Auckland, as he discovered New Zealand from north to south. In Tarawera, in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island, Dewar’s journey took an unexpected turn: Ah, me! That stay at the Tarawera Hotel nearly altered the whole course of my future existence… That landlord had a niece, and she was really a lovely girl. Never before had I thought of the loneliness of a bachelor’s life; never before had I thought of the happiness of a married life; never before had I felt my heart turning to wax of the softest nature… I kept my burning passion to myself. Just before dinner was over I made an excuse and left the room. My mind was made up; I would hazard all, and fling my hand, my heart, my luggage, and myself at the feet of my fair enchantress, and ask her to be mine.

I went out, and, going to the part of the hotel where I thought she would be, I suddenly came upon her—kissing our coachman! I coughed demurely, but they both burst out laughing, and told me they were sweethearts, and were going to be married very shortly! Alas for the hopes of man!

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE Mr. Louis B. Raycroft, of Boston, Massachusetts, was enjoying a beach stroll along Manila Bay in the Philippines in February 1894. The bay leads out to the South China Sea, where ships regularly sail between the Far East and Australasia, and Raycroft picked up a whisky bottle that had washed up on the beach, and found a letter rolled up inside that read as follows: To Whomsoever it Concerns, This letter, thrown overboard, incased in a ‘Dewar’s Special Whisky’ bottle, from the steamship Airlie, from Sydney bound for Hong Kong… on January 11th, 1893, two days out from Dilly (Timor), and passing between the Cellebes Islands and New Guinea… 1,500 miles from Hong Kong. Provided the finder of this message from the sea shall cause same to be delivered to Messrs John Dewar & Sons, distillers, Perth, Scotland, a case of Dewar’s ‘Special’ whisky will be delivered to said individual, free to any part of the globe. Authorised and guaranteed by the instigator— Thomas R. Dewar, of John Dewar & Sons, Perth… and 48 Lime Street, London.

A message in a bottle from 1893

Raycroft picked up a whisky bottle washed up on the beach and found a letter rolled up inside

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The letter was duly returned to Dewar’s and the case of Special whisky dispatched, as promised, which was a snip in return for all the newspaper publicity the stunt generated.

An extraordinarily gifted salesman and marketer, Dewar’s “Ramble Round the Globe” took him to 26 countries and enabled him to establish a network of 32 “first class and responsible” agents. In the space of his two-year journey—which cost £14,000 at the time, equivalent to around $1,500,000 in today’s money—Dewar singlehandedly expanded the company’s reach from nationwide to worldwide, and such was the volume of orders that sailed in from across every ocean that the company had to move into bigger premises. Dewar’s opened its famous Aberfeldy Distillery in 1898, which remains the heart of Dewar’s production to this day.

TO THE POWER OF FOUR One of Scotland’s oldest whisky distillers has secured a strong stake in the future with an innovation that is setting a new standard for premium Scotch Dewar’s—already famed for its double-aging process—has introduced a new Double Double Series of small-batch, blended whiskies that have been crafted with a pioneering four-step aging technique.

Explains Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender for Dewar’s: “Three things are fundamental to Dewar’s premium range: age statements, double aging and the pursuit of smoothness. Drawing inspiration from the archives of our first master blender, A.J. Cameron, we devised a unique four-stage aging process that harnesses these three fundamentals, resulting in an exceptionally smooth range where each blend has its own unique flavor profile.

“The first stage sees the malt and grain whiskies each reach their age statements, we then blend the malts and put them back into specially selected casks and we do the same with the grain whiskies. We then blend the grains and the malts together and put them back into casks. Then we put the whiskies into three different types of Sherry cask.”

Not just a trailblazer of Scotch distilling, Dewar’s has a long-held tradition of ground-breaking advertising campaigns, a tradition that was established by the company’s first global ambassador, Tommy Dewar.

Dewar famously said: “Keep advertising and advertising will keep you”, and under his leadership, in 1897 Dewar’s became the first drinks company to produce a motion-picture ad. It featured three men in kilts and fancy dress, attempting to dance the Highland Fling. Screened onto a building in Herald Square, New York, the ad was indicative of the enterprising era that quickly established Dewar’s as America’s top-selling Scotch.

Dewar would be spellbound by how far motionpictures have advanced over the last century, and he would be gripped by the latest film from Dewar’s, called “Four”—in celebration of the launch of the Double Double range— which is a mystery in four parts, revolving around four characters whose paths converge in guestrooms at The Savoy. (Tommy would have appreciated The Savoy touch, having kept a suite at the iconic London hotel for 25 years.)

Starring English movie star Juliet Stevenson, and written by actress Tuppence Middleton—who also plays a leading part—“Four” is a beguiling British drama, complete with a surprising twist at the end. But not wanting to publish any kind of spoiler, we simply suggest you search for “Dewar’s Four” on YouTube.

DEWAR’S D OUBLE D OUBLE SERIES Released this spring, the first Double Double range features three age statements

The 21-Year-Old is finished in Oloroso sherry casks and delivers subtle notes of cinnamon and ripe vine fruits, complete with a silky-smooth finish that confirms its identity as a Dewar’s blend.

The 27-Year-Old is finished in Palo Cortado sherry casks and comprises light and aromatic, floral notes, along with honeyed fruits and subtle spice.

32-Year-Old is Dewar’s oldest marque ever bottled. Premium and complex, it is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and a rich depth is highlighted by treacle notes and a hint of smokiness.

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TRAVEL Wine & Golf

Golf Among Grapes

Wine and golf. Or, if you’re keeping score, golf and then wine is probably better. However you arrange them, when delivered with quality they’re two of our favorite things. The following destinations agree, offering plenty of pours to go with their games— or after their games.

However you like…

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CHÂTEAU ÉLAN Braselton, GA Chateauelan.com

“When people come to the property, they are immediately transported to the French countryside,” says Ed Walls, GM of Château Élan in Braselton, Georgia—and he’s not exaggerating. The stunning resort just 40 minutes northeast of Atlanta bridges unexpected, if surprisingly complementary, aesthetics, sitting like one of Provence’s fine wine houses under a welcoming Georgia sky. With its elegant vineyards and grand recreational options, Château Élan offers visitors the opportunity to experience both original French-style wines and genuine Southern hospitality, and in a setting that is as dedicated to the modern era as it is influenced by history. As Walls explains, the resort is in the midst of a $25 million renovation that will see the already incredible property refreshed and modernized even as it retains “the existing estate’s 16th century-style charm.” Rooms are being overhauled, four new food and beverage outlets are being created and the lobby and grounds are getting a makeover with top-tier fittings and materials. We’re excited to see the new custom chandelier being hand-blown in the Czech Republic’s Crystal Valley, but for the moment we’re happy to enjoy the resort’s pours and its lovely golf courses. Add to that a 35,000 square-foot European-style spa, an inviting pool area and enough eateries to satisfy any palate, and you have one of America’s great golf and wine destinations.

Wine

Château Élan is one of the most-awarded wineries on the East Coast, and part of that likely has to do with the fact that Executive Winemaker Simone Bergese has designed a program rooted in tradition but unafraid to surprise. That said, a wine tasting in Georgia is already a new experience for many visitors, and Bergese sets the table accordingly.

“While most expectations are set when visiting a winery in Napa, you don’t really know how your wine experience will be in Georgia,” the winemaker says. “For this very reason I created an unorthodox wine program— because I wanted it to be unequivocally based on tradition and quality, using sustainably grown grapes.”

The winery produces 29 wines, many of them made from grapes grown on the property. It turns out that viticulture in the region goes back quite a ways, with muscadine grapes cultivated commercially in the southeast since the mid 18th century. Wines made from the grape are known for being fruit-forward, often (but not always) in a sweet style, and in fact the grape can yield a number of options across a spectrum, which fits with Bergese’s program—“We focus in high quality sweet, off dry and fortified muscadine wines”—and which gives visitors to Château Élan the opportunity at tasting something rather special.

Golf In addition to its full winery, spa and more, Château Élan offers 45 holes of championship golf. Both its Chateau Course and Woodlands Course were designed by Denis Griffiths, with the former built in 1989 and the latter in 1996. The layouts offer generous fairways in many instances, with the rolling landscape of the North Georgia foothills providing contrast and depth as holes bend around water features and play along forested edges. The Woodlands Course offers all of that with a bit more drama on holes such as No.5, a beautiful challenge with deep undulations right off the tee and a tricky landing area. No.8 puts you in front of water ( just pretend it’s not there, or so we’re told) and 15 rewards precision hitters, but all in all both courses comprise a great day of golf for players of all abilities.

Bonus: A selection of the Château’s wines are available on the “beer cart.”

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TERRE BLANCHE

MEADOWOOD

From a resort in Georgia that evokes the French countryside to a resort in France that’s welcoming to golfers from everywhere, Terre Blanche is, as the resort has it, is “votre oasis en Provence” — easily understandable, even if you don’t speak French. The 5-star hotel and specialty golf destination is magnifique, offering two courses, a top performance center and an experience in the heart of France’s idyllic wine country. Chef Philippe Jourdin ensures guests don’t go hungry with a playful, exquisite menu that showcases the region’s best fresh ingredients. Rooms are elegant, service is top-drawer and incredible experiences—such as a “Perfumes of Provence” tour that visits some of the most beautiful floral locales from which France’s top houses select their fragrances, or artisan-themed tours that explore the Montauroux Glass Works or area ceramics—will leave any visitor enthralled.

Any resort owned by the makers of Screaming Eagle is bound to offer great wine and great luxury, and Meadowood certainly delivers on both counts. This beautiful California destination in the heart of Napa’s wine and gastronomic center offers clean, modern design along with exceptional service, a 3 Michelin star restaurant and even a professional caliber croquet lawn. A charming golf course grounds the amenities, which also include tennis, a sumptuous spa and all the beauty one could possibly manage to enjoy.

Provence, France terre-blanche.com

Wine Where does one begin? At the hotel, of course. New for 2019, Terre Blanche features a sublime wine cellar with seating and more than 400 of the best wines, presented in tasteful style. Beyond that, Terre Blanche offers “The Wine Path,” a journey through more than 2,600 years of Provence wine culture. The hotel can help to organize visits to any of the numerous local houses, including Château d’Esclans, makers of the world-famous Whispering Angel. Red, white, and rosé as far as the eye can see, accessible from one of the world’s great golf resorts. La belle vie indeed.

