Cascade Golfer - May 2020

VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 1 • MAY 2020 • COMPLIMENTARY

MAVRIK: NEED FOR SPEED COVID-19 Changes the Game In Washington State Golf Legend Nancy Lopez Sits Down With CG New World Handicap System: What You Need to Know NORTHWEST GOLF NEWS & VIEWS @cascadegolfer

cascadegolfer.com

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The Cascade Golfer faithful currently have the only game in town. So, hit the links for your own health and the health of our local golf community

A LOOK

Volume 14 • Issue 1 • MAY 2020

CASCADE

GOLFER cascadegolfer.com

Cascade Golfer is published and owned by Varsity Communications, Inc. This publication is e-mailed free to over 100,000 readers throughout the Seattle area.

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. varsitycommunications.com

Departments 4 6

Features

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

SHORT GAME

• World Golf Handicap system • Auburn Golf Course turns 50 • Win $1,000 for your young golfer • Supporting local business in the time of COVID • Cascade Golfer Cup returns to Druids Glen • Players Card, Playbook and more!

18 TEEING OFF

EDITORIAL STAFF

FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Brian Beaky editor@cascadegolfer.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR OF SALES Kirk Tourtillotte

SALES & MARKETING Simon Dubiel, Ian Civey, Elijah Prokopenko

20 IN THE BAG

• 2020’s hottest new drivers and irons • TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway and more • Scotty Cameron’s new line of flatsticks • Odyssey Triple Track rethinks alignment

31 RISK VS REWARD

• Jackson Park, Hole No. 10

PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE

40

50 POSTGAME

• America’s best Bloody Mary is made right here at home Page 22

STORY BY MARK MOSCHETTI

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 24-29

ON THE COVER Bellevue’s Ian Siebers, pictured here with captains Justin Leonard and Stuart Appleby at the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup, headlines our next generation of potential Tour stars.

Story on page 40.

WIN FREE GOLF, PGA TOUR TICKETS AND MORE! It was a dreary winter for most of us stuck here in the Northwest — meanwhile, Sandy and Jim were living it up on golf trips to Maui and Mesquite that they won in December’s Cascade Golfer!

Maui Stay-and-Play Sandy Perenchio • Renton Mesquite Stay-and-Play Jim Brown • Bothell Golf Show & Playbook Package Jason Jarrett • Seattle

cascadegolfer.com cascadegolfer.com

STORY BY BOB SHERWIN

Why is the Seattle area producing so many elite professional golfers — and who might be the next?

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Bobbi Kramer ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & RECEIVABLE Pam Titland

PROUD CHARTER MEMBER

UW alum C.T. Pan will live his father’s dream when he tees it up at Augusta later this year.

AMERICA’S GOLF HOTBED

• Early-season favorites

ACCOUNTING STAFF

All photos are courtesy of the course or individual unless otherwise noted.

Photo courtesy Twitter: @ctpangolf

48 SAVE SOME GREEN

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com

COPYRIGHT 2020 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/ or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

32 WE DID IT, DAD

• We got Nancy Lopez!

P R E S I D E NT / P U B LI S H E R Dick Stephens E D I TO R Brian Beaky ART DIRECTION Robert Becker GR APHIC DESIGNERS Robert Becker, Joal Chiu

INSIDE

Now that the sunny weather is headed back our way, we’re focusing squarely on golf adventures in our own neck of the woods in this issue, plus tickets to catch legends of the PGA Tour at this year’s Boeing Classic: • Tickets to the Boeing Classic • Page 7 • Twosomes to The Home Course & Auburn G.C. • Page 14 • Twosomes to Wine Valley, Highlander G.C. and

Whidbey G.C. • Page 50 Log on to CascadeGolfer.com for your chance to win!

MAY 2020

3

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

Our Sport, Region and Magazine Are All Surviving Look for exciting new digital issues in your inbox all summer long!

A

s I write this, the news of COVID-19 and its crushing blow to the world — golf and sport notwithstanding — is, frankly, hard to fathom. Pretend that you cut off communication for just one week in March, then returned and asked your circle of peeps, “What’d I miss?”

The reply comes back that the following are all postponed, suspended or outright cancelled: all four major championships, 30 other PGA and LPGA Tour stops, March Madness, the NBA and NHL seasons, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the XFL, men’s and women’s pro tennis, all college athletics through at least the end of the summer, plus all events, churches, schools, parks, museums, colleges and millions of business. Shuttered. Nada.

Outside of 9/11, I’ve never felt this way before. Our national tour of golf expos had to reinvent itself in the span of five days to absorb these immediate changes. I write this next sentence with the utmost emphasis and appreciation: Thank you to Puetz Golf, Mike Livingston, and every attendee, sponsor, exhibitor, volunteer and staff member that came together to pull off even one day of the Seattle Golf Show in the face of the fires and fear. We are forever grateful for those that were involved in any way.

That was March – and it seems like a lifetime ago.

We are not more or less important than anyone facing the challenges of COVID-19. We are all now working through the steps to make things work for our clients, friends and families – all the while, making our businesses aas sustainable as they were before everything came to a screeching halt. Onward we go.

Until just recently, golf in Washington, as you well know, has been closed altogether. I respect what was done and what had to be done. I felt animosity and frustration when I saw golf in other states open while we all had to chip in our backyards and putt on our family room floors. But, with the recent announcement that we can play in foursomes once again, I think it is safe to say that GOLF IS BACK. We are back, Puetz is back, you are back. The sport is back.

This issue is our first-ever purely digital issue. We have printed this magazine and mailed it to approximately 100,000 golfers for 14 years. Out of respect for the safety of our readers, and the economic realities we are all currently facing, this issue — and the three others that will come out this summer, one each in June, July and August — will be available in a digital format only.

It’s the same great content you’ve come to know and love, with news about our local courses, two terrific features — one on UW alum C.T. Pan and the lifelong dream he’ll fulfill this fall when he tees it up at Augus-

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ta, and another on the up-and-coming young stars who hope to follow in Pan’s pro golf footsteps — an exclusive interview with Nancy Lopez, and more. All that’s changed is the way we deliver it to you, our loyal reader, without whom none of this is possible.

We are supporting this digital issue with email and social media promotion, and have had OVERWHELMING support from our advertisers, who are sticking with us as we all work to support each other. We are excited about this step.

PLEASE forward the link to this issue, and let your golfing friends know we are alive and well.

Our Cascade Golfer Cup is also kicking off soon, with a modified schedule that features four events, starting at Druids Glen on June 27. See page 16 to learn more about the Cup schedule and format in the summer ahead.

The Cascade Golfer Players Card and Northwest Golfers Playbook are also still for sale, and an excellent way to golf economically and help support both Cascade Golfer and our local golf course partners during this interesting time.

Puetz Golf is our family, and we stand with them as they stand with us. More than ever, look to them for your consumer golf needs. Their Seattle Driving Range is open — if you want your new club that same day, you can just call, pay and pickup; if you’d rather order online, their website, PuetzGolf.com, is offering free shipping on all orders, regardless of price.

Late spring and summer looks exciting to me. First off, PLAY GOLF. See a 9-hole round or a full loop as the PERFECT way to clear your head and spend time outdoors, either alone or with your favorite partners.

There’s lots of safe distance to be had playing golf with those you care about. Hit balls. Putt and chip at your local course or range.

This is a time to let out your stress. Golf is perfect for that.

Well, I’ve poured my heart out here. I hope it moved the needle. Enjoy the sun coming up – it always does. And, as always, TAKE IT EASY. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME How Does The All-New World Handicap System Affect My Game?

E

ven if you didn’t play golf all winter, your handicap likely changed on Jan. 1.

And, potentially, every day thereafter.

Daily handicap revisions are just one of many new aspects of the all-new World Handicap System, which took effect in the United States on Jan. 1, 2020.

First announced all the way back in February of 2018, the new system is a collaboration between the six major golf associations around the world, in an effort to create one cohesive system within which golfers worldwide can fairly compete. Prior to the World Handicap System, each association maintained its own methods and rules for calculating golfers’ handicaps, which created confusion when golfers from one part of the world attempted to compete in or with golfers from a different association. The new system draws on elements from each association’s rules to create the most fair and balanced system for all golfers.

Fortunately for us, the World Handicap System is largely based on the existing USGA Slope and Rating system, meaning there isn’t too much we’ll have to get used to. (Golfers in the UK, meanwhile, where the slope and rating systems have never before been used, are currently at wit’s end trying to figure out what it all means.) Among the most notable changes for U.S. golfers will be capping scores on an individual hole (for handicap purposes only) at net double bogey, reducing

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the amount of play required to obtain a handicap from 10 rounds to 54 holes (which can include nine- and 18-hole rounds), reducing the number of scores used to calculate your handicap from 10 to eight (still drawn from your most recent 20 rounds), increasing the maximum handicap for men and women to 54.0, and daily handicap adjustments that will include potential adjustments for course conditions (i.e., weather).

There is also language about a system that “factors in memory of previous demonstrated ability for better responsiveness.” It’s unclear exactly what that means, but early quotes from R&A representatives suggest that the handicapping algorithms will store some memory of scores older than your past 20 — if it sees that you have started reporting several scores either much higher or much lower than your historical averages, it may make an appropriate adjustment to be a better reflection of your “true” ability.

Of all the changes, the Playing Conditions Calculation may be of the most interest to golfers in our neck of the woods, who regularly endure more difficult conditions than golfers who spend their time teeing it up in Palm Springs or Scottsdale. Each night, the system

will look at all scores posted on a course each day, and compare those scores to what those same golfers would have been expected to score given normal conditions — if a consistent pattern is noted (either scores that are consistently higher or lower than expectations), a “Playing Conditions Adjustment” will be made when using that score to calculate your handicap.

In other words, the 86 you fired on a day when rain and wind drove up most players’ scores might lower your handicap more than the 84 you scored on the same course in normal conditions just two days earlier. That’s a feature for which we’ve lobbied for years, and the one we’re most excited to see roll out over the next year.

There are also “soft caps” and “hard caps” that limit how much a player’s handicap can move in a given year, and an “exceptional score reduction” that kicks in whenever a player submits a score with a differential at least seven strokes below their handicap index. Both features are designed to prevent sandbagging, and will be appreciated by tournament players (and, ahem, tournament directors) worldwide.

Architects of the World Handicap System stated a desire to make it easier for golfers to obtain a handicap, and to more accurately determine a golfer’s ability.

“We are working with our partners and national associations to make golf more modern, more accessible and more enjoyable as a sport and the new World Handicap System represents a huge opportunity in this regard,” said Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A. “We want to make it more attractive to golfers to obtain a handicap and strip away some of the complexity and variation which can be off-putting for newcomers. Having a handicap, which is easier to understand and is truly portable around the world, can make golf much more enjoyable and is one of the unique selling points of our sport.”

So, what do you need to do as a golfer to comply with the new system? At the moment, nothing. You’ll simply report scores as usual, with the only major change being the capping of all scores at net double bogey (that is, double bogey plus however many strokes you are receiving on that hole, based on your course handicap from the set of tees you’ve chosen to play).

