California Golf + Travel January 2019

PALM DESERT’S ULTIMATE DRIVE • WHAT’S IN FOR OUTERWEAR • WINES FOR EVERY SEASON

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/ CALIFORNIA GOLF + TRAVEL MAGAZINE /

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CONTENTS

18 10 12 14 16 18 20 30 34 38 40 42 44 46 48 50

Publisher’s Note A journey through the West Coast Swing West Coast Swing Tiger, Phil and the young guns go west Men’s College Golf USC cracks Top 5, Suh world’s No. 1 amateur Women’s College Golf Who to watch in the Spring Season Golf in the Community The Wishbone Brawl lets tour players mingle with the masses Los Cabos, Mexico Great golf, perfect weather, ocean views The Ultimate Drive Your best drive in Palm Springs may not be on the golf course Behind the Game’s Best Bags Vessel makes golf bags for top tour professionals and amateurs More Speed, More Distance New driver releases for 2019 On the Outs Outerwear selections for 2019 Flag In or Out? Dave Pelz explains the science behind this decision Hop, Skip and a Jump How a simple exercise can improve your swing Better Posture, Better Golf Doing this once a day will help your posture and scores Gourmet Getaway A taste of Los Cabos More wine?

Our list of wines that pair great with any season

38 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 VOLUME 23, ISSUE 1 PALM DESERT’S ULTIMATE DRIVE • WHAT’S IN FOR OUTERWEAR • WINES FOR EVERY SEASON

JAN/FEB 2019

LOS CABOS

GREAT GOLF, PERFECT WEATHER, OCEAN VIEWS

MORE SPEED, MORE DISTANCE

NEW 2019 DRIVERS RELEASED

FLAG IN OR OUT?

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE DECISION

On the cover: Cabo Del Sol, Hole No. 6 Photo: Courtesy of Cabo Del Sol

Visit us online at calgolfnews.com and be sure to LIKE us at facebook.com/calgolfnews.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

A Brief History of Three West Coast Swing California Courses

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Torrey Pines Golf Course – Farmers Insurance Open Before it was a world-class golf facility, the land that would become Torrey Pines Golf Course was Camp Callen, an antiaircraft replacement training center during World War II. After the war, the camp was closed and its buildings were torn down and used for lumber to build housing for veterans. It was around this time that golf course architect William P. Bell “began envisioning the design of a wind and sea swept golf course that would afford golfers both rugged play and breathtaking surroundings.”

After Bell’s death in 1953, his son, William F. Bell, realized his father’s vision by over-seeing the completion of the North and South courses, which have hosted some of the most exciting finishes in PGA history, including Johnny Miller out-dueling Jack Nicklaus to win the 1982 San Diego Open by one stroke and Tiger Woods’ battle with Rocco Mediate to clinch the 2008 U.S. Open in a suddendeath playoff.

Pebble Beach Golf Links – AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Shortly after it was completed in 1919, major changes were made to Pebble Beach Golf Links, host of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship. The California Golf Association felt that the 345-yard par-4 18th hole was too easy. With this in mind, course owner Samuel F.B. Morse hired Arthur Vincent, who lengthened the course to 6,200 yards, changed five greens, and moved the 18th tee to its current location near the 17th.

More changes took place in preparation for the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship, when H. Chandler Egan re-shaped and re-bunkered each green, moved the 1st tee to create today’s dog-legged opening hole, reconfigured the 10th, added length

to the 2nd, 9th and 14th, and moved the 16th green to a natural depression behind a grove of trees, extending the hole more than 100 yards.

Sixty years later, Pebble Beach Golf Links unveiled a new 5th hole designed

by Jack Nicklaus, which was placed on a parcel of prime oceanfront land that Pebble Beach Company had wanted to re-acquire for 80 years. Then, under direction of Arnold Palmer, preparations were made for the 2010 U.S. Open: four greens and 16 bunkers were rebuilt, altered or installed; 11 tees were enhanced; six holes saw the addition or adjustment of trees (including Cypress); and the total length of the course was ex-tended to 7,040 yards.

Riviera Country Club – Genesis Open In 1922, Los Angeles Athletic Club Vice-President Frank Garbutt began a search for the site upon which the Riviera Country Club would be built.

Though initially unimpressed by “the barren site in the Santa Monica Canyon,” golf architect George C. Thomas Jr. agreed to design a course for Riviera, with the condition that he be allowed to hire William P. Bell as the construction supervisor.

After 18 months of construction, Riviera opened on June 24, 1927. Because of its championship design and ability to accommodate large crowds, Riviera was selected to host the 4th Annual Los Angeles Open in 1929. Some highlights of the tournament over the years include: Sam Snead birdying the 18th on the final day to defeat Byron Nelson in 1945 by one stroke and Ben Hogan winning both the US Open and L.A. Open at Riviera in 1948, causing many to call the Club Hogan’s Alley Enjoy your walk,

Eric Woods

California Golf + Travel Publisher Eric Woods Editor Mark Spinn Art Director Long Tran Associate Editors Mike Stubbs, Suzy Evans, Ed Travis Senior Writers Jim Dover, Tom LaMarre, Feisal Patel Contributors Ian Leggatt, Ed Vyeda, Leonard Finkel, Tom Stankowski, Ken Lane, Chris Lynch, Ryan Noll Photographers Michael Weinstein, Tom Neas, Mark Susson Travel Editor Larry Feldman Equipment Editor Scott Kramer, Ed Travis Wine + Golf John Finney, Dan Weldy Contributing Instructors Eric Lohman, Kris Moe, Perry Parker, Ted Norby, Scott Heyn, John Ortega, John Burckle Accounting Jep Pickett

California Golf + Travel is published by Golf Lab Media LLC 1224 Village Way, Ste. D, Santa Ana CA 92705 Phone: (714) 542-4653 website: www.CalGolfNews.com California Golf + Travel is published bimonthly and distributed to California golf courses, country clubs, practice facilities, golf retailers, hotels, and resorts Entire contents of this publication is copyrighted Golf Lab Media LLC 2015, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without the written permission from the publisher.

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/ WEST COAST SWING /

PHIL AND TIGER BACK IN THE SWING VETERANS HEADLINE A TALENTED POOL AS PLAYERS TACKLE THE WEST COAST

By Tom LaMarre he West Coast Swing’s present will meet its storied past this year.

Even though the PGA Tour is being dominated these days by the next generation, much of the conversation on West Coast Swing for many years has been about two California natives – Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

And that won’t really change this year, as the 43-year-old Woods continues his comeback after winning for the first time in five years at the Tour Championship, and Lefty, 48, will try to win for the 20th time in the California and Arizona events before tackling a bigger challenge later in the year.

Mickelson, born in San Diego, ended his own winless streak by capturing the 2018 WGC-Mexico Championship last year for his 43rd PGA Tour victory. Far below Woods’ total of 80, but impressive nonetheless.

That was his first title since the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield, leaving our national championship as the only major he has failed to win.

Lefty has won every tournament that has been part of the West Coast Swing, including the 1991 Northern Telecom Open in Tucson for his first PGA Tour victory as a 20-year-old amateur while he was attending Arizona State.

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JAN/FEB 2019

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PGA OF AMERICA

T

Phil Mickelson That was the first of his three victories in the Tucson event and he also has won three times in the Phoenix Open, most recently in 2013; twice in the old Los Angeles Open (now the Genesis Open) at Riviera, most recently in 2009; twice in the old Bob Hope Desert Classic in the California desert, most recently in 2004, and three times in the Farmers Insurance Open, his hometown event at Torrey Pines, most recently in 2001.

Mickelson also claimed the Mercedes Championship, now the Sentry Tournament of Champions, twice at La Costa in Carlsbad before the tournament moved to Kapalua in Hawaii.

“I love the West Coast, and those

are some of my favorite tournaments,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson will open the year in the Desert Classic, the West Coast Swing opener near Palm Springs which is currently without a sponsor, and is expected to play again the following week at Torrey Pines.

