arizona golf central magazine v1 i7
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Arizona's Golf, Travel and Lifestyle MagazineTRANSCRIPT
Dallas—Not Just a TV Show | Holiday Gift Guide | Big Break Julien Trudeau
“The Pohlcat”Dan Pohl
PGA Touring Pro“Shot Dog” Danny Schott
Golf Resort, Golf Course and Golf Club Review and Commentary Along with Commentary on Current Golf News
“Uncle Buck”Mike Rafferty
GOLF AZ RadioMore Hours, More Guests, More fun!!!!
www.golfazradio.com
MONDAY - FRIDAY11am - 1pm
LISTEN LIVE!
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Arizona Golf Central Magazine celebrates its one-year anniversary this issue. It is a matter of rejoicing for us to see AGCM enter in to its second year. Considering the overwhelming response of the people, we feel that we are on the right track towards our objective—to celebrate the people that are passionate about golf. That’s why you see in-depth articles about newsmakers that make golf what it is in Arizona.
I’m back—my honeymoon was like a global bazaar of great food, great shopping and enriched with history! Details you say? Well, I traveled with my new wife to Rome, Santorini, Athens, Ephesus, Naples, and Venice but there is still nothing like the place I call home; this great State of Arizona with wildlife wonders, snowy adventures, cultural treasures and golf course splendors. It’s not hard to see how blessed we are to live in Arizona and I’m especially reminded of this during the holiday season. Most of us have a safe, nice place to live with a bed to sleep in. Most of us have plenty of food to eat dur-ing the holidays – we might even eat too much! Most of us have so much, in fact, that we may not even know what to get our friends and family for the holidays. Everyone knows that family member who has everything and is the last person to cross off your Christmas list. However, as much as we enjoy giving gifts, and our
children enjoy unwrapping presents, we often forget what the sea-son is really about. Imagine all of the local men and women serving our country stationed both here and abroad that will not get to enjoy their families this holiday season. �erhaps this will make you more toler-holiday season. �erhaps this will make you more toler-ant when your least favorite relative shows up on your front door step for the holidays. The New Year will soon be upon us. Do golfers have New Year›s Resolutions? Sure they do—we all do! I found this clip to be funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24lG6zRaSTQ Our staff and myself want to wish our readers, advertisers and their families a happy holiday season. In this issue, we are show-casing the best of the best when it comes to great gifts to give that favorite golfer in your life.
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Publisher: Jason Keesling
Editor-in-Chief: Susan Lied
Photographer: Dave Schibel
Social Media Director: Natalie Heath
Media Director: Keith James
Director of Sales & Marketing: Brian �apiese
Web Design/Network Support: Local Work Marketing
Graphic Design: Melahn Cable, [email protected]
Contributing Writers: James BoykinJohn CongerKristen EricksonJerry FordStephanie KnightDr. Bob Winters
Magazine Printing:Sundance Graphics
9580 Delegates Drive, Orlando, Florida 32837 • 800.617.5532
Arizona Golf Central Magazine is published monthly by:Sand Hill �ublishing & �ublic Relations
Florida Office:Terrie �urdum, �ublisher
1549 Warrington Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708
phone: 407.971.4336 • 407.971.4337
fax: 407.971.4306 • toll-free: 877.208.5972
Arizona Office:Jason Keesling, �ublisher
3461 East Acoma Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032
phone: 602.387.0616 • 602.388.0987
E-mail: [email protected] or
One year (12 issues) subscription price is $42.99
©2011 Arizona Golf Central Magazine. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without the prior written permission of the �ub-lisher. Editorial contributions are welcome, but Arizona Golf Cen-tral Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited proposals, manuscripts and photographs. All materials submitted not accom-panied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will not be returned. Mailing, electronic mailing or faxing of contributions constitutes an expressed warrant on the part of the contributor that all material is original and does not infringe on the rights of others. Arizona Golf Central Magazine retains all reprint rights and reserves the right to edit any submitted material to meet our specifications for pub-lishing and or use in advertising or promotion. The �ublisher and staff are not responsible for any loss or grievance by any person or persons whatsoever, due in any way or in part to the content of this publication. The �ublisher reserves the right to refuse to accept any material deemed inappropriate or in bad taste.
Reader's Mailbag – Send Us your Thoughts
Joke of the Month:I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women’s type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who works at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, ‘I think I like playing with men’s balls’.
Volume 1, Issue 7
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Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Get out and play some golf today!
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Departments 4 From the �ublisher 10 Golf Central Station 16 November 11, 2011 22 Holiday Gift Guide 28 Competitive Spirits 34 Golf Chick 36 On Your Green 42 �roduct Review 44 Duffer Dan 46 Southwest �GA 50 Movember 56 Your �ro Knows 58 Grip It & Sip It
golfcentralmagazine.com
Volume 1, Issue 7
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18Leader on the Links 8 Chris Strauss
Golf Bachelor 12 Sean McWilliams
Cart Girl 14 Amy Waitkus
Golf Travel 18 Dallas
Cover Feature 20 Catwalk
Celebrity Corner 26 Jake Owen
Golf Channel 30 Julien Trudeau
Swing Thoughts 32 Keagan Bradley
Golf Fit 38 Save Your Back, Save Some Strokes
19th Hole 40 Tilted Kilt
Young Guns 48 Hank Haney Trio
Forward Thinking 52 Burning Bridges
Live Golf 54 The Three C's
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8 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
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For almost nine years, Chris Strauss has been the Vice �resident of Sales and Marketing at OB Sports Golf Management. He is responsible for creating group sales, public relations, brand development, promotional activities, internet marketing strate-gies and advertising initiatives for both OB Sports and their collection of over 30 courses across the country. OB Sports (www.obsports.com) is a diversified, golf-oriented company with a long history of successes, and since 1972, has an unparalleled national reputation as a premier operator and developer of quality golf courses. Chris was kind enough to take some time out from his busy schedule to talk to AZ Golf Central Magazine.
The number of rounds played and the amount of participation has been flat and even down in recent years. How have participation trends affected the OB Sports business plan? They have made us focus not only on the “here and now” but also towards the fu-ture. It is a two pronged approach…We are placing a greater emphasis on new player introduction (with a goal to introduce new golfers to the game) and we are enhancing our loyalty programs at our facilities to encour-age current players to play more!
What are OB Sport’s plans for increa-sing participation at its facilities? As it relates to the development of new golfers we are implementing short tees or family tees at as many OB Sports-managed facilities as possible that are in the 4000 yard range, creating more fun tees for new golfers, ju-niors, beginning ladies, or even golfers returning to the game. We are offering complimentary or drastically reduced instruction opportunities. We host community “Golf Fest” golf days at a number of facilities that offer free les-son opportunities and special pricing on clubs to get them into the game. We also have at least good number of facilities that are integrating SNAG golf instruction and programming designed to provide an easier way to learn or
get into the game. It’s like “lowering the rim” when teaching basketball. As it relates to the current golfer we recently announced the enhancement of our loyalty program to reward golf-ers for playing more. We are unveil-ing “tiers” that golfers can attain by playing 10, 25 and 50 rounds a year at OB Sports courses and are rewarding them for playing more! In addition, our clubs are creating and executing a number of events designed to bring golfers out to the course, creating “Gym-like” calendars of events giving golfers more reasons to “participate”
How would you compare Arizona’s golf economy with the rest of the nation, and internationally? As it relates to golf specifically, the outlook in Arizona is better then many states and other tourism destinations. We actually had a great “season” in 2011 and appear to be having a stronger fall as compared to the prior year. It seems like golfers are starting to play a bit more, guys are planning return “buddy trips” and we are realizing upward trends in rounds, spending, etc. While not an economist, it is evident that we still need to see real estate recover and job growth recover in Arizona. Upticks on either of those (or both) would greatly benefit the Arizona economy.
The three common criticisms of golf are it takes too long to play, can be too expensive, and too difficult to learn. What is OB Sport’s perspective? We might agree on all….although we are implementing new initiatives to ad-dress all of these issues. For example our Express Lane Tee times address the length of time required to play, we are offering more afternoon play, nine hole rates, even six hole events at one club in Houston that is config-ured in a way to accommodate this. Affordability has certainly got-ten better during the economic slow down and our loyalty cards and programming make it more affordable to play the game at our courses. We have even offered green fee incentives for “advanced tee
times” at many of our clubs...provid-ing golfers with a savings by book-ing more then 8 days in advance. It certainly is challenging to learn the game…thus our efforts to utilize SNAG Golf to provide an easier entry into the game. We are confident that many of the efforts and initiatives we are implementing at our courses address all of these concerns and is-sues. It is at the course level were we can make a difference--i.e. our teams at our clubs are key in the imple-mentation of these efforts and are the ones that will win this battle (to grow the game), one golfer at a time!
What is your outlook for OB Sports, and the sport of golf overall? Our outlook or both golf and OB Sports is optimis-tic. From an OB Sports perspective, we have some added a few new clubs to our family…which is great. Over the years we trend to add 2-3 new projects a year or so, however we do not have a goal to be the biggest company out there…we always want to be regarded as a personalized, hand’s-on boutique operator of great facilities that provide outstanding experiences. We are optimistic on the long-term growth of the game and believe that many of the game’s virtues (i.e. it’s a game of a lifetime, it teaches
Thinking Outside of the Tee Box
9Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
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us some much about ourselves and others, is great for leisure, business pursuits and more). We just need to do things a bit differently to introduce new players to the game and they will appreciate those virtues as well.
How is OB Sports enhancing and impro-ving the overall experience standards it has set with golf consumers? We have always placed a focus on creating unique and memorable experiences at each of our courses. Each of our clubs is so different and unique so we look to leverage their strengths and unique selling propositions to create a truly memorable experience. We have a golf culture at OB Sports…we all love the game, have a passion for it and look at our experiences from a golfer’s perspec-tive. Coming at it from this perspective (i.e. the shared passion of the game) helps us run/operate our courses bet-ter. We operate them in a way that we ourselves would want to play or in way that would make us choose to play an OB Sports course over another.
Are there too many (overpriced) golf courses in Arizona—is the best solution to be the cheapest? Certainly the decade
of the 90’s ushered in a glut of high end daily fee facilities, but today you are not seeing that kind of development. Creat-ing more short courses or affordable courses is challenging for the owner in that those are tougher to operate profitably. While we ourselves operate higher priced courses we balance that with creating loyalty programs that offer savings to frequent guests and create events that may appeal to all budgets. The best solution is to program the course in a way that provides op-portunities for frequent players to save, use slower times of the day to provide more affordable access…all of which maximizes the day for the golf owner but also provides great opportunities for players, residents and the like.