Everything else, the system will take care of itself.

If you still have questions, you’re probably not alone.

For infographics, FAQs and more, check out www.usga.org. cascadegolfer.com

Auburn Golf Course Celebrates 50 Years With Throwback Rates, Special Activities

I

f you were a golfer living in south King County in the mid-1950s, your options were few and far between.

The closest public golf course was in Tacoma, nearly 20 miles away. There were some private clubs in the area, but membership was costly and limited.

So it was that in February of 1948, a group of golfers came together to form the Green River Golf & Country Club, buying a plot of land in Auburn between the Green River and a high bluff, and laying out a nine-hole course that would be open to both public play and invested members. For the next 20 years, the small course — the first of its kind in south King County — thrived, introducing thousands of men, women and children to the game, and even sending one local girl, three-time LPGA Tour winner Joann Washam, off to stardom.

Besides a small handful of paid staff, however, the course was largely member-managed — members helped the few paid greenskeepers trim the fairways and clear mud off the greens each time the river flooded its banks; members managed the banquets and social gatherings. By 1970, however, with membership dwindling in response to competition from other newly built courses in the region, the membership opted to sell the course to the City of Auburn, who promised a significant investment and the opportunity to grow the course beyond its local, devoted fanbase.

A few months later, Auburn Municipal Golf Course was born.

In the immediate years following, the City expanded the course to its current 18-hole layout, building dramatic holes on the bluff that rises over the course to the east, and adding an iconic par-3 adjacent to the newly built

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Auburn Golf Course • Hole No. 16 clubhouse. In recent years, Auburn has rebuilt that clubhouse, expanded its restaurant — Bogey’s Public House, an affiliate of Longhorn Barbeque — lengthened certain holes (most notably the uphill, par-4 11th) and invested significant resources into improving course drainage and maintenance.

The result of all of that effort is a course we’ve always been happy to visit, one with excellent greens, great conditions and some of the most memorable holes in Western Washington.

“Twenty years ago, the course was so soggy, you’d lose a shoe,” says Daryl Faber, the City’s Director of Parks, Arts and Recreation. “We’ve thrown literal tons of sand on that course, though, and it’s helped change the complexion of the soil. Now, it drains great, and that quality of play is attracting better golfers, and golfers from farther away.”

To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the City’s 1970 purchase of the old Green River course, Auburn Golf Course will be creating a fun atmosphere for golfers that will help honor the history of the course. Sign up for the email announcements at AuburnGolf.org for future discounts and specials that will tie to the Anniversary celebration through the end of the year.

“The course has really been a great asset not just to golfers, but the whole community,” Faber says. “One thing I love about playing there is that I never get bored.

The difficulty of the greens make it important to place your shots well, but it’s also not so long or tight that average players can’t score. It’s a great social course, and it’s terrific to see it in such great shape.”

Win Two Tickets to August’s Boeing Classic

he legends of the PGA Tour are coming to the Northwest in August (we hope!) — and we want to put you right up against the ropes. The winner of this package will receive two tickets to the PGA TOUR Champions Tour Boeing Classic, Aug. 17-23 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.

Watch Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Rocco Mediate and the legends of the PGA TOUR — on us!

Enter to win today at CascadeGolfer.com!

Fred Couples

cascadegolfer.com

MAY 2020

7

SHORT GAME Kennedy’s Julia Diaz Earns Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship First of four $1,000 scholarships to be awarded in 2020; see below for details

W

hat would your young golfer do with $1,000? That was the question that Duke’s Seafood Chief Operating Officer John Moscrip first asked back in 2016, when Duke’s first announced that it would be awarding scholarships to deserving young golfers throughout Western Washington.

Originally conceived as a single scholarship to be handed out at the end of the year, with nominees announced in each issue of Cascade Golfer, the Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship quickly grew into a quarterly award, with at least four young golfers each year granted $1,000 apiece to further their growth and development in the game of golf. In the four years since the scholarship was first awarded, Duke’s has recognized 19 young golfers and awarded nearly $20,000 in scholarship funds.

This month’s recipient is Julia Diaz, a junior at Kennedy High School. Originally a volleyball player, Julia did not pick up a golf club until eighth grade, but has rapidly become of the state’s top young golfers. A two-year state championships qualifier, Julia also competes regularly in WJGA events, and plays to a 7.2 handicap — excellent for any golfer, of course, and incredible for one so young, with barely four years’ experience, to boot.

How did Julia get so good, so fast? Well, innate athletic skill and an intense work ethic can certainly take a good portion of the credit, but some must also go to The First Tee of Greater Seattle, whose coaches helped Julia learn the game and have mentored her through her rapid rise. Julia is, in fact, one of just 18 junior golfers ever to earn The First Tee’s prestigious ACE certification, combining all-around excellence in the areas of community service, career planning, academics and golf.

“I first met Julia three years ago,” says Kyle Guthrie, one of her coaches at The First Tee. “She has been an amazing student and continues to impress both on and off the course. She is an incredible person with a huge love for the game of golf, and I have no doubt that she will continue to impress and impact the lives of others all around her.”

In addition to her commitment to her golf game, Julia also volunteers as a coach with The First Tee, and dedicates time to church and school community service programs, traveling to Chicago with her church last summer to perform service work in underserved areas of the city. And, somehow, she still manages to find time for school as well, maintaining a 3.8 grade-point average and earning National Honor Society acclaim. Oh, and she also plays the piano, and can converse in American Sign Language.

“What a deserving candidate!” says Moscrip, who — along with his father, Duke’s founder Duke Moscrip — personally reviews each nomination. “Julia’s commitment to being not just a great golfer, but a good student and well-rounded member of her community, are exactly what we look for in a potential scholarship recipient. And, her improvement as a golfer — wow! We’re excited to see how far she’ll go.”

If you think you know a junior golfer who might be a good fit for the Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship, send an email to editor@cascadegolfer.com with the subject line “Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship.” Be sure to include any academic or community service efforts that might bolster your nomination. Golfers need only be of high-school age or younger, with a proven commitment to the game. To learn more, visit CascadeGolfer.com.

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MAY 2020

Julia Diaz

Junior Golfer Scholarship

Win $1,000 For Your Young Golfer The Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship awarded in each issue of Cascade Golfer to a deserving young golfer from the Puget Sound region. If you know of a hard-working young person with a passion for golf who could benefit from $1,000, email editor@cascadegolfer.com today!

cascadegolfer.com

cascadegolfer.com

MAY 2020

9

Northwest Golfers Playbook Returns With $4,700 in Savings

I

’ve never been too comfortable working in sales, but at our golf shows in Seattle and Portland, I often find myself hocking a few Northwest Golfers Playbooks, because, well ... it’s the easiest sale one could ever make.

My first question to golfers is, “Where do you like to play?” Inevitably, they’ll name courses in the book, at which point I simply turn to those pages and show them how much they’d save with a Playbook.

Chambers Bay? Enjoy a 4-for-3, good for $200 in savings, or $50 for everyone in your foursome.

Port Ludlow? Get two rounds with cart any day of the week for just $99, a $30 savings over the rack rate.

Eagles Pride? Play two rounds for the price of one.

Mount Si? Play 18 holes at the nine-hole rate.

Premier Golf munis? Save $5 a round at every one.

Avalon? Get $25 off of your 18-hole greens fee, with unlimited free replays the same day.

There’s deals to The Home Course, White Horse, the Cedars at Dungeness and all of the major local munis.

Heck, you can even save on golf lessons at multiple locations, buckets of balls at the range, golf gear and apparel and more. And, to get you started, Puetz Golf includes $10 in Puetz Bucks and a $15 TopTracer range bucket with every Playbook.

Once I have them looking at all the money they’ll save playing their local favorite tracks, I inquire about their favorite Northwest golf destinations, and point out deals to Gamble Sands, Wine Valley, Palouse Ridge, Suncadia Resort, Apple Tree, Desert Canyon, Bear Mountain Ranch and other Washington locales, plus the best of Bellingham, Portland and Central Oregon.

“Well, I can’t play on weekdays,” a potential buyer will often say. That’s no problem — many deals in the book can be used on weekdays or weekends after noon, with several good anytime.

Another common one I’ll hear is, “I play by myself, so I don’t really need any 2-for-1s or 4-for-3s.” If that’s the case, then I simply point them to all the deals that are good for just one golfer — 65 in all, accounting for more than half of the deals in the book, and nearly everything in the immediate Seattle area. Deals like those mentioned above, plus $50 off at GOLFTEC, half-off lessons at Puetz, $109 for 36 holes at Salish Cliffs, early twilight rates at White Horse, discounted rounds at Apple Tree and Palouse Ridge, and more.

All offers and restrictions are published online, I’ll add, giving you the chance to browse through all the deals before deciding whether a Playbook is a good fit for you.

I’ll be honest — by this time, they’re usually pulling out their cash. Which is when I happily point out that while the book retails for $39.95 online, it’s discounted at the golf show and through Cascade Golfer, so they can put some of that cash right back into their wallet. Because at Cascade Golfer, that’s what we’re all about.

Readers can use the code SAVEBIGONGOLF to save $5, making a good deal even better. Pick one up online at NWGolfersPlaybook.com, and let us know how many deals you used, and how much you saved. With $10 in Puetz Bucks right off the top, it takes just one deal for the book to pay for itself — we’re betting you’ll use a lot more.

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$10 Off Discount Code

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I

n our feature ranking the state’s best courses (“Washington’s Top-10 Public Courses,” CG, Aug. ‘19), we always include a sidebar listing our favorite courses at multiple price points — that is, the courses that return the most value on your dollar, whether that’s $50 or $100.

Salish Cliffs, with a $115 peak summer greens fee, ranked fourth among courses in the “Over $100” category; Highlander (8th, $75) placed in the “Under $100” category, while the “Under $65” category included Apple Tree (2nd, $65), Port Ludlow (3rd, $55), Cedars at Dungeness (9th, $52) and Mount Si (10th, $52).

Each of those courses, in other words, represented one of the top values at their price point in the entire state, as judged by readers of Cascade Golfer and CG staff.

So, imagine the value you’d receive if I told you there was a way to play all six of those courses — plus Whidbey Golf Club, Leavenworth, Sun Country, Camaloch and Snoqualmie Falls — for an average cost of barely $20 apiece?

Well, that’s the value you get with a Cascade Golfer Players Card, which includes greens fees to all 11 of the courses above — a combined value of over $700 — at a total cost of just $250. (NOTE: Printed cards will feature a round to Eaglemont, but that course has unfortunately been closed and is not currently available for play.)

We’re not just talking off-peak times, either. All 11 rounds are good any month through Dec. 31, both on weekdays, and weekend afternoons — tee it up at 12:01 on a sunny Saturday at Salish Cliffs, and you’ll have saved nearly $100 off the posted greens fee.

Heck, we’ll even sweeten the pot a little more with the discount code 2020CGPLAYER, to save $10 off your purchase price for the rest of the year.