Golf Terre Blanche hosts the Ladies European Tour Terre Blanche Ladies Open and is widely regarded as one of the best golf destinations in the country, voted as the very Best Golf Club in France in 2017 and as the Best Golf Resort in Continental Europe for 2018-2019. Two Dave Thomas designs set the stage, with Le Château and Le Riou each offering 18 holes of championship play. Both feature jagged-edged bunkers, with the former presenting a serious challenge that favors long hitters and accuracy as well. Le Riou is the site of the LET tournament, set on a hillside overlooking the villages of the Pays de Fayence and forcing golfers to think before they swing—precision is everything here. A top academy, a performance center and a lovely clubhouse complete a picture that is well worth seeing.

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St. Helena, CA meadowood.com

Wine Take your pick. If you’d rather not leave the resort, the simply named “The Restaurant” at Meadowood and its adjoining bar has a wine list that will keep even the most difficult enthusiast busy, while off property you’ll find the entirety of the Napa Valley waiting to be discovered. Consider signing up for a “Thirsty Thursday” wine tasting at the Napa Valley Wine Academy and pick up some knowledge, or ask Meadowood’s concierge for recommendations on where to go and what to try. This is one of the world’s foremost wine regions; what’s not to love?

Golf Doug Pike is the head professional here, and what a beautiful office he has: one of the most charming 9-hole courses anywhere set amidst the rolling hills of Napa Valley.

A walking course, it threads among trees and transports golfers to a Golden Age aesthetic of the game, quieter, softer and more pleasant than the rigors of day-to-day working life. Golfers can play with hickories if they’re so inclined, and a cool cocktail along the way isn’t frowned-upon either.

Simply wonderful.

DOCEPIEDRAS GOLF & WINE EXPERIENCE Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico camperahotel.com

It’s not a 5-star resort in the classic sense, the course has not hosted a PGA TOUR event and the wines are not served in the finest restaurants in New York City, but if you want an absolutely unforgettable experience head to the Campera Hotel and to the Docepiedras Golf & Wine Experience, where a man named Rick and his friends built a 9-hole course among the vines of their vineyard. The hotel has you sleeping in ultra-modern eco-friendly bubbles among the vines, with a full view of what the hotel’s site says are “five million stars” at night. (We’re guessing there might be more...) As for the golf, as Rick offers on Docepiedras’ Airbnb site (visit Airbnb.com, search Valle de Guadalupe and then search “Experiences”): “Come play a round with me… We built this course throughout our vineyards as a statement to our love of golf and the many friends we’ve made along the way… I’ll share some of my house wines and tell you stories about Zen and Baja California.” Wines are paired with cheeses during play, and if you score an ace you get a free bottle of Estate wine. Sleeping in a bubble in a vineyard under the stars, playing golf in that vineyard with a guy who shares wine and cheese with us while he tells stories?

Forget five stars—we give it five million.

5-star luxury at Terre Blanche [left] and 5-million-star experience in Baja California [above and right]

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HONORS Majors

MODERN MILESTONES For more than a decade Tiger Woods was stuck on 14.

Many thought that was where his career would end, yet in April Tiger won his fifth Masters and the biggest gap in golf shrunk to size three; that is, the gap between the 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus and the 15 now accumulated by Woods. On Planet Golf that’s a seismic shift Pictures courtesy of Rolex

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ack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are clear at the top of tour golf’s most important list, that of career major wins. Here, for the sake of contemporary comparison, we have edited down the list of all-time major winners to include post-war victories only. This is not to denigrate the pre-war heroes. Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon, Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones and company, may you rest in peace, your records indelible, but the modern quartet of majors was not set until tour golf became better established after the Second World War and once the modern “Grand Slam” of majors was recognized—on the recommendation of Arnold Palmer in 1960.

Our list of modern major winners features all those with four major titles or more. It is a select band of only 16 names, but they are 16 of the most prolific golfers of our time.

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The Major men

Golfers with the most majors in the modern era (at least four titles since the end of the Second World War in 1945, excluding senior majors):

Majors

Golfer

18 15 9 9 8 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4

Jack Nicklaus Tiger Woods Ben Hogan Gary Player Tom Watson Arnold Palmer Lee Trevino Nick Faldo Peter Thomson Seve Ballesteros Phil Mickelson Bobby Locke Raymond Floyd Ernie Els Rory McIlroy Brooks Koepka

Major Years USA USA USA S. Africa USA USA USA England Australia Spain USA S. Africa USA S. Africa N. Ireland USA

1962-86 1997-2019 1946-53 1959-78 1975-83 1958-64 1968-84 1987-96 1954-65 1979-88 2004-13 1949-57 1969-86 1994-2012 2011-14 2017-19

15 TIGER WOODS

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By the time a 21-year-old Tiger Woods won his first major title at the 1997 Masters—by 12 shots—he had single-handedly lifted the trajectory of golf worldwide, amateur and professional, triggering a decade of growth.

Woods’ third major win, by 15 shots in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, was probably the finest 72 holes ever played. He progressed from there to complete the “Tiger Slam” of winning all four majors in succession, but not in the same calendar year, with the fourth being the Masters in the spring of 2001.

It looked as if Woods’ 14th major success, the 2008 U.S. Open, would be his last, but showing incredible determination, resilience and belief, he rebounded to win his fifth Masters and 15th major in April.

JACK NICKLAUS The career of the “Golden Bear” remains peerless.

Nicklaus claimed his first major title in dramatic circumstances, defeating Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole play-off in front of Palmer’s home crowd at Oakmont, outside Pittsburgh. Like many, Palmer saw the rise of Nicklaus coming. After the ’62 U.S. Open he famously said: “I’ll tell you something, now that the big guy is out of the cage everybody better run for cover”.

A powerful ball striker on one hand and clutch putter on the other, mentally as tough as anyone who has swung a golf club, Nicklaus completed the Career Grand Slam three times. He memorably completed his set of 18 majors by becoming the oldest ever Masters champion, aged 46 in 1986.

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5 PHIL MICKELSON Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour, when he claimed the 1991 Northern Telecom Open aged 20, so he turned professional the following year surrounded by the highest expectations. Despite becoming a regular winner on tour, Mickelson served hard time as “the world’s best player not to have won a major” until he finally broke through, aged 33, at the 2004 Masters.

Always open about his ambition to win “a bunch” of majors, Mickelson eventually tempered his natural attacking instincts to claim four more major titles.

7 ARNOLD PA L M E R Golf was a fringe sport until Arnold Palmer. As outside TV broadcasting emerged in the 1950s, so did Palmer from the wooded hills of Latrobe, playing with inimitable, attacking verve that made irresistible viewing. He loved the fans, always smiled, signed every autograph and the affection was mutual.

Palmer was the best golfer in the world in the late 1950s and early sixties and in 1964 he became the first golfer to win the Masters four times. Consequently, in 1967, he became the first Testimonee in golf for Rolex, and was joined by Nicklaus and Gary Player. Building on its enduring relationship with Palmer, Rolex became universally recognized as golf’s timekeeper.

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THE NEW GUARD

4 BROOKS KOEPKA No golfer in the modern game has mastered the art of timing peaks in form like Brooks Koepka. The 29-year-old has six PGA Tour wins to his name (as presses roll) and remarkably, four of them are majors. Or put it this way: Koepka has won 40 percent of his last 10 major starts.

Part golfer, part body builder, long-driving Koepka’s run started at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, and in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills he became the first golfer to successfully defend the U.S. Open since fellow Rolex Testimonee Curtis Strange (1988-89). Koepka held off Woods to win the PGA Championship last year at Bellerive before repeating a victorious major defence at Bethpage State Park in May. The last golfer to successfully defend major titles twice? Tiger Woods.

To reach this list of leading major winners is to make history. Only 16 golfers have achieved it in almost 75 years. Even slight alterations to the list are very scarce.

So far 2019 has seen a relative rush of two changes, with Woods’ 15th major and Koepka’s rapid ascent to four titles. Before then the last change was when Rory McIlroy qualified by winning his fourth major five years ago. Most of the time this ranking is simply untouchable.

So how will the list change next? Can Woods, or Koepka add to their major totals, and who will be the next golfer to reach four majors? Knocking on the door is American Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 and The [British] Open in 2017. The 25-year-old Texan needs only the PGA Championship to complete his Career Grand Slam and to match the likes of Koepka and McIlroy on four career major titles.

Next could be Justin Thomas, 26, who has a single major triumph to date, at the 2017 PGA Championship.

The friendship between Thomas and Spieth dates back to when they competed against each other in American Junior Golf Association tournaments aged 13. This new guard of golfers is bolstered by fellow American Rickie Fowler, Spain’s John Rahm and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, three golfers who are yet to win majors yet they have come close and time is on their side.

Koepka, Spieth, Thomas, Fowler, Rahm and Matsuyama are all Testimonees for Rolex, the renowned Swiss watchmaker which is partnering the new generation of stars to perpetuate its long-standing tradition of support for golf.

This new guard is capable of achieving greatness yet the competition has never been stronger. Apart from anyone else, they need to defeat Woods, who declared at the recent U.S. Open that at the age of 43, he still hopes to have 10 more years at the top of the world game.

Mr. Nicklaus, your record may yet be broken.

[Left to right] Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth are leading golf's new guard

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CLUB

ALL IN ONE The summer months are upon us and it is time to take full advantage of long days and short sleeves. That means golf, drinks, dinner, bed and the rest all within close proximity. No time for hassle, no time to lose

Dan Murphy / stonehousegolf.com

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PINEHURST North Carolina

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inehurst No. 2 [5th hole pictured] is one of the great major stages of American golf.

Donald Ross created his defining masterpiece in 1907 and Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore restored it to its orignal glory in 2010. It was one of Arnold Palmer’s favorite courses to play in his own time, out of the spotlight. His father Deke loved it too. They would also love the renovated Manor Inn, which re-opens in August. It is where Palmer, family and friends would stay in the 1940s and ‘50s, near the historic Village, but the 42 guestrooms have now been taken to an altogether new level.

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Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

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WHISTLING STRAITS Wisconsin

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his land was once the hunting grounds for the Winnebago tribe, halfway between Green Bay to the north and Milwaukee to the south, along the western shore of Lake Michigan. Today, the town of Kohler resides; home to The American Club and the Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run golf clubs. The Pete Dye-designed Straits Course [11th hole pictured] has staged the PGA Championship three times and will host the 2020 Ryder Cup. The AAA 5-diamond rated American Club hotel was built by the Kohler Company in 1918. Book early.

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SAN LORENZO Portugal

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he Algarve is one of the most sought after stretches of coastline in Europe. British and German golfers, in particular, can’t get enough from spring through fall as they seek its virtually guaranteed sunshine and dry heat as an antidote to the summer showers at home. Hence golf on the Algarve can be truly exceptional, and never more so than on the verdant, lush, manicured fairways of the famous San Lorenzo Golf Club, a modern classic [5th hole pictured]. Play San Lorenzo and stay at its five-star partner, the Dona Filipa, which is peerless for service and facilities.