However, Mickelson’s biggest event in California this season will be the 119th U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach in June, where he will make his sixth attempt to complete the Career Grand Slam.

It probably couldn’t come at a more fitting site, where the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am will be contested on Feb. 7-10.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOAG CHARITY SPORTS

Fred Couples

Tiger Woods

PHOTO MICHAEL WEINSTEIN

“I just love the feeling and the ambience of playing Pebble,” Mickelson said.

“I love being in the hunt playing that golf course. … It’s such a spiritual place, if you love golf the way we all do.”

Woods, who grew up in Cypress and attended Stanford, plans to play fewer tournaments after wearing himself out late last year in his comeback from four back surgeries.

Tiger has committed to the Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 24-27 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla and the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades on Feb. 14-17, but nothing else so far.

Woods has won the San Diego-area event at Torrey Pines a record seven times and also captured the 2008 U.S. Open on Torrey’s South Course in a memorable 19-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. Before committing to the Farmers, Woods said: “The only thing set in stone is that I’m playing Genesis and the four majors. … Seven of the last nine to end my season was too much.”

Incredibly, Woods has never won at Rivera, where he first played in a PGA Tour event at the age of 16 on a sponsor’s exemption.

Woods and Mickelson will pick their spots, as will Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm of Spain and the other young guns, who have been joined by two Californians – 25-yearolds Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis and Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State.

DeChambeau won four times in the last year, while Schauffele captured the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start 2019 for his fourth victory in 18 months.

If those events are not enough for California golf fans, the Champions Tour will be back at Newport Beach Country Club for the Hoag Classic, formerly the Toshiba Classic, on March 8-10.

Last year, Vijay Singh of Fiji joined an impressive list of champions that includes Bernhard Langer of Germany, Fred Couples, Hale Irwin, Nick Price of Zimbabwe, David Frost of South Africa and Californians Duffy Waldorf, Loren Roberts, Gary McCord, Mark Johnson and George Archer.

And then the golf world will be focused on Pebble Beach in June.

JAN/FEB 2019

13

/ MEN’S COLLEGE GOLF /

USC Cracks Top 5 Led by No. 1 ranked amateur Justin Suh

U

SC has won national championships in 97 men’s sports, more than any other school, but surprisingly none have come in golf.

The Trojans came closest when they finished second behind LSU in the 2015 NCAA Championships, but Coach Chris Zambri’s team is ranked fourth in the Golfweek/Sagarin national rankings and will have another chance this year.

If USC can play the way it did in the last two tournaments of the Fall Season, they just might pull it off.

The Trojans came from 17 strokes down in the final round to win the St. Mary’s Invitational at Poppy Hills in Carmel by eight strokes, two weeks after winning the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, where USC’s Justin Suh was the medalist.

“It was an incredible day for the team,” said Zambri, whose Trojans open the Spring Season in the Amer Ari Invitational from Feb. 7-9 on the Kings Course at Waikoloa Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. “The guys played solidly to give us a chance [at Poppy Hills]. The final day was just about perfect.”

Suh, senior All-American from San Jose, is No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and No. 5 in the national college rankings, having recorded five victories last year and seven in his career.

He is the reigning Pac 12 Conference Player of the Year and captured the 2014 California State Amateur before finishing second the following year.

The Trojans’ lineup is loaded, as they also have Kaito Onishi, sophomore from Bradenton, Florida; Issei Tanabe, sophomore from Huntington Beach; Charlie Reiter, a freshman from Palm Desert; and Kyle Suppa, a junior from Hawaii. They are all listed in the national rankings.

No. 11 Pepperdine, which claimed its only national championship in 1997, is led by 25thranked Clay Feagler, Joshua McCarthy and RJ Manke; while 16th-ranked California, the 2004 national champion, has No. 3 Collin Morikawa, a senior from La Canada Flintridge, Sebastian Crampton, a sophomore from Pacific Grove, and KK Limbhasut, a redshirt senior from Loma Linda.

Stanford, which claimed its seventh NCAA Championship in 2007, is led by Brandon Wu, a senior from Deerfield, Massachusetts, and Isaiah

14

JAN/FEB 2019

Justin Suh returns for his senior season at USC as a candidate for every major collegiate award, as well as the top ranked amateur in the world.

Salinda, a senior from South San Francisco. While UCLA, which won it all in 1988 and 2008, will rely on Jack Ireland, a senior from Mission Viejo, and Eddy Lai, a sophomore from San Jose.

Other California teams ranked in the nation’s top 100 include No. 54 San Diego State, No. 59 San Francisco, No. 63 San Jose State (which won a national title in 1948), No. 70 St. Mary’s, No. 83 UC Davis, No. 90 Santa Clara, No 91 UC Santa Barbara and No. 93 Cal State Fullerton.

Addition players in the national rankings include Thomas Hutchison of UC Davis, a sophomore from San Jose who recently won the McClure Cup Amateur; Matthew McCarty of Santa Clara, a junior from Scottsdale, Arizona; Tim Widing of San Francisco, a junior from Sweden; and Sean Yu of San Jose State, a junior from Taiwan.

NOV/DEC 2018

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/ WOMEN’S COLLEGE GOLF /

Top Squads to Watch this Spring U

SC will enter the Spring Season as the top-ranked team in the Golfweek/Sagarin Women’s College Golf Rankings after winning three times and finishing third twice during the Fall.

The Trojans, who won the last of their three NCAA championships in 2013, play next in the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes Country Club in Palos Verdes on Feb. 3-5.

Defending champion and eighth-ranked UCLA and fifthranked Stanford also are in the tournament.

“We finished the fall season very pleased with the progress we’ve made,” USC Coach Justin Silverstein said. “Three wins and two third-place finishes – with this incredible strength of schedule – is a great start to the year and we look to build on that when we get back into action in February.”

USC has five players in the Arnold Palmer Cup Rankings for the matches between the United States and the International team later this year, including freshman Malia Nam of Hawaii, who is ranked ninth in the nation, and four sophomores – Jennifer Chang of Cary, North Carolina, Alyaa Abdulghany of Newport Beach, Gabriela Ruffels of Australia and Amelia Garvey of New Zealand.

Stanford, coached by Anne Walker, is led by two of the top five players in the national individual rankings – No. 2 Albane Valenzuela, a junior from Switzerland, and No. 4 Andrea Lee, a junior from Hermosa Beach.

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JAN/FEB 2019

(Above) Newport Beach’s Alyaa Abdulghany will play a key role for USC this spring.

(Below) Coach Carrie Forsyth will lead a formidable UCLA team that’s currently ranked 8th.

Walker led the Cardinal to its first NCAA title in 2015 and Stanford finished second in its title defense.

UCLA, which claimed its third NCAA title in 2011, lost Lilia Vu, a senior from Fountain Valley who holds the Bruins’ career record with eight victories, when she earned her LPGA Tour card in the Fall Q-Series and turned pro.

But top-ranked Patty Tavatanakit, a sophomore from Thailand, returned to school after also playing in the Q-Series and will lead Coach Carrie Forsyth’s Bruins along with sixth-ranked Mariel Galdiano, a junior from Hawaii.

“I still want to be in college and compete with my team because I love traveling with them and knowing that everyone has each other’s back,” said Tavatanakit, who has five college victories. “You’re never too old to join the tour, but you really only have four years to play in college and I want to experience that.”

No. 23 Pepperdine has 12th-ranked Hira Naveed, a junior from Australia; No. 23 San Jose State, which won NCAA titles in 1987, 1989 and 1992, is led by Abegail Arevalo, a senior from the Philippines; No. 33 California has Cindy Oh, a senior from Gardena, and Katherine Zhu, a freshman from San Jose; Christine Danielson, a junior from France, is the top player for No. 38 UC Davis, and No. 44 San Diego State is led by Gioia Carpinelli, a sophomore from Switzerland.