Plan 36-hole days at Port Ludlow and Cedars, Leavenworth and Highlander, Mount Si and Snoqualmie Falls, Whidbey and Camaloch, or make day trips to Sun Country, Salish Cliffs or Apple Tree. Shoot, Salish Cliffs alone gets you almost halfway back to the value of the card — use just 2-3 more rounds, and you’re basically playing for free.

Fewer than 50 cards remain — and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Buy yours today at CascadeGolfer.com! cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME The Home Course • DuPont

Photo by Rob Perry

Play 36 Holes ... On Us!

N

othing gets your season started like free golf.

We’re sending one reader and a guest to two of our favorite South Sound tracks, The Home Course and Auburn Golf Course. Celebrate 50 years of outstanding municipal golf at Auburn, then head south to DuPont to play the course ranked sixth in the state

by CG readers in 2019 — on us!

Visit CascadeGolfer.com for your chance to win!

I

Puetz Golf Seattle Driving Range Open For Business

t’s been a tough few months for all of us, but especially for the locally owned small businesses that make our neighborhoods, cities and region unique. Sure, The Cheesecake Factory is great, but if I have to choose between supporting them or Dick’s Drive-In when times get hard, I think I know where my dollar is going.

The same is true for golf. As we’ve started to get our games going again this spring, we’ve found ourselves going first to the smaller mom-and-pop tracks around the area, places like Mount Si, Snoqualmie Golf Course or The Classic, places owned by local families that get by solely on the support of golfers like ourselves.

The same is true when it comes time for us to replace the clubs in our bag and gear up for the summer ahead.

There are plenty of places we could go to grab that new driver or wedge, but when we make that choice, we’re going to support the family-owned business that has done as much to grow the game in the Seattle area over the past 75 years as just about anyone, the one that supports local programs (and, yes, local magazines), and offers the best deals and service in town ... Puetz Golf.

Puetz has reopened its Seattle range, with all appropriate social distancing measures in place (other

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locations are expected to open in June). Puetz staff can even conduct lessons and custom fittings on the range, to help you catch up to where your game would usually be by this time of the year.

You can also make purchases through Puetz with three easy steps — call, pay, pickup. Just call your local store to have them set aside the product you want, pay over the phone, then drive to your local Puetz to pick up your club that very same day. Shoot, you can eyeball a sweet new driver on the Puetz website while sipping your morning coffee, call Puetz with your swing-specific specs, and have that very club in your hands by the time your 1 p.m. tee time rolls around.

Puetz representatives are ready and waiting to take your calls and prep your purchases from 9-5 Monday through Saturday, and 11-5 Sunday. And, of course, you can always continue to make purchases at their website, PuetzGolf.com, where you’ll receive free shipping sitewide on ALL purchases, regardless of price.

When we come out of this — and we will — let’s make sure we’ve all done our part to keep our locally owned businesses alive. And, if we can get a sweet deal on a new wedge in the process ... well, that just makes it all the better. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Cascade Golfer Cup Celebrates 10 Years With New Courses, New Prizes — Same Commitment to Fun and Fellowship

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en years ago, we looked around at the tournament landscape in the Seattle area and recognized that practically nobody was running tournaments for golfers like us — public golfers who enjoyed playing with our friends, competing in fun formats and meeting new people, while playing for prizes a little more appealing than some pro shop credit.

So, we called up our favorite courses and golf destinations, and put together the Cascade Golfer Cup — a series of tournaments played at only the best courses Western Washington has to offer, where men, women, seniors and even the occasional junior could tee it up alongside friends, family and coworkers to compete for a prize pool valued at more than $10,000 per event. In the decade since, we’ve sent golfers to The Masters, the Open Cham-

pionship and the U.S. Open; to Maui, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Bandon Dunes and Pebble Beach; and awarded more than $1 million in prizes at just over 80 tournaments throughout the Northwest.

Since we launched the Cup, many imitators have come and gone. So, what is it that sets this series apart from the rest?

“The Cascade Golfer Cup is by far the best tournament series in the area,” says longtime Cup regular Tom Carroll. “Well-priced, well-run, and extremely fun and competitive.”

Tanner Parot adds, “Along with great events, the priz-

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MAY 2020

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Druids Glen Golf Club • Hole No. 3

es that are up for grabs are phenomenal. I have always felt that I got my money’s worth and then some.”

This year’s 10th Anniversary Cascade Golfer Cup is, well, a little different than most. Since the shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements took our first three events off the table, we’re kicking off our season June 27 with the Muckleshoot Casino Players Championship at Druids Glen, before heading to Washington National (July 18), The Home Course (Aug. 15) and White Horse (Sept. 5). No, we won’t get to make our usual trips to Chambers Bay, Salish Cliffs or Trophy Lake, and we’re just as bummed about that as you are. But, we’re still hitting some awesome tracks — three of our four courses this year were ranked by among the state’s 10 best by CG readers last year, while no course ranks lower than 18th.

Each tournament is played in fun, two-person formats, including best-ball, stroke play and Stableford — team up with your spouse, sibling, best friend or coworker, and let fly for your chance to win trips to Mesquite, Bandon, Central Oregon and other premier destinations, twosomes and foursomes to the top courses in the Northwest, plus golf bags, gear and more. Fields are capped at 64 teams, and with prizes awarded to the top-15 net and top-10 gross teams — plus six hole contests and other giveaways throughout the day — nearly half the players in the field prize out at each event.

Best of all, we created these tournaments so that everyone would have a chance, whether you’re a 2 handicap, a 22, or somewhere in between. The 80-plus tournaments we’ve run over the last decade have featured more than 65 different net-scoring winners — just play your best, whatever that is, and you could be the one taking home the big prize at day’s end.

If you’re like we were a decade ago, you’ve wondered what it would be like to stand over a putt with real pressure on the line — no $20 Nassau or $100 in pro shop credit, but a trip to Bandon or Mesquite, your picture in Cascade Golfer and the envy of all your friends. Stop wondering, grab a partner, and get inside the ropes at this year’s Cascade Golfer Cup — Western Washington’s most popular amateur tournament series of the last decade, with eyes on a repeat in the decade to come.

To learn more, visit CascadeGolfer.com/Cup or email simon@cascadegolfer.com.

cascadegolfer.com

2020

Cascade Golfer Cup Over $10,000 in prizes at every tournament

Still on for 2020!

Muckleshoot Casino Players Championship at Druids Glen June 27 • 12 pm Cascade Golfer Challenge at Washington National July 18 • 7:30 am

Net and Gross Prizes 2-Player Format

Michelob ULTRA Open at The Home Course August 15 • 1 pm Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse Sept. 5 • 8 am “The most fun an amateur golfer can have playing tournament golf”

Great Competition • Great Camaraderie

Great Fun!

To register or for more information visit

cascadegolfer.com Click on the Cup! PRESENTING

Contact: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com (425) 412-7070 ext.100 SUPPORTING

TEEING OFF

PRESENTED BY

Golf Legend Nancy Lopez On Her Life, Career and Potential Return to Seattle Photo courtesy Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY BRIAN BEAKY CG EDITOR

I

t’s Nancy Lopez.

Honestly, that’s all I should have to write in this space, where I introduce our interview subject, and highlight some of their most significant accomplishments.

When ESPN profiled the greatest athletes of the 20th century for its “SportsCentury” series, only one women’s golfer was included — Lopez.

For the better part of two decades, from her rookie season in 1978 — when she won nine times, including a record five straight, one of which was the LPGA Championship — through

her final LPGA Tour win, in 1997, Lopez was to women’s golf what Tiger Woods would later become, the one player that everyone in the field was always aware of, and every fan was most eager to see. Following that incredible rookie season — one of the best in golf history, full stop — Lopez went on to win a total of 48 LPGA tournaments and three major championships, and represented the United States in multiple Solheim Cups.

Lopez won so much, in fact, that she had to wait six months for induction into the World

Golf Hall of Fame after winning her 35th career tournament — the hall stipulates that, in addition to the wins threshold, you must have been active for at least 10 years, and she was still in her first decade on Tour.

Lopez was scheduled to return to professional golf at White Horse this May, joining her longtime LPGA Tour friends and rivals at the Legends Tour’s Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup. Instead, the event has been rescheduled for next year, May 27-29, 2021.

Y’all, it’s Nancy Lopez! Enjoy.

Next year will be your first time playing in the Suquamish event. What are you looking forward to?

“It’s fun to be able to compete, but it’s also fun to just see my fellow professionals that I played with and against many, many years ago. I love to play, but I don’t know that I work on my game as much as some of the other ladies do; I don’t get to play on the Legends Tour as much, due to scheduling. The last time I played in Seattle was on the LPGA Tour (at Meridian Valley), and I never seemed to play well there. The greens just kicked me in the butt.

But, I love Seattle. It’s a great place to play golf and I look forward to being there. ”

and all of the other great players of that era. One of our mantras then was to leave the Tour better than we found it, and they definitely did that.”

Despite winning 48 tournaments, you only made about $5 million. Do you ever see purses now and think you were born too soon?

“Well, when I was playing on the LPGA Tour, I thought I was lucky to be born then! I was the first player to make $200,000 in one season, and that was very exciting. But, I was able to make a lot of money off the golf course, as well, through corporate contracts and other things, so I wouldn’t a change a thing. I’m blessed to be where I am.”

We’re obviously big Joanne Carner fans here. Do you have any good Big Momma stories to share?

“Joanne Carner was my idol. Growing up, I wanted to be just like her. She was a great competitor and had a ton of positive energy. You could never tell if she was playing good or bad, because she always seemed to be having a great time. Sometimes I’d beat her, or she’d beat me, but she was always so kind to me, and very supportive, and always treated me with grace and respect. I learned a lot from her. She can still hit it, too; it’s fun to watch her.”

Did you feel a responsibility at the time to help raise the profile of women’s golf?

“Absolutely. When I started winning, I felt it quickly — the pressure of having to go to press conferences, and do whatever I could to help my Tour grow. There were days when I maybe didn’t want to do another thing, but I knew that it wasn’t about me, it was about the Tour, and what was going to help it grow. And, that’s the same for Carner 18

MAY 2020

What do you think it was that set you apart from your peers at the time, competitively?

“When I won tournaments, it was about attitude. I’d be head-to-head against certain players and they’d hit a bad shot or get mad about something, and I could tell right then that they weren’t going to make it back. My dad always taught me that golf wasn’t going to be an easy game, and you weren’t going to hit every shot perfect, and so you needed to be resilient. I think I accepted that better than most players, and I owe that to my dad.”

Was he the one who taught you the game?

“Yes, and he was not a professional; he owned an auto body repair shop. He just had a lot of golf sense. I am so lucky that I was able to share my success with him. He was my best friend, and always supported me. Whether I failed or was successful, he was always positive and made me feel that I could achieve anything I wanted to.”

Were you surprised at how successful you were as a rookie, or was it all part of your plan?