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PLAY & STAY

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COURSES

75 HOTELS

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DESTINATION DESTINATION

MINUTES FROM PHILADELPHIA

WGJ Solheim Cup

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T ES

T HE

E R G AT

The Solheim Cup heads to Scotland’s famous Gleneagles Hotel in September, when Juli Inkster will become the first golfer to captain the American team three times. Loved by the players and admired by the selection committee, the popular leader spoke to Kingdom

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n the summer swelter of Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2017, Juli Inkster trusted Lexi Thompson to lead from the front in the decisive, final-day Solheim Cup singles. Inkster was captain of the home team and Thompson—only 22 and yet already a seasoned champ—was the star turn. The Americans held an emphatic five-point lead and Inkster needed her players to carry through their momentum to finish the job.

European skipper, Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, countered Thompson with her driving force and compatriot, the statuesque Anna Nordqvist, and the fight was on.

Momentum is all-important in sports and particularly in competitions like the Solheim Cup, in which whole teams contribute to the energizing drive—or to the successkilling pull—as things get rolling. Whichever way the momentum sways, you can almost touch it, pushing players

on like a friendly breeze or stubbornly pinning them back.

Momentum rushes around a golf course, down fairways and through the trees, stoked by the cheers or groans of the galleries, feeding on the final-day atmosphere, toying with the players’ emotions. This is why opening singles matches are worth more than just “the one.”

After only four holes Nordqvist, 30 at the time, was four up, brushing past Thompson, grabbing the momentum by the neck and swinging it around. Inkster, nine times a Solheim Cup player and seven times a major champion, stepped in.

Thompson tells Kingdom: “Juli jokes that she said, ‘Really?!’ I just needed to wake up. It seemed like I was asleep on the front nine.”

Inkster remembers the chat thus: “I just told Lexi, ‘You’re my best player. You’ve got to start over.’”

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WHEN YOU PARTICIPATE IN PATRIOT GOLF DAY THIS IS WHO YOU ARE PLAYING FOR.

Meet Ryann and Ellie Bauguess, Folds of Honor scholarship recipients and daughters of Major Larry Bauguess. Major Bauguess was killed in action shielding his men from enemy fire on May 14, 2007 while serving his country in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

If Major Bauguess hadn’t answered the call to serve, volunteered to lay down his life and leave everything he loved behind to defend a nation he believed in, we wouldn’t be granted the privilege to enjoy the life we live each and every day. In honor of his sacrifice and the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces, will you pick up your clubs and dedicate one day, one game, to say ‘Thank you’ to our nation’s heroes? Participate in Patriot Golf Day and give back to our military families. Learn more and get involved at patriotgolfday.org

“I asked her if she had ever made six birdies in a round. She said ‘Yeah,’ so I said, ‘Okay, go and make six birdies. You can do it, there are a lot of holes left, you’ve got the firepower, you can turn this match around but you have got to hold your head up.

“Lo and behold, that girl, she grinded, and the match finished the way it probably should have done.”

Four down with nine to play, Thompson sprung from her slumber and played the next seven holes in a blazing eight under par, including a pair of eagles, and only a final birdie three at the last from Nordqvist squared the match to halve the point. The fireworks were Thompson’s but her captain lit the fuse.

“It was one of the greatest matches in the history of the Solheim Cup,” claims Inkster with justification. “It was electrifying. You could feel the buzz and the crowd loved it.”

“Having the support of my coach and teammates allowed me to dig deep down and play my best golf to come back,” adds Thompson, who is a Testimonee for Rolex, like Sorenstam and Nordqvist. “I made the turn and played lights out golf.”

The European team dug deep too but could not muster the dramatic comeback they required as the USA closed out to win 16 ½ to 11 ½.

“It was becoming a little bit uncomfortable... so I said: I am going to get off this phone call”

Lexi Thompson tees off on the first hole against fellow Rolex Testimonee Anna Nordqvist in the 2017 Solheim Cup

Caught off guard

Late in 2017, Inkster endured an awkward moment on a conference call when the Solheim Cup committee convened to discuss the 2019 captaincy.

As Inkster tells us: “It was really Meg Mallon who suggested, ‘Why don’t we just have Juli do it again?’ I was like, ‘Whoa!’ I really didn’t see that coming. I had not heard one thing about that before it happened. As they were talking it was becoming a little bit uncomfortable with me on the phone so I said: ‘I am going to get off this phone call, so you guys let me know what you would like to do.’

“About an hour later they called back and asked me to captain for the third time. Sometimes the girls on the team like to hear a different voice, so once they assured me that the team was behind me there was really no hesitation whatsoever on my part. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. I love doing it.”

As Thompson puts it: “Juli is a true leader and legend!

Her experience and knowledge are so deep that she can lead us through anything. It is truly an honor to play for Juli.”

Inkster was the fourth captain to have led the American team twice—following Kathy Whitworth (1990-92) Judy Rankin (’96-98) and Patty Sheehan (2002-03)—but she is making history as the first to lead the squad three times, when the Solheim Cup arrives at Scotland’s historic

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JULI INKSTER: THE ESSENTIALS Born:

June 24, 1960, Santa Cruz, California

Amateur:

U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion 1980, ’81, ‘82

Turned pro: 1983 Tour wins: 44 Major wins (7): 1984: 1989: 1999: 2000: 2002:

Nabisco Dinah Shore, du Maurier Classic Nabisco Dinah Shore LPGA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open LPGA Championship U.S. Women’s Open

Solheim Cup:

It is the time you spend together as a team—that is what the Solheim Cup is all about Gleneagles this September. Europe will be captained by home favorite Catriona Matthew—like Inkster a nine-time Solheim Cup player—as Inkster bids to take her captaincy record to 3-0.

“I probably should have quit while I was ahead but I am a glutton for punishment! It is a definite honor, that’s for sure, and I am excited,” she says. “I love the Solheim Cup and everything about it.”

But Inkster promises it’s not all about winning.

“The Solheim Cup is all about being a team, being together and building memories that we don’t get in individual golf,” says the golfer who debuted in the Solheim in 1992 and last played in 2011. “When I played, I really can’t tell you where we won and where we lost but I can certainly tell you all the great stories from being part of those teams.

Don’t get me wrong: it feels a lot better to win than to lose, but it is the time you spend together as a team that is what the Solheim Cup is all about, representing your country, and it is also about building women’s golf. It is the biggest viewing tournament we have, showcasing American and European golf, with all the passion that comes with it.”

The 16th Solheim Cup will be played from September 13-15, where Rolex—one of the longest-standing supporters of women’s golf—will be the Official Timekeeper. Win or lose, Inkster’s team won’t be caught napping.

The 18th hole on the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles [top]. Inkster [right] holds the Solheim Cup trophy at Des Moines in 2017

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Appearances as player: 9 (winning team in 1998, 2002, ’05, ’07, ’09; losing team in 1992, 2000, ’03, ’11) Inkster shares record with Christie Kerr for most appearances on US team.

Total matches played: 34 (Won 15 Lost 12 Halved 7) Total points won: 18.5 (3rd all-time for US team) In 2011, became first-ever playing assistant captain in Solheim Cup & set record as competition’s oldest ever player, aged 51.

As U.S. captain in 2015, USA defeated Europe 14 ½ 13 ½ at GC St. Leon Rot, Germany As U.S. captain in 2017, USA defeated Europe 16 ½ 11 ½ at Des Moines G&CC, Iowa

Honors: 1984 Rolex Rookie of the Year 2000 Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

TRAVEL Her View

ORD OMG

by Lauren Erickson Pero

Rolling greens, panoramic vistas and Mai Tais at the turn—just another day in Chicago. Wait, scratch that. Illinois rates as the second-flattest state in the U.S. (tip of the cap to you, Florida).

Almost any undulation on course here is man-made. We boast some pretty phenomenal spots regardless: Medinah, Chicago Golf Club and Butler come to mind. But the topography can be a limitation.

But we have deep-dish pizza, so…

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’ve always been a traveler but I wasn’t a traveling golfer until I took up the sport on a whim a few years ago. It’s a subtle shift in mindset when preparing—are we shipping our clubs or relying on the resort to provide solid rentals? Truthfully it probably doesn’t make much of a difference with my amateur status, but if I can’t get my hands on a hybrid I’m up the storied creek. On a recent trip to Hawaii I was excited to get my game to the islands, and I didn’t expect it would be that different to playing on my home turf. Golf is golf, right?

My husband, delighted that he wasn’t getting side-eyed anymore for “wasting” vacation time on the greens, enthusiastically embraced me as his golf buddy when we visited our favorite go-to spot: ultra-luxe Lanai.

Larry Ellison purchased 98% of the island for $300 million back in 2012 and has transformed the already stunning land into a golf-lover’s utopia. Four Seasons Lanai, the serene main hotel, accommodates golfers down to specialized post-round massages and complimentary shuttles to and

Golf in Hawaii vs golf in Chicago? Let’s just say there are a few differences...

from the course. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Manele Bay is a far cry from home in pretty much every possible way and overlooks Hulopoe Bay in spectacular fashion. We’d opted to risk club rentals and were pleasantly surprised (hello Scotty Cameron putter). At home we always walk, the unbroken land making for a leisurely 15,000 step stroll.

On Lanai we could’ve walked, then remembered we were on vacation and hopped right into the cart.

Immediately the differences were obvious. I gleefully gained an extra 50 yards on downhill drives, which I’ve never had the excitement of experiencing in Chicago. It turned around and bit me if I didn’t shoot far enough uphill on the inevitable counter holes, boomeranging back as I watched in dismay. And then there was the nifty trick of the greens:

The grass grows toward the ocean, affecting the ball roll and by extension my already subpar putting. I’ll blame the rental clubs here, but I also came to miss the rough of my Chicago course, which is flat and which usually renders errant strikes find-able. The cliffs and ravines outlining the holes at Manele made finding bad shots somewhat problematic, and I made sacrifice after sacrifice to the Pacific. Time for one of those Mai Tais!

As we lingered over lunch and cocktails in the suitably named Views (pro tip: try the prawn BLT), we chatted with fellow globetrotters visiting from Japan and London. They shared stories about golf back home and other courses to try if we ever found ourselves their way. It struck me that we could have been on any course in the world and still slipped into comfortable conversation through this common thread of the game. There’s this nervous anticipation of playing with new people on holiday. Are they club champion back home? A former university player? It appears they’re mostly like us, weekend warriors who like to knock back a few as we trade fair and gnarly shots and stories down the fairway.