How are the neighborhoods impacted by courses that OB Sports manages? Our goal is to make our courses the “gathering place” for the community. We create programming designed to bring our neighbors to our courses for golf, dining, birthday celebrations, wed-dings and more. Our course-specific loyalty programs offer tremendous rates and benefits that the neighbor-hood embraces and our course con-
ditioning and agronomic standards enhance the appeal of a community. We strive to enhance the values and the lifestyles of our neighborhoods.
Tell our readers about the Express Lane. Many OB Sports courses are implement-ing this initiative that addresses the age old pace of play issue. We set aside a certain number of prime time tee times on higher demand days for golfers that are dedicated to playing in 3 hours and 45 minutes or less. We starting the program in Las Vegas at Angel �ark Golf Club last year and since then have expanded it to a number of courses. We feel these kinds of efforts are what golf needs to combat the pace of play issue. Our OB Sports Express Lane tee times give the golfer reassurance they can play golf and get back to the of-fice or back home to catch “Johnny’s soccer game” in a timely manner.
How often do you play golf and what are you shooting these days? Actually, I am playing the most I have played in years. I think thus far this year I have posted around 30 or so scores. I am currently a 6.4 handicap and always grinding to get (and stay) in the 70’s.
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On Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th 2012, from 9am – 5pm, Golf
Fest will be held at Longbow Golf Club. The show features incredible deals from top golf
companies including TaylorMade, Cleveland, Ping, Titleist, Callaway and Adams, plus great values on clothing, golf resorts, golf tee times, and emerging golf company products and services. PGA Professional and world-renowned golf trick shot artist, Peter Longo, will be performing his amazing golf trick shot show at 1:00 pm both days. In addition, Golf Fest will feature FREE lessons by PGA and LPGA pros, free driving range use to test the latest technology, golf skill contests for great prizes, plus tee time and golf vacation discounts. There will be a variety of presentations and driving range exhibitions with lessons geared for juniors, female and male golfers of all ages and levels. Longbow Golf Club is located at 5601 E. Longbow Parkway, Mesa, Arizona 85215. Admission is $10, and children under 10 are admitted free. With paid admission, attendees will receive a FREE round of golf at Longbow Golf Club. A cart fee and tee time restrictions will apply. For more information, call (619) 683-3700 or visit www.golffestshow.com.
2012 ITTY BITTY OPEN
The yearly Open, sponsored by The Junior Golf Association of Arizona, The Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department and the Thunderbirds is once again set to begin. On January 21, 2012, all 3, 4 & 5 year-olds can play for free around the city. All clinic times are 9:00 am, 10:00 am, or 11:00 am. Each golfer will receive a set of plastic golf clubs (don’t bring your own), balls, a bag and a visor. You and your child, along with a cartoon friend will learn the basic skills of golf taught by a PGA or LPGA Professional. After the clinic, there will be a fun, non-competitive golf tournament where an adult caddy will accom-pany each golfer. 13 locations and 3 times are offered for your convenience. Space is limited
at each session so sign up early. A special contest with prizes will be held at each session for the Best Dressed Golfer and Caddie Team. This can be anything--old golf style fashion, new golf style fashion or unique golf fashion. All winners will receive a congratulatory letter, a trophy, and two tickets for the R.S. Hoyt, Jr. Dream Day Activities at the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open (PGA Tour Event). Kids are allowed to attend the R.S. Hoyt, Jr. Dream Day Activities at no charge, so the tickets are for parents or other adults. Don’t miss out on the fun! To find available clinic locations and times, please visit http://jgaa.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/jgaa11/seminar/board/index.htm. To register online go to www.jgaa.org and click on Itty Bitty Open.
30TH ANNIVERSARY BILL DICKEY EAST WEST GOLF CLASSIC
Registration is Thursday, Jan 19, 2012 and the Tournament is Friday, Jan 20th and Saturday, Jan 21st. There is a shotgun start at 9a.m. with an individual stroke play format. Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino in Chandler is the new head-quarters for the tournament. Courses involved are Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler and Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix.
The mission of The Bill Dickey Scholarship Association is to increase the participation of minority youngsters in the sport of golf as well as provide financial assistance in support of their ef-forts to experience the extraordinary advantage of education and opportunity. Through partner-ships, the Bill Dickey Scholarship Association has awarded $3 million in scholarships to over 1000 students. For more information, please visit www.nmjgsa.org.
GOLF FEST PHOENIX 2012 SHOW DATES ANNOUNCED
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Where were you born? Did you grow up there? I was born and raised in a small town just south of Rochester, NY called Canandaigua.
What do you do for a living (or when you aren’t playing golf)? I am a Sales Executive with
Xerox.
Do you have a favorite designer for suits, shoes, etc? Not really, for me the cheapest thing that looks good. I gotta say though, I love Ecco shoes. I wear them for golfing and work.
Aside from golf, what do you prefer for fun and relaxation? When I’m not golfing, I like to do other sports. I played College Baseball so Soft-ball is now my fix. Outside of that, I am most likely kicking it at the house watching some Curb Your Enthusiasm!
What’s your take on cuddling? Winter I love it, summer not so much—too hot.
Who would you like to have with you on a deserted island? Honestly, I think it would be cool to have just a Jetski, PB&J, a 2 iron, and a Top Flight XL. Sounds fun right?
What three people would you most like to play with in your fantasy foursome? Bagger Vance, Randolp Junuh (just kidding), Tiger Woods for sure, and Bubba Watson so I can show him I can bomb it past him. Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan are also good options.
Boxers or briefs? Briefs
What is the last book you read? Oh man, last book I read was Putting Guru.
What is your favorite course to play? In Ari-zona- Southern Dunes. As for the rest of the country, I gotta say Kiawah Island--the Ocean Course was the coolest course I have played.
What was your best golf shot ever? I have had 3 hole in ones and 2 double eagles. Probably the best though was my first double eagle. I was playing with my grandfather at Bristol Harbour in Canandaigua, NY and I hit a huge drive with a 9 iron in. I hit it 10 feet short of the flag and it rolled in the cup for an albatross.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Sean McWilliams
The NEW App for Food & Beverage On-Course Ordering!
www.smartcartapp.com
Order straight from your phone!Thirsty? Hungry?Thirsty? Hungry?
View course menu and pro-shop items along with price and availability. Score card informs clubhouse of your location. Place your order with touch of a button.
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14 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.
Which group of people did you associate most with in high school? I never really associated with one group. I went to three different high schools, so I was always bouncing around and meeting new people.
What is your favorite sport to play and to watch? My favorite sport to play is volleyball and my favorite sport to watch is college football.
Do you enjoy playing golf and are there any golfers in your family? I enjoy playing golf… when I`m playing well. I get really frustrated and sometimes end up quitting before 18. Both of my parents are huge golfers. My mom actually owns a golf company, Golf For Cause. She and my dad hit the links weekly.
What do you feel makes this club special? The staff makes this club truly special. It is great working with such awesome people and the players always return for the same reason.
What is your favorite part and least favorite part of being a cart girl? My favorite part of this job is the interaction with the golfers. I`m there to make their golf experiences the best they can be for that day. It has been really fun getting to know the players, especially the regulars. My least favorite part would definitely have to be the tan lines.
If you weren`t a cart girl what would you be doing? I would probably be training for the next NASA mission to space. I couldn`t leave my golfers here on earth though, so I`ll be sticking around at Silverado. What is your most memorable moment working as a cart girl? One of my regulars came to the course after a week in Ireland. Upon his return, he gave me a framed shamrock with a quote, “May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue each morning and night.” I was so surprised by the cute gift and how thoughtful he was to have gotten something for me on his vacation! At that moment I felt
like I had truly been doing my job. I had taken care of my customers well enough for them to think of me off the course. I always carry around the little shamrock with me to make sure I have a bit of luck at all times.
What is the funniest thing you have seen on the golf course? Golf can be a frustrating sport, so sometimes fights occur on the course (always funny to watch). One particular argument I witnessed was a husband trying to teach his wife to golf. Every time I saw them he would be directing her or demonstrating a proper swing. She obviously had enough of his ‘constructive criticism.’ The last time I saw them, the wife had dropped her club in the middle of the fairway and took off in the cart towards the clubhouse without her husband. I am not sure how the situation ended up playing out. Needless to say, I haven’t seen them out on the course since.
What hobbies do you enjoy? I love doing crafts and decorating anything I can get my hands on. I also love to play sports, especially volleyball. What is your favorite charity to support? My favorite charity to support is SAARC.
What else would you like us to know? All of the cart girls at Silverado take care of the local desert animals. On hole 9, we have ground squirrels that pop up out of the ground when they hear the sound of our beverage cart approaching. Even in my training, I was taught to stop and throw them some peanuts. If time allows, I can get off the cart and wait for the cute ground squirrels to come take a peanut from my hand, scurry away, nibble, and then return for more. We also have a roadrunner with a gimp leg on the back nine that follows the beverage cart around. He`s not comfortable enough with me yet to get too close, but I always make sure to toss him peanuts.
Amy Waitkus
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 716
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Four Golf Academy of America students, who are also military veterans, played golf in Phoenix for 11 hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds on Veteran’s Day 11-11-11 to benefit the Wounded Warrior �roject. The marathon golf took place at Oco-tillo Golf Resort in Chandler. It started at sunrise, 6:37 a.m. and play was over by sunset that same day, 5:48 p.m. The GAA students who played for the fundraiser were: Gerald Bohl, Air Force veteran, Abilene, Texas, Rob-ert Wilcox, Navy veteran, Cortland, NY, Josh Anders, Army veteran, of Many La. and Vincent Green, Army veteran, of Bethlehem, �enn. Anders, who served our coun-try for 8 years (15 months of that in Iraq), said he took up golf at the local golf course on the �ost to be able to drink beer. When he returned from Iraq, golf ended up being a great stress reliever for him. Seeing the irony in that statement, he said, ‘it’s better than getting shot at!’ Wilcox who will graduate from the Academy in August of 2012 decided to change his career when the mar-ket crashed. He served our country as a US Navy Seabee helping to build construction battalions. When his civilian career struggled in the new business world, he decided to fol-low his golfing passion of 27 years. Bohl served 27 years and retired as a Master Seargent in the US Air
Force. During five years of service in the deserts of Kuwait and Haiti, he said he only really needed a sand wedge there. But now that he is at the academy, he agrees that golf is ‘the greatest release of tension. There are about 30-40 former military guys here at the Academy. We play and we talk—they are a great group of guys.’ According to the Wounded War-riors website, their mission is to honor and empower wounded war-riors with the vision of fostering the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history. Golf Academy of America is the largest and longest-running two-year golf career college in the world and prepares graduates for a wide array of golf career opportunities in the $76 billion a year industry. The 16-month
program balances classroom stud-ies, practical experience and a com-prehensive understanding of both the game and the business of golf. For more information on the Wounded Warrior �roject, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org. For more information on the Golf Academy of America, visit www.golfacademy.edu.