“No, I was totally surprised. I had spent years trying to climb to No. 1 in the amateur rankings, and so when I went on the LPGA Tour, I expected the road to be just as hard. My goal that first year was to win one tournament.

After I won my first one, I was like, ‘Wow, this was fun!’

Then, I started winning a lot more, and the whole world opened up to me through golf. It was a really fun time.”

How’s your golf game these days? What changes have you had to make as you’ve gotten older?

“Not bad! I have two new knees, which has allowed me to start using my legs again. Mentally, I’ve had to adjust to the fact that I’m not hitting it as far as I used to.

That’s an ego-buster, because I used to be a long hitter.

So, I have to take that disk out of my brain and put in the new one that reminds me to find other ways to score well besides just hitting it long.”

If you were able to go back and talk to that 12-year-old girl in New Mexico who was about to go win her first amateur championship and launch one of the greatest careers in golf, what advice would you give to her?

“Wow, good question. I’d talk to her about how fast I had to grow up. By age 19, I was already in the press room talking about golf and trying to explain my feelings, at a time when I was still so young. Learning how to slow down and not grow up so fast is something I wish I could have done, but with the career I had, there wasn’t any time to stop and do that. My golf game controlled where I was going, and I was just along for the ride.” cascadegolfer.com

IN THE

BAG

BY BRIAN BEAKY — CG EDITOR

Golf Is Back — Finally

I

f you’re anything like us, you’ve spent the last two months wishing for rain.

Don’t get me wrong — we love the sun, and in a typical year, we’d be doing backflips over this incredible stretch of sunny weather we’ve had since the start of April.

But, when you’re stuck inside all day, unable to do so much as knock a few 5-irons on the driving range or even work on your short game, seeing all that amazing sun out there is like rubbing salt in a wound.

The good news is — GOLF IS BACK. We may not be able to high-five after sinking that 20-foot birdie, or even share a golf cart, but at least we can finally get out there and support our local golf courses while swinging the sticks on a beautiful spring day.

Of course, it’s not just our local courses that have borne the brunt of the virus for the golf industry. Retailers, too, are suffering, with golfers everywhere cutting expenses due to layoffs, furloughs and the like. If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in the position to toss a few bucks towards some greens fees, a new driver or putter would certainly help keep our locally owned retailers alive — and just might help your golf game, too.

In this edition of In the Bag, we’re giving you what may well be your first look at the cool new clubs we had a chance to test out before kicking off our extended spring break.

We’ve got the biggies from TaylorMade and Callaway, of course, but also some harder-tofind clubs from retailers like Honma and XXIO. It’s good to be back. Let’s make the most of the season we have left.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

TAYLORMADE

SIM Drivers PUETZ GOLF PRICE

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CALLAWAY

Mavrik Driver 2

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$499.99

hen we saw TaylorMade’s SIM go straight into the bags of Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy in Kapalua this year, it immediately became a club we had to get our hands on. The name “SIM” stands for “Shape In Motion” and reflects TaylorMade’s focus in 2020 on improving the aerodynamics of their top-line drivers.

The sole is where the action is, and while the “Inertia Generator” — that’s the raised part with “SIM” stamped on it — doesn’t look all that different from that on last year’s M6, you’ll notice that it has a slightly asymmetrical design.

TaylorMade says that creates less resistance during the downswing, increasing clubhead speeds and resulting in longer distance. The Inertia Generator also pushes more weight to the rear of the sole, for added forgiveness, while the Twist Face, Speed Pocket, Speed Injection and other technologies that made the M5 and M6 so popular last year have been carried over to the SIM. Three versions are available — the SIM, which will be preferred by players who want less spin and more control; the heel-biased SIM Max D, which will counteract a slice; and the SIM Max, which removes the sliding weight behind the face and will be a good pick for low-to-mid handicappers seeking a consistent shot shape.

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$499.99

I

“ feel the need — the need for speed.” It’s one of the most iconic and oft-quoted lines from 1986’s “Top Gun,” and has become a mantra for Callaway in recent years, whose drivers have become faster and faster in a search for additional distance off the tee. This year — just months, in fact, before the cinematic release of “Top Gun” sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” Callaway released a “Mavrik” of it’s own, which the company claims is the fastest driver it’s ever manufactured. Last year’s Epic Flash was the first to take advantage of a new Artificial Intelligence system that designed a radically different face, creating maximum distance and accuracy across the surface. This year, an even more powerful A.I. system was applied to all aspects of club design, including a newer (stronger) and more aerodynamic clubhead that features a flatter crown and a sole that slopes significantly upward from front to back (what Callaway calls a “cyclone aero shape”). Like the SIM, the Mavrik will come in three models — the standard Mavrik, with a moderate draw bias, will have mass appeal, while the Mavrik Sub Zero (with a smaller profile, lower spin and moveable weights for more customization) will be the single-digit players’ pick, and the Mavrik Max will be the highest-launching and most forgiving.

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) cascadegolfer.com 362-2441

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4 3 HONMA

Beres S-07 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

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PING 3

See stores for pricing

ne of the best parts of the Testing and Fitting Zone at the Seattle Golf Show is having the chance to test out clubs from brands you’re less familiar with, ones you wouldn’t just blindly grab off a rack before swinging for yourself. That’s certainly the case with Honma, one of the world’s most intriguing brands — both for its premium price point, and the allure of those gold-flecked heads and shafts. The gold — 24 karat — accounts for some of that price, but much is due to Honma’s legendary production process, by which every aspect of the club, from grip to sole, is manufactured by hand entirely in-house at Honma’s Japanese headquarters. Most notable are the shafts, which are custom-built for each specific club and, depending on the specific club or set or clubs you purchase, can even be customized specific to your needs, in both weight, construction and kick point. This year’s Beres S-07 line offers metalwoods with a high launch and penetrating ball flight, with a Maximum Active Speed Slot that allows the entire sole to flex, producing higher ball speeds. The irons have similar speed slots, with heel-toe weighting that produces a higher MOI for increased forgiveness.

G710 Irons PUETZ GOLF PRICE

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TITLEIST 4

$174.99 per club

alking down the demo line at golf shows this spring, it was hard not to notice PING’s new G710 irons, whose all-black finish stands out next to other manufacturers’ more traditional chrome or light gray offerings.

They’re also just a touch bigger than many of the irons we came across (though the black finish actually makes them appear smaller at address), which was a welcome sight to this 15-handicapper, who isn’t shy about asking for a little extra forgiveness from his sticks. That’s precisely what the G710 is engineered to provide — with high-density tungsten weights in the toe and heel, it has a 5-percent higher MOI than the G700, leading to higher launch angles and less dispersion. It’s also hotter, with a C300 maraging steel face that is precision-machined to the minimum effective thickness, resulting in a springboard effect. Early testing has shown that while distance gains are moderate over the G700, the ball flight is higher and more consistent, even at a lower RPM. This means that shots fly straighter and land within a tighter area, making it easier to target specific lay-up zones or pin placements. The Hydropearl finish repels water, too, for better grip in all conditions — just one more reason we expect this one to sell well in the Northwest this year.

cascadegolfer.com FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • exceptions apply

T400 Irons 5 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Starting at $185 per club

W

hile many manufacturers release updates to their clubs on an annual basis — and some, to the ire of consumers and retailers alike, even multiple times per year — Titleist has long been on a more relaxed schedule, letting their irons and drivers age gracefully, like a fine wine, before releasing the new vintage. Last fall saw the release of the T200 and T300 irons, targeted to players in the vast middle of the market, followed quickly by the T100, a players iron created in part by Jordan Spieth, that he and Justin Thomas have used to make more than $4 million so far in the season’s first few months. So, it was somewhat surprising when Titleist went back to the well again this winter and added a T400 version (along with a stronger-loft T100-S) with the intent of bringing high handicappers into the Titleist fold. The T400s feature the low center of gravity, wider sole and slightly larger overall profile you’d expect of a game-improvement club, but with the same hollow body and “super-thin” face that have helped make the rest of the T-Series line such a winner. That combination, along with lighter and stronger shafts, allows players with slower swing speeds to hit the ball longer and straighter, resulting in lower scores, and happier golfers.

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IN THE BAG

6 TAYLORMADE

SIM Max Irons PUETZ GOLF PRICE

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TITLEIST 6

Starting at $112.99 per club

t’s likely that you already know about former UW All-American Nick Taylor’s wire-to-wire win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. An eighth-year pro, Taylor had only won once prior on Tour — all the way back in 2015, in just his fourth Tour event. Shoot, through the first 10 events of 2020, Taylor has just one fewer top-10 finish than the previous two seasons combined. So, what’s clicked? Well, he’s using the all-new TaylorMade SIM Max irons, for one. A refined Speed Bridge, an external piece connecting the club’s topline to the sole, keeps the club stable at impact, resulting in more energy being put back into the ball, while a new ECHO Damping System mimics the feel and sound of a forged iron. The result is a club versatile enough to be used by everyone from a PGA TOUR winner to a mid-handicapper, with the feel that better players prefer, and the long distance and added forgiveness sought by weekend warriors. In a video produced by TaylorMade, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and other Tour pros hit the SIM Max, along with traditional forged irons, while blindfolded, and couldn’t tell the difference. At least, not in the feel — the added distance will catch anyone’s eye.

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8

Vokey SM8 Wedges

ODYSSEY 7

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $159.99

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t’s always a good idea to look and see whether or not PGA Tour players put new clubs in their bags; that can be a good indicator of which are true game-changers, and which are just the same old thing in a shiny new package.

Which is why it’s notable that no wedge is played by more players on Tour than Titleist’s Vokey. Just about every Titleist player, from Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay, to Adam Scott and Webb Simpson, play a Vokey Spin-Milled wedge, and this year’s offering is proving no less popular.

Players describe the club as “solid but soft,” a contradiction that credits the wedge’s consistent performance and buttery feel. Using a lengthened hosel and the addition of tungsten to the toe, Titleist has pushed the center of gravity as far forward as possible, and moved it up or down the face based on the typical impact point at each loft, to maximize consistency. The individually cut grooves also push right to the edge of legal tolerances to create more spin, while Vokey’s six sole grinds and the usual three finishes — Chrome, Black, or the popular Raw version available through Titleist’s WedgeWorks site — allow golfers to customize a wedge to their exact preference.

Stroke Lab Triple Track 8 PUETZ GOLF PRICE Starting

at $249.99

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o manufacturer does putter alignment like Odyssey, whose famed 2-Ball design revolutionized the concept when it was introduced in 2001. This year, Odyssey has an alignment feature that — dare we say it?

— might prove more impactful than the one that first put the company on the map. It’s called the Triple Track, and it features three lines on the crown of the club that are to be aligned with three identical lines printed on your ball. Once you’ve placed the ball, it’s immediately obvious if you have addressed the ball off-line, as the two sets of lines will not match. Triple Track putters have proven most effective when used with Callaway Triple Track balls, though Callaway Tour pros also saw significant increases in accuracy (11 percent, in fact) when using the clubs with regular balls. Callaway (which owns the Odyssey brand) says that the design is based on the same visual principles the Navy uses to land fighter jets on aircraft carriers, where a slight miscalculation in line can literally mean life or death. In this case, it’s just the difference between par and birdie ... though, sometimes that can feel pretty darn important, too.