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Staying the course Financial Adviser, Dick Connolly was Arnold’s Palmer’s long-time trusted wealth manager and friend. With what would have been the King’s 90th birthday approaching, Dick pays a personal tribute to the man to whom the entire world of golf owes a debt of gratitude. “’In the 38 years I knew Arnold on professional and personal levels, he never changed as a person; not in the way he treated anyone from presidents to maintenance workers to locker room attendants. And when he made a commitment, he stuck to that commitment, no matter what. It is an ethos I have tried to maintain everyday in my professional and personal life.”

Richard.Connolly@morganstanleypwm.com

LEGACY AP Experience

Experience of a Lifetime

The Arnold Palmer Experience was a first-of-its-kind interactive look at a remarkable life — complete with a little challenge

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n addition to witnessing 32 of the world’s top 50 golfers compete over four days of incredible golf, visitors at this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard were delighted to see something new at the tournament: The Arnold Palmer Experience. Adjacent to Bay Hill’s No.10 and easily spotted thanks to its distinctive “umbrella” dome theater, the Experience was a first-of-its-kind display of an incredible collection of Arnold Palmer memorabilia. Six cases containing a wealth of treasures from Palmer’s life were on display, including flight log books, mementoes from his White House dinners with the Queen of England, numerous trophies,

medals and awards, and examples of just a small sampling of the nearly countless licensed and affiliated Arnold Palmer products, such as cans of the AriZona Beverages Arnold Palmer Half & Half, fun games, toys and products from Asia, Mr. Palmer’s first and last Rolex watches, and so much more.

There was also a touchscreen wall with a fun quiz and swing simulators in which fans could attempt to re-create iconic shots hit by Palmer in some of his finest tournament moments (more on that later). A great time and a hi-tech exposition of a Life Well Played, the Arnold Palmer Experience ultimately was a chance for fans old and new to spend a little time getting closer to Arnie—time well spent, indeed.

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Fact Box??

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SOLID FOUNDATION

Thousands of visitors came through the Arnold Palmer Experience, which over four days of the tournament raised roughly $25,000 in donations for the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.

Dome Theater The first stop in the Arnold Palmer Experience was the dome theater, which featured a short film that offered fans a look at the many facets of Palmer’s rich life. Family photos and footage joined with Golf Channel interviews to showcase Palmer’s family, his early life, his love of aviation, his business prowess and, of course, his incredible career in golf. PGA Tour pro (and Palmer’s grandson) Sam Saunders had a look before opening day (right).

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GOLDEN HANDSHAKE

The first Rolex Testimonee in golf was Palmer, starting in 1967, and over the ensuing years he became synonymous with the Rolex Day-Date chronometer in 18-carat yellow gold, with the President bracelet and hidden clasp. It is a self-winding watch in a robust but elegant Oyster case and waterproof to 330 feet.

Memorabilia Cases Six cases filled with memorabilia anchored the Experience, filling the main exhibit space with incredible awards (including Palmer’s 1954 U.S. Amateur trophy), pieces from his flight history (including a model of the jet he used to set a round-the-world record), letters from U.S. Presidents, his Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, and even a young Arnold Palmer’s bronzed baby shoes and birth certificate.

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Iconic Jackets The memorabilia display included three iconic pieces from the wardrobe: Mr. Palmer’s 1967 Ryder Cup team jacket, his U.S. Open champion’s jacket from 1960, and the red cardigan that eventually was awarded to Francisco Molinari for his victory in the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

DRIVING THE GREEN

During the U.S. Open of 1960 at Cherry Hills, Palmer attempted to drive the green on the 318-yard par-4 first hole in every round, but the first time he accomplished it was at the beginning of his final round. Palmer was seven shots off the lead at the time, but his opening drive set-up a birdie and he was on course to shoot 65 to win by two.

Swing Simulators One of the more popular aspects of the Experience was an array of swing simulators that challenged visitors to re-create iconic Palmer shots, including: drive the green at Cherry Hills in the 1960 U.S. Open; hit from behind the blackberry bush at Birkdale’s 16th hole during The Open in 1961; and hit driver off the fairway into Bay Hill’s 18th green, as Palmer did in his last appearance in the 2004 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

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LEGACY 90 for 90

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It is incredible to believe, but this year will mark what would have been Arnold Palmer’s 90th birthday. To celebrate, a “90 for 90” campaign kicked off this June 13th, revealing 90 amazing moments from 90 years of Arnold Palmer, one per day over 90 days until September 10, Palmer’s birthdate

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he moments cover all aspects of Palmer’s incredible life: his family and personal relationships, his keen sense of business and successful career as an entrepreneur and golf course designer, his time in the cockpit as a pilot who set a world record and who logged nearly 20,000 flying hours and, of course, his incomparable career on course. In addition to celebrating all of these facets, the campaign is highlighting Palmer’s philanthropic efforts and the great work being done by the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, originally founded as Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. Opening the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies were key moments in Palmer’s life and are deservedly highlighted among the other 90, along with examples of the foundation’s work to promote youth character development and nature-focused wellness.

The campaign is being distributed on the official social media channels for Arnold Palmer, and a network of industry leaders is stepping in to help amplify the messages.

SiriusXM radio will be hosting daily Palmer minutes, while Golf Channel, the USGA, the R&A and others will be sharing messages as well. It all leads up to September 10th and to birthday celebrations in Orlando, at Palmer’s home of Bay Hill Club & Lodge, and in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where Palmer was born in 1929. A legend for all time, Palmer created so many incredible moments that the only challenge in a campaign like this was narrowing the list down to 90.

Visit ArnoldPalmer.com or visit Arnold Palmer’s official channels on Twitter and other social media for more information on the 90 for 90 campaign—and perhaps raise a glass on September 10th to the man who created several lifetimes’ worth of remarkable moments in a single #LifeWellPlayed.

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LEGACY Palmer & TV

[l to r] Arnold Palmer, Bob Charles and Jack Nicklaus at the World Seriesof Golf in 1963

Live On Course “It’s Arnold Palmer”

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I

In 1927, just two years before Arnold Palmer was born, a working class kid in Utah was tinkering away in a lab, trying to crack a problem that was confounding inventors the world over. At 21 years of age, Philo Taylor Farnsworth had grown up in a house without electricity and yet, despite that, he was about to invent the first electronic television system.

On September 7, 1927, his invention transmitted the image of a straight line to a receiver in another room, and history was made. It is unlikely Farnsworth could have imagined that

30 years later a version of his creation would be used to show the first golf tournament ever broadcast on TV: the 1947 U.S. Open. Whether or not an 18-year-old Arnold Palmer watched that broadcast, it made an impact on him. And when it was Palmer’s turn in front of the camera, boy did he make an impact on television.

The first color television sets went on sale to the masses in 1954, the same year Palmer turned professional. Sets from RCA Victor and Westinghouse wowed the shoppers, but they were crazy expensive, costing more than $1,000 at a time when the average family income was just over $4,200 per year. More popular were blackand-white models, which began flying off the shelves in the mid 1950s as the prices dropped. In 1945, the World Book Encyclopedia claims there had been fewer than 10,000 TV sets in the entire United States. By 1950 there were 6 million, and yet it was still just a drop in the bucket compared to what was coming.

The 1947 U.S. Open was the first televised golf tournament, but it was only shown on a local station. With the tournament played at the St. Louis Country Club, it was nearby Missourians who squinted at their small screens, looking for any hint of a ball as Sam Snead suffered the second of his four runner-up finishes at the event, losing to Lew Worsham in an 18-hole playoff. The first nationally broadcast tournament wouldn’t come until 1953, and Worsham won that one as well—in golf’s first made-for-TV moment that was actually seen on TV, holing a wedge approach for an eagle two on the final hole of the World Championship to beat Chandler Harper by a single stroke. As Palmer recounted in his autobiography, A Golfer’s Life, “Worsham didn’t see the ball go in the hole, but millions who had never set foot on a golf course did, thanks to the fact that the moment was broadcast live on television.”

The Masters first appeared on TV in 1956, and so by the time Palmer was ready to take his first Green Jacket in 1958, the moment was sure to be witnessed by millions—far more, in fact, than had seen Worsham’s eagle just five years earlier. By the end of the 1950s television ownership

was up dramatically, from 6 million sets in America in 1950 to roughly 60 million in 1960. With Palmer’s game catching fire at exactly the right time, the stage was set for a revolution in golf.

“TV was just coming into its own,” explained author Thomas Hauser, speaking in the GOLF Channel documentary, Arnie.

“In 1950, eight percent of American families owned a television set and in 1960 it was up to 88 percent.

“Golf back then was almost impossible to televise. You had these small black and white television sets, you had this tiny ball the camera couldn’t pick up as it went through the air, and here was Arnold and it was simple: all you have to do is focus your cameras on Arnold. Whether he’s winning, whether he’s losing, this is the guy.”

And he was the guy.

“He enjoyed being on TV,” said Doc Giffin, Palmer’s longtime right-hand man.

“I wouldn’t say he mugged up for the camera, but he was always very much aware of it, went out of his way to do what was best on television.”

“In the big picture he was the first television star of golf,” said Bob Costas, speaking to GOLF Channel shortly after Palmer’s death in 2016. “You take Bobby Jones or Ben Hogan or Sam Snead who preceded him, and in some ways they’d match up favorably with him if you just looked at the bare achievements. But there was a magnetism about Arnold Palmer that came through on television and that helped to popularize the sport to the masses.”

Palmer’s obvious joy upon winning the 1960 U.S. Open, his obvious devastation at having melted down at the same event in 1966. The uplifting thrill of his 1960 Masters win, the crushing pain evident following his 1961 Masters defeat… And so it went.

“The game had a feel of an elitist sport to many people,” said Costas. “Arnie related to the guy who’s on a public course someplace, to the regular man in the street.

The go-for-broke style that sometimes led to thrilling outcomes and sometimes led to disappointing defeats, but that daring, that kind of bold approach, is part of what endeared him to his millions of fans.”

Arnold Palmer entertains the press during the 1958 Masters

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Pictured: (l-r) Announcer Ed McMahon, U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew, guest host Arnold Palmer, 1970

He wore all kinds of emotions on his sleeve, and millions saw it

“The generation prior, they were very dull to watch,” said writer Al Barkow, in the Arnie documentary. “Now, all of a sudden here comes this guy: Throws his visor in the air when he holes a putt and grimaces when he misses a shot, and wears all kinds of emotions on the sleeve, and everybody’s seeing it, millions are seeing it.”

Millions were, and Palmer’s business partner and manager Mark McCormack took note. Making the decision to market the man as opposed to his achievements, McCormack started getting Palmer on TV seemingly as often off course as on it.