PHOTO: GEOFF CUNNINGHAM

/ WISHBONE BRAWL /

(Left to right) John Ashworth, Dean Wilson, Matt Ginella, Charley Hoffman, Xander Schauffele, and Mike Weir

WISHBONE BRAWL BRINGS A COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE GAME W

hile all eyes were on “The Match” in Las Vegas last November, just 320 miles away in Oceanside, California, another course was preparing for its own exhibition match the following day. This event, however, had quite a different vibe than the Tiger/ Phil faceoff.

Before the gates opened at Goat Hill Park, volunteers were pitching tents and organizing tickets, junior golfers walked the course in preparation to caddie, and employees were gearing up to welcome an entire community and celebrate golf – that’s the mindset of Goat Hill Park every day.

“World Class, Working class” is the motto for the 4,454-yard short course saved by John Ashworth and Geoff Cunningham, co-founders of the Linksoul Brand. That mantra radiated volumes the Saturday after Thanksgiving when it hosted the second annual Wishbone Brawl—an exhibition match between PGA Tour professionals Charley Hoffman and Xander Schauffele versus Dean Wilson and 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir. Tickets were $20 and kids under 18 were free. All proceeds from the event went to the Charley Hoffman Foundation, benefiting children’s charities in San Diego and Las Vegas.

Rather than a closed off pay per view event at a private club, the Wishbone Brawl was an open invitation to locals and the perfect way to cap off another

18 JAN/FEB 2019

successful year of revitalizing a municipal course in dire straits – a celebration of community, family and a love for the game.

“In my 30-plus years playing golf, I’ve never seen an event like this,” said Megan Mahoney, executive director of the San Diego Junior Golf Association.

“Golf needed to transition from being a little stiff and bring the game to the general population on a bigger scale.

Goat Hill Park is the epitome of that effort: grass roots, grow the game and welcome all.”

The Wishbone Brawl was the brainchild of Ashworth and Wilson, who can often be found at Goat Hill Park walking the fairways with his persimmons and his dog Toby. The event kicked off at The Playground – a new three-hole track where kids play free. The crowd watched from the hillside as juniors walked alongside the pros and played a few holes of alternate shot together.

It was followed by an 18-hole match where patrons could engage with the tour pros they normally see on TV and kids could be part of the action.

The event was a powerful reminder of the positive impact a municipal course can have on a community. Even Weir found the experience reminiscent of his childhood and was in awe by the magical transformation of the municipal course.

“Goat Hill Park is something unique – it’s a short course, you can bring your

dogs, play with persimmons and then there’s the Playground for the juniors… it reminds me of my love for the game and learning it as a kid,” Weir said.

Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella, who was the MC for the event, brought his own family to partake in the festivities. He has ventured around the world to the most iconic courses but believes something about Goat Hill Park sets itself apart from the rest.

“Visiting Goat Hill Park is a massage for the soul,” Ginella said. “They don’t treat it like a golf course, yes, there’s golf involved but they treat it like a community – it’s also a green space and a park, you see dogs and kids, there’s no dress code, people can feel welcome instead of being turned away…there’s a ripple affect with a place like this.”

He believes Goat Hill Park can lead by example and encourage more courses to reinvent themselves to keep the game thriving for future generations.

Mahoney hopes that the Wishbone Brawl will inspire courses around the country to find passionate people in their community and create events that will foster new golfers.

“Maybe it’s not exactly like (The Wishbone), but you just have to get creative and think of what will bring your community together,” she said. “It’s a no brainer – any time the community has a fun place to go that’s safe, family friendly, affordable and a healthy environment, the whole community thrives.”

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/ GOLF & TRAVEL /

LOS CABOS, MEXICO GREAT GOLF, PERFECT WEATHER 20

JAN/FEB 2019

By Brian McCallen exico, specifically the Land’s End destination of Los Cabos at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, is hot. Not just the weather, which is reliably sunny, but the golf scene. The old joke about Mexico is that tourists would head south of the border with a T-shirt and a $100 bill and not change either one in a week. All that has changed with the infusion of world-class golf built in and around the 20-mile coastal corridor linking San Jose del Cabo, a quaint colonial town circa 1730; and Cabo San Lucas, a take-on-all-comers fishing mecca and party capital.

But it wasn’t always so. Formerly

M

a rustic port of call favored by avid anglers, retired pirates and outback writers like John Steinbeck, Los Cabos, in the span of 25 years, has reinvented itself as a top-shelf golf destination.

Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Amigo, should take a bow. Nicklaus, who first visited Cabo in the mid-1960s to troll for trophy marlin, put Los Cabos on the international golf map with his designs at Palmilla in 1992 and the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol two years later. He’s since returned to build four additional layouts, single-handedly catapulting Los Cabos into the golf vacation stratosphere. If his output is prolific, so is his enthusiasm.

mented by a plethora of off-course adventures, Los Cabos is a hotspot for avid players in search of an exceptional golf experience. Add 340 days of sunshine and cooling sea breezes, and Los Cabos emerges as a spectacular destination within easy reach of most major U.S. cities.

Cabo, in sum, has what everyone wants. Perfect weather. Great hotels.

Superb dining. Technicolor sunsets.

Dusk-to-dawn nightlife. And the friendliest welcome in Mexico.

Here’s a review of Cabo’s leading resort courses.

WHERE TO PLAY / WHERE TO STAY QUIVIRA Grafted onto a jaw-dropping site marked by huge dunes, sheer cliffs and desert foothills, the Jack Nicklausdesigned course at Quivira Golf Club, opened to acclaim in 2014, has more oceanfront exposure than any other course in Cabo. Remember those fantasy golf calendars with far-fetched holes airbrushed onto vertical cliffs? Quivira has a few of those. It also has twisting arroyos, acres of cactus, lots of rocks… in sum, a little bit of everything Cabo has to offer. The drive to the fifth hole, which traces a switchback route up the

side of a mountain, climbs to a vertigoinducing tee perched 275 feet above the foaming surf. At under 300 yards from the forward tees, this downhill par 4 can be driven, but it’s “hasta la vista” if you miss the rock-walled, cliff-hanging green. The layout returns to the cliffs at No. 13, a short par 3 that plays over a yawning abyss to a midget green set atop a pinnacle of fissured granite that rises 100 feet from the thrashing surf. The course then proceeds inland through the desert, dropping sharply from a set of elevated tees at Nos. 16 and 17, each a solid par 4. The par-4 18th hole, a links-style creation, plays to a wafer-like green backdropped by the sea. Arguably the most daring, eclectic course Jack has ever built, Quivira is an aesthetic tour de force and an unforgettable test from any set of tees. Complimentary Mexican specialties and refreshments are served at the club’s comfort stations. www.quiviragolfclub.com Quivira is accessible to guests of Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas, which consist of four properties. Golfers tend to gravitate to the adults-only, all-inclusive Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort & Spa located five minutes from the course.

Cabo del Sol (Ocean), No. 6 “I couldn’t be happier with the way things have evolved in Los Cabos,” Nicklaus said. “I truly believe Cabo is not only a flagship destination for golf in Mexico, it’s as good as any golf destination in the world. It’s nice to have a legacy of spectacular courses in one of my long-time favorite places.”

Situated at the place where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean, Los Cabos boasts an extraordinary mountain-desert-ocean environment where the game’s top designers have crafted some of the world’s finest courses. Only here do verdant fairways drop from cactus-studded foothills to golden beaches and the deep blue sea. With four courses featured on Golf Digest’s “World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses” roster, Los Cabos is the undisputed golf capital of Latin America.