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) cascadegolfer.com 362-2441

IN THE BAG

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11 PING

Heppler Putters PUETZ GOLF PRICE

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SCOTTY CAMERON 9

Starting at $228.99

ong-time devotees of the classic PING Anser (created in a garage by Ballard native and UW grad Karsten Solheim, “The Shoemaker’s Son,” CG, Dec. ‘09), we were excited to see PING roll out nine new models this year in what it’s calling the Heppler line, named for Rick Heppler, one of the first employees of what was then called the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation.

Each of the putters in the new line feature solid steel faces, providing golfers with the sound, feel and feedback that first set the Anser apart more than 50 years ago. The mallets and mid-mallets in the line also feature aluminum construction in the heads, pushing weight to the perimeter for greater consistency and accuracy. Like PING’s Sigma 2 putters, the Hepplers also offer golfers the ability to adjust the shaft to anywhere from 32 to 36 inches using a torque wrench, essentially making the Hepplers the firmer alternative to the softer Sigma 2 line.

The best thing about a PING putter — from this writer using the same Anser his father played for more than 40 years — is that if you find the right one, you’ll never need to buy another putter again.

Special Select Putters

MIZUNO 10

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $399.99

T

here was a time a few years ago when Tiger Woods couldn’t make a putt. Then, he switched back to his classic Scotty Cameron Newport putter — the same one with which he had won all but one of his then-14 majors — and just like that, the magic was back. In no small part due to Tiger’s endorsement, Cameron’s putters have been a mainstay of the golf world for the last two decades, beloved by golfers at all levels of the game and known for their bright-red “cherry bombs” adorning the cavity, heel and sole. This year’s line includes updates to all eight of Cameron’s most popular models, including the Newport, Newport 2 and Newport 2.5 blades, the Fastback 1.5, Squareback 2, Flowback 5 and Flowback 5.5 mid-mallets, and the rounded-blade Del Mar. While the designs haven’t changed much, the tech has, based on requests from Cameron’s many Tour devotees. Heavier weights in the blades create larger sweet spots, while the hosels and faces have been customized to match the weighting and performance of each model, and a new Soft Tri-sole design helps the putter set up square to the target. Check one out at Puetz to figure out which model is right for you.

cascadegolfer.com FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • exceptions apply

M-Craft Putters 11 PUETZ GOLF PRICE $299.99

F

or decades, Mizuno was a premium iron brand — when you saw a set of Mizunos in the bag of a golfer at your local club, you knew he or she was a stick. Then, Mizuno branched out into metalwood design, before expanding its line over the last decade to include some of golf’s most forgiving game-improvement clubs, and mid-range clubs for golfers in between. This year, Mizuno is branching out to include a putter in its line for the first time in years, since former Mizuno contractors like Scotty Cameron and Bettinardi moved on to create their own brands elsewhere. Like Mizuno irons, the M-Craft is built around feel, and milled from a solid block of 1025 carbon steel to create a solid, satisfying impact. Each of the three models — two Anser-style blades, with or without a slant-neck hosel, and a mid-mallet version — are available in three different finishes, including chrome, black and our personal favorite, blue. The straight-hosel No. 1 will be best for golfers with a wide arc, while the slant-neck No. 2 will work for smaller arcs, and the face-balanced mid-mallet No. 3 will be the choice of golfers with a more square swing.

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RISK vs. REWARD Jackson Park Golf Course

Hole No. 10 Par 4 267 yards (Blue Tees)

The Setup: This risk-reward hole was created in 2015 when Jackson Park put in their new driving range and rerouted the course. From the tee, this looks like an easy par, as it only plays a hair under 270 from the blues. It’s a slight dog-leg right that is accessible with a left-to-right shot — exactly the kind of drive most of us possess. Trees line the entire right side of the fairway, while two bunkers protect the front of the green. The left side is guarded by a third bunker.

The Risk: If you are rolling the dice and trying to get home

By Simon Dubiel

with your tee ball, don’t be too far right, and don’t be straight. Yeah, you read that correct. If you have enough club to reach the green, you must hit a left-to-right fade to carve your golf ball back into the green. If you catch either of the front bunkers, you will be left with one of those nasty, 25-40-yard bunker shots that everyone enjoys. Seven-iron, wedge, is an easy way to make a living.

The Reward: For the longer hitter, even driver may be too much on this hole. If your natural shot is a power fade, double down and push the chips to the middle. Left is no good,

but you should get a kick off the driving range net and have a shot at the green on your second. It is by far the shortest hole on the course, and an opportunity to start your back-nine under par.

Final Call: A wise man once said that you can’t lose what you don’t bet. Well, you can’t win much, either. For those that draw the ball right to left, this is a tough spot to be aggressive. But, if you have the ability to hit a cut (for the right-hander), this hole is your game of choice. Don’t be calling here. Time to put in a raise and make some money!

PRESENTED BY

cascadegolfer.com

MAY 2020

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When UW grad and former World No. 1 amateur

C.T. Pan

walks the fairways at Augusta later this year, he’ll fulfill a dream 23 years and 8,000 miles in the making

His

Father’s Son

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By Bob Sherwin

n the early morning of Mon., Apr. 14, 1997, Jung-ho Pan sat in his tiny living room in Miaoli County, Chinese Taipei, watching TV with his son, Cheng-tsung.

They were transfixed by a young phenom, Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods, a 21-year-old American golfing prodigy with multi-racial ancestry and an intriguing nickname.

In addition to identifying with Tiger’s Asian (Chinese/ Thai) roots, Jung-ho was excited by his sudden and spectacular splash on the world stage. Separated from Augusta National by the international date line and more than 8,000 miles , Jung-ho and Cheng-tsung watched together as Woods became the youngest player ever to win The Masters, breaking records for 72-hole score (an 18-under

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Photo courtesy University of Washington

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270) and margin of victory (12).

As Tiger walked off Augusta National’s 18th green, he was greeted by his father, Earl, with a long, tearful embrace. Jung-ho switched off the TV, turned to his youngest son and implored, “I want you one day to do that for me.”

Cheng-tsung was five years old.

Now 28, Cheng-tsung — or C.T., as he has been known since turning pro in 2015 following an All-American career at the University of Washington — says that while he didn’t necessarily understand exactly what was going on in the moment of Tiger’s infamous victory at Augusta, he definitely understood a certain responsibility.

He perceived that his father’s directive was something

between a commitment and a commandment, and he has spent the past 23 years chasing that “Tiger Tail.”

Later this year, the 84th edition of The Masters Tournament will be played at Augusta National. For the first of those 84 years, it will include C.T. Pan, along with a five-time and defending champion, the now 44-year-old Tiger Woods.

Twenty-three years after that memorable Masters morning, Pan is finally in position to fulfill his father’s dream. And, while Jung-ho, who passed away in 2010, may not be at Augusta to embrace his son on the 18th green, no one should ever doubt that he’ll be there alongside Pan every step of the way. cascadegolfer.com

“I couldn’t speak the language.

I vividly remember that it took three months to form my first sentence. If I got a writing assignment, it took two hours for a single paragraph.

I didn’t have a translator.”

W

hile it may be his father who charted a path for Pan to golf stardom, it was his mother, Yueh-Mei Kang, who first put a golf club into his hands.

A caddie at a local Taipei course, Yueh-Mei would bring her toddler to the golf course to putt around on the practice greens, and gave him his first taste of the game that would come to mean so much.

As his skills developed, Pan’s parents, with five older children, could not financially support his need for frequent play, so Pan would sneak onto the course for a quick nine holes before it opened, then another nine after it closed. Pan says he’s pretty sure that the course manager knew what he was doing, but benignly looked the other way.

Jung-ho’s vision, however, was not diverted. He was laser-focused on his son’s development.

“My father was very strict. He was tough on me,” Pan says. “He always found special training for me. At my home club in Taiwan, he would have me run a kilometer straight uphill to make me tough, physically and mentally.”

Pan accepted his father’s treatment, because he believed it gave him the necessary drive, self-discipline and humility to one day be an accomplished player.

“I think he had a complicated relationship with his father, who was very hard on him,” says Matt Thurmond, who coached Pan at the University of Washington and is now the head coach golf coach at Arizona State. “But, C.T. had a deep love and respect for him.”

Pan progressed so quickly in the game that, by 2007, it was decided that he should move to America and attend IMG Academy, the marketing and sports development institute in Bradenton, Fla. It was around this time that he met Yingchun Lin, who would become the most influential person in his life and career. Pan spoke not a word of English at the time; he couldn’t travel, couldn’t check into hotels, couldn’t drive and could hardly function in the United States.

“The first year and a half was rough,” Pan recalled in a story for Golfworld magazine. “I couldn’t speak the language. I vividly remember that it took three months to form my first sentence. If I got a writing assignment, it took two hours for a single paragraph. I didn’t have a translator.”

During this time, it was Lin, who later took the name Michelle, who arranged host families to care for him. The families would feed him, transport him and make him feel comfortable as he traveled around the country for tournaments. As Pan began traveling internationally more and more frequently, Lin became his adviser, interpreter, travel guide, companion and, as Pan says, “my rock.’’

She also would later become his wife.

Photos courtesy University of Washington and Twitter: @ctpangolf

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t the 2007 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Pan, then just 15 years old, reached the quarterfinals, in the process becoming the youngest player to advance that far in nearly 100 years, since Bobby Jones in 1916.

Over the next few years, Pan sharpened his skills competing at junior events across the country against an outstanding 2011 prep class that included Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Patrick Rodgers, Ollie Schniederjans, Daniel Berger and Emiliano Grillo.

Thurmond, who had been aware of Pan since the latter placed second at the 2006 Asian Games, didn’t think he had a chance to recruit him. But, then-UW assistant coach Garrett Clegg (now the head coach at the University of Utah) sent a recruitment letter anyway, doing due diligence.

“We had no connection. We had no feeling that he wanted to be (at UW),” Thurmond says. “There were rumors that he was not even going to go to college. But, Pan responded (to the letter). He really wanted to go to Washington.”

On that first visit to UW, Pan made his verbal commitment, in front of the fireplace at Aldarra Golf Club in Fall City. Pan, who has since moved to Houston for yearround training, still maintains a residence in Bellevue, and remains an Aldarra national member.

“It felt like family at UW,” Pan says. “That helped me settle into the environment. Guys (teammates) like Chris Williams, Charlie Hughes, Chris Babcock were all great

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guys to hang out with. We were all close. But, the most important thing for me was learning how to be a good captain. We (with Thurmond) always talked about leadership.”