Game show appearances (“He got a kick out of the time he was on ‘What’s my Line?’,” said Giffin), Tonight Show Appearances and more, Palmer even stood in for Johnny Carson as guest host of The Tonight Show once in 1970. And when it came to advertising, suddenly Palmer was doing Pennzoil ads with the old Toro tractor on which he, his father, Deacon, and his younger brother, Jerry, had spent so much time working at Latrobe Country Club. He was hitting tennis balls and talking about how great Cadillacs were. Swimming in a pool while extolling the values of the Arneson Pool Sweep pool cleaner. And so on, sometimes appearing with models, other times alone, once in a stagecoach for a line of Renown Arnold Palmer clothing in Japan, another stepping out of his own plane to pitch United Airlines. Hertz, Jiffy Lube, Mercury, Sears…

“There is a period where for 30 consecutive years Arnold Palmer was the

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top-grossing athlete in the world in terms of endorsement income,” explained Hauser.

No question that television helped to drive those earnings, but not just for Palmer. With the influence he built on TV, he was able to help change the sport itself as part of a group that emboldened the players with the creation of the PGA TOUR, increasing audiences and purses for all pros. Consider that when Palmer started playing, total TOUR prize money was in the neighborhood of $250,000. By 2014 it was close to $300 million.

“This is the guy that’s responsible for where the game of golf is today,” Lee Trevino said of Palmer in Arnie. “He took the machete in the jungle and made the path for us.”

In the end that path led through the TV screen, no more directly than when Palmer co-founded GOLF Channel in 1995.

Slow to start, it now boasts nearly half a billion viewers in more than 80 countries, and so television is part of Palmer’s story even as it helped to tell that story, which was compelling right up to the end. Of all the moments, though, perhaps none was as endearing as his final U.S. Open appearance in 1994 at Oakmont Country Club. Emotions at the fore playing so close to his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Palmer heard the applause of the crowds on No.18, then broke down at the post-match press conference, burying his head in a towel in tears of joy and gratitude, overwhelmed and immensely human with his soul on display, every moment captured by the cameras, securing the legacy of a man who grew the game right alongside the growth of television, a match made in Farnsworth’s lab perhaps, but switched on

by Arnold Palmer.

Palmer lights up the broadcast on the Golf Channel [left]; and starring in one of many Pennzoil ads [below] with the iconic tractor

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LEGACY Harry Colt

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The 7th on the Old Course, Rye

August 4, 2019 marks the 150th birthday of Harry Colt, the legendary British course designer—who counts much of the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush, The Open stage, among his greatest achievements. Adam Lawrence writes that Colt should be credited with creating the profession of golf course design

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H

Harry Colt, the man who would essentially invent the profession of golf course design and arguably design more great golf courses than anyone else, was born in a country, at a time, where golf was almost unknown. Colt entered the world in Highgate, now an upmarket London suburb but then basically a village on the outskirts, on August 4, 1869.

Golf had only the tiniest foothold in England. The first golf boom—which took the game beyond its roots in the east of Scotland—began in the early 1850s, after the popularisation of the gutty ball made the game affordable for ordinary people. In 1850, before the effects of the gutty revolution were felt, there was a grand total of 17 golf clubs and societies in the British Isles; by 1890, the number had exploded to 387, playing over 140 separate courses.

George Colt, Harry’s father, died when his younger son was only two, and Georgiana, his widow, took the family away from London, to live in the spa town of Malvern in

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Worcestershire, where she had family connections. So it was in this pleasant country town that Harry spent his childhood, before being sent to boarding school at the age of eleven. He played cricket, rugby and rowed but it was back in Malvern in vacations that he discovered golf; the nearby Worcestershire Golf Club had been founded in 1880.

Colt captained the golf team at Cambridge University before working as an articled clerk in a lawyer’s office in London. He played most of his golf at Royal Wimbledon and also joined Littlestone in Kent, became an R&A member in 1890 and even entered the 1891 Open at St Andrews. In the 31st Open Colt shot 93-91 in the 36-hole championship, finishing in a tie for 38th from a field of 83, with an aging Old Tom Morris among the trailing pack.

Colt qualified as a solicitor in June 1893 and moved to Hastings on the Sussex coast to become partner in the firm, Sayer & Colt. It was a good time for a keen golfer to settle on the south coast. Both the Hastings & St Leonards and Rye clubs were starting up and Colt joined both, being quickly elected secretary of Rye. Along with club pro Douglas Rolland, who Colt knew from his time at Malvern, he redesigned the original course—his first experience in golf design. The new Colt/Rolland course opened in April 1895 to great acclaim.

Colt spent the rest of the 1890s as a country solicitor in Hastings. He was shortlisted for the position of secretary of the R&A in 1900, assembling a remarkable set of testimonials including double British Amateur champ Horace Hutchinson and Arthur Balfour, a member of Rye and also at the time, the Prime Minister. Colt was not appointed but when a similar post came up at the new Sunningdale club in Ascot, southwest of London, he jumped at it. There were 450 applications but the club hired 32-year-old Colt.

Colt was asked to “sanity check” the ideas of local doctor Dr Alister MacKenzie

7th hole The Old Course at Rye Golf Club [left].

17th hole at Alwoodley Golf Club [below]

Meeting MacKenzie Colt’s 12 years in charge of Sunningdale represented the most important period in his career. By the time he left in 1913 he was unquestionably the world’s leading authority on golf course design, with already a pile of superb work to his credit from a golf industry just beginning to take hold.

In 1907 Colt was brought in by the committee of the newly-formed Alwoodley club in Leeds to “sanity check” the ideas of local doctor and committeeman Dr Alistair MacKenzie. MacKenzie was determined to design Alwoodley himself and he managed to convince his colleagues to let him, on condition that his routing be examined by an independent expert. Colt was chosen, visited MacKenzie in Leeds, the two hit it off and MacKenzie’s plans were passed.

Illustrating the fledgling nature of the golf business, this was only Colt’s third paid job as a golf architect. He was hardly more experienced than MacKenzie himself, yet vindication of the abilities of Colt and MacKenzie has solidified in the fullness of time and Alwoodley remains one of the UK’s most revered heathland golf courses.

The 17th at Alwoodley [above]; the 7th on the Old Course at Sunningdale [far left]

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Colt was blessed with a calm, easy-going manner.

People warmed to him and found him convincing. He was in the right place at the right time, when his rivals of this Golden Age put up only faltering competition. Willie Park Jr, the original creator of Sunningdale, lost almost everything in the failure of his Huntercombe development; Herbert Fowler was a business disaster who spent much of his life fending off bankruptcy; James Braid was still one of the top playing professionals and had a pro shop to run at Walton Heath, while MacKenzie was yet to depart his Leeds consulting rooms.

Colt cleverly formed an alliance with Suttons Seeds, who had a network of representatives across the UK that enabled Colt to be first through the door to pitch on numerous projects. The success of his first high-profile new build at Stoke Poges (now called “Stoke Park”) in 1908 confirmed his status as the UK’s market leader. It also provided him with an assistant in former Oxford golfer Hugh Alison, who became secretary of Stoke Poges and from then on started working with Colt in his design business. When Colt first attempted to resign as Sunningdale secretary in 1911—due to the overwhelming pressure of work—the club begged him to change his mind, provided him with an assistant to do most of his work and substantially increased his salary.

Colt finally left Sunningdale in 1913 (before serving as acting secretary again during the First World War) and went to the United States, where he played a key role in George Crump’s creation of Pine Valley, which to this day remains widely regarded as the greatest course in the world.

Colt’s exact role at Pine Valley remains contentious but this

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Colt masterstrokes: Trevose [above], St George’s Hill [top right]; Stoke Park [below]; La Mer at Golf du Touquet [bottom right]

Colt’s role at Pine Valley remains contentious but he later listed it among his courses

Photo: J. Lovett

typically modest and retiring Englishman was happy to list Pine Valley among his courses in later documents.

Still in 1913, Colt completed the creation of the famous St George’s Hill in Surrey, laid out the Eden course at St Andrews and worked in Spain for the first time at Puerta da Hierro.

Colt became renowned for routing his courses by first seeking out natural spots for par threes. This had two effects; firstly it made him known as a creator of great one-shotters, and secondly it enabled Colt to identify early on the areas on a site where the severity of the ground made it difficult to route par-four and par-five holes. This is central to Colt’s reputation as the supreme router of golf courses. It is rare, on a Colt course, to find holes that fight the land or that feel out of place.

During his long career, Colt progressed through a number of changes of style, especially with bunkers, though he always favored sand-faced bunkers; if you see a Colt course with grassed down bunker faces, that would not have been his work. Before World War I, Colt wrote repeatedly about bunkers being “torn” out of natural upslopes, with a consequent random edge. He would approve of the traps on the Championship Course he designed at Trevose in Cornwall, on England’s southwest coast, which have been recently renovated with torn edging to great effect.

Colt was also the first architect to consistently elevate greens, reasoning that keeping them drained was important, and favouring visibility over blind approaches which were so common at the time.

Colt died in 1951, coincidentally a few months after Royal Portrush—in the eyes of many his greatest work—

hosted the first Open to leave the shores of the British mainland. His chronicler Bernard Darwin famously wrote of the Dunluce Course at Portrush, paraphrasing the Latin poet Horace, “The first Open Championship ever to be held in Ireland was begun at Portrush yesterday... Let me at once pay it my respectful compliments. It is truly magnificent, and Mr H. S. Colt, who designed it in its present form, has thereby built himself a monument more enduring than brass”.

The 148th Open will illustrate that Darwin’s tribute was no exaggeration.

— Adam Lawrence is editor of Golf Course Architecture magazine.

With co-author Paul Turner, he is currently working on ‘More Enduring than Brass’, a biography of Harry Colt.

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TRAVEL HEALTH

FULL ROUND It doesn’t make for great travel conversation, but millions of men deal with symptoms of an overactive bladder and so it is worth talking about. Here are a few thoughts to help start the discussion…

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There are many conditions that cause symptoms that may be interrupting your game. One such, which affects nearly 10 million men, is OAB, otherwise known as an overactive bladder. While it’s an annoying and potentially embarrassing condition (not least for golfers who regularly play a full round), the good news is that it can be manageable. Medication is one option, and it’s worth discussing that with your doctor, but there are steps you can take on your own that might help to mitigate some of the symptoms, and they begin with what you eat and drink. Here, then, are a few simple ideas to help you keep your mind on the game—and off the obvious.

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

In the most simple terms: urine comes into the bladder via a couple of tubes (ureters) and leaves through another, the urethra. When your bladder is full, your brain gets the message that it’s time to find a toilet. You find one and get ready to do your business, then one set of muscles opens the gate and another set helps to expel the urine.

Trouble is, various parts of this system can get off their game. The brain can get an urgent “go” message long before your bladder is full, the “expel” muscles might start doing their job before they’re needed (or wanted) and the “gatekeeper” muscles might forget what they’re meant to be doing, which would lead to urgency, increased frequency and leakage.