Led by a stellar collection of 4- and 5-star beachfront hotels and comple-

Puerto Los Cabos, No. 8 JAN/FEB 2018

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/ GOLF & TRAVEL /

Palmilla (Mountain), No. 5

PALMILLA (27 HOLES) The first Jack Nicklaus Signature course in Latin America, Palmilla’s Mountain and Arroyo nines set the stage for premier golf in Los Cabos when the core 18 opened in 1992. Recently treated to a major refurbishment, the layout is better now than when it was new. Chiseled into in a box-shaped canyon framed by stark brown peaks, Palmilla weaves around cactus-covered hills, boulder-strewn arroyos and vast waste bunkers. Five sets of tees provide a firm but fair test. An upland spread with sweeping ocean views, the layout is framed by multi-armed cardon cacti— a cousin of the saguaro, only taller—as well as a low forest of desert trees and plants. Several holes calling for heroic carries over no man’s land from the back tees, but broad terraced fairways, generous bail-out areas and open-entry greens accommodate players of lesser attainment. The Ocean nine, added in 1999, drops 600 feet from the first tee to the sixth green, carrying players from the mountains to the sea. www. palmillagc.com The golf club is affiliated with One&Only Palmilla, a legendary hide-

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Quivira, No. 6

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/ GOLF & TRAVEL /

Twin Dolphin, No. 11 away built in 1956 by the son of a former president of Mexico. The hotel was later transformed by South African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner into a worldclass resort. This elite retreat, a favorite of Hollywood A-listers, extends onto a rocky promontory that juts into the azure-blue sea. The resort’s beach is one of the few in Los Cabos where the water is calm enough for swimming. This lushly landscaped resort reigns as the grand dame of Cabo’s 5-star hotels.

CABO DEL SOL (36 HOLES) Centerpiece of an 1,800-acre resort community, the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol is a seaside masterpiece worth crossing a continent to play. Intent on producing the “Pebble Beach of the Baja,” Jack Nicklaus routed holes across gently sloping land creased by broad sandy arroyos and backdropped by tall rugged mountains. Several holes touch a coastline rimmed by craggy granite outcrops and sun-drenched beaches. Like Pebble, the look is natural, unforced-earthworks were kept to a minimum. From the tips, do-or-die shots must be played across inlets of the sea, though staggered tees put most of the danger out of harm’s way for duffers.

The opening three holes, carved into mountain foothills, are classic high desert holes. The downhill par-5 fourth

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marks the transition from desert to sea, building anticipation for the trio of dazzling ocean holes at Nos. 5, 6 and 7.

The stagecraft is repeated on the back nine. From the high point of the course, the par-5 15th plunges more than 100 feet down the side of a mountain. The layout tumbles farther downhill at the par-4 16th hole, where the infinity-edge green appears to float on the sea. The par-4 18th, a grand left-to-right dogleg, traces the curve of the shore and leads to a well-defended green, a la the 18th hole at Pebble Beach in reverse.

Renowned for his masterful creations in desert environments, Tom Weiskopf laid out the Desert Course at Cabo del Sol high above the Ocean Course, with each hole offering a panoramic view of the glittering sea. Opened in 2001, the 7,049-yard layout is a user-friendly design with wide landing areas and few forced carries. A strategic layout with an enticing blend of long and short holes, the Desert Course takes golfers on a roller-coaster ride through rockstrewn foothills, with several holes skirting canyon-like barrancas. The variety of cacti on this upland spread—barrel, cholla, galloping, organ pipe—is impressive. To defend the greens, which feature long slopes, subtle rolls and distinctive tiers, Weiskopf built large-scale bun-

kers with dramatic capes and bays. The Ocean and Desert courses are served by a 36,000-square-foot Mexican Colonialstyle clubhouse accented by open-air verandahs and landscaped terraces. The club’s Sunday Brunch is one of the best in town. www.cabodelsol.com.mx.

Cabo del Sol is affiliated with two beachfront hotels: Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar, a lowrise property patterned after a colonial Mexican village; and Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos, an all-inclusive hotel perched above the sea. Residentialstyle accommodations are also available at Cabo del Sol, The Premier Collection.

TWIN DOLPHIN More than a decade in the making, the Fred Couples-designed course at Twin Dolphin Golf Club, centerpiece of a 1,400-acre master-planned community, opened in November 2018. The development occupies the site of the former Hotel Twin Dolphin, an iconic property now honored in name by the community. Built on a broad sloping plateau bisected by three major arroyos on the north side of Cabo’s seaside highway, the 7,156-yard layout, perched 180 meters above sea level, features a sweeping ocean view from every hole.

Subtle mounding corrals errant shots on a broad-shouldered layout marked

NOV/DEC 2018

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/ GOLF & TRAVEL /

Puerto Los Cabos, No. 18 by wide corridors and minimal forced carries. An environmentally-sensitive clearing plan ensured that mature desert flora and rock formations along the course periphery remained intact.

Fairways were capped with sand to create firm, fast playing conditions. To settle bets, Twin Dolphin features a par-3 “bye hole” that calls for a 95-yard pitch shot over an arroyo. The club offers a caddie program, two on-course “Red Door” amenities and comprehensive practice facilities.

Membership at the private Twin Dolphin Golf Club is exclusively offered to residential owners at Maravilla, a private residential community and club; and Montage Residences Los Cabos, a collection of 52 two- and three-bedroom turnkey units within Montage Los Cabos. Guests of Montage Los Cabos, a plush 122-room beachfront resort also have the opportunity to play the course.

For more information, visit twindolphinloscabos.com/golf.

CHILENO BAY Occupying a prime location within the Los Cabos corridor, Chileno Bay Golf & Beach Club is a 1,200-acre resort and residential community fronting a coveted 2.5-mile stretch of protected swimming beaches on the Sea of Cortes. The

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development’s centerpiece is a superb layout built by Tom Fazio in rolling desert foothills high above the sea.

Each hole on this 7,260-yard course has graceful, flowing landforms intended to simulate rolling ocean waves. A brilliant test framed by large sculpted bunkers, broad sandy arroyos and hillsides of flowering shrubs, Chileno Bay features a pair of back-to-back par 5’s at Nos. 6 and 7 as well as a “drivable” short par 4 at No. 8. The back nine builds to a crescendo at the long par-4 18th, which drops sharply to an infinity-edge green. Discovery Land Company, the resort’s owner, completed a new landscape scheme for the layout in 2017 that included the addition of bright white sand in the bunkers.

This private club is accessible to guests of Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, a deluxe property managed by Auberge Resorts that offers 60 guest rooms and 32 multi-bedroom villas. Amenities include a destination spa, a cascading three-tiered pool and TnT (a beachside taco ‘n tequila bar). For more info, go to www.chilenobayclub.com.

CABO REAL Set within a 2,800-acre resort community with 3.2 miles of beachfront, Cabo Real Golf Club was developed in

the mid-1990s by Eduardo SanchezNavarro, heir to the Corona beer fortune. The reversal of the club’s nines has greatly improved the flow and enhanced the drama of an intriguing course built

by Robert Trent Jones II. Cabo Real’s front nine, refashioned by Jones from a pre-existing layout, provides a scenic test with broad fairways that spill down to the Sea of Cortes. The club’s longer back nine, marked by steeply pitched holes carved into rugged mountain foothills, presents a very sturdy test. Free-form bunkers and elevated greens combine with ridgetop fairways to create a top-of-the-world feel. The 14th hole, at 454 yards, tiptoes along the edge of a steep canyon to a green set beside a precipice at the layout’s highest point—nearly 500 feet above the sea. Host to two PGA Senior Slam events in the 1990s, Cabo Real is a wellbalanced course. Uphill holes generally play downwind, while downhill holes usually play into the prevailing breeze.

The artfully contoured green complexes and containment mounds mimic the shapes of the richly hued mountain peaks that backdrop the fairways. www. questrogolf.com Stay & Play packages are available at Casa del Mar Golf Resort & Spa, a res-

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/ GOLF & TRAVEL /

Cabo Real, No. 2 idential-style beachfront property with suite accommodations located five minutes from the golf club. Connoisseurs of deluxe hotels can book a room at Las Ventanas al Paraiso (“Windows to Paradise”), a Rosewood Resort adjacent to Casa del Mar that ranks among the most sumptuous getaways in the Americas.