Just as Pan was about to embark on this next phase of his journey, with the PGA TOUR dreams his father had instilled in him inching ever closer, tragedy struck. In 2011, as Pan was beginning his freshman year at Washington, Jung-ho died of an illness. Worse yet, Pan was unable to attend the funeral, honoring warnings from family members that he should not return to Taiwan at the risk of being conscripted into the military, as is customary for Taiwanese men of his age. While he had received a deferment for school, the family believed it was too risky for him to return, fearing that government officials would ignore his deferment, consider him eligible for immediate service, and bar him from leaving the country.

Pan and his family knew that Jung-ho wouldn’t have wanted anything to get in the way of Pan’s ability to pursue the dream they shared together — even his own passing. There was nothing he could do.

“It’s the biggest regret of my life,” he says.

But, oh, how his father would have relished his son’s college career. Pan’s game blossomed at U-Dub, where he won eight titles and earned four All-America honors during one of the most decorated careers in Husky golf history. In fact, for eight weeks during his sophomore year in 2013, Pan was ranked as the No. 1 amateur in the world, ahead of Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Bryson De-

cascadegolfer.com

His Father’sSon Chambeau and others.

What better opportunity, he figured, to change his swing.

“He had just played (as an amateur) at the U.S. Open at Marion after his sophomore year,” Thurmond says. “He called me from the plane on the trip home. He told me what he wanted to do.

“I told him, ‘I’ve seen a lot of golfers change their swings and they’re never the same. They totally screw up their swings and are never heard from again,” he adds.

“But, I had complete trust in him. He was wise beyond his years. He did not do things idly.”

Pan’s short game was solid, good enough to be competitive. His mid-irons were accurate, too, but at 5-foot6 and 145 pounds, Pan struggled for distance. That U.S. Open at Merion (one of three majors he’d play in as an amateur, including two U.S. Opens and an Open Championship) had highlighted for him that while he could hold his own against most competition, to truly be the best and compete on golf’s highest stage, he was going to have to hit the ball farther.

Pan heard Thurmond’s warnings, “but I was pretty stubborn,” he recalls. “I knew what kind of skill level was needed to compete. To be competitive (as a pro), I had to get better. I had to change.”

Pan hired a fitness coach, a mechanics coach and a swing coach. He spent hours on the range and watching videos, and focused on using his big muscles to generate more speed and power.

“For about half a year,” he says, “I was a different person each day on the range.”

Thurmond recalls that during Pan’s swing transition his junior year, “he was not good. But, he hit his stride his senior year and was back to No. 2 amateur in the world (behind Jon Rahm).”

Pan also was a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award, and placed second at the NCAA Championships his senior year. With UW as his springboard and Michelle by his side — they would marry not long after graduation in 2015 — Pan was ready to turn pro, but not without bringing a little of his Husky background with him. Pan insists that his clubs be manufactured with purple shafts, while his bag has purple accents and he uses a purple Sharpie to mark his ball with a “W.” “If things are going south,” he jokes, “I just flip it over and it’s an ‘M’ for Michelle. So, at least I still have my wife supporting me.”

Pan began his professional career at one of the game’s lowest levels, the 2015 PGA TOUR Mackenzie Tour in Canada — but he wouldn’t be there for long. Pan won twice in just seven events on the Mackenzie Tour, and qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, where dozens of friends and family cheered him on to a 64thplace finish. Pan moved up to the Web.com Tour in 2016, and earned seven top-10s to claim his PGA TOUR card for the 2017 season. In all, Pan went from college to the PGA TOUR in fewer than 30 professional starts.

Pan appeared in three matches at the 2019 Presidents Cup, winning two alongside fourballs partner Hideki Matsuayama.

Photos courtesy Twitter: @ctpangolf

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hough he won $1.27 million during his rookie season in 2017, it was a struggle. Pan missed the cut in 15 of 29 tournaments he entered, yet showed promise with three top-10s, including a second-place finish at The Farmers Open at Torrey Pines.

Pan improved in 2018, winning $1.88 million and missing just eight of 30 cuts, with two top-10s and another tantalizingly close second-place finish at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. That tournament saw Pan earn his first real moment in the PGA TOUR spotlight — though, not entirely because of his success on the course.

Usually reliant on local caddies, Pan had struggled to find one to carry his bag in Greensboro, and arrived in town for the tournament with no one scheduled to be by his side. So, Pan did what he had always done when he found himself lost and needing someone to pick him up — he turned to Michelle, who found yet another way to be her husband’s rock.

“This is a true test of my marriage,” Pan wrote on Twitter, following the tournament’s opening round with Michelle on the bag. “Hopefully, she will be with me by the end of the week.”

She was — though, Pan did carry his own bag at times throughout the weekend, showing that love and support does definitely go both ways. In fact, Michelle was by Pan’s side the entire weekend, as he shot up the leaderboard and found himself standing on the 18th tee box

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cascadegolfer.com

His Father’sSon tied for the lead, with just a few hundred yards standing between him and, potentially, his first PGA TOUR win.

Pan, though, sprayed his drive out of bounds by mere inches and took a double-bogey six, handing the victory to veteran Brent Snedeker.

Afterwards, though, Pan — and Michelle — were all smiles in the media tent.

“Had an unbelievable experience with my wife on the bag,” he said after the event. “She’s retired from caddying. I paid her with multiple rounds of massage.”

While the 2018 season ended on a high note, the 2019 season started off slowly. Pan made just four cuts in his first 12 events, with just one top-20 finish. After returning home following a second-place finish at The Players Championship, Pan sat with Michelle to watch the 2019 Masters.

Together, they watched as Tiger Woods, no longer a young golfing prodigy but a 43-year-old seeking to recapture the glory of years gone by, put together a once-morefor-the-ages performance, winning his fifth green jacket by one stroke. Pan couldn’t help but think of his late father’s wish, still as yet unfulfilled.

The following week, Pan had long planned to welcome 12 young golfers from Taiwan for a tournament sponsored by Houston’s American Junior Golf Association. Pan had paid for their trip, and had even invited Thurmond to help him host the event.

Yet, Tiger’s remarkable effort stirred something in Michelle. Perhaps it was just a hunch, perhaps it was her

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intuition, but she suddenly suggested a dramatic schedule change for her husband.

“You should play the RBC Heritage,” she told him. “I’ll take care of the (Taiwanese) kids. Don’t worry about it.”

She followed that with a substantially more urgent appeal.

“I am not patient,” she said. “So, you’d better get me to Augusta as soon as possible.”

Pan couldn’t help but hear his father’s directive in Michelle’s words. Focus on the game. Believe in yourself.

Never be willing to settle.

Pan followed Michelle’s advice and entered the RBC the following weekend. And, he won it, in grand fashion.

Trailing Dustin Johnson by two strokes entering the final round, Pan overcame DJ and held off Matt Kuchar for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Similar to the Wyndham a year earlier, Pan pushed his tee shot on the par-5 15th hole. This time, though, rather than rolling out of bounds, the ball struck a tree and dropped straight down, saving Pan a stroke. Given a break, Pan responded with a birdie at 16 and pars on the final two holes for a one-stroke win.

“I always knew I was good enough. It was just a matter of time,” Pan says. “But, it was definitely out of the blue.

I was struggling before that. Tiger winning The Masters gave me a lot of inspiration.

“The lesson,” he later wrote, ”[is to] always listen to your wife.”

At Washington, Pan was a four-time All-American, the NCAA Championships runner-up, and ranked No. 1 among world amateurs.

He still uses purple shafts on all of his clubs.

Photos courtesy University of Washington

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His Father’sSon “I realized how big it was. It was pretty emotional,” he says. “I remember I watched the sky,” he adds. “I was thinking, ‘Dad, finally, we’ve done it.’”

W Photos courtesy University of Washington and Twitter: @ctpangolf

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hat one victory can do.

Pan’s victory earned the third-year pro a twoyear Tour exemption, not to mention $1.3 million in firstplace winnings that pushed his budding career earnings past the $5 million mark. Pan also became the first player from Taiwan to win on the PGA TOUR since T.C. (Tzechung) Chen won the 1987 Genesis Open.

Using that win as a springboard, Pan rose as high as 47th in the 2019 World Golf Rankings, finished 35th in the PGA TOUR FedEx Cup, and was named to the International Team for the the 2019 Presidents Cup, winning two of the three matches he played last December.

“I think he’s doing great,” Thurmond says. “I’m actually surprised he hasn’t done more. I have such a high opinion of him. I see him becoming a super-elite player who wins a lot.”

Most significantly, though, Pan’s win qualified him for

the 2020 Masters. When the mist rises off the fairways and the game’s greatest players step onto the course at Augusta National, Pan will, for the first time, have the chance to make his father’s dream a reality. He’ll finally have the chance to give Jung-ho the win he always wanted.

After his interviews following the RBC were finished and the fans, media and cameras departed, Pan was alone in his thoughts, but not alone.

“I realized how big it was. It was pretty emotional,” he says. “When things settled down in my mind, I had time to think about my family, how they supported me.

“I remember I watched the sky,” he adds. “I was thinking, ‘Dad, finally, we’ve done it.’”

Bob Sherwin is a veteran of The Seattle Times, a longtime contributor to Cascade Golfer, and president of the Northwest Golf Media Association. Read more of his work at GolfersWest.com.

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40

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N

atural talent. Culture.

Coaching.

Maybe even rain.

Ask a simple question – How is it that the Pacific Northwest is producing so many top-caliber golfers? – and you can expect to hear a variety of answers.

“It’s pretty interesting to see how many good players come out of a place that is not known for very good weather,” says Andrew Putnam, a native of Tacoma who has won twice on the PGA TOUR Web.com Tour (now called the Korn Ferry Tour), and once on the PGA TOUR. “We have an unusually good junior golf program in the Northwest,” Putnam says, referring to the Washington Junior Golf Association. “I kind of remember the lady who started it (Joan Teats, who passed away in 2012).

She put a lot of work into growing the game for juniors in Washington. I think that’s one of the biggest things, was a place to play.”

A place to play and a chance to play is certainly part of the formula that has helped produce the likes of 31-yearold Putnam, his brother Michael, Puyallup’s Ryan Moore, Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley and Joel Dahmen of Clarkston, each of whom will play on the PGA TOUR this year. Add to that mix former Huskies Nick Taylor — a British Columbia native who won the PGA TOUR AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, and C.T. Pan, who competed for the International team in December’s Presidents Cup — and there’s an incredible amount of PGA TOUR talent being produced in a corner of the world not exactly known for its golf-friendly climate.

Talent, work ethic, and motivation are also parts of that formula. Ryan Young, the PGA Director of Instruction at Chambers Bay and one of the coaches in the PGA Junior League, finds plenty of that in the area’s up-and-comers.

“It’s pretty exciting to see their success,” Young says.

“If I were to really understand how we’ve been producing some talent, I think it’s the culture of today’s junior golfer.

I know most of those parents, and I think they’re genuinely excited to help. They understand what it takes to support their kids and give them the resources they need.

They trust in the coach-student relationship to guide them in the right direction.”

Therein lies another factor in the explosion of Pacific Northwest talent — at ever-higher levels, that guidance can be found nearby.