Veterans Golf for Wounded Warriors
Gerald Bohl, Robert Wilcox, Josh Anders and Campus Director Tim Eberlein
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Thirty one years ago, the entire
country was asking, “Who shot JR?” To
the residents of Dallas, this might have
just been TV hype at its best, but to
everyone else, this show put the city on
the map. Nowadays, we think of Dallas
for oil (although none is really drilled
there), football, basketball and the 9th
largest city and 4th largest metropolitan
area in the county. Residents of Dallas
refer to it as BIG D, Where the East
ends, The Metroplex and America’s
Favorite City. Although the beloved
Ewing family from Southfork will
be returning to the TV screen in the
Summer of 2012, there are other
reasons to revisit and reacquaint
yourself with Dallas.
First, there is the location. Dallas is
easily accessible from all east and west
coast cities within 4 hours of flight.
They also boast a year round outdoor
climate and no hurricane season. It’s
the number one destination in Texas
with over 70,000 hotel rooms and
seemingly endless nightlife and world
class dining. Dallas is home to six pro
sports teams, 400 public parks, 60 lakes
and has the largest urban arts district
in the country. And for the golfer, there
are six municipal courses and a host of
top tier tracks to entertain you. Dallas
has garnered the reputation among
people across the US as a truly great
golf getaway.
The Old American Golf Club The Old American Golf Club is to
golf as Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Stadium
is to football. While both are relatively
new, they are already being hailed as
an incredible experience. Opened in
September 2010, The Old American,
located just north of Dallas in The
Colony, has already earned “Best
New” honors from GOLF Magazine,
LINKS Magazine, Golfweek and AVID
Golfer. The course is the brainchild
of acclaimed architect Tripp Davis
and �GA TOUR star and native Texan,
Justin Leonard. The design is inspired
by the “Golden Age” of golf course
architecture between 1911 and 1937
and features natural contours, hazard
styles, native grasses and green shapes
reminiscent of such masterpieces as
Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links,
�rairie Dunes and Crystal Downs.
For more information visit www.
theoldamericangolfclub.com or call
(972) 370-4653.
The Tribute Golf Digest has named this Tripp
Davis design the No. 1 public golf
course in the Dallas-area and one
of “America’s 100 Greatest Public
Courses.” The Tribute is a true links
golf experience simulating some of the
most famous and challenging holes
from renowned Scottish courses such
as St. Andrews, Troon and �restwick.
In addition to offering an experience
unlike any other in the Dallas-area, The
Tribute also provides accommodations
in the form of a quaint guest house
with seven suites. The guest house
is home to The Old Tom Morris �ub,
serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and
drinks. For more information visit
www.thetribute.com or call (972) 370-
5465.
Bear Creek Golf Club True to Texas’ “bigger is better”
bravado, Bear Creek Golf Club features
golf
trave
l Dallas-Not Just a TV Show★
18 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Bear Creek Golf Club
Texas Star
36 holes of championship golf. The two
distinct layouts – the East and West
Courses – pack a one two punch that has
earned it a place among Golf Digest’s “Top
50 Resort Courses in America” and The Wall
Street Journal’s “10 Great Places to Golf.”
Bear Creek has played host to �GA TOUR
Qualifiers and the Texas State Open. While
the golf may be bigger, the prices are not.
Rates range from $55 (Monday – Thursday)
to $69 (Friday – Sunday, Holidays). For more
information visit www.bearcreek-golf.com
or call (972) 456-3200.
Texas Star Golf Course This municipal track was designed
by Keith Foster and gives off a Texas
Hill Country-vibe. Despite its location
just minutes from the DFW Airport and
downtown Dallas, stacked rock ponds,
waterfalls and natural woodlands create
a relaxing atmosphere. The par-71, which
plays to roughly 7,000 yards from the
back tees, has been highly ranked by Golf
Digest, Golfweek, the Dallas Morning
News and T&L Golf. For more information
visit www.texasstargolf.com or call
(817) 685-7888.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7 19
The Tribute - Hole #1
Old American Golf Club
featur
e
Canadian apparel brand Catwalk Performance Artwear continues to roll out new and unique designs for their fashion forward brand of Golf and Lifestyle wear. Founded in 2006 by avid amateur golfer and artist Lauren Demerling and business partner Sima Anvari. Catwalk is known for bold, graphic designs that celebrate and flatter women’s curves and their trademark use of classic neutrals. “We try to respond to the feedback of women who wear and want Catwalk flair,” said Demerling. “We have had requests from women of all ages and sizes for options in fit, to disguise the areas women are self conscious about, but still flatter their curves. This year we are really excited to introduce Relaxed Fit along with our Classic Fit Catwalk. These shirts have the same styling, still accentuate the waist, with just a little more room in the bust and tummy.” Other new innovations are the sublimated “Artwear” collection, reversible skirts that feature print on one side and solid color on the other, zippy jackets, a convertible golf dress and our “chill out” leisure pant. “Women want clothes that look great, are feminine and athletic, and offer good value for money. They want clothes that will perform on the golf course and in their busy day to day lives as well”, says Anvari. “This is always at the forefront when Lauren is designing. We are always looking for creative ways to make every piece as unique and versatile as possible” Catwalk Performance Artwear can be found in fine golf shops in Florida, Canada and the USA. For more information visit www.catwalkartwear.com.
Make The Turn On The
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 720
Phot
os b
y Go
lden
view
Pho
togr
aphy
21Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
22 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Holiday Gift Guide Holiday Gift GuideGolf Central Magazine’s 2011
Ecco Street ShoesMade popular when Fred Couples shot a 66 in the opening round of the 2010 Masters Tournament, the Ecco Golf Street Golf shoes are hybrid on/off-course golf shoes that offer a casual, relaxed look with outstanding underfoot traction and incredible comfort while keeping you low to the ground for great stability in your stroke. Men’s and women’s styles available. www.eccousa.com.
Leupold GX-4 Digital RangefinderThe Leupold GX-4 Digital Golf Rangefinder offers a rugged aluminum body, a vivid OLED display and line-of-site measure-inum body, a vivid OLED display and line-of-site measure-ment when the standard chrome faceplate is attached. Snap on the included Smart Key faceplate and the GX-4 instantly becomes a coach, providing accurate ranging information that matches your personal striking distances to the slope of the shot and current atmospheric conditions, even suggesting which club to use. www.golf.leupold.com.
Bettinardi NFL HeadcoverNow you can fly your favorite team’s colors around the putting green with Bettinardi Golf’s new NFL putter covers (they also have select MLB teams). Yes, other team covers exist, but these ones are a cut above the rest, boasting the patented slip-on cover design developed by famed putter designer Robert Bettinardi. The embroidery and over-all feel of these covers is top notch. www.bettinardigolf.com
23Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
Holiday Gift GuideGolf Central Magazine’s 2011
PUTTISTPutting is half of golf, but ONLY if you two-putt. How can I putt better? This question has plagued golfers for centuries. Intro-ducing PUTTIST that uses digital sensor technology to measure putting distance and accuracy. Practice 6 to 45 foot putts in a 5 foot space to train your muscle memory. Green Speed is adjustable to Slow, Average and Fast. Training is fun with skill games to measure improvement. Practice anytime, anywhere—even in your living room, office, or while traveling. Train with PUTTIST—the three-putt killer! www.puttist-usa.com
SCORGOLFScorgolf is declaring war on the short game. They’ve started by introducing the most revolutionary redesign of scoring clubs ever, featuring the most advanced short game fitting system anywhere. Regardless of your handicap, SCOR4161 challenges over 60 years of ‘conventional wisdom’ and com-pletely re-invents ALL the scoring clubs—wedges and short irons. Scorgolf invites you to spend some time with them to help make your short game better than ever. www.scorgolf.com
BizMark Ball CleanerA ‘clean ball’ means a ‘clean putt’. Sure, you can carry a towel, but will it clean every dimple? Keeping your golf balls clean and shiny will make it easier for you to handle and will avoid negatively impacting the ball’s speed or spin. BizMark Golf is also equipped with a magnetic ball marker allowing players to mark their ball prior to cleaning it on the green. BizMark Golf ball cleaners can be logo’d with your favorite team, charity or course. www.bizmarkgolf.com.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 724
Holiday Gift Guide Holiday Gift GuideGolf Central Magazine’s 2011
Polara Golf BallsPolara Golf Balls finally introduced what recreational golfers have been looking for…a quick fix for their game. Introducing the World’s 1st Self Correcting golf ball. While other golf ball manufacturers ‘claim’ to improve accuracy or reduce your hook or slice, the unique dimple design of the Polara Self Correcting Technology golf ball actu-ally does it! Polara Ultimate Straight Golf Balls with Self Correcting Technology corrects hooks and slices up to 75%.....GUARANTEED! www.polaragolf.com
Tour Pure ProTour Pure is the most complete training system ever developed. It uses the swing plane indicator to guide you on a perfect swing plane and path every single swing. It will ingrain muscle memory quicker than any form of practice available. Perfect for all skills levels, the Tour Pure is an excellent training aid for beginners, while low handicap golfers can use it to focus and sharpen skills already developed. www.dominusgolf.com
Sunice 2012 Layers Adding layers to your golf wardrobe can enhance your over-
all physical performance and ultimately improve your golf game. Properly designed performance layers become an
integral part of your game enhancing equipment. Sunice Performance Layers are designed to create the ultimate
golf apparel layering system that allows golfers to play at their very best in all weather conditions. Certain
weather conditions demand the ultimate protection but it’s not always raining and windy. For early in the season, cool mornings or damp at dawn, when you
need an extra layer without the extra bulk or weight, the Otaki SuperLite FX™ Pullover is back and remains
the ultimate choice. Invisible chest pocket zipper and moisture wicking properties are a couple of details that
makes this piece stand out from the rest. Bright new color combinations also add interest.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7 25
Holiday Gift GuideGolf Central Magazine’s 2011
SligoWearSame game. New vibe. Sligo is the fusion between fashion and performance. Cutting edge fit, progres-sive styling and aggressive colors define the golfer as an individual. When it comes to trendy apparel with bold colors and patterns that stand out, few compa-nies are putting out what the folks at SligoWear have been doing for the last few years. www.sligowear.com
MatchPlay CologneDo people recognize your presence because of the scent of your trademark cologne? Does your girlfriend or wife buy you the same men’s cologne for your birthday year after year? If you answered yes to both of these ques-tions, you may be in need of a slight change. MatchPlay Cologne is a fresh fragrance that has a sharp blend of aromas and embodies the very essence of appeal. www.matchplay-fragrances.com
Tour Striker ProThe most important part of the golf swing is the impact posi-tion. The Tour Striker and the NEW Tour Striker Pro training clubs have been created not to care about your swing style or shape. These distinctive designs have little clubface be-low the ‘sweet spot’, like a traditional club. Instead, the clubs have been designed so you intuitively teach yourself how to deliver the ‘sweet spot’ of the club to the ball like an expert ball striker. Tour Striker might be the remedy you have been looking for. www.tourstriker.com.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 726
celeb
rity c
orner
There was a time when Jake
Owen could close his eyes and
envision himself playing at T�C
Sawgrass. He’ll get that opportu-
nity on Friday, but he’ll have a guitar
rather than a 5-iron in his hands.