PUERTO LOS CABOS (27 holes) Tucked within a 2,000-acre masterplanned resort community on the outskirts of San Jose del Cabo, Puerto Los Cabos functioned as a hybrid venue for more than 10 years, with a pair of nine-hole courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman. That anomaly changed in April 2018, when Nicklaus cut the ribbon on his longawaited second nine. The new holes, like the originals, feature subtly contoured greens, large sculpted bunkers and dramatic elevation changes. The opening holes, routed at sea level, are designed to get players off to a good start. The new nine’s closing stretch— holes 6 through 9—ascends to higher ground and presents a formidable challenge. The new par-5 ninth, which occupies the corridor of the former 10th hole but plays in the opposite direction, offers a wide fairway that tumbles downhill to a pond-side green.

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Nicklaus also built a new 10th hole, this one a rigorous par 5 that skirts a winding arroyo and rises to a wellprotected green. On the original nine, Nicklaus recast the former par-5 14th as the new par-4 fifth hole. A linksstyle creation with a dazzling view of the sea behind its dune-framed green, this hole is mighty tough when the breeze is up. The debut of the new nine has transformed Puerto Los Cabos into a 27-hole facility that includes the Norman Course, a topsy-turvy layout inspired by Australia’s Sandbelt courses. Complimentary tacos and refreshments are served at a pair of on-course palapas. www.puertoloscabos.com Lodging options include Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort, a 500-suite, adults-only property set above a secluded beach; El Ganzo, an artsy 72-room marina-side hotel; and JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa, a stylish property opened in 2015. The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Zadun is scheduled to open at Puerto Los Cabos this spring.

CLUB CAMPESTRE Tucked in the rolling foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains 15 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport, the Nicklaus Design course at Club Campestre San Jose anchors

a 550-acre master-planned community. The layout’s fairways, carved into sloping desert terrain, offer players excellent views of the Sea of Cortes.

Vast sandy waste areas, giant bunkers and sinuous arroyos that snake across the fairways call for sound tactics and judgement. In addition, Campestre’s greens, among the most liberally contoured putting surfaces in Los Cabos, can be very challenging depending on pin placement. Among the feature holes is the risk-reward par-5 seventh, a double-dogleg that plays to a peninsula green that juts into a pond.

Campestre’s longer, tougher back nine ascends to higher ground, circulating players around a rolling desert plateau high above the sea. The par-5 17th, at 606 yards the longest hole on the course, brings a deep pot bunker in the center of the fairway into play, with an arroyo angled in front of the elevated green. Always in top condition, Campestre showcases the raw natural beauty of the Baja California desert. It also represents good value. www.clubcampestresanjose.com Like Cabo Real and Puerto Los Cabos, Club Campestre is part of the Questro Golf group. Stay & Play packages are available at Casa del Mar Golf Resort & Spa.

“

We’ve been asked how the OBAN Steel CT Iron Series compares to other shafts…

Our answer is, it really doesn’t.

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/ ULTIMATE DRIVE /

THE ULTIMATE DESERT DRIVE

30 JAN/FEB 2019

ON YOUR NEXT PALM SPRINGS TRIP, YOUR BEST DRIVE WON’T COME ON THE COURSE

P

alm Springs is a sought after golf destination, with more than 100 courses and a variety of resorts to accommodate a weekend getaway. For those golfers, hitting the ultimate drive might mean it travels 300 yards and rests perfectly in the middle of the fairway. Few feelings are better than looking back at your buddies and being the last one to hit after smashing a long drive. However, for your next Palm Springs getaway we might recommend adding to your 18 holes with a trip to the newly minted BMW Performance Center.

It gives a whole new meaning to “Ultimate Drive.”

Imagine this: The brute power of a BMW M car clamps you to the seat as you fight the urge to white-knuckle the steering wheel.

You’re in the driver’s seat of one of their fleet of BMW M cars – M2, M3, M4, M5, X5M or X6M – as it barrels toward a sharp turn and the baritone rumble of the engine rattles your eardrums. You brake just in time to navigate the curve with a semblance of grace, and speed off to the next part of the track.

Sound fun? The BMW Performance Center likely offers the most fun you can legally have in an automobile.

“As cars get more and more powerful, the ability to experience the performance on the street is limited and can be dangerous,” said Stephen Saward, the facility’s Operations Manager. “This gives people a chance to really see and feel the performance of our vehicles in a safe environment, while also learning proper driving techniques.”

To Saward’s point, it’s not all about having a heart-thumping good time. Before they hand you the keys to a $100,000 blend of power and beauty, the BMW Performance Center’s team of Driving Instructors walk you through the quintessential rules of safe and effective driving.

In a classroom setting, participants learn the elements of proper vision, basic car control and tactical driving before even taking to the track.

The center offers a full menu of introductory experiences, one- or two-day driving schools, private lessons and corporate group outings.

The M Track Drive, which our team at California Golf + Travel completed, puts you behind the wheel of BMW’s most powerful and responsive cars. You follow one of their certified instructors for a series of laps at ever

increasing speeds as you learn the proper line for achieving the best time. All the while being coached by the instructor to both increase your knowledge and ensure your safety.

In the Car Control School, drivers take the wheel of a BMW and head out to their private track, where professional instructors help you hone your driving skills. Understanding stability control, knowing what to do when a vehicle starts to slide on the wet skid pad and practicing proper vision through the lane-change course prepares drivers on how anticipate and react to similar situations on a real road.

In the M School drivers learn how to keep the power of an M car under control while navigating a wet skid pad, practice the proper technique for corner entry and participate in a timed run on their autocross course. The day is capped by a hot lap in an instructor-driven M vehicle.

You might be wondering, what exactly is a hot lap? The answer: The best damn roller coaster ride of your life. At the end of our team’s session, instructor Dave McMillan piled us into the seemingly innocent four-door before showing us how BMWs are meant to be driven.

“There’s a reason we don’t show you that first,” McMillan said afterwards.

The Teen School is probably the BMW Performance Center’s most important offering. It allows young drivers to experience how a vehicle feels at the limit in the safety of a closed environment. From wet skid pad exercises and panic braking to performing a double lane change, it’s designed to help teens develop a solid foundation of vehicle control before heading to the open roads.

“The skills that young drivers learn here can literally save lives,” said McMillan. “We recently got an email from a young lady who took our course. At first, she couldn’t understand why she had to take this class and thought she would never use any of this stuff. But shortly after getting her license, a car skidded across into her lane on the highway and caused an accident right in front of her. She was able to maneuver and avoid the collision instinctively because of what we taught her. While much of this is fun, it can be invaluable in real life.”

McMillan knows his stuff (remember the hot lap?), and like every BMW Driving Instructor

JAN/FEB 2019

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/ ULTIMATE DRIVE /

he comes from a racing background.

He started off in motocross, then went to off-road desert racing (including the Baja 1,000) and culminated with Formula Atlantic, two stops below IndyCar. Led by Adam Seaman, McMillan is one of a talented staff of driving professionals at the BMW Performance Center – only the second facility of its kind in the nation. The first is in South Carolina and sits adjacent to a BMW factory where a team of 8,000 employees cranks out about 400,000 luxury Sports Activity Vehicles a year.

The Palm Springs destination was added four years ago to accompany the neighboring Thermal Club – a high-end private racing club with more than five miles of raceway, luxury homes overlooking the tracks and a membership fee commensurate with the finest golf clubs.

“The Thermal Club is essentially a country club, but instead of a golf course they put in a racetrack,” described Saward. “It’s a concept that’s growing, but I don’t know that anyone is doing it to this level.”

“California is such a big part of our business, so when the Thermal Club opened we became affiliated at the ground level and committed to building our 40-acre Performance Center,” he continued. “Altogether, it’s about

32 JAN/FEB 2019

340 acres of racing wonderland; and having access to the Thermal Club allows us to host larger and more advanced schools.”

Corporate outings are a big part of the business model for the BMW Performance Center, so the ability to cater to large groups is key to the facil-

ity’s success. However, weekend thrill seekers are a big part of the equation, too.

If you don’t find that “Ultimate Drive” on the first tee of your next Palm Springs golf getaway, it may be waiting for you at the raceway behind the wheel of a brand new BMW.