“There are a lot of quality instructors who are starting to make a name for themselves up here,” Young says.

“You don’t need to move to Arizona or L.A. to get ahead – especially with technology. With indoor technologies and the covers and even rain gear, as long as you’re a die-hard golfer, you can do it.”

By Mark Moschetti

With a record number of local players plying their trade on the PGA TOUR this year, we wondered — what’s causing the treamendous spike in talent over the last 15 years?

And, just as importantly — who might be the next to achieve their dreams?

Andrew Putnam

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h, yes. The rain, changing to showers, followed by drizzle.

In this corner of the golf world – where green is considered a primary color – it’s a common refrain.

But, it just might have something to do with the fact that so many Washington golfers are making their mark on the biggest stage. cascadegolfer.com

Ryan Moore

Jeff Gove certainly thinks so. The Seattle native who turned pro in 1994 and has played on the PGA, Nationwide and Web.com Tours, says area players develop sound fundamentals that work to their benefit as their careers advance.

“Your game travels well because you’re used to sidehill lies, downhill lies, and uphill lies. You learn to hit the ball high because of muddy conditions – and that plays well when you have firm conditions,” Gove says. “And, in the Northwest, you become a good putter, because players have to hit their putts really solid, especially the short ones.”

Added Putnam, “I remember playing in 30 degrees, snowing, hailing, playing when the golf cups were full of water. You play in whatever conditions are available. That makes you mentally tough and allows you not to be fazed by conditions.”

Perhaps most important, Puget Sound-area players learn how to take a break.

“Golfers in Washington and the Seattle area don’t burn out because we only get to play certain times of the year,” Gove says. “I think the fact that you don’t play yearround is good. Most have played other sports. They’re well-rounded.”

Ryan Moore, now 37 and owner of five PGA TOUR titles and a Ryder Cup, is one of those well-rounded types.

“I played basketball every winter and baseball every spring,” he says. “I came back after baseball season and I was hitting farther and with more speed. It made me a better golfer in the end.”

Evan Johnsen, the Director of Programs & Development for The First Tee of Greater Seattle, cited one other factor that might fly a bit under the radar, but still plays a significant role: The concept of giving back.

“A lot of juniors whom we would consider top golfers in the area started with First Tee. Some still play as participants, and some volunteer their time with younger golfers,” Johnsen says. “We believe that helps them become better golfers and competitors themselves.”

He added that the same concept extends to local collegiate programs, particularly at the University of Washington and Seattle University.

“They will come out and volunteer with us, and that definitely helps inspire that younger generation to take their own game to the next level someday,” Johnsen says.

Whether it’s the coaching, the access to tournaments, the tighter fairways, the variable conditions or, perversely, the weather that has helped turn our corner of the country into one of the most prolific hotbeds of youth golf talent over the last 15 years, it’s a pipeline to the pros that doesn’t show any signs of stopping soon.

By now, you know Ryan Moore, the Putnams, Kyle Stanley, Joel Dahmen and others. We were curious, though — who might be the next generation of golf superstars? What future PGA and LPGA Tour champions might be walking among us right now? Is there a future Ryan Moore currently knocking balls long and straight on the range at Chambers Bay, just waiting for his or her chance to make it big?

We put that question to Young, Johnsen and the area’s premier junior golf experts and, while they cautioned that they obviously can’t predict future success with 100-percent accuracy, if you’re looking for young Western Washington golfers with the makings of a future Tour star in their DNA, these are the names to remember.

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Kasey

Maralack

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or golfers everywhere, being inside the gates to watch the action at Augusta National is a dream come true; for many, a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For Kasey Maralack, make that thrice-in-a-lifetime.

For the past two years, and three times overall, the 15-year-old from Snoqualmie has not only been inside the gates at Augusta, but inside the ropes, as a finalist in the national Drive, Chip & Putt competition.

Maralack will make a fourth trip to Augusta for this year’s Drive, Chip & Putt finals, held on the Sunday leading into Masters week. She earned this one by winning the regional qualifier at Chambers Bay last September.

Think about that for a minute: Competing at Augusta National four times. Even the vast majority of professional golfers will never have that experience.

And, she’s only 15.

“The whole experience, even right from the beginning with the first drive down Magnolia Lane – only players and members get to go down there,” says Maralack, whose best finish was second in 2018. “It’s so cool being on the grounds and experiencing that.”

Maralack reached her first finals at age 9; this year marks her final year of eligibility.

But, for Maralack, the game is much more than just this.

Now a sophomore at Mount Si, Maralack finished 12th in last year’s Class 4A state high school tournament, and won the Washington Junior Golf Association District 2 championship.

Of all the sports Maralack tried earlier in her life – basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, skiing and swimming – it was golf that sunk its teeth in.

“Golf has so many aspects. But, if I were to pick one,” she says, when asked why she chose it, “I would say it takes a lot of focus, but at the same time, you can

have fun playing it.”

For Maralack, part of the fun is being a student of the game. That means more than just playing a course.

“I’ve been working a lot more on how to play – playing more course management, rather than just playing as I go,” she says. “I’m taking my time more, making more swing changes. My coach (Chambers Bay’s Young) has been showing me different ways to play the game that I hadn’t seen before.”

At the rate she’s going, Kasey Maralack will keep getting inside the gates of famous golf courses – and not just to watch.

Bear Mountain Ranch • Chelan

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cascadegolfer.com

Ian

Siebers

A “It was really cool that I got to be on the same course as the pros.

Even after the tournament, we got to stay for a few days and spend some time with pros and got to be inside the ropes.”

cascadegolfer.com

s far as Ian Siebers is concerned, if you’ve seen one basketball court, you’ve seen ’em all. Same goes for baseball fields.

Not so with golf courses.

“I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of golf just for the fact that it’s different every time,” the 17-year-old Bellevue High School senior says. “It’s always changing.”

One thing that isn’t changing is Siebers’ rise toward bigger and better things, no matter what golf course he’s playing.

The biggest and best of those things – at least so far – was his trip to Australia in December as part of the 12-member U.S. Junior Presidents Cup team. Siebers played three matches, winning two and tying one, as the United States outscored the International team at Royal Melbourne, 13-11.

“It was awesome, for sure – the best junior event I’ve played in so far,” Siebers says. “It was really cool that I got to be on the same course as the pros. Even after the tournament, we got to stay for a few days and spend some time with pros and got to be inside the ropes.”

Siebers is a two-time winner of both the Washington Golf and PNGA Junior Boys Player of the Year awards. Last

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summer, he won the individual title at the Junior America’s Cup and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pacific Northwest Junior Boys Amateur.

Royal Melbourne wasn’t the first legendary course on which Siebers has played, either. At the 2018 U.S. Amateur, he got to swing away on Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.

“That was really my first experience on a major stage outside of junior golf,” he says. “I think my success there (he tied for seventh in stroke play and advanced to the round of 64) and just the amazing experience I had playing those courses, was really the turning point in my junior career. Ever since that summer, I’ve been playing really well.”

For some, reaching that level of success might require treating the game more like work than play. But, Siebers, who is ranked No. 17 in the U.S. on the Rolex Junior American Golf Association list, and has committed to attend Duke University this fall, doesn’t think like that.

“There’s definitely more of a fun side, not worrying too much about the pressure or doing it because I need to for a job,” Siebers says. “It’s just enjoying every shot, enjoying every moment, and working to master the game.”

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Lauren

Nguyen

WHO’S GOT

NEXT

W

hen Lauryn Nguyen was a little girl, she would often go along for the ride when her brother and cousin would play golf.

She quickly decided that wasn’t enough.

“I was just always in the cart watching them. I was always in awe,” she recalls. “I wanted to be up there playing with them.”

These days, it’s the 16-year-old West Seattle resident who is playing some awe-inspiring golf.

She already has three Washington Junior Golf Association titles in her collection – two in the 14-15 age division, and last year in the 16-18 division. Now a junior at West Seattle High School, Nguyen also has three Metro League individual medalist honors and is a two-time Metro League Player of the Year.

So, perhaps it’s no surprise that Nguyen was attracted to the game in part by a childhood dream of getting her hands on some hardware.

“The thing that kind of fired me up was my love of trophies – that’s what got me going,” she says. (She earned her first one when she was eight years old.) “At this point in time, it’s just seeing the relationships I was able to build and the life-skill opportunities I was able to get.”

cascadegolfer.com

As successful as she has been already, Nguyen is always working to get better. Lately, that focus has been on how she approaches golf in her own mind.

“I think the thing that separates me from last year is the mental game,” says Nguyen, who also has 10 American Junior Golf Association top-10 finishes, including a pair of second places. “That’s where I’ve been seeing my improvements, definitely in decisiveness and confidence.”

But, Nguyen isn’t keeping all of that just for herself.

When she’s not playing one of her own rounds, she pours herself into making sure other kids have the same kinds of opportunities. She coaches with the girls golf program at Jefferson Park and volunteers with weekly classes and special events at The First Tee of Greater Seattle.

In 2018, she solicited pledges toward each birdie she made during tournament play. With 97 birdies in 12 tournaments, she raised nearly $15,000, which was split among The First Tee, the AJGA Ace Grant, and the Jack Nicklaus Children’s Health Foundation.

“With me, part of the reason I golf is the opportunities it was able to give me, and a lot of those were thanks to The First Tee and the WJGA,” she says. “Giving back is part of being in the golf community.”

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In the “Sun Belt”

Akshay

Anand

A At The Golf Course

Voted #1

in Washington for Best Value

by GolfAdvisor.com Featuring some of the best and most well maintained greens in the area!

Located in the Sunbelt of Western Washington We receive less rain during the wet season and less heat during the summer

kshay Anand always wants to bring his best game to tournaments.

Toward that end, he always brings his best work ethic to practice.

“After a year or two (of playing), I realized how hard the game really was – you can never master it,” says the 16-year-old Redmond native. “I think that sparked something in me. There’s never a limit to how much I can work.”

That work ethic has yielded some worthy rewards.

The biggest – at least so far – was winning the Washington Junior Golf Association state tournament last year.

Anand started the final day at Fircrest one shot behind the leader. By day’s end, he was seven shots in front, thanks to a nine-under-par 62. Along the way, he eagled No. 4 and made a 25-foot putt for birdie on No. 7. He had eight birdies in the round.

“That was one of the biggest titles of my career,” says Anand, who also was 13th in last year’s state high school tournament, playing for Redmond. “I’ve been playing WJGA for six years now, and going from missing the cut my first year at state to winning the overall state championship was a great experience.”

For Anand, it all comes back to what he did before

the tournament.

“I’ve always believed I worked hard because I loved the game so much,” he says. “But, the quality of practice and how much I get out of it, I’m trying to drill down more. I know how valuable time is. The quality of time spent has to be really high.”

Anand began playing when he was five years old, after the family moved here from California.

“My parents put me and my sister into a bunch of sports,” he says. “I decided I liked golf the most.”

Given the wealth of PGA TOUR talent currently being produced in Western Washington, it seems as though he’s made the right choice.