When Owen graduated from high
school, his plans were to play golf at
Florida State University and eventu-
ally play professional golf. He was
successful in the junior ranks and
was working at the school’s golf camp
when his life suddenly changed.
Owen was seriously injured in a
wakeboarding accident. His mangled
shoulder required reconstructive
surgery and his golf career was
put on hold indefinitely. Little did
he know what a life-changing mo-
ment that would turn out to be.
“I always believe that when
one door closes, another one
opens up,” Owen said.
The shoulder injury closed to door
to golf for more than a year. There
was very little he could do to main-
tain his skills. Frustrated and anxious,
he looked for another avenue to fill
the void in his life and found it with
music. He discovered a guitar in his
roommate’s closet and immersed
himself in another learning process.
“I had lost my interest in golf,
since I couldn’t play, and found a
new love with music,” he said.
He taught himself how to play the
guitar, slowly learning chords and
songs. Before long he was writing his
own songs and performing at local es-
tablishments. He soon moved to Nash-
ville and not long afterwards found
himself with a recording contract.
“It seems like every time you make
plans, life sort of happens,” Owen said.
His first album was released in
2006 and featured three hits, includ-
ing “Yee Haw” and “Startin’ with Me,”
which reached No. 6 on the country
charts. His “Easy Does It” album in
2008 had three hit singles, includ-
ing “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,”
which reached No. 2, and “Eight
Second Ride,” which went gold.
Owen’s latest album is “Barefoot
Blue Jean Night” and has already
reached No. 1 as an album and as
a platinum single. The feel-good
song mixes many of the popular
elements of a great country song
-- trucks, girls and good times. The
video conveys what it must be like to
spend a day at the beach with Owen.
It even shows him wakeboarding.
“That video was a lot of fun to
shoot,” he said. “Those are all my
friends. That’s my truck . . . it’s my boat.
It captures a day in the life of me.”
And while music takes up the
largest part of Owen’s life these
days -- he’s toured with the likes
of Keith Urban, Sugarland, Kenny
Chesney and Brad �aisley -- he still
makes room for golf. Since most
concerts are in the evening, he gets
a chance to play whenever he likes.
His game is pretty good, too. He
rates his handicap between a one
and a two and enjoys the game more
because of his changing perspective.
“I found I actually play a lot better
because I can come out and not care
what I shoot,” he said. “Now I can just
go out and play and enjoy myself.”
He gets to play some nice places,
too. Within the last year Owen has had
the opportunity to visit the Chicago
Golf Club, Southern Hills and Augusta
National. He wouldn’t mind sneaking
onto the T�C Sawgrass and taking a
whack at that 17th hole and the fa-
mous island green if he gets a chance.
“It’s hard to not like country mu-
sic,” Owen said. “It’s a format for real
people and I think that’s appealing.”
By Stan AwtreyPGATOUR.COM Contributor
Accident Steers Country star Jake Owen From Golf to Music
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 728
Don’t forget to add the flag at the end of the article!!!
comp
etiti
ve sp
irits
Nominate your favorite bartender to showcase his/her signature drink with a recipe and photos. Readers will also find a discounted price for that drink so they can visit the bartender to sample the true taste of the libation.
Flaming Martyr
Ingredients:
1 1/4 oz. Crystal Head Vodka 2 ea. Orange Half Moon Slices cut into 3 1 1/2 oz. Monin Sugar Free Triple Sec 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice (Could substitute regular Orange Juice) 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice 2 oz, Club Soda
Method:
Fill mixing glass with Orange Pieces and top with ice. Pour Crystal Head, Monin Sugar Free Triple Sec, Fresh Orange Juice and Fresh Lime Juice into glass. Shake three times and pour into glass. Top with Club Soda.
Shake and Pour
Crystal Head VodkaA controversial archaeological mystery, 13 crystal heads have been
found in regions around the world, from the American southwest
to Tibet. They’re dated between 5,000 and 35,000 years old, and
were supposedly polished into shape from solid quartz chunks over
a period of several hundred years. Although according to Hewlett
Packard engineers, they bear no tool marks to tell us exactly how
they were made. The heads are thought to offer spiritual power
and enlightenment to those who possess them, and as such stand
not as symbols of death, but of life.
Dan Aykroyd is a well-known actor, musician, entrepreneur and
spiritualist; a believer in what he calls the “invisible world” where
otherworldly presences are a “form of reality as valid as our normal
reality.” Partner and veteran fine artist John Alexander has exhibit-
ed extensively in the United States and around the world. Together,
they were avid researchers of the legend of the 13 crystal heads.
And from this inspiration, an idea was born.
www.crystalheadvodka.com
Bare Bones Pomegranate
Light-headed “Low Carb”:
1.5oz Crystal Head Vodka 0.5 oz pomegranate juice 0.5 agave nectar 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
Method:
Served up
Garnish:
Orange peel slice...rub around rim and drop on top.
Light Headed Passion
Ingredients:
Serves 1 1 1/2 ounces Crystal Head Vodka 2 ounces of Pomegranate Juice 2 ounces of Cranberry Juice 3 ounces of Soda Water 6 Blueberries
Method:
In a tall glass, add ice, tilt the glass and pour the Pomegranate juice slowly (to create a layering effect). Then slowly pour the Cranberry juice, and top it off with Soda water and add the Blueberries.
Garnish:
Blueberries and lemon wheel
Don’t forget to add the flag at the end of the article!!!
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 730
The G
olf Ch
anne
l The
GOl
f Cha
nnel
The G
olf Ch
anne
l The
Golf
Chan
nel T
he G
olf
The lone Canadian on Big Break
Ireland, Trudeau is looking to continue
the success Canadians recently have
had on Big Break. In the past season
of Big Break Indian Wells, the two Ca-
nadians in the series advanced to the
finale, with Essex, Ontario native David
Byrne crowned champion.
“Canadians stick together,” joked
Trudeau. “The Big Break trophy is back
in Canada, and I plan to keep the title
of Big Break champion in Canada.”
Growing up in Montreal, hockey was
Trudeau’s first love. It wasn’t until his
family moved to Arizona that other
sports became a focus – golf and base-
ball.
“I had offers to play golf and baseball
in college,” explained Trudeau. “Golf,
however, was a much more natural
sport for me. And unlike baseball, I
thought I could make a
career in golf.”
He received multiple
scholarship offers from
Division I schools to play
golf, but chose Wichita
State so he would have
a chance to start on the
varsity team.
“The golf coach at
Wichita State, Grier
Jones, sold me on the
program,” said Trudeau.
His experience playing
on the �GA TOUR was
another determining factor. I knew
from the minute I signed that letter of
intent that I wanted to be a professional
golfer.”
When asked the biggest differences
between golf and baseball, Trudeau is
quick to point out he doesn’t believe he
is selfish enough yet on the golf course.
“Baseball is a team sport, where golf
is individual,” said Trudeau. “I thrived
in baseball – and hockey to an extent
when I was younger – because I was a
part of a team. My favorite moment in
my sports career was winning the state
high school baseball championship my
senior year. Golf is different. You take
ownership for every shot, every putt,
and every chip. I am still working on
that every day.”
Trudeau says he has competed on
nearly every mini-tour circuit in the U.S.
and Canada during his career. He can
write a book on the struggles of main-
taining finances as a golf professional.
He has quit the game on more than one
occasion due to lack of funds.
“Being a golf pro is such a difficult
life if the chips don’t go your way,” said
Trudeau. “I have had more than my
share of ups and downs.”
In December of 2009 at the final
stage of �GA TOUR Q School, he missed
earning a �GA TOUR card by one shot.
He spent 2010 on the Nationwide Tour,
making only two cuts in 17 events.
Citing burnout with little money to his
name, Trudeau was ready to walk away
from the game when a friend suggested
he audition for Big Break.
“I thought, why not? If anyone needs
a Big Break, it’s Julien Trudeau.”
Julien TrudeauBig Break Ireland Competitor
Age: 30 Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Current Residence: Phoenix, AZ Home Course: Tatum Ranch Golf Club College: Wichita State University Profession: Golf Professional
Phot
os c
ourt
esy
of G
olf
Cha
nnel
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 732
swing
thou
ghts
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 732
By Dr. Bob Winters
Golf: A Game of Focus,Guts and PersistenceKeegan Bradley: Gutsy Performer One of the most vivid
examples of mental
discipline and focus came
earlier this 2011 season
when a virtual newcomer to
major competition walked
away with the coveted
�GA Championship and
Wanamaker Trophy. That
upstart was none other
than Keegan Bradley
who moved from former
mini-tour player to major
championship winner in just
a couple of golfing seasons.
Keegan vaulted into the
heat of the competition
during the final round of
the �GA Championship at
Atlanta Athletic Club and
was in contention to make
a move upon leader Jason
Dufner. Although being five
strokes back with a few holes
to play, Keegan somehow
kept hanging in there and
moved his way into contention. But
then something unplanned happened.
Keegan thinned a pitch shot out of the
rough that rolled off the green and into
the water which led to a triple bogey.
For most players, that triple bogey
would have been the downfall of a good
week. But Keegan managed to dig deep
and rebound himself with birdies on the
next two holes and play himself back
into a playoff which he eventually won.
The unpredictability of events
such as what happened to Keegan
Bradley during his final round and to
Jason Dufner’s erosion to close the
deal is what makes the game of golf
challenging, heartbreaking, and glorious
within a matter of minutes and strokes.
But in the midst of the bad breaks,
poor executions, and squandered
opportunities, there was something
more important going on within the
mind of the first -time winner. Keegan
Bradley was playing to win. Not just
to finish high and make a big check,
but to win. Winning involved Keegan
staying patient and grinding out the
bad stuff, accepting what had happened
and continuing to play with focused
determination until the final shot. Here
are a few things that you can apply
to your game based upon what we
witnessed in Keegan’s extraordinary
victory and gutsy performance.
Mistakes are a Part of Golf! The one concept that we can take
away from any championship winner
(amateur or professional) is that they
all tend to admit that their winning
performance wasn’t perfect.......
but that they played their misses
well and made the most of every
opportunity. The truth is this: You
will miss shots and sometimes
they will be ugly…but you have to
accept the misses and move on!.