BMW Models Driven by the Team at California Golf + Travel BMW M2 Description: The smallest M car is so fun to drive. Smooth maneuverability and surprising power are its defining characteristics.

Horsepower: 365 0-60: 4.4 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph (limited)

sive M colors like Yas Marina Blue and Austin Yellow, the BMW M4 Coupe and Convertible are true evolutions of the M concept.

Horsepower: 444 0-60: 3.8 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph (limited)

BMW M3 Description: It’s embodied by the phrase “light speed.” The M3 continues to redefine the limits of performance with unprecedented precision and awe-inspiring grip to provide dynamic responsiveness that pushes the boundaries.

Horsepower: 444 0-60: 3.9 seconds Top Speed: 155 (limited)

BMW M5 Description: A pure combination of power and elegance. You know you’re behind the wheel of something special.

Horsepower: 600 0-60: 3.2 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph (limited)

BMW M4 Description: With carefully engineered Carbon Fiber Reinforced PA components, incredibly precise handling, and exclu-

BMW X5M Description: The BMW X5 commands respect in every aspect, from its powerful design to its thunderous 4.4-liter V8 engine.

Horsepower: 567 0-60: 4.0 seconds Top Speed: 155 (limited)

RESPECT THE FANS RESPECT THE PLAYERS RESPECT THE GAME

T HE P E O P L E ’S OP E N 2019 JAN. 28 – FEB. 3 TPC SCOTTSDALE

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artners offman

/ Q & A /

CLASS ACT WHEN IT COMES TO GOLF BAGS, VESSEL MAKES SOME OF THE BEST IN THE GAME FOR AMATEURS AND TOUR PROFESSIONALS

W

hen Vessel Bags launched six years ago in a small facility in the golf mecca of Carlsbad, California, its founders had no idea the company would grow into what it is today. From making golf bags for touring pros to expanding to consumer products and later a lifestyle brand, Vessel has built its foundation on making quality products that bring the tour-pro experience to everyone.

We sat down with Vessel Founder and CEO Ronnie Shaw to learn more about the company’s unique products, how Vessel got off the ground, and what the future holds in the luxury golf bag market.

How did Vessel get started?

Shaw: We started out making staff bags for players on all the professional tours, and did only that for four years.

We have about 120 tour players using our bags.

How would you describe Vessel to golfers who may not have tried your bags?

Shaw: Our brand is all about enhancing the carrying experience. We want to blend performance and mastery in our design concepts. We started by making bags for tour players, and we want to make sure that quality translates into everything we make. We have already expanded outside of golf bags by making other products like backpacks, tote bags and luggage and asked ourselves: “How can we make those things more beautiful?” The lifestyle

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Like father, like son: David Shaw, Founder and CEO Zonson (left) and Ronnie Shaw, Founder and CEO Vessel Bags

JAN/FEB 2019

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/ Q & A /

Inspiring love, hope and change, one bag at a time for Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Ricky Fowler and over 120 PGA players side of the business is actually growing faster than the golf side, which tells us that our design is resonating with people.

What are some of the new products you’ll be releasing?

Shaw: At the PGA Merchandise Show in January, we released our Players Stand Bag 2.0 and new versions of our popular Sunday Stand Bag and Lightweight Stand Bag. Those three account for approximately 60-70 percent of our golf bag sales. We’ll also offer an updated version of the Lux Cart Bag, which is a big seller.

Anything else exciting that you’re working on at Vessel?

Shaw: Last year we partnered with Cobra Puma to make limited edition bags for Rickie Fowler that he used in each of the major championships.

We’re going to continue that with Rickie in 2019 and will also make bags for Bryson DeChambeau.

How did you get into the golf business?

Shaw: My dad, David, started the first Taiwanese golf bag manufacturer, Zonson, and I grew up working in the factory every summer for him.

When I graduated college, my dad said: “You’re

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coming to work for me.” From the start, I was working 12-hour days, and that’s where I learned my work ethic. It was tough but really helped me out in the long run. I did that for three years, and then my dad suggested that I go to the United States, and eventually, we decided to start something together, which became Vessel.

Tell us a little about the company’s history.

Shaw: We started in 2012, and we have doubled gross sales every year since then. We achieved that again for 2018. After getting started making tour bags, we realized that we can apply the same standard of quality for the everyday consumer.

We had two full-time people and one part-time employee when we started, and now we have 16 full-timers. For the first quarter next year, we are projecting that we’ll employ 30 people.

Has the company’s success surprised you?

Shaw: I’m still pinching myself. I had no idea that Vessel was going to be this big in my wildest dreams. I can’t believe where we are now. I think the whole company knows the growth trajectory. Now that we’ve taken off, the sky is the limit.

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EQUIPMENT

2019

BY ED TRAVIS f a new driver is on your list of things-to-do for the coming season, there is a healthy crop of choices employing some innovative approaches to solving the problem of hitting the ball farther.

The secret for more yardage is more ball speed with low backspin and limited distancerobbing side spin, and to achieve more ball speed, the speed off the clubhead must be higher with impact on a responsive area of the face.

Swinging faster is of course a start to solving the ball speed puzzle, but the clubhead needs to have its center of gravity in the

I

THE YEAR OF DRIVER TECH & BALL SPEED proper location coupled with a clubface that is both responsive and forgiving. Then to achieve the maximum yardage the head should have low aerodynamic drag and the shaft should offer complimentary performance.

Sounds simple, but in the real world it certainly is not. Though the USGA places limits on head size, shaft length and face rebound, there are still lots of different approaches to solving what is a rather complex problem.

Manufacturers know golfers will pay to hit the ball farther, so if makers want to sell more drivers, they must make one that hits the ball

a long way or at least does in the minds of golfers. However, and ignoring the psychological aspects of driver marketing, today more yards means high-tech materials used in a sophisticated design and manufactured by evermore complicated processes.

The basic idea is straightforward: Distance sells and if a driver has forgiveness average players will find it easier to hit.

So, keeping this in mind, here are the new drivers (in alpha order by maker) we think best represent the use of new and interesting design, technology and materials to help you get more yards off the tee.

Honma Golf TWorld 747

Key Feature: Proprietary Adjustability System Honma received a lot of attention recently with the signing of Justin Rose to their professional staff. The major champion and Gold Medalist will play their latest driver, the TW747. There are two 747 versions both priced at $599, the TW747 455 and TW747 460. They use a unique hosel allowing loft to be adjusted without rotating the shaft and both have a cast titanium head with an ultrathin carbon fiber ribbed crown. They also make use of “4 Fang Technology,” four metal studs inside to strengthen the face and concentrate energy for better ball speed. The 455 has a high MOI with mid launch and the slightly larger 460 produces a higher launch with lower spin, plus it has two interchangeable sole weights.

Tour Edge Golf Exotics EXS

Key Feature: Titanium frame “Flight Tuning” is Tour Edge’s answer to performance demands and it starts with an 8-1-1 titanium frame with a thinner variable thickness face. These are combined with a carbon fiber crown and carbon fiber sole panel near the toe to save weight. Saved grams have been put into two sole weights, one of 9-grams near the heel and one of 3-grams in the rear sole for a low spin head producing a medium trajectory launch with an anti-slice tendency. Switch positions for a medium spin with higher launch and a neutral shot shape. Retailing for $300 and available now, Tour Edge says EXS has no problem competing with competitive drivers costing 50% more.

Callaway Golf Epic Flash and Epic Flash Sub Zero

Key Feature: Rippled clubface interior Artificial intelligence and machine learning were used to create a wave-like pattern on the inside of the clubface to produce increased ball speed across wider areas.

Titanium Jailbreak internal rods limit crown flexing while a sliding 16-gram sole weight helps correct left/right ball flight and the hosel is loft adjustable. Weight saved using a carbon fiber crown was moved to raise MOI and forgiveness. Sub Zero has a fixed weight near the face for lower spin. It’s priced at $530, which is $30 higher than last year’s Rogue. Shaft choices include Project X EvenFlow, Project X HZRDUS Smoke or Mitsubishi Tensei AV. It will be at retail Feb. 1, 2019.