Why any of this happens can be unclear and is sometimes related to some of the conditions mentioned above. Sometimes it’s not, however, and it’s more than a little likely that simply aging plays a part. Annoying to be sure, and sometimes worse, but there are a few things you can do. Various pelvic floor exercises might help and there are medications designed to help manage this condition that have proven to be effective, and you should discuss both of those options with your health care provider. In the meantime, however, take a look at your diet. Some food and drink can irritate your bladder or urinary tract; accordingly, avoiding them can make life much easier.

I N TA K E

You cannot (and should not) avoid drinking water; you need to stay hydrated, especially if you’re playing golf, and so don’t try the “no fluids in = no fluids out” approach to managing OAB. In fact, it could simply cause your urine to be more concentrated and thus more irritating to your system, and provoke the exact kind of stimulation you were hoping to avoid. Rather, examine the “irritate” list below and note if any are particularly present in your diet. Cutting back could make a difference, and obviously talk with your health care provider about which might be particularly unhelpful to you (e.g., if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, then breaded foods most likely will not help with OAB as they’ll be irritating your body anyway). Likewise, consider a few foods that might actually improve your bladder health, helping to avoid constipation (which can pressure the bladder) or contributing to general bladder wellness.

While it probably won’t solve the problem completely, keeping an eye on what you eat and drink can help to manage the symptoms of OAB. Talk with your health care provider about other steps or medication you can take to deal with the problem as well, but don’t feel like there’s nothing you can do in the meantime. After all, any distraction at all on course can get you off your game, and when you’re playing 18 you should enjoy each and every hole.

Foods that might irritate OAB symptoms: • • •

Carbonated beverages, even non-caffeinated ones Caffeinated beverages, including soda, coffee, etc Concentrated citrus drinks and/or citrus fruits

• • • •

•

Alcohol Spicy foods Some sports drinks Tomatoes and related foods (e.g. ketchup, chili and so on) Honey

Foods that might help with bladder health • • • • • • • •

bananas apples grapes coconut watermelon strawberries blackberries asparagus

• • • • • • •

broccoli cucumbers kale carrots celery lettuce peppers

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TRAVEL Philadelphia

The 1776ers The PGA Championship will head to Philadelphia in 2026 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

We followed up to discover a golfing community that is as diverse as it is historic

Backyard I

By Design ndependence Hall cuts an understated yet stately figure in Philadelphia’s “Old City”, just across Chestnut Street from where its retired Liberty Bell is set in grand repose, six blocks west from the Delaware River. Modern, sky-scraping America surrounds the Old City today, but back in the 18th century Independence Hall—or the Pennsylvania State House as it was then called—emanated regal grandeur, hope and authority in the heart of this City of Brotherly Love.

More than that, built between 1732 and ’51, at the time it was the most ambitious construction project ever undertaken across the 13 American colonies.

Of course it is what happened inside Independence Hall that was of towering significance, led by the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, to mark the birth of this country. A year before, in 1775, George Washington was there appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, in 1777 the design of the American flag was agreed and it is where the U.S. Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787. Not even Phillies legend Mike Schmidt could beat that for a grand slam.

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And so it made perfect sense last December when the PGA of America adjusted its forward schedule to bring the PGA Championship at nearby Aronimink Golf Club—slated for 2027 originally—ahead to 2026, to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Nestled deep in the tranquil, wooded Philly suburbs yet less than 20 miles west from the Old City, Aronimink is the ideal destination for such a milestone celebration and apparently the club had preferred 2026 from the start.

Aronimink is among the truly great old golf courses of America’s northeast and a Donald Ross design, which also benefitted from a careful restoration by Gil Hanse.

Aronimink is a proven venue for golf ’s biggest championships. It was here in 1962 when Gary Player won the PGA Championship to complete his career Grand Slam (which was historic but still not a scratch on Ben Franklin & Co.) and most recently it staged the 2018 BMW Championship last September. This was the penultimate tournament of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, when American Keegan Bradley picked up the theme to repel the British old guard—in this dramatization played by Justin

The grass has grown in, the trees are flush with green leaves, and the steady, reassuring sound of sprinklers can be heard throughout the neighborhood.

As the sun rises on a new summer dawn you wake from your slumber, cross the room and part the curtains to behold… A backyard in need of some help.

This is not the dream that kept you going through the long, cold winter, not the stage on which you imagined so many BBQs and festive evenings playing out—but fret not! Help is here. With some new hardscape and a quality accessory or two the stage will be built, those BBQs will happen, and the dream will be made real

Build Your Stage

The way to your ultimate outdoor living space is paved

by Belgard, a company that, in addition to offering luxury hardscape products, also offers a range of design services to ensure that your dream comes true. Their concrete and porcelain pavers come in a wide range of patterns and textures, and bring new levels of frost- and skidresistance while providing incredible durability and ease of maintenance. More than simple patio covering, Belgard’s pavers are sincere design elements that enhance and add value to your home. Complementing the vision with them, Belgard also offers a wide array of retaining wall products to suit any need or environment. Whether it’s a poolside design element or a functional guide for landscaping, these will frame and add definition to any design. To this project, add an outdoor fireplace, kitchen, fire pit, brick oven, water feature or other asset from Belgard’s Elements Collection of pre-built pieces, finish it off with one of the firm’s elegantly designed curb pavers and hardscape edging, and behold! The stage is set for summer.

And if you need help imagining your dream backyard, no worries: Belgard has a great Design Studio and a network of expert contractors specifically trained on working with and installing Belgard products. Working with them and with Belgard, your backyard is sure to be transformed into the ultimate place to entertain or to celebrate with family or friends, or simply to relax by yourself with an evening libation. Staycation, anyone? belgard.com

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Fire It Up

If there’s one backyard accessory that defines summer, it’s the grill. There are a huge array of grills on the market, of course, ranging from the cheap smoky mess of a tub on which you routinely burned hot dogs in college to grills with fountains and light shows and built-in stereo systems (well, maybe not fountains…). Rarely does a company seek to redefine the grill, and yet that’s just what Memphis Wood Fire Grills has done with its range of cookers. Fueled by wood pellets, Memphis Grills provide true wood-fired grilling, but because the pellets are distributed by a dispenser connected to the company’s Intelligent Temperature Control system, this is a wood-fired grill that offers consistent heat, easily adjustable up or down from a touch-control panel—or even from your smartphone, via a Memphis Grills app. Sear a steak, roast a turkey, smoke a brisket… Direct and indirect flame cooking are possible, as are a number of dishes rarely attempted on a wood-fire grill. Bake bread? No problem.

We’re big fans of this as it marries elemental woodfired grilling with the modern convenience of precision temperature control, which makes consistently producing epic meals that much easier. Available as standalone and built-in models, Memphis Grills are the new tool for your ultimate backyard. Fire up the Memphis Grill and throw wide the gates—the crowd is welcome to feast. memphisgrills.com

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Cool It Down

Maybe it’s a few hours, maybe it’s weeks, but every summer there seems to come a period when it’s just too hot to be outside. For these days—for any days, if you live where temps trend high—a patio misting system can make a huge difference. These work by pressurizing water and forcing it through a small opening in a specially engineered mist nozzle, which creates fine water droplets. When this mist full of droplets evaporates, the resulting cooling effect can be up to 35˚F. As far as suppliers are concerned, Koolfog has more than 30 years of experience creating misting systems for commercial and residential customers alike. They’re big believers in custom-designed solutions and offer a wide range of products to ensure your outdoor space is perfectly sorted. Whether you’re looking for a misting system or to create a fog effect or similar in an outdoor water feature, Koolfog is the firm to help you take the edge off the heat. koolfog.com

GIFT GUIDE Summer

Summer Specials

Rolex

GMT-MASTER II

Whether you are on the road this summer or enjoying some cherished time to kick back and enjoy the comforts of home, we can ensure you are covered and equipped for every occasion

Dubarry

CHELSEA BOOT

The GMT Master series was first developed for airline pilots to accurately show two different times when flying between continents. Still evoking that pioneering spirit and sporting a distinctive black dial with gold hour markers, we feature the GMT-Master II in Rolex’s patented Everose 18 ct gold. Quite simply the perfect wrist piece for the traveling golfer.

Crafted on hand-cut stacked leather soles, these classic Chelsea boots are Gore-Tex lined for breathable waterproofing and built with Dubarry’s own fast-drying leathers. The perfect travel boot allowing you to dress for dinner while also equipping you for the escape of an off-road adventure.

rolex.com

dubarry.com

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GIFT GUIDE Summer

Sacks Parente

SERIES 54L LARGE MALLET

SQRD UP

ALIGNMENT MADE SIMPLE

Sacks Parente specializes in premium, custom-made putters. We have picked out the 54L Large Mallet which brings excellent forgiveness on off-center strikes, easy alignment. Pictured is the Vernier Acuity model, and what really grabs the attention is the exceptional feedback that mass manufacture simply can’t match. sacksparente.com

Proper alignment, correct ball and clubface position at address—these are fundamentals golfers face each and every time a stroke is made. Instead of guessing, with SQRD UP’s 100% accurate laser lines you can easily and exactly practice, meeting each one of these essential requirements. At Kingdom we have been thoroughly impressed by this innovative device. It is easy to use and exceptionally helpful to low- and high-handicappers alike. Hit it where you want to. sqrdup.com

ECCO

M GOLF BIOM HYBRID 3

No-one combines technical innovation, utter comfort and premium materials like Ecco. The M Golf Hybrid 3 is made with soft and durable yak leather uppers on an anatomical last. The waterproof Gore-Tex construction keeps feet protected from all course conditions, while removable Ortholite inlay soles enhance cushioning. The innovative Tri-Fi-Grip outsole promotes stability, durability and rotational support during the golf swing. us.ecco.com

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GIFT GUIDE Summer

Fancy Faces WOOD DUCKS

Dormie Headcovers Keep the free equipment brand advertising out of your golf bag and opt for the classic, minimalist approach of the Camo collection from Dormie. Constructed with leather straight from Italy and embossed with subtle textures and tones that shift in the light, the Camo brings true yet understated style to your bag.

Son of an outstanding golfer and an avid duck hunter, artist Jim Kasmarek combines his love of both to create “Wood Ducks.” Added to persimmon wood driver heads, “Fancy Faces” first appeared in the early 1900s. Today, Kasmarek carefully matches vintage wooden drivers with hand-crafted basswood duck heads to create stunning one-of-a-kind decoy replicas. Accompanying each creation is a synopsis of the golf club head’s origin and description of the duck species.

dormieworkshop.com

woodducknation.com

CAMO COLLEC TION

XXIO

PRIME DRIVER

If you are looking to maintain a luxury performance from a moderate swing speed then XXIO are the clubs to turn to. Featured here is the Prime Driver.