This is a truism based on reality.
You will miss shots and you will
miss putts. Mistakes are a part
of golf and they will happen. The
good news though, is that you do
not have to accept the misses as
“personal failures” but merely bumps
in a very challenging road that is
certainly worth your performance
effort. By accepting that mistakes
will happen along the way, tends to
humanize your golf performance
and help strengthen your resolve to
continue with a determined effort.
As Keegan displayed great
emotional resiliency after a
disastrous triple bogey and moving
on with a couple of birdies, you
too, must learn to stay patient
and move through emotional
rough spots with renewed spirit
and enthusiasm. Remember,
dealing with a tough situation and
being successful on your next shot
is what builds confidence and fuels
positive momentum for your round.
By Keegan staying patient and
moving past the frustration of thinking
that he was out of the championship
allowed him to play with renewed
effort and spirit. The issue of having
a bad hole didn’t spell disaster for
Keegan because he knew that sometime
during the final few holes, everyone
would have to face the nerves and
endure the possibilities of success
or failure. The lesson point is that
when you are faced with a tough
situation, you need to hang tough
by staying patient and determined
to help turn the momentum into a
positive direction for the rest of round.
Keegan Bradley lifts the Wannamaker trophy
33Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
The point is, never giving up is a
continuous process. Every single shot is a
moment to execute as effectively as you
can. Each day on the links you will be
tested on your thinking, your shotmaking
ability, and your emotional resolve.
Within your mind, you must always give
100% effort! There is no give-up nor let-
up. This is the ultimate mental habit
that you must create for yourself. The
foundation for your golfing strength is
your belief and emotional fortitude.
The determined spirit that you create
for yourself is the same that Keegan
Bradley exerted during his critical
moment at the �GA championship. By
making a committed effort to hang
tough during difficult situations and
continuing to play with a renewed
spirit will be the greatest asset you can
add to your game! Congratulations
to Keegan for role-modeling the
mental attributes of focus, guts and
persistence that we can all learn from!
Mental Edge Applied Strategies: Now that you know that emotional
stability and composure are important to
the golfing process, you may be asking:
How do I stay calm and put the wheels
back on when bad holes or shots occur?
Here are two specific strategies to help
you maintain a focused emotional state!
I. Take a “Mental Time-Out” If you become upset or frustrated
after a poor shot, instead of slamming
the club back into the bag and jumping
into the golf cart and zipping down to
find your errant shot, take a “mental
time-out.” Immediately after your
shot, instead of evaluating and labeling
your shot as terrible, take a couple of
deep breaths and then swing the club
vigorously two times. By swinging
your golf club vigorously a couple of
times allows you to create a physical
and emotional release of energy that
if left unchecked or nothing done
to deter this feeling, may be turned
into negativity for later shots.
After your second “swing-away,”
proceed to make one more swing. On
this third and final swing, what you
are trying to produce is the correct
movement for your swing and shot
performance. Making a “model” swing
of the feeling you want to create is a
great way to insert this feeling into
your brain for retrieval later on in the
round. What this intervention strategy
provides you with is a chance to allow
yourself to calm down and to let the
negative feelings of disappointment
and frustration to dissolve.
By utilizing this strategy of swinging
away your disgust and by replacing the
negative feelings with a purposeful
movement, you are creating a “feed-
forward movement response” for your
next shot instead of allowing your most
recent inefficient swing feeling to harbor
and create unrest for the upcoming
shots that you still need to play. By
taking the time to create a correct
movement swing the way you want it
to feel, you have cleared the slate and
now are putting into your memory bank
a movement of fluidity and synchrony.
In essence, you are creating a motor
program for a reference of correctness
for the golf swings that follow. Using
this strategy will allow you to stabilize
your emotions and create a feeling of
personal control and effectiveness.
II. Start “Fresh” on each Shot The strategy of “starting fresh”
suggests that for every poor shot you
hit, you need to let go of the past and
move into the next shot with clarity
and conviction......and certainly without
negative feelings of anger and distress!
To do this, after a poor shot, you must
take off your hat or glove and say to
yourself: “Okay...that one is done....
Let’s forget about it and get into the
next shot! Use your positive self-talk
to remind yourself that you can bounce
back and that you have done it before
and that you will do it again this time!
After you have cleared the emotion after
the poor shot...remind yourself to hang
tough and then put your hat or glove
back on. The ritual of putting your glove
or hat back on after this “down-time”
of review and release means that you
are ready for the next and new event.
Essentially, you are creating a cognitive-
behavioral strategy that suggests “game
on” and that your mind is ready to
engage your body for positive action!
I think it is a great mental strategy to
start “fresh” on each shot and release the
past. We must understand that this is
game of imperfection and we all suffer
bad breaks from time to time and that
by fretting over the disaster doesn’t help
our focus with the present situation.
What we can learn from observing
Keegan Bradley is that after he walked
away from making a triple bogey, he put
the past behind him and strode to the
next tee releasing whatever emotional
baggage that he could have endured
during that time. As he walked to the
next tee, Keegan took the time to assess
his current situation and create a plan
for the remaining holes. He used this
time to create a new focus into what he
had to do with the upcoming shot and
hole versus complaining and using the
bad break to create a mental roadblock
for the entire round. He released his
past and moved into the current shot
by “starting fresh” and realizing that
he could not (and should not) dwell on
his misfortune because the golf course
was simply playing too hard to get
caught up in self-pity or frustration. By
doing his best on that shot gave him
a mental and emotional springboard
to stabilize himself and to set up a
strong finish for the rest of the round.
By mentally starting fresh on each
shot allows you to stay in the “here and
now” versus continually living in the
past and bringing back bad memories
and reminders of what could have been.
A wonderful mantra that I remind my
athletes is “one after one after one, until
I am done” is a great way to help focus
on the immediate shot and to let go of
the past. You should use this as well!
Using these two mental game
interventions will help you stay
in the moment and invest your
creative potential to finish strong
and create positive energy. These
are the key components that have
worked for Keegan Bradley this year
and they will work for you as well!
May you always play with
a confident focus!
For more information about Dr. Bob and his services, you can contact him at www.drbobwinters or [email protected].
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 734
golf
chick
By Golf Chick
Gratitude begins the holiday
season, and frankly, should be carried
throughout the year. With Christmas
and New Year’s around the corner,
perhaps an attitude adjustment could
do us all a favor. By the time you read
this, it will be the season of consump-
tion, over-spending, and debt accumu-
lation. But as the writer of this article,
I want you to adopt this gratitude
attitude, and carry it throughout the
year. So, here is a friendly reminder
by considering the game of golf.
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
How can I possibly be thankful for the
fact that the course I enjoy is over-
priced, my clubs need upgrading, and I
need to “swing THROUGH the ball, not
at it!”? Yes, you might want the latest
Callaway driver or the newest high-MOI
mallet putters (sorry to tempt you), but
STO�. Sit back and count your blessings.
How can you be thankful for the
game? How has it impacted your
life? If you can’t seem to think right
now because you are obsessing
about that shot that went water-
bound this morning, perhaps you
need an attitude adjustment.
Here are some reasons to be grateful
for this game!
1. It’s A Healthy Activity Ok, so you can’t run 10 miles, 5
days a week anymore. Your knee is
shot, your back is giving you fits, and
clipping your toenails is an effort.
But, you can get pretty fit walking
18 holes. Golf keeps your competi-
tive fires burning and helps keep you
well rounded by forcing you to stay
away from your cell, to people watch
and to enjoy nature. (Yes, there
are birds to be seen and heard).
Some don’t notice the rewards of
what golf offers until they are much
older with perhaps knee transplants;
it’s the one thing that keeps you out of
the lounge chair and out near nature.
2. You Get In Touch With Your EmotionsYou will laughYou will cryYou will get angryYou will find joy
3. You Can Release Stress The key to golf is relaxation. Ironi-
cally, the less you play, the more re-
laxed you are because you have such
low expectations. You don’t expect to
play well, so you don’t over think or
over swing. (No wonder I have been
so relaxed lately!!) If you are play-
ing often, however, golf refreshes
your mind because it forces you to
focus your energies on a “target not
a ball!” (as my instructor preaches).
4. It Teaches Life Lessons Just when you say, “I got it!”, you
get pummeled. Yes, humility is part
of golf; it kicks your butt just when
your head needs a little shrinking.
There are also memorable moments
which are built on the golf course. Have
you ever hit a shot that you can re-
member the play by play? This teaches
us to appreciate the little things.
And finally, meeting people you
would have otherwise never en-
countered occurs on golf courses
daily. What a beautiful setting to
just connect with a stranger. Not
many other events can bring people
in harmony, and this comes from
having manners with strangers one
learns by being on a golf course.
5. It Builds Relationships I am reminded of a friend who told
me that he created such a strong
bond with his father through golf,
and he would not trade that for any-
thing! Now he’s creating that same
bond with his children. Also, some
women find that is a way to connect
with their husbands and vice versa.
Where else can you have four solid
hours in a natural setting with people
you love (or are trying to love!)
6. It Doesn’t Age Discriminate Where else could a 75-year-old
man school a 28-year-old in a sport-
ing event? Golf is the great equalizer:
everyone can compete on an equal
level. It is about skill levels, not about
race, gender, religion, or anything else.
Just remember: “�LAY” golf. I love
the word “play.” Yes, adults we are,
but as adults we need to be kids on
occasion. Golf is not about being
perfect. It’s about constantly setting
a new bar for ourselves, and this can
be a picture into the rest of our lives:
We can always strive to be better! So
be grateful and �LAY more golf.
Tis the Season for Gratitude Attitude
on yo
ur gre
en
36 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
The way contributions are directed can potentially make a big difference in the amount of savings available at retirement. But it’s important not to simply “set it and forget it”. Instead, review how your contributions are allocated with the retirement plan at least annually. Major life events, such as those listed below, also should prompt you to take another look.
Major life changes Any life-changing event—from losing a job to receiving a large inheritance—is reason to review your retirement plan’s asset allocations with a financial professional. A big promotion might allow you to boost your savings and consider an earlier retirement; getting married could mean you and your spouse need to make sure your joint holdings are well-diversified.
In the past year have you:
•Changed your marital status?•Added or lost a member of your family?•Changed careers?•Left your job?•Received an inheritance or other financial windfalls?•Experienced a significant health event?•Moved to a new home or changed your living arrangements?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, a review of your asset allocations is in order.
Change your tax rateCongress may vote to increase income taxes, or you could move into a higher tax bracket. Either way, a larger tax burden could have an impact on your long-term savings. A financial professional can help you so your portfolio is as tax-efficient as possible.