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Srixon Z 785 and Z 585

Key Feature: Face extends over crown/sole Rather than the face plate of some traditional designs, both Z 85 series drivers have a cup face of rolled titanium that wraps around from the crown to the sole. The face is very thin but has more strength with more rebound and produces more ball speed than previous models. Using a carbon fiber crown allowed weight to be transferred to the perimeter for greater forgiveness and Srixon’s Quick Tune System in the hosel sleeve plus interchangeable sole weights give every player the ability to tune the driver to his or her needs. The Z 585 ($300) has the higher launch/higher MOI of the two, while the Z 785 ($500) produces a lower spin penetrating trajectory.

B U I L T FOR

DISTANCE

TaylorMade Golf M5 and M6

Key Feature: Resin injected through clubface ports Each M5 and M6 clubhead is tested for rebound and because the design produces COR that is too high, resin is injected through ports in the clubface to lower the COR and ensure compliance with USGA limits. To compensate for off center impacts the Twist Face design has higher loft/ more open toe and less loft/more closed heel. M5 has two 10-gram weights in the sole T-Track to correct left or right ball tendency and launch trajectory. The carbon composite crown and sole panels are larger by 10% and saved weight placed to increase forgiveness. M5 and M5 Tour are priced at $550, M6 and M6 D Type are $500, and expect both in shops Feb.1.

Titleist TS2 and TS3

Key Feature: Thinner titanium crown and face Titleist committed to producing a driver for 2019 with more ball speed. The TS2 and TS3 (both $499) compared with the 917 models have a higher MOI, 12% thinner titanium crown and a variable thickness 6-gram lighter face that is so thin score lines are lasered rather than etched. The sole slot which Titleist calls the Active Recoil Channel introduced on the 915 D2 and D3 drivers is gone. Titleist says it wasn’t needed to help low on the face impacts.

The TS2 for recreational players has a fixed rear sole weight and produces a high launch with low spin. The TS3 has kept the SureFit reversible weight cartridge from the 917s but has lower spin than the TS2.

COBRA Golf KING F9 Speedback

Key Feature: Wrap around crown The new Speedback has a carbon fiber crown that wraps around the body – a first for any driver – raising the skirt (heel and toe edges of the head) and the tail along with the crown center. Cobra then made the front leading edge of the CNC milled face more rounded to lower the drag for a more “slippery” shape. All this was done without raising the CG, which preserved a high launch angle and low spin rates. The heel and toe of the sole are sharply tapered, and the center has 14-gram and 2-gram reversible weights. KING F9 Speedback drivers have Cobra Connect Powered by Arccos at no additional charge. It’s in golf shops now for $449.

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GEAR

MAKE PAR WITH WINTER GOLF OUTERWEAR

BY ED TRAVIS he great thing about California winters is that they often cooperate enough to allow for at least nine holes. However, since there are fewer hours of daylight we may have to hope the boss understands.

One of the secrets of playing in less than perfect conditions, whether its temperature, wind or even a little precipitation, is to be wearing the proper layers of clothing that don’t restrict the swing, as well as keep you warm and looking good. Here a few outerwear items that we like and think you will too.

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Linksoul Hilgard Quilted Down Jacket ($136) Filled with down for lightweight warmth, Linksoul’s take on the quilted jacket was instantly popular. It may be worn as an outer jacket, or it’s so light that it can be worn under a shell. It’s a three-season staple for any wardrobe. A unique feature: It packs into its own interior pocket. www.linksoul.com G/Fore Sweater Lined Quilted Vest ($295) The Sweater Quilted Vest from G/Fore Golf allows you to golf in comfort and fashion well into the spring. A silky nylon exterior accents this staple piece, while a warm and comfortable merino wool interior adds comfort and functionality. www.gfore.com Puma PWRWARM Dassler Golf Jacket ($160) Puma’s PWRWARM Dassler Jacket has Primaloft Gold insulation with the highest warmth to weight ratio in the industry. Their Downproof fabric keeps the insulation in place and the Dassler is water resistant. www.cobragolf.com

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FootJoy Double Layer Full-Zip Vest ($175) FootJoy’s clever use of each fabric side helped to create this full-zip double layer vest with contrast binding trim. It has a color contrast from the zipper placket and standup collar with open front pockets.

It’s light enough for layering. www.fj1857.com Galvin Green Archie Waterproof Full Zip Jacket ($700) Galvin Green outfits the European Ryder Cup team for good reason. The Archie is made from light weight stretch GORE-TEX fabric with a liner that glides over sweaters. Archie’s three layers mean its durable and breathable for comfort under any conditions. GORE-TEX Superstretch at elbows and shoulders give maximum flexibility. www.galvingreen.com Puma PWRWARM ¼ Zip ($80) The PWRWARM ¼ Zip is designed with Puma’s warmCELL technology to keep heat in and is made of premium fabrics with stylish construction. Lightweight and warm, it’s great for the “classic style” golfer who wants a warm pullover that can be worn with any outfit on or off the course. www.cobragolf.com

JAN/FEB 2019

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B U I L T FOR

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DISTANCE

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Max Distance with FastLayer Core.

Ultimate stopping power with SeRM Urethane. It’s a totally new, totally different Z-STAR Series.

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Storm SweaterFleece Snap Mock ($75) Extend the season with Under Armour’s SweaterFleece. Fuller cut for swing freedom, it’s also water repellent with fleece inner layer. The collar and placket have durable woven overlay. The placket has four snaps, and the hem and cuffs are ribbed to keep out the cold. www.underarmour.com

# B U I LT F O R D I S TA N C E

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INSTRUCTION

WILL YOU PUTT WITH THE FLAGSTICK IN?

By Dave Pelz ou’ve likely seen Bryson DeChambeau make a major statement on the PGA Tour by putting with the flagstick in during competition. I know, you’ve probably played golf your entire life putting with the flag out and this just looks weird.

However, you may want to consider trying pin-in putting if you value scoring.

Let’s explain the Rules change by the USGA. Golfers will now have three options when putting in 2019: Remove the pin completely, have someone tend the pin or leave the pin in and unattended. If your putt hits the pin in the third scenario, there’s no penalty (formerly two strokes or loss of hole).

Before you decide how you want to putt, let’s review some facts: 1. Assuming the pin is securely in place, standing vertical and not swaying in the wind, the hole is 4.25” wide.

2. The diameter of a standard flagstick is 0.5” (some pins taper to ¾” and even 1” above the hole).

3. If you look at the space left for a golf ball, the 2.125” half-hole minus the 0.25” half-pin, leaves 1.875” between the cup edge and the pin.

4. Golf balls are 1.68” in diameter. This leaves a .195”-gap of open space for the ball to fit into the hole with the flagstick in place.

This doesn’t sound like much space, especially if the pin is leaning slightly

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toward the golfer. This effect, however, has been tested, and my studies show conclusively that you should putt with the pin in!

I conducted my original Pin In/Pin Out test in 1990, and published the results in the December issue of GOLF Magazine. The testing was performed with a special putting device built to roll putts accurately aimed with a laser – and a true, pure roll – from two feet away. We rolled putts at different speeds hitting different parts of the pin on flat, uphill and downhill sloping greens. The test results were conclusive: You will hole a higher percentage of putts when you leave the flagstick in.

The reason for this effect is that a significant amount of energy is lost from a putt’s speed when the ball hits a fiberglass flagstick. The speed-loss enables gravity to pull the slower moving ball down into the hole more often.

Even though balls have changed since my testing, holes and flagsticks have not, and the “energy-loss” effect will still win the day.

To make you feel better about leaving the pin in, think about how many long putts and chips you’ve seen crash into the pin and still stay in the hole.

If you’re watching golf on TV, you’ve also seen several shots fly into the hole directly from the fairway and stay in.

For your own good, test this new rule for yourself. Putt 12 balls from a three-foot circle all the way around the hole. Do the same drill for six-foot putts. Repeat this drill 10 times on 10 different days, and keep tab of your results. Send me your results to askpelz@pelzgolf.com.