It is lightweight but with its Forged Super-Tix PLUS Titanium Cup Face it is specifically designed to enhance distance and provide a straight ball flight. xxiousa.com

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GIFT GUIDE Summer

KitchenAid

ARTISAN SERIES

The KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer features 10 speeds to thoroughly mix, knead and whip ingredients quickly and easily.

Available in a variety of colors to match your kitchen design, we particularly like the on-trend Bird-of-Paridise color featured here. The epitome of versatility, the stand mixer has over 10 optional hub powered attachments, from food grinders to pasta makers and more. kitchenaid.com

Esschert Design BBQ TOOLS

Finally a set of BBQ tools that combine style with functionality and durability. Tongs, fork, spatula and basting brush are all finished with specially treated hard-wood handles and the whole set is easily portable thanks to an elegant carrying bag in olive green. esschertdesignusa.com

Hand-Eye

KITCHEN APRON

There’s no hard work like kitchen work. And to match that with a workwear ethos, Hand-Eye has co-ordinated with food entrepreneur Michael Madigan to create a tough but stylish apron. Practical to the last, it sports deep hip and chest pockets with a slim stall up top for your pencil, thermometer, tasting spoon, or maybe a jaunty boutonniere. May your pot spilleth over.

American made. handeyesupply.com

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GIFT GUIDE Summer

Ketel One

Arnold Palmer Spiked

An overnight success across the country, Ketel One Botanical is pure vodka distilled with botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences.

Created using only real ingredients - with no sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no artificial flavors - pick your favourite Botanical and add soda for a deliciously fresh taste experience with only 73 calories and 0 carbs per serving.

Arnie’s favourite vodka, all is good in this garden.

The original, refreshing Arnold Palmer taste you already love, now with 5% ABV. Arnold Palmer Spiked is perfectly balanced with real brewed tea & real squeezed juice. Perfect for a day out on the course, at the ball park or an afternoon barbecue, Arnold Palmer Spiked is currently available nationwide in 12oz slim cans (6 packs & 12 packs) and 24oz cans. Pick up some today and “Have A Round with Arnold Palmer Spiked”.

B O TA N I C A L V O D K A

ORIGINAL HALF & HALF

arnoldpalmerspiked.com

ketelone.com

TUNDRA 45 The YETI Tundra 45 combines versatility with durability. This premium cooler is infused with that legendary YETI toughness — a durable rotomolded construction and up to two inches of PermaFrost Insulation.

Which is to say it’s built to last and will keep your contents ice-cold even in sweltering conditions, even in a triple-digit summer day in central Texas.

No bowing, cracking, or melting here. yeti.com

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GIFT GUIDE Summer

Single Malt ABERFELDY 16

This 16-year-old single malt comes from the famous and storied Aberfeldy distillery, one of the very finest in Scotland.

Finished in Oloroso Sherry casks, if you are looking for smoke and peat this is not for you, but if you want a really well balanced, honeyed single malt Scotch dripping with soft fruit and buttered toast flavors, then stock up. Moreover, bucking the trend of ever more expense, for a 16-year-old single malt the Aberfeldy is very reasonably priced. dewars.com

Maxwell-Scott

THE DUNO MEDIUM

The Duno Medium leather travel wash bag is ideal for the grooming essentials on the road, and is made from premium Italian leather. The zip closure opens to reveal an interior in easy-clean faux leather and with a small, interior zipped pocket. Pictured is the sophisticated, soft-touch Duno Medium in Chestnut Tan but it also comes in Dark Chocolate Brown and Night Black. us.maxwellscottbags.com

Soundcore LIBERTY AIR

The Liberty Air wireless headphones take sound quality and headphone interaction to a new level. A pair of built-in microphones feature uplink noise cancellation capability to boost clarity by recognizing the user’s voice and by filtering out ambient noise. Conversation quality is enhanced by recieving the incoming voice in stereo, in both earbuds. soundcore.com

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ONE LEGEND, ONE LIFE, 90 MOMENTS In honor of what would have been Arnold Palmer’s 90th birthday this year, we present “90 for 90” — a celebration of 90 moments from Palmer’s incredible life, one highlighted each day for 90 days, from June 13 until his birthday on September 10, 2019 We invite you to join the celebration at ArnoldPalmer.com as well as via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and to share your thoughts and personal Palmer memories online using #AP90for90

©2019 Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Arnold Palmer® and the “Umbrella” Logo® are registered trademarks owned by Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Inc.

SUBSCRIBE TO

Kingdom magazine has always been available on a complimentary basis, as a gift from the King himself, to the private members of Arnold Palmer designed and managed courses. Now the magazine is also available, on a subscription basis, to all Arnold Palmer fans and golfers with a taste for fine living. If you would like to subscribe, or are a member and would like to gift a subscription to a friend, then simply tear out and fill in one of the below forms.

Celebrating 40 years of Daphne’s

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We have got our hands on the Yellow Lab with Crown headcover, inspired

by Arnie’s labrador and created by Daphne’s headcovers, makers of the finest golf club headcovers for funloving golfers. Loved by Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els and Tour pros all over the world, subscribe now and receive your free gift. Your golf clubs will be forever grateful.

For faster service, visit kingdom.golf/subscribe or call 888.335.3288

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PRODUCT Traveling

T R AV E L I N G GOLFER

D ORMIE WORKSHOP SHOE BAG

You don’t intentionally miss a loop when putting on your belt, you don’t intentionally leave your shoes untied when you’re walking. You wouldn’t wear flip-flops to a formal dinner at your club, and you wouldn’t walk around the office in the same dirty T-shirt you wear to work in your garage. So why on earth would you travel for golf with your clothes in some beat-up old gym bag, your clubs in a floppy sack with a zipper, and your shoes in the same tatty case that lives in the trunk of your car?

Fix up and look sharp with golf travel accessories that not only announce you as someone who looks after himself (and his game), but which also prove fantastically functional as well, quality pieces built to make a lifetime’s worth of great impressions.

Look good, travel far, play well.

Here’s your packing list:

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Dormie Workshop was created by three brothers in Nova Scotia who use the finest artisan craftsmen and the most creative young designers to create epically sumptuous and astoundingly capable leather golf accessories, including this shoe bag that has to be held to be believed. Every millimeter pure quality, every stitch perfectly placed. Pictures don’t do it justice, so get one in your hands and up your game instantly. dormieworkshop.com

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1. BENNETT WINCH WEEKENDER

2 . T R AV E L CASE

3 . L E AT H E R S C O R E CARD HOLDER

England comes through yet again with another standard-setting firm that invests the time and care to hand-make their products to exceptional quality and with an understated class that can’t be taught.

With a wide selection of handcrafted bags and accessories, such as this premium leather Weekender, the only questions you’ll invite will be along the lines of, “Can I get your bag, sir?” bennettwinch.com

Some serious rock stars use SKB instrument cases to protect their priceless guitars, so your clubs are going to be fine in the company’s golf cases. This Deluxe ATA Cart Bag Travel Case can accept drivers up to 49” in length and will hold the most popular designs of cart bags while providing maximum protection to everything inside. Forget the floppy and don’t be sloppy—give your clubs the best protection possible. skbcases.com

The Sestino leather golf card holder, with two transparent sleeves and a handy pen slot, is designed to store your golf card in style. Handmade with fine Italian leather, it not only offers a bit of class on course, it protects scorecards that you might want to keep as souvenirs from whichever stunning destinations you visit. The perfect gift for any golf lover, it can be personalized as well. Search it on us.maxwellscottbags.com

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YOU R BUCK E T LIS T J US T GOT A BIT SHORTER

F o x H a r b’r : A w a r d - w i n n i n g g o l f , u n r i v a l e d a m e n i t i e s , a f i v e - s t a r g o l f a n d s p a r e s o r t l i k e n o o t h e r.

On Nova Scotia’s North Shore lies a hidden gem that has been shaped by the waters of the Northumberland Strait. Located on the East Coast of Canada, you’ll find fields of lavender, picturesque coastal villages, and rugged coastline. This idyllic retreat is sure to charm those with even the most discerning of taste.

As the “jewel in the necklace” of championship courses in Nova Scotia, Fox Harb’r will redefine your golf dreams with a bespoke blend of Scottish Links and Parkland Golf that come together for an unforgettable experience. Designed by Golf Hall of Fame member, Graham Cooke, Fox Harb’r masterfully combines the natural beauty of the Northumberland Strait with a challenging layout that was named one of Golf Digest’s 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.

And, for an unsurpassed experience, join our award-winning culinary experts who showcase locally-sourced ingredients while enjoying a selection from our wine list, which has been recognized with the “Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator. Relax in one of Canada’s top-25 awarded Spas – the Dol~as Spa. Or, choose your own path with a myriad of activities such as rod fishing, sport shooting, and nature trails all set against the spectacular scenery.

Call our golf concierge to select from one of our carefully curated golf packages, or to craft a custom-tailored golfing experience today.

To make reservations, or to learn more:

call 1 866 257 1801 or visit foxharbr.com

EPIC ACCESS

GolfBuddy WTX

SMART GOLF G P S WA T C H GolfBuddy’s WTX+ comes pre-loaded with over 38,000 golf courses worldwide. Automatic course and hole recognition, distances to front/ center/back of the green, distance to hazards, Dynamic green view and distance readings from the golfer’s position are right here, paired with a smartphone app for total control. Legal for handicap and tournament play, it’s good for eight hours on a charge and even includes a smartphone finder. golfbuddyglobal.com

For traveling golfers who prefer to be assured that the destination is well worth the journey, Dormie Network offers a curated selection of world-renowned private destination golf clubs. Featuring some of America’s greatest golf treasures, Dormie Network extends complete access to—and full member privileges at—every club in its portfolio, including those with courses designed by the likes of Palmer, Fazio, Coore & Crenshaw and others. Full-service accommodations, fine dining, and the kinds of familiar, intimate experiences usually reserved only for locals comprise Dormie Network membership privileges, ensuring “home away from home” reception and recreation at any golfer’s dream family of course and club destinations. Ballyhack Golf Club, ArborLinks, Briggs Ranch Golf Club, Victoria National, Hidden Creek Golf Club and Dormie Club are a veritable All Star team, a Who’s Who of classic American clubs known for the finest service, amenities and course conditions. The exclusive list includes many lists’ “Top 10s” and “Best ofs” among a number of easily accessible, world-away settings, meaning that a satisfying top-level escape is always readily available, be it for a quick weekend out or a business trip extension.