Market PerformanceSome asset classes within your portfolio may perform better than others, which impacts your asset allocation. You may need to rebalance your portfolio to make it suit your goals. If one asset class has done well and another hasn’t, your portfolio will grow out of alignment with your risk tolerance and your investing time horizon.
Are you curious about how much you should be saving?First, it’s important to consider your goals and what your expected expenses may be in retirement. Here’s something to keep in mind: In a recent
survey, the median response among financial professionals indicated that individuals need to save approximately 15% of their pay, including employer contributions (if applicable), to have enough income during retirement, assuming they begin saving for retirement early in their career.
From the Fall 2011 issue of Plan Ahead. Get Ahead – a quarterly publication that features financial, how-to articles designed to help retirement plan participants of the �rincipal Financial Group®..
Take Action•A financial professional can help you so you can build a portfolio that may be more suited to your life, and maintain it as your life evolves. •Contact Jason Trujillo 602-957-3200x4040 or [email protected] to schedule an appointment.
Asset allocation/diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.
© 2011 Principal Financial Services, Inc.
All rights reserved. Insurance products
from the Principal Financial Group®
are issued by Principal National Life
Insurance Company (except in New York)
and Principal Life Insurance Company.
Securities offered through Princor Financial
Services Corporation, 800/247-1737,
member SIPC. Principal National, Principal
Life and Princor® are members of the
Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, IA
50392. Jason Trujillo, Principal National
and Principal Life Financial Representative,
Princor Registered Representative.
t11101401fz
By Jason Trujillo
Have You Checked Your Investment Direction Lately?Major life changes, or swings in the market, may mean your investment strategy deserves another look.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 738
After:Forward Bend: After you have completed your practice session, it is important to stretch your body to prevent soreness and keep you supple. The forward bend stretches your back, neck and hamstrings.
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding your putter parallel to the ground behind your back
Step 2: Slowly bend forward hinging from the hips dropping the club to your ankles. Hold position for 10 to 15 seconds.
Step 3: Slowly come back up to starting position by rolling your spine up one vertebra at a time. Your head should be the last part of your body to come up. Repeat exercise 2 to 3 times.
golf
fit
Becoming a great putter takes
a tremendous amount of time. You
need to practice to develop feel and
touch, but the long hours standing
in a bent over position can wreak
havoc on your back, hips and neck.
It is common knowledge to warm
up and stretch before and after you
play a round of golf and practice
your long game, but do you know
that it is just as important to warm
up and stretch before and after you
practice putting?
To prevent injury and help you
hang out on the putting green
longer, here are three exercises for
you to do before, during and after
your practice putting session.
Save Your Back, Save Some Strokes
By Karen Palacios-Jansen
Karen Palacios-Jansen is a LPGA Class A Teaching Professional and an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer specializing in Golf Fitness. For more information, please visit www.kpjgolf.com.
Before:Overhead Deep Squat: This exercise will warm up your back, hips, knees, shoulders and ankles and it will prepare your body for the awkward position you are about to assume.
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding your putter with both hands above your head.
Step 2: Slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping the putter above your head and your heels planted firmly on the ground. Hold for a moment and then slowly stand up.
Step 3: Repeat overhead deep squat 6 to 8 times.
During:Self-Massage: It is important to take frequent breaks while you are practicing your putting, so not to injure your back, legs and neck. �erforming self-massage can help keep muscles relaxed, improve range motion and even help release endorphins into the body (the chemicals in your body that make you feel good). Performing self-massage while you practice your putting will help you stay loose and keep you on the putting green longer.
Step 1: Using your putter shaft, place the club behind your back and simply roll the club up and down massaging your back.
Step 2: Massage each side of your lower back for 10 to 15 seconds.
Step 3: Repeat this exercise frequently during your practice putting session.
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 742
stick
s & st
ogies
By Geoff Stiles
If you hang around any hardcore
cigar smokers (especially online)
you’ll find the term “MCW” used.
Mild Cigar Weenie.
It’s a mildly derogatory term used
for those people who only smoke
mild cigars. As someone who eats
strong cigars for breakfast, I’m here
to defend those of you who enjoy a
mild cigar or who are new to cigar
smoking and find strong sticks over-
powering. Mild does not always mean
flavorless, they’re just a little more
subtle than a “in your face” Ligero
bomb.
Mild cigars often have a light colored
wrapper the most common of which
is Connecticut Shade. As you guessed,
it comes from the fertile growing
fields of the Connecticut River Valley
and is indeed, mild. Really, it’s not so
much mild as neutral. Often a cigar
blender wants to emphasize the filler
and binder in a cigar so they use a
Conn. Shade since it adds very little
flavor to the overall blend. New cigar
smokers can be turned off by the spicy
red or black pepper tones in a Sun
Grown wrapper so a cigar maker will
use Conn. Shade wrapper to make the
blend palatable to more people. You
know what? That’s OK with me. While
I prefer a strong cigar, sometimes it
nice to fire up a mild, flavorful smoke
that lets the cigar makers carefully
chosen blend shine through.
Easily the most recognizable and
best selling mild cigar is the Macanudo
Café. It’s green, white and gold label
is found in every cigar shop and most
everywhere else cigars are sold. It
features a high grade Conn. Shade
wrapper with filler from Mexico and
the Dominican Republic and a Mexican
grown binder. While it’s a mild cigar,
the Mexican leaf in the blend gives it
an earthy, leathery flavor profile with
a cedar finish. The best size is the 91
rated Hyde �ark, a robusto size.
One of my favorite mild cigars is
the Chateau Real from Drew Estates.
It’s also wrapped in a Conn. Shade
wrapper, but it’s grown in Ecuador
instead of the USA. Ecuador grown
Conn. Shade is a little spicier on the
tongue, but still mild. The filler and
binder is from Mexico and the Do-
minican Republic (as in the Macanu-
do), but they use a little Nicaraguan
leaf to add another flavor dimension.
It’s a tasty stick with the Belicoso
earning an 89 in Cigar Aficionado.
If you really want to go out on
a limb and expand your palate;
search your local tobacconist for the
Camacho Corojo Candela. Normally
the Camacho Corojo line tends to
be on the strong side but the use of a
Candela wrapper really tones it down.
Candela? What the heck is Candela?
Remember those green cigars your
gramps used to smoke? That was a
Candela. Candela wrappers are the re-
sult of using higher heat in the drying
process to fix the green chlorophyll in
the leaf and not let it turn brown. This
makes the leaf slightly sweet and with
a green tea aftertaste. I really enjoy
this blend and pick up a few anytime
I can find some. It’s a nice change of
pace, especially in the robusto size.
So go ahead and enjoy your mild
smoke and tell your strong cigar bud-
dies to bugger off. However, if you are
smoking a Swisher Sweet, El �roducto,
Garcia y Vega or a Backwoods; then
you really are a MCW and worthy of at
least a little scorn….
Do you smoke a girly man cigar?
For more inFormation please visit BoCCieriGolF.Com
tHe master of Weighted design“When I entered the golf equipment business, I vowed that if I couldn’t create a product that would improve the golfer, I simply wouldn’t make it. I believe I have held true to my original convictions.”
take Control
stepHen BoCCieri
The heavy puTTer — now available in heavy-weighT, mid-weighT and neW liTe-weighT models
Chipping it Close and one-putting is the optimal way to lower your sCores. sixty percent of your score comes from shots inside 100 yards. With the Control series products from boccieri golf, you will instantly feel the mastery of weighted design at work. by incorporating a back weighting system (under the grip), we are able to alter your body mechanics and increase the consistency of your stroke, resulting in better sweet spot contact, accuracy and distance control. otHer GolF Companies make GooD golF CluBs — BoCCieri golF maKes Better GolFers
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 744
duffe
r dan
We-Ko-Pa is a Yavapai word. What’s Yavapai and what does it mean, you ask? Well, I’m a golfer (or so I like to think) and not a linguist, but best as I know, Yavapai is an Indian tribe with some connections to the Apaches and We-Ko-�a means ‘four mountains’. If you want to know more, you are going to have to find out on your own. But if you want to know what ‘four mountains’ has to do with golf, then I say go play the We-Ko-�a Golf Club. You can choose between two highly acclaimed courses—the original Cholla and the newer Saguaro. This duffer has an affinity for originals, so I spent my 18 holes recently at the Scott Miller de-signed course. Some of the most dramatic scenery you can find in Arizona will be at the Cholla course—as you scan your 360 degree panoramic view of the Four �eaks Mountains, McDowell Mountains, Red Mountains and the Superstition Mountains--you can’t help but be in awe of how fabulous a desert golf experience can be. There are some excellent courses in the Valley of Sun, but it is rare to find one void of residential development. The Cholla offers that escape. It truly is one of the few places where it’s you, the ball and nature. Opened in 2001, the Cholla cov-ers almost 500 acres of natural desert landscape. The course plays a challeng-ing 7,225 yards from the back tees but does cater to players of all calibers. Be sure to bring all of your clubs, because Cholla doesn’t miss a thing. I would have to say this course is a bit more ‘designed’ than its brother the Saguaro, but the greens play fast and true. The fairways are lined with thick desert foliage and provide a tough challenge. The tee shots are a bit trickier (some of them even blind which we all know I just loooove!). It’s really all about making good club selections and being accurate. I was told to be aggressive and so I
was. I was tested at every turn. Miller got it right when he blended just the right amount of doglegs and straight-away holes. He also gave us ample fairways, various elevation changes, two lakes, and some really strategic bunkers—allthewhile maintaining this pristine desert environment.There isn’t a single out of bounds stake on the entire course. Like I said, it’s all about the accuracy—if you hit well, you are probably going to be pleased. The par 3’s on this course steal the show—some for their surrounding views and some for their design. And if you are really shooting well enough, you can join the elite We-Ko-�a’s Hole-in-One Club. Unfortunately, you won’t find my name on the list. If you are a big swinger, there are some par 5’s that you will fall in love with. The eighth hole is the longest and most spectacular, play-ing at over 600 yards. It’s also probably considered the true signature hole of
this completely unique course. A birdie on this hole is almost as rare as a hole in one. You will complete your round on the par 4 18th hole—the desert on the left, the water on the right and a downhill risk-reward shot required—what better way to wrap up a day on the links? After a great round (regardless of my score), I was still captivated by the surroundings and decided to hang out a bit longer to view the Club amenities. They offer a world class practice facility showcasing multiple target greens with precise yardages, four putting greens, a chipping green with a practice bunker and several club cleaning stations for your convenience. Upon entry of the clubhouse, you feel like you are in a canyon. The wood beams, water and fire features and woven baskets from the Yavapai culture create an ambience of comfort. The spectacular views of the various mountain ranges inspire
awe. This 10,000 square foot accom-modation is split into two areas, one on each side of the main patio. The north side houses the regularly honored golf shop retail area while the south side contains the dining areas and bar. And that is where I ended my day—with a fabulous meal from the grill and a great drink from the bar. The Cholla course is meticulously maintained and has received much deserved high praise from both the media and golfers alike. But what really makes it stand out amongst other great courses is the golf experi-ence it provides. From the design to the mountain views to the diligence in maintaining nature and the over-whelming customer service, We-Ko-�a Cholla is truly a quintessential style and memorable desert course. For more information on We-Ko-�a, please visit www.wekopa.com.