Whether or not this test makes a believer of you, you will have forced yourself to practice your putting, putting you a solid step ahead of your foursome.

DAVE PELZ is golf’s foremost authority on the short game and putting. In his four decades of teaching, 10 of his professional students have won a total of 20 majors. Golf Digest called Pelz, author of eight instructional books and producer of 150 30-minute instructional shows on Golf Channel, one of “Golf’s 25 Most Influential Figures of the 20th Century.”

Each year, Pelz’s schools in Florida, California, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, New York, Michigan and Ireland help thousands of golfers improve their scores. Visit www.pelzgolf.com for more information.

INSTRUCTION

BUILDING SPEED AND POWER FROM THE GROUND UP

HOW TO PROPERLY USE YOUR LEGS AND THE GROUND DURING THE GOLF SWING

By Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA hen we golf instructors talk about ground force reaction and how to use the legs in the golf swing, it can quickly become a complicated conversation. Ground force reaction in itself is fairly abstract to most golfers, and it can be made further confusing through the use of technical terms and scientific data.

However, there are some very simple ways to learn how to efficiently use your legs and the ground to create power in the golf swing.

One example is to jump rope. I know that may sound a little weird, but this favorite childhood activity is a perfect way to practice the knee flexion and extension that’s needed in the golf swing. As you’ll notice in the photos,

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the knee flexes just before I leap over the twirling rope, and then it extends as I’m in the air. The movement of knee flexion to extension is what creates the force and energy that propels my body into the air. Golfers use that same flexèextension action to create energy and power in the golf swing.

It used to be that as golf instructors, we asked you to keep your heads still and level, but over the years we’ve learned that by squatting on the downswing and lifting upward into impact golfers can generate massive gains in power. It’s a motion that’s utilized by some of the game’s longest hitters on the men’s and women’s tours such as Rory McIlroy and Lexi Thompson.

It can also help put more speed and power into your swing.

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JAN/FEB 2019

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INSTRUCTION

BETTER POSTURE FOR BETTER GOLF

By Roger Fredericks

G

olf instruction has come a long way. However, the fact remains that handicaps have not come down over the last 40 years despite the fact that technology, course conditioning and instruction has gotten incredibly better. How can this be possible? I have one theory.

Consider that as golfers get older and begin to lose flexibility, strength and good posture, their golf games usually suffer. This sounds simple enough, but my contention is that people generally have poor posture to begin with and that’s preventing them from achieving their best golfing potential. Poor posture means that golfers are generally incapable of performing the physical tasks that instructors ask them to do. For instance, getting into a proper address position and then maintaining the spine angle throughout the swing can be very challenging if your posture is off.

The fact is that poor posture is nothing more than muscle imbalances and tightness throughout the body, especially involving muscles on the front (anterior) and back (posterior) sides of their bodies. When a person’s head is jutted forward, their shoulders rounded and they have a severe hip tilt, you know that the muscle chains on the front side of their bodies have shortened and are pulling the torso forward. So when an instructor tells them to lift their chest or stick their butt out, for example, the person is trying to do something the muscles don’t want to do.

With all this said, I’d like to provide you with a simple posture pose and training exercise that can be done in the comfort of your home. I promise that this will improve your posture both on and off the course.

Stand on a Slant Board with your back pressed against a wall (pictured above). Place a rolled towel or a foam cushion that’s 4-6” in diameter both behind your neck and the small of your spine and let your body “sink in” for a few minutes. Doing this each morning or periodically throughout the day will do wonders for your body.

For more information go to www.myposturesystem.com.

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GOURMET GETAWAY

A TASTE OF LOS CABOS

By Kelly Stilwell hen planning a golf trip, it’s a good idea to look at other activities available at the resort you choose.

Most golf resorts have wonderful spas and fantastic restaurants, but more and more are also offering activities to add to your vacation. Explore your options for fun in between rounds.

At Quivira Los Cabos, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, you’ll have the opportunity to play one of the most picturesque courses in the world. The views are absolutely stunning, and the comfort stations make the play even more fun.

Take time to have a drink in the 19th Hole Bar or a meal in The Quivira Steakhouse. The menu offers a lot of lighter options for lunch, and the food is outstanding. Be sure to try the calamari!

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica is the luxury resort at Quivira Los Cabos, where you’ll be pampered during your stay.

With 17 restaurants to choose from, you’ll have no shortage of dining experiences, but why not take it to a whole new level? Pueblo Bonito Pacifica offers the Orchard Cooking Class where you can take home some of that culinary prowess. Learn to make a few Mexican specialties while enjoying cocktails, and then sit down to a meal with your new friends.

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Classes take place right next to the chef’s garden, where tomatoes, cilantro and other ingredients may have been picked just minutes before your arrival.

The chef changes up the menu depending on the freshest ingredients available. One thing you can be sure of, it will be delicious!

One class begins with the preparation of shredded pork for tacos, moves on to making molé sauce for chicken, and ends with learning how to create those crispy crunchy pieces of fried dough goodness called churros. Straight from the frier with just a minute or two to cool, they are to die for.

For foodies, don’t miss the Champagne Sunday Brunch at Pueblo Bonito. Start with a mimosa to sip while planning your strategy. With options like breakfast egg dishes, waffles and pastries made to order, it’s a great way to begin your Sunday.

With more than 30 flights into San Jose Airport every day, Los Cabos makes for easy travel, and Quivira Los Cabos is only a short 20-minute drive from the airport. Add it to your destinations to see in 2019.

MARTINI RECIPE Try a specialty craft martini while at

Quivira Los Cabos. Their head mixologist shared this exclusive recipe so you can make it at home!

MARTINI SUNSET 1 oz vodka 1 oz Grand Marnier 1/4 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tbsp agave honey 1/2 cup carrot juice Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice.

Rim a frosty martini glass with chili powder “tajin” Serve cold

YES, THE NUMBER OF DISTILLATIONS MATTER We distill our vodkas 17, 34 or 51 times. That’s a lot o work, right?

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NOV/DEC 2018

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WINE LIST

WINES FOR ANY SEASON

By Matt Palaferri ell the holidays are over, the chaos and scrambling to make everyone happy is behind us, and now it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy some quiet time. Back to some casual dinners, some steaks on the grill and some nice wines.

When I talk to friends about wine, it’s funny how seasonally people drink the adult grape juice. Some folks only drink red when it’s winter time and only drink white when the sun’s out. Certainly, drink what you like and like what you drink, but it’s totally acceptable to drink Sauvignon Blanc during the cold of winter and to sip on a nice Cabernet in the middle of summer.

I have a few wines that are great anytime whether it’s day or night, winter or summer. The Kunde family has been farming the Sonoma Valley for more than 100 years! They began sustainable farming when Woodrow Wilson was in office and have continued to do things the right way, not only thinking about making great wines but caring about our planet as well. If you want great wines and would like to support a great family, pick up a wine from Kunde.

2017 Magnolia Lane Sauvignon Blanc Very crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc with lemon zest, key lime and jasmine. This wine can pair well with so many dishes including oysters, goat cheese, grilled chicken and shrimp cocktail to name a few. This is such a nice wine that both Chardonnay drinkers and Sancerre aficionados will enjoy it.

2015 Kunde Estate Merlot I love merlot. I think a lot of people do, but they don’t buy it or order it off a wine list. Merlot is soft, easy to drink, great with food or by itself watching your favorite curling team. This is a unique wine from the Kunde estate from rich volcanic soil that creates a big taste with soft tannins. Dark fruit rounds out this great merlot and it finishes with a hint of caramel.

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2014 Kunde Estate Cabernet Sauvignon We can’t finish up with Kunde without talking about Kunde Cabernet. This is a full-bodied cab that actually taste like a cab. It’s balanced with oak, acidity and a ton of fruit. It’s 95% cab with Petit Verdot and Malbec for good measure. It’s dark, rich and ready to drink. You could certainly sit it down for a few years, but who has time to do that? Drink it!

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