Imagine enjoying full membership privileges at multiple exclusive properties across the nation under a single dues structure—and then realize that dream with Dormie Network. Concierge services, on-site lodging, premium hospitality and the reassurance of knowing that you’ll be welcomed at some of the country’s most beloved and well-regarded clubs make Dormie Network perhaps the most efficient path to a world of profoundly deep travel possibilities. A strong argument in favor of the destination being more than the journey, Dormie Network is an elevated membership experience for anyone at the top of his or her game. Highly recommended by this publication. dormienetwork.com

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1. REVO SUNGLASSES

3. WONDERBO OM 2 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

Long the maker of “the best lens on Earth,” Revo has a new line of golf eyewear that includes its new “Eagle Eye” Golf Lens. In a sport with unique light requirements, the Revo Golf Lens offers improved contrast and visual acuity, while also highlighting key parts of the light spectrum for a more precise visual experience on course. While it’s best for identifying the subtle break of a green, Revo puts it into work in other sports as well. Beyond innovative. revo.com

Ultimate Ears is the firm to which many pro musicians turn for in-ear monitoring, so the company knows a thing or two about sound. Its WONDERBOOM Bluetooth speakers produce big sound in a highly portable solution. Music is crisp, clear and full of warm bass thanks to its frequency range of 80–20kHz, and a 10-Hour battery life means the tunes keep going. Shockproof, waterproof, easy to clean— and it floats! Connect multiple units for even bigger sound. ultimateears.com

2. SPORT SUNSCREEN

4. WO OD + RESIN P OWER BANK

Sun is to golfers what water is to swimmers—you’re going to run into it if you play. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends protection, and this straightforward EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum sunscreen is great, utilizing a sun-blocking transparent zinc oxide to offer an SPF of 50 in a fragrance-free, oil-free, paraben-free water-resistant product that’s great for swimmers and golfers alike. A great option on a sunny day on course. eltamd.com

Indiana-based company Carved makes beautiful products from wood, resin, shell and more, protecting phones, creating wireless charging stations and building power banks like this one, usable for charging phones and more.

Offered in a range of colors/treatments, it features fast charging, Micro-USB input and a beautiful soft-touch finish.

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carved.com

Ozarks National at Big Cedar Lodge

Experience America’s next great golf destination in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Big Cedar Lodge is currently home to four distinctively unique courses designed by some of the most legendary names in the game: Nicklaus, Fazio, Player and the newly opened Ozarks National by Coore & Crenshaw. The stay and play experience is continuing to grow with the opening of Payne’s Valley, designed by Tiger Woods. Call or visit the website to book your trip today.

Ranked the #1 Resort in the Midwest for 3 Consecutive Years – Travel and Leisure Magazine

877.280.1295 | GOLFBIGCEDAR.COM

Oh the heat! The infernal heat. It’s everywhere these days, from sun-drenched Florida to the steaming streets of New York City. Even the Upper Midwest and usually cool Pacific Coast are feeling the burn this summer, and it’s less than fun. What to do, what to do… Ah, right.

Summer wines and good friends. No need to shut out the light when there’s chilled vino and great times at hand. Any of the following should do nicely—just be sure your fridge is working, and remember this key bit of advice: If you don’t drink your wine fast enough it will warm up, so it’s best to be safe and find some shade so you can slow things down and take it easy… Just as summer is meant to be. Cheers!

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DRINKS Cool Wines

SEGURA VIUDAS BRUT Cava Spain’s answer to premium-priced French bubbly (and often just as enjoyable) good Cava is a sparkling wine produced in the méthode champenoise. Among cavas, Segura Viudas is a fantastic option, as much for the price as for the quality. The estate dates to the 11th century and, situated in the vaunted Penedès region outside of Barcelona, its grapes are fantastic. The Reserva Heredad is a fantastic bubbly at a great price, but for everyday summer fun we like the Brut, which has enough tropical fruit and floral notes to make it party-worthy, but which ultimately is dry enough to offer some sophistication.

Fantastico. seguraviudasusa.com

WHISPERING ANGEL 2018 Rosé It’s the world’s most popular rosé, and for good reason: it’s as close to perfection as a rosé can get, we think. While some pink wines offer a mouthful of fruit and others offer astringent bursts of alcohol, Whispering Angel has found a unicorn-like balance, blending lemon zest, berries, stone and floral notes seemingly with ease in a gorgeously hued wine that feels lush and invigorating to drink.

Hailing from Château d’esclans in Provence, we have yet to find a meal that this rosé doesn’t complement, though we like it best with Mediterranean-style dishes, and we have yet to find a gathering that it hasn’t enhanced.

If you only stock one rosé, this should be it. esclans.com

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ECO TERRENO 2018 Cuvée Acero Sauvignon Blanc We’re a big fan of Eco Terreno wines, as much for the marque’s commitment to responsible environmental practices and to its biodynamic estate-grown grapes as for its fantastic offerings, which include this great Sauvignon Blanc. Sourced partially from old vines and partially from a Musqué clone, it’s rich with tropical fruit and a tempered herbal sense as well, buoyed by pineapple notes that lead to a dry finish. Amazing with a crisp salad or with goat cheese and apples, it’s wise to stock more than one bottle when the sun’s shining. ecoterreno.com

SANGRIA Summer 2019 When it comes to sangria, we believe you should make it, not buy it. We like to start with something like a Pinot Noir as we feel bigger, more fruit-forward wines (such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) are just too much. Next, we like to experiment with fruits—but keep it simple, no more than two or three will do. We recently made a sangria with dragonfruit, Fuji apples and Valencia oranges, and it was great.

Chop or ream the fruit and toss it in a pitcher, pour the wine over it and let it sit in the fridge overnight if possible. We prefer to strain the wine as we’re not fond of soaked mashed fruit in our glass, and we do so straight into the glasses, adding ice if need be. Enjoy but don’t forget that the sugars from the fruits are now in your wine, meaning too much fiesta and you might regret it the next day.

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REASONS TO RAISE A GLASS.

36 Holes Of Championship Golf & 9-Hole Par 3 Walking Course 300 Newly Renovated Guest Rooms | Award-winning Winery & Vineyards European-style Spa | 40,000 sq. ft. Conference & Meeting Space Paddy’s Irish Pub | Seven Restaurants & Bars | Cliff Drysdale Tennis Conveniently Located 45 Minutes North of Downtown Atlanta Château Élan Winery & Resort 100 Rue Charlemagne Dr, Braselton, Georgia 30517 678-425-0900 www.chateauelan.com

FOOD Mahi Mahi

Mango Mahi

In Spanish-speaking countries it’s dorado, in Japan shiira; the Maltese call it lampuka while others refer to it as dolphin (though this is misleading as it’s not actually related to dolphins). We prefer the Hawaiian name, mahi-mahi, but whatever you want to call it, this delicately flavored fish is ever popular and ever available— as it has been for centuries

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M

inoan frescoes dating to 1600 BC show fishermen with strings of mahi-mahi and it remains a popular choice today, great fun to catch and found nearly anywhere there’s an ocean. Renown for its versatility in the kitchen, the fish holds up well to a savory+sweet treatment like we’ve given it here with a simple grilling and a summery mango salsa over coconut rice. Serve this with a crisp wine and the salt will come forward, while a softer pour will complement the mango’s natural sweetness. However you enjoy it, we suggest a healthy dash of sunshine and plenty of friends. After all, a fish with so many names deserves a full table.

CREAMY CO CONUT RICE Serves 3-4 —

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1 cup jasmine rice 1 14oz can of unsweetened coconut milk 1/4 tsp salt

Combine coconut milk, rice and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a tightly fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit—with the lid still on—for ten minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

MANGO SALSA Serves 3-4 —

• • • • • •

2 mangoes, chopped Juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt. Let sit so the flavors can meld for at least ten minutes before serving.

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VINE

Serves all — Grilled fish is nicely paired with a good wine, and—as we do for so many occasions— we like Whispering Angel Rosé from Chateau d’Esclans, an impeccable partner for great times and great meals.

Bold fruits, crisp acidity and beautifully balanced, it’s perfect with our savory+sweet mango mahi-mahi.

GRILLED MAHI MAHI Serves 4 —

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2lbs fresh, firm mahi-mahi filets Salt

Thoroughly clean your grate and heat grill to 500˚F. Let the grate preheat for at least ten minutes with the lid closed. While the grill preheats, season the filets with salt. Open the grill and place the filets flesh-side down. Cook for 2 minutes with the lid open. Carefully flip the filets to skin-side down, then close the lid and cook two minutes. Remove from the grill and serve with the coconut rice and mango salsa. (An avocado makes for a nice topper as well.)

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LAST PAGE Spirit Charity Challenge

Saunders in the Spirit Sam Saunders to play as ambassador for the Inaugural Spirit Charity Challenge

S

am Saunders, PGA professional and grandson of Arnold Palmer, will serve as an ambassador for the inaugural Spirit Charity Challenge at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Texas on October 7.

The new one-day event will be contested by men and women professionals who are alumni of the biennial Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship. Saunders will lead the men’s team while LPGA star Stacy Lewis will lead the women’s team, with full line-ups to be confirmed nearer the time. The teams will compete for a $100,000 prize that will be donated to the winners’ charities of choice.

The Spirit Charity Challenge will be played a month ahead of the 2019 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship, an Olympic-style tournament for top-ranked amateurs (40 men and 40 women) from 20 countries, who compete for gold medals over 54 holes.

“We are very honored to have Sam Saunders join us to lead the men’s alum for this new event,” says Corby Robertson, Jr., founder and owner of Whispering Pines GC. “Sam will help us secure a great field of PGA Tour players to match the outstanding LPGA stars that Stacy Lewis is attracting.”

Says Saunders: “I am so excited to be coming back to Whispering Pines to play in the Spirit Charity Challenge. Playing in 2005 in The Spirit International was one of the highlights of my amateur career, playing against so many international players. To

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now have the opportunity to support charity is very special and a huge honor.”

The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship was established in 2001 at Whispering Pines and since then Spirit alumni have progressed to win over 650 professional tournaments, include 22 majors. The 2019 Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship will be played on November 7-9. thespiritgolf.com

The Spirit Charity Challenge October 6-7 Spirit alumni who have played on the LPGA and PGA TOUR will return to Whispering Pines Golf Club to compete for $100,000 contribution to the charity of their choice.

Sam Saunders and Stacy Lewis 2019 Spirit Ambassadors

The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship November 7-9 The biennial event features top men and women amateurs from 20 countries competing for gold, silver, and bronze medals.

The Hall of Fame Game November 17-18 Football, baseball, basketball, golf, business, and music hall of famers will compete in a scramble on The Needler for a $25,000 contribution to the charity of their choice.

www.thespiritgolf.com