Duffer Dan at
#18 - Cholla
#2 - Cholla
Phot
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Phot
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sout
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Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 746
By Vito BerlingeriSouthwest Section PGA
For the 8th year in a row, the Special Olympics State Golf Championship tournament took place at Vistal Golf Club in �hoenix during the first weekend in November. It was sponsored by the Southwest Section of the PGA. Athletes represented 16 delegations around the state, including Yuma, Flagstaff, �rescott, Lake Havasu and Tucson as well as around the Valley. All of the Special Olympian’s and volunteers had a smile on their faces and didn’t have a care in the world on that beautiful fall morning as they got ready to the sounds of a Scottish Bag �iper. They were just excited for the chance to play golf. Tournament director Greg Leicht is the man in charge of everything for the weekend’s event. Leicht also is the director of golf for Vistal. Whether it is the athletes,
volunteers or catered food, Leicht has worked tirelessly to organize the event. The festivities began Friday night with the opening ceremonies. A catered dinner and live band followed the ceremony. The tournament itself was a two-day fun filled competition. Leicht said he tries to add a new element to the tournament each year to enhance the experience for the athletes. “We try to make the event just a little better every year,” he said. “That’s always my goal--that we’re going to step it up a little next year.” The tournament began Saturday, and golfers’ scores from both days were combined to determine the gold, silver
and bronze medalists. But the truth is Leicht doesn’t care who wins. Neither do the athletes’ parents or the 600 volunteers that help out. And the athletes certainly don’t. All they want is an opportunity to get the white ball into the cup. Everyone is a champion at the Special Olympics. Chris Hite, father of one of the Olympians and the former CEO and �resident of Special Olympics Arizona, noted that Special Olympics athletes themselves don’t care if they finish first or last. They always have a blast during competition and never complain. “For all these guys it’s all about meeting other people and the friendships they make,” he said. Nadine Armstrong, the Director of Operations for Special Olympics Arizona, said Leicht has done a brilliant job promoting and expanding the event throughout the years. “Greg makes it a point to ensure each athlete has an experience of a lifetime; from having a caddie carry their clubs, to ensuring they receive hats and shirts as gifts,” Armstrong said. Leicht, who started as a coach in Mesa helping Special Olympic athletes learn the game of golf, now is on the board of directors for Special Olympics Arizona. He says the most-touching moment of the event is the awards ceremony Sunday afternoon. Olympic-themed music is played as athletes receive their medals. Leicht also says it’s magical when volunteers, companies and other groups spend time with athletes. “All you have to do is get the athletes together with any other group and let them talk to each other,” Leicht said. “�eople are hooked from that point on.” Chris Hite has seen the event get bigger over the past 9 years and knows this event is one of a kind. “This golf tournament, by far, is the best in the nation no doubt,” he said.
Special Olympics State Golf Championships Returns to Vistal
southwest PGA southwest PGA southwest PGA southwest PGA southwest PGA
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7 47
Club Professionals continue winning streak for the 2nd year in a row at the 51st Annual Goldwater Cup matches; they lead the series 37-14 It was nip and tuck and not the cosmetic type at the 51st Annual Goldwater Cup matches at the Desert Forest Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ on November 30, 2011 as the Southwest Section of the �GA club professionals won for the 2nd year in a row 18 ½ - 11 ½ over the Top ranked Amateurs from the Arizona Golf Association. With perfect golf weather and the golf course in spectacular tournament shape, both �rofessionals and Amateurs played great competitive golf! The club professionals prevailed in the senior division as well, winning 16-14, including 3 ½ - 2 ½ in the four ball matches. The senior professionals lead the series 25-10-3 �aired with the senior division players for the 3rd year in a row, the Club professionals won the mixed four ball matches 6 ½ - 5 ½ on the first day, they beat the amateurs in the afternoon foursome matches 4 ½ - 1 ½. Members of the winning Open division team included; Greg Avant, Jeff Yurkiewicz, Blayne Hobbs, Marty Jertson, Don Littrel, Michael Hopper, Dennis Downs, Brandon Smith, Rich Elias, Joe �enaflor, Chris Dompier and �aul Nolen. Mike Malaska, 2011 National �GA teacher of the year, lead the senior division to victory. Malaksa’s teammates included; Jon Chaffee, Randy Wittig, Earl Svenningsen, Jon Stanley, Terry Carlson, Mike Franko, Dave Simm, Greg Ellis, Greg Harmon, Bob �ancratz and Will Frantz. This historic event is named for the late Bob Goldwater Sr., a former state amateur champion and Arizona golf hall of famer who is known as the father of the �hoenix (Waste Management) Open.
Club Professionals Continue Winning for the 2nd Year in a Row at the 51st Annual Goldwater Cup Matches–They Lead the Series 37-14
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 748
youn
g gun
s
It’s no secret that AZ Golf Central Magazine is a huge advocate for our local Young Guns. Afterall, where would golf be or go if not for the future generations? So, when we heard that 3 of our own were accepted into the highly-acclaimed Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy program, we knew we needed to share their accomplishments with our readers. Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy is the world’s only academy to combine training, academics and competition. Located on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, Hank Haney IJGA began the fall semester on August 15, featuring the most talented junior golfers from around the world including Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mexico, �anama, Romania, South Korea,
Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. “Each day, our students at Hank Haney IJGA have an incredible opportunity to not only receive elite daily golf instruction, but learn about different cultures and traditions from their peers,” says �eter Orrell, �resident and CEO of Junior Golf Corporation, which owns and operates the Hank Haney IJGA. “A reoccurring theme we hear from former students is how the diversity they experienced at Hank Haney IJGA made them more well-rounded individuals.” Hank Haney IJGA opened in 1995
with only six golfers. Since then, graduates have gone on to play the �GA Tour, L�GA Tour and at top NCAA Division I schools. Hank Haney serves as Director of Instruction and his students have gone on to win every major championship in professional, collegiate, amateur and junior golf. The full-time golf program at Hank Haney IJGA consists of spending a half day on full swing, short game, course management, mental preparation and fitness training. For the other part of the day, students in grades five through 12 attend Heritage Academy to complete academic requirements with extensive offerings in college preparatory and honors courses. From September until May, students compete on the International Junior Golf Tour in two and three-day events, with over 90 tournaments annually held each weekend. See below for how our home grown talent is keeping up:Jordan Smith of �hoenix is a post graduate student, taking college courses at University of South Carolina-Beaufort. He just played in the Major Championship at �ort Royal Golf Club on Nov 12 and tied for third place. Please review his game at http://bluegolf.ijgt.com/bluegolf/ijgt12/profile/jsmith1474/tresults.htm. Mason Smith of �hoenix is also a post graduate student, taking college courses
at University of South Carolina-Beaufort. He played at the Shipyard Golf Club in Hilton Head on Oct 1 where he was tied for second place. �lease review his game at http://bluegolf.ijgt.com/bluegolf/ijgt12/profile/msmith879/tresults.htm. Savannah Schwab of Scottsdale is a junior taking classes at Heritage Academy on Hilton Head Island. She also played the Major Championship at Port Royal on Nov 12 and placed 14th. You can review her game at http://bluegolf.ijgt.com/bluegolf/ijgt12/profile/sschwab10/tresults.htm. For more information about the Hank Haney IJGA, please visit www.ijga.com, [email protected], or call 800.791.8229.
Arizona’s Own Young Guns Representing at Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy
Savannah Schwab
Mason Smith
Jordon Smith
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 750
spec
ial ev
ents
My senior year of high school I
had not a care in the world. Then the
big “C word” came into my life. I was
18 years young and faced with the
reality that I was not an immortal teen.
Thanks to family, friends and doctors, I
prevailed. I was and am very fortunate.
A good friend of mine first taught
me about Movember a week into
Mo season last year. I was elated
to hear of such a charity. Don’t get
me wrong, I love the boobies but
there is so much done for breast
cancer in October that it was refresh-
ing that men’s cancers could actual
make it into some conversations to
help raise awareness. After all, rates
of prostate cancer are comparable to
rates of breast cancer in women.
Testicular cancer typically occurs
between the ages of 15-35. I was 18
and had a daunting time dealing with
it. I got into Movember because I can’t
fathom a 15 year old enduring what I
did. I want to give cancer the finger and
stop it from making more statistics.
On a mission to do just that; I put
out a battle cry out and assemble Team
Uno. Team Uno feverously worked to
fundraise and raise awareness. Our
main fundraiser was our inaugural
Team Uno Movember Golf Scramble
benefiting Movember. We figured,
what better way to save some butts
and nuts then whacking the ole golf
ball around? We raised awareness and
got to enjoy the beautiful Supersti-
tion Golf Club simultaneously. �ut-
ting and prostates, long drives and
testicles = mission accomplished!
Team Uno created a fun outing at
a beautiful golf venue with amazing
awards and raffle prizes all to continue
their support of the Movember Founda-
tion. As the tag lines say, “Together, we
can change the face of men’s health.”
For more information on Team Uno
or the Movember Foundation, please
visit www.movember-team-uno.
org or http://us.movember.com.
About The Movember Campaign: During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and ge-nerous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health. At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember. The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
By Chris Skaggs
The Month Formerly Known As NovemberJohn Janiga, Joe Janiga, Larry Belcher, Chris Skaggs
Chris Skaggs , Larry Belcher
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 752
forwa
rd thi
nking
By Jerry Ford
52
The act of burning one’s bridges
is historically an expression used to
signify staking everything on the suc-
cess of one venture or another, usually
battle. In ancient Rome, Generals used
to sometimes destroy the bridges or
sabotage their own army’s means of
retreat to ensure that their men put
up a chippy fight - there would be no
turning back, so it was fight or die.
That’ll show them. In recent times, the
term seems to have taken on a more
modern twist - still hinging on the fact
that there is no turning back, but also
insinuating that somehow one has
managed to wind up alone and adrift
through some action of their own,
either on purpose or unwittingly.
Stevie Williams is a caddie from
New Zealand, best known for
manning the bag of Tiger Woods
for over a decade and earning
millions of dollars in prize mon-
ey, making him the richest ath-
lete in his native country. I was
unaware that caddies were con-
sidered athletes, which makes
this fact even more ironic. He was
relieved of his caddying duties
earlier in the year, when Tiger
decided he could use a change,
what with his scandalous divorce,
injuries and difficulty regain-
ing the form that had won him
thirteen majors. After being let go
by Woods, Steve Williams put on
one of the best self-destructive
displays of bridge burning ever.