Mark Moschetti is a longtime Seattle sportswriter. This is his first contribution to Cascade Golfer.

Offering Discount Punch Cards No Expiration

Remember, we’re only 15 minutes from I-5exit #212, in the “Sun Belt” on Camano Island.

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(360) 387-3084

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MAY 2020

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SAVE SOME GREEN The Links at Hawks Prairie • Lacey

JUST PLAY GOLF

BY BRIAN BEAKY • CG EDITOR

T

hese past two months have been devastating for our local golf courses. Some, like Eaglemont, weren’t able to survive the fallout.

Hundreds of starters, greenskeepers, instructors, pro shop staff and behind-the-scenes workers who keep the game alive in our state have lost their jobs.

Usually, we’ll use this space to write about a cool road trip at an affordable price, or discounted rates at local courses, or the great values in a specific part of the Greater Puget Sound region.

Not this time, though. Sure, we’re going to write about a couple of great tracks, but the message of this issue is simple: Just Play Golf.

Wherever you can, at whatever greens fee you can afford, just play golf. Every course is hurting, but we can ease their financial burden and reduce our mental stress and strain at the same time by hitting the links. So, no matter which course is your favorite, get there soon.

They’ll be incredibly happy to see you, and we have a hunch the feeling will be mutual.

Photo by Rob Perry

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The Links at Hawks Prairie LACEY

The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie has long represented one of the best values in the Northwest — not only because of its reasonable rates (peaking at just $51 in the offseason) but because it’s really two terrific courses in one.

There’s the 7,200-yard Woodlands course, which presents all the traditional challenges of a quintessential Northwest track (narrow fairways, blind doglegs, wildlife-friendly water features) and the slightly-shorter Links course, featuring a more open and — for the higher handicapper — more welcoming design.

Friendlier to most golf scores than its tighter

and longer sibling, the Links was designed to emulate Scotland’s famous links courses, with broad fairways riddled with uneven lies, long second cuts of rough, and large, lightning-fast greens. Like The Woodlands, some areas of The Links have fallen prey to an ever-encroaching real estate market, but the course itself remains in immaculate condition, and those wide fairways and expansive greens are a friendly sight to any golfer tired of having to buy a new box of balls every time out.

The par-4 14th hole is probably our favorite, with water to the left and sand to the right that force a drive right down the center, leaving a 170-yard second shot to a green completely surrounded by hazards, all backdropped by an expansive vista of Puget Sound. It’s beautiful, and brutal — one we always look forward to, and one we’re also always happy to put behind us.

What draws us to Hawks Prairie during the spring season, specifically, are the combination of rates, traffic and course conditions that make it one of the state’s best early-season plays.

The Links’ location in Lacey, between Tacoma and Olympia, keeps a lot of the city traffic away, meaning the fairways are never too busy. Second, there are few courses in the area that drain better than the Links. Even in our most unpredictable of seasons, its greens remain true to their links-style roots — firm and fast, not unlike its links cousins at Chambers Bay and The Home Course, both of which are also renowned for their offseason conditioning.

Finally, though, are the rates, which stay right around $50 through the end of May, and never climb as high as many of the region’s other wellknown tracks. It’s an even better value for Oki Golf card holders, who receive discounted rates and complimentary rounds at Oki’s other Puget Sound public courses.

YARDAGE (PAR) 5,202-6,887 (72) RATES $30-$51* TEL (360) 455-8383 WEB hawksprairiegolf.com * Check website for current rates 48

MAY 2020

cascadegolfer.com

4 CAN PLAY FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

Walter Hall Golf Course • Everett

2

Scenic 18 Hole

Walter Hall Golf Course

Public Golf Course In Fall City, Washington, East of Seattle

EVERETT

With its City of Everett sibling undergoing renovations that closed several holes in 2019, many north-end golfers made their way a few miles south to Walter Hall Golf Course, only to discover that they should have made the trip much sooner.

Never as heavily trafficked or as buzzed about as Legion, and a little more off the beaten path, Walter Hall is quietly one of the best municipal golf values in the region.

For no more than $34 (with demand-based pricing that can make rates even lower at various times throughout the week), golfers enjoy a 6,400yard course that is challenging, visually stimulating and requires the use of just about every club in your bag. On top of that, recent renovations have helped dry out what was long known as one of the muckier courses in the region — on a recent CG visit, following one of the wetter stretches we’d had in months, Walter Hall was in surprisingly excellent shape. No standing water, no muddy splotches on the fairways (certainly the rough and tree lines will be wetter, but just hit it straight and you’re good, right?), and some of the smoothest and greenest putting surfaces you’ll play all year — no exaggeration.

In other words — it’s a fun, well-maintained golf course, at a great rate. So, why exactly is it that Legion gets so much more word of mouth?

Maybe it’s just old info. The City poured a significant amount of money into Walter Hall in 201314, adding 14 bunkers, renovating the greens and improving maintenance. The end result has been positive — a course that is in great shape (even in the worst of seasons), not overly challenging (though the back nine, with its tighter fairways and occasional hazards, certainly asks much more of the golfer than the front), and with a greens fee that’s lower than two tickets to a 3D movie.

If you haven’t played Walter Hall in a while, it’s a great time to go back. And, if you’re a regular ... well, you’re about to have a little more company.

YARDAGE (PAR) 5,140-6,426 (72) RATES $16-$34* TEL (425) 353-4653 WEB everettgolf.com/walterhall * Check website for current rates cascadegolfer.com

Golf Digest Best Places to Play in 2004 and 2008!

FALLS

S G O L F

C O U R S E

4 CAN PLAY FOR THE PRICE OF 3!

Online Tee Times and Web Specials Available at snoqualmiefallsgolf.com 425-441-8049 or 425-222-5244 Only good for 4 players with same day tee time.

Not valid with any other offers or discounts.

Good Monday - Thursday. Expires 5/31/20 Not valid on May 25, 2020

Call ahead to guarantee your tee time (509) 674-2226

OFF SUNDAYS TUES.-THURS.

Each Player Must Present Coupon

golfsuncountry.com

Cart Rental Separate

GREEN FEES Valid Tuesday thru Thursday

841 Saint Andrews Dr., Cle Elum, WA MAY 2020

49

P R ESENTED BY

Seattle’s Demitri Pallis Is America’s King of that 19th Hole Favorite, the Bloody Mary

S

eattle native Demitri Pallis spent years working in restaurants throughout the Puget Sound region, washing dishes, busing tables, prepping food, tending bar ... if there was a job to be done, he did it. While tending bar at, as he describes it, “a shots and beer place in Pioneer Square,” Pallis earned a reputation as “the Bloody Mary guy,” always mixing his own spices in interesting ways to create the perfect Bloody Mary.

His friends who owned restaurants and bars in the area would stop in for one of Pallis’ specialties, and pick up samples of the mix to use in their own products.

“At some point,” they would tell him, “you should really try and sell this stuff.”

Flash forward 31 years, and Pallis is the head of one of the nation’s most widely distributed Bloody Mary mix companies, Demitri’s Gourmet Mixes. Pallis’ products — which have expanded to included not just Bloody Mary mixes, but also margarita mixes, salt rimmers, pepperoni straws and more — are now sold in all 50 states, including major restaurant chains like Ruth’s Chris and P.F. Chang’s, plus countless hotels, bars, golf courses, grocery stores and other locales.

Pallis credits his Bloody Mary mix’s popularity among consumers, bartenders and restaurateurs to the ease with which it can be used. Most Bloody Mary recipes include a complex list of ingredients, requiring additional time to make and leading to inconsistent flavor from one glass to the next. Pallis, instead, pre-mixes all

YOUR

W

of his ingredients; all a bartender or consumer needs to do is combine the pre-made mix with tomato juice and their spirit of choice and, voila, a perfect Bloody Mary — made in practically no time at all — is ready to serve.

“It’s also half the cost of a bottled mix, which has helped make it very appealing,” Pallis notes.

Demitri’s produces four varieties of Bloody Mary mix, each with its own unique twist. Pallis says the Chiles & Peppers variety is his go-to flavor when he’s whipping one up in his Mercer Island home, but he’ll reach for the Chipotle Habanero “whenever I want that hot and spicy kick.” Demitri’s mixes also work great as seasonings or in marinades; the company’s website, www.demitris.com, includes dozens of recipes for salad dressing, meatballs, steak, chicken, pork and more, along with plenty of different cocktails.

Pallis says that versatility is one of his favorite things about a Bloody Mary in general, and his mixes (also available in single-serve packets) in particular.

“You can make them with vodka, gin, whiskey; you can can add different garnishes or rim salts,” he notes.

“There’s only so much you can do with, say, a Manhattan, before it’s not a Manhattan anymore. With a Bloody Mary, though, you can totally personalize it and make it your own.

“Plus,” he adds, “it’s actually healthy. A Bloody Mary has more Vitamin C than a glass of orange juice.”

So, there you have it, from “the Bloody Mary guy”

MAY 2020

Originally from Mexico and increasing in popularity in the United States, Micheladas are a spicy twist on enjoying a cold beer.

INGREDIENTS: Demitri’s® All Natural Bloody Mary Seasoning • 12-Ounce Glass • Pilsner or Lager-style Beer • Lime • Tomato Juice or Clamato • Kosher Salt Rub the rim of a 12-ounce glass with a wedge of lime, then gently press the rim of the glass into the Kosher salt and fill with ice.

Add 1-2 teaspoon(s) of Demitri’s, the juice of 1/4 lime and 1-2 ounces of tomato juice or Clamato to your glass. Fill it with beer, and enjoy! himself — the next time you order (or make) a Bloody Mary, you can officially count it as a health food. To get you started, we asked Demitri to share his favorite recipe for the 19th Hole — or any other time you get a hankerin’.

Win An All-In Washington Golf Bonanza

ith so many great courses across Washington state, it can be hard to pick which destination to visit. We say, why choose? We’re going to send one reader on THREE fantastic golf adventures in 2020, including twosomes to Wine Valley, Highlander and Whidbey Golf Course! Drive east to Walla Walla to sip award-winning wines and play the course ranked No. 3 in the state by CG readers in 2019. Pop over to Wenatchee to soak up the sun and play some of the most breathtaking holes in Washington, or point your car north to the gateway to the San Juan Islands and enjoy one of the state’s most well-conditioned courses. Someone reading this magazine right now WILL WIN, so log on to CascadeGolfer.com today and put your name in the hat!

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Michelada

Wine Valley Golf Club • Walla Walla

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RIC KIE FOW LER EAM / T TAY LOR MA DE

S N I A G ER S V O AIM L C

L. INS. RENT BAL A G L R CU REA FROM HAN YOUR U O Y EP ER T RE KE BE BETT OURSELF. E H T OUT D TO OR Y AIMS NGINEERE ND SEE F L C E IS E CH A L TH ET AL TP5/TP5X THE SWIT L T ’ DON L-NEW . MAKE L E THE A AT SIMPL H T IT’S

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