Judging from Williams’ subse-
quent behavior, I have a hard
time imagining how Tiger kept
him around as long as he did.
New Zealand is a tiny little
island, located Southeast of
Australia, and was originally
populated by a feisty tribe of �oly-
nesians known as the Maori. Mostly
peaceful, the Maori were reasonably
quiet until Europe poked its head in
and showed the natives how to use
a musket, at which time the entire
bunch went haywire and tribes with
muskets would attack and capture
tribes without muskets, thus disrupt-
ing a quiet history with an explosion
of unsavory bloodshed, courtesy of
the morally corrupt Europeans, no
doubt aided in part by the thieves,
scoundrels and malcontents sent
from England to occupy neighboring
Australia and torment the Aborigine.
There is a lesson in there about
being feisty, but I digress. My point is
that New Zealanders may be saddled
with a long-standing history of a
certain lack of decorum, dating back to
the days of the ill-mannered musket
wars. Judging by Williams’ recent
lack of discretion when speaking of
his ex-employer, there can surely
be no other explanation other than
struck-by-lightening or hit-by-pitch
for his unsportsmanlike behavior.
Looping for Adam Scott and secur-
ing his first post-season win, he was
asked by the media (who must have
stampeded over the winner Scott to
get to the spurned caddy) how it felt to
get this win, Williams gushed that this
victory was the most fulfilling of
his entire career. “I’ve caddied for
33 years, 145 wins, and this has
been the best week of my life,”
Williams told CBS television after
the final putt dropped on Adam
Scott‘s eighth career win. What? I
guess the 13 majors and millions
of New Zealand doubloons in the
bank were all simply a prelude to
this regular-season win some-
where in Ohio, near Lake Erie.
Woods took the high road and
shrugged off Stevie’s backhanded
dig. For a change, we all kind of
admired Tiger for keeping his
mouth shut. But Stevie wasn’t fin-
ished - not by a racial long-shot.
Recently, Williams spoke out
in Shanghai at an awards dinner
for caddies. I don’t know what
kind of awards they give cad-
dies at such an event - I would
assume it would be for things
such as “neatest handwriting”,
“best club-cleaning” or “quick-
est to figure out 10% of a golfer’s
winnings, after taxes”. Appar-
Stevie Williams– The Art of Burning Bridges
Steve Williams and Tiger Woods
53Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
ently, there must be an award for “most
racially offensive remark” or “most
brutal use of a pitching wedge”. When
asked about Scott’s win at Bridgestone.
“It was my aim to shove it up that black
arse...” Williams was quoted as saying.
Again, Tiger took the high-road,
gracefully accepting Williams’ apol-
ogy when it was offered - at least
publicly. For all we know, he may have
already paid for a band of angry Maori
to roust Williams from his sleep, shoot
him with a musket and chop him
into chum for the man-eating ocean
dwellers off the coast of New Zea-
land. Just sayin’ - you never know.
All I know is that I once felt that Wil-
liams had been given the shaft and that
Tiger had shown bad form for sack-
ing the caddy who had stood by him
through all his transgressions. Williams
had defended Tiger ruthlessly on the
links, swiftly dispatching sly, nebbish
photographers with a well-placed kick
to the lens, or a
rough “snatch and
toss” of a camera
into a nearby pond.
But Stevie, with
his rough-hewn New
Zealander ways has
managed to make
Tiger look like a
sympathetic char-
acter and that is
no easy task, these
days. Hmmmmmm...
Maybe that’s been
the goal all along
and this is a master
plan worthy of the marauding Maori.
If these little digs somehow man-
age to restore some of Tiger’s public
luster this could be one of the most
effective �R game plans of all time.
�erhaps Williams hasn’t picked up
his last check from Woods after all and
is taking it on the chin for the benefit
of his former friend and employer. And
maybe the crafty caddy hasn’t burned
his bridge in the end, but simply helped
rejuvinate it with his harsh words. I
would like to think that Williams is
not so much ill-tempered and lacking
discretion, but simply sly like a fox.
Let’s look at it that way - I’m certain
New Zealand would approve.
p l e a s e s h a r e w i t h f r i e n d s
facebook /ar izonagolfcentralmagaz ine
Recently, I was privileged to be in attendance at a meeting of the Southwest Chapter of the Club Managers Association. I was asked to speak and give an update on all things in the world of the Golf Course Superintendent and the Cactus and �ine Golf Course Superintendents Association. There were others there as well to give their updates on what are the hot button topics in golf-- The �rofessional Golfers Association, The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, even The United States Golf Association. I know, it’s a lot of golf associations to keep track of. Leaders from each group made presentations on different subjects. But one theme continued to reveal itself. I call it the 3 C’s. Communication, Collaboration, and Cooperation. Many things were revealed about the golf industry at this meeting. One thing was how golf is losing players--around 1 million this year. Another stat was, in the U.S., there will be around 150 golf courses closings in 2011. Both stats are projected from the National Golf Foundation. Both of these are a trend that golf has been on for around 4 years. I see these stats as a lot of people losing their jobs. Thousands of people who used to work in the golf industry are no longer. So for those of us still employed and who make our living because some people like to
pay for golf, we need to look at these trends with great concern. The Club Managers, the �GA �rofessionals, and the Golf Course Superintendents, all have a vital role in making their facilities the best they can be to attract the dwindling number of golfers. We all need to work together in order to utilize each other’s strengths. This is done through the 3 C’s. The first is communication. We need to have open communication with each department and understand how each one plays a role in the golfer having a good experience at their facility. Each person that steps on property should have the best golf experience for their dollar. That can only happen if everyone is on the same page and are communicating the best practices to give that golfer that experience. I meet with my Head �ro everyday to see what may be coming up that day and that week. I read all the function sheets to see how my department is involved in any activities. Our �ro Shop staff does the same. We cannot afford any miscommunications as our facility is expected to be the best. So should your facility. The next C is collaboration. This is the continual exchange of ideas on how to make these “best experiences” happen at your course. Everyone has an idea. We just need to put them out on the table and find solutions to
gaps in the experience. This will minimize the problems seen in managing a facility from one view point. Meet regularly and ask about what we can do to be better or what is not working and affecting that experience. Ask what your department can do to help another department give that golfer a better experience. It is common sense but you would be surprised at how none of this happens. The last C is cooperation. This is obvious. We need to work together as one to increase the enjoyment of the game. Without cooperation, the gaps in a golfers experience could mean fewer golfers and with it, fewer jobs in our industry. We can meet, talk and have great ideas, but if we do not allow these better ideas to work, then the golfers experience could be affected. As leaders, we can all agree, that golf needs a boost in order to sustain its current levels. Golf will need even more in the future to gain back some of the shrinking numbers being seen today. With Communication, Collaboration and Cooperation, we can work as one and bring the best that day to each facility.
Don’t forget to add the flag at the end of the article!!!
54 Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
live g
olfBy Mark Clark, CGCS
Troon Country Club
The THREE C's
Mark Clark CGCSTroon Country ClubPresident Cactus and Pine Golf Course Superintendents
Do what you love to do! Let the Golf Academy of America show you how you can have a career in the business of golf.
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GAA_GolfCentral_fullpage_2011.indd 1 1/11/11 3:36 PM
56
head
er
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 7
your
pro kn
ows
By Chris Fry
The difference between a low and high handicap golfer can usually be distinguished in the scoring zone. The scoring zone is anywhere from 60-100 yards from the green. Most of the time, a high handicapper will rack up strokes from this point on because they will struggle making solid contact and controlling the distance. That is why I have developed a system to ensure you are able to make solid contact every time in the scoring zone.
Laser-Like Wedge
In image 1 you will see I have a red stake in the ground. This is to help me feel where my center of gravity is. I put the stake and ball in the middle of my stance, and then lean onto my lead (left) side. This creates a setup that promotes your hands being forward and a downward strike on the ball. When setting up you should feel your belt buckle shift in front of the ball until there is about 70% of your weight on the front foot.
The key to crisp contact is making sure you keep your center of gravity on your lead leg. When swinging back you should keep your belt buckle in front of the red stake, no weight moves back. From here accelerate through the ball and hold your finish. In image 2 you will see I am holding my finish and my weight is now completely on my front leg.
About Chris FryChris Fry is a PGA member and an owner of Expert Golf Instruction and Management based out of McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. For more from Chris Fry and Expert Golf please visit www.ExpertGolfAZ.com or email at [email protected].
For laser-like wedges remember two things – start with your weight forward and keep it there!
Image 1 Image 2
Chromax’s High Energy Core and Patented Dimple Design Optimize Trajectory, Distance and Spin
USGA and R&A approved
Looking for the perfect gift?
Give them the colors of Chromax
Chromax’s High Energy Core and Patented Dimple Design Optimize Trajectory, Distance and Spin
USGA and R&A approved
Looking for the perfect gift?
Give them the colors of Chromax
Arizona Golf Central • Volume 1, Issue 758
Annika Sorenstam has learned
how to brand her name well. And both
her and fifth-generation winemaker
Karl Wente showcase an unyielding
devotion to being the best. Their part-
nership is born out of a mutual passion
for excellence, both on the links and
in the pour. At Wente Vineyards, the
same scenic acres that produce great
varietals are also home to Northern
California’s premier destination golf
course. So it’s only natural that Annika
would choose to meld her passions for
fine wine and golf.
Grip it and Sip it.
Winemaker’s Notes:
2006 Annika Vineyards Syrah From the moment your senses are enveloped in rich aromas of wild blackberry, plum, and strawberry and delighted by the vibrant, saturated ruby col-or, you’ll know you’re about to experience an extraordinary example of fine winemaking. The nose is intoxicating, with rich blackberry and plum mov-ing into notes of oak and hints of pepper. The palate delivers elegant, balanced flavors of blackberry, blueberry, straw-berry, and mocha, with hints of leather and pepper round-ing out the profile. Approach-able and full of flavor.
Your journey into Annika Syr-ah continues with chocolate and coffee flavors from the barrel melting roundly on the tongue. The blending of 25% Cabernet Sauvignon lends structure in the mid-palate, and unfolds cassis and clove aromas to complement the Syrah’s lush character. And just like the lingering colors of a Livermore Valley sunset, you’ll enjoy a long, reward-ing finish courtesy of the big, amenable tannins. Ratings by www.annikavineyards.com and www.fbworld.com.
grip i
t & si
p it Annika Vineyards
An Elegant Blend of Passion and Artistry
Fall collection now available at PGA Tour Superstore 8740 East Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale