Golf Central Magazine V19 issue 2

coLLo Apparel

Don't Get Burned

W W W . G O L F C E N T R A L M A G . C O M

What is Sunniland?

Sunniland

Professional Grade Fertilizers and Weed & Feeds Specially formulated for Southern Growers, Sunniland Corporation, Inc. offers a full line of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and many other products that enhance plant production.

#1 Choice for Turf Management Turf management professionals are constantly battling weeds, insects, weather and more. With unfettered access to Sunniland experienced representatives and a full range of quality turf and ornamental products, turf grass managers have a powerful ally to ensure that their turf looks and performs its best!

Slow-Release and Extended Feeding Sunniland offers several different turf grass weed & feed fertilizers, guaranteed to make turf beautiful, lush and green. Many of these in-stock turf grass fertilizers are available in slow-release version for extended feeding. Each of these fertilizers are excellent to apply on all warm-season grasses including Centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia.

Custom Blended Fertilizers Take control with Sunniland’s uni-

form granular custom blended fertilizer. These blends use premium nitrogen and micro-nutrients to out-perform the competition. Pesticides are disbursed evenly as each granule of fertilizer is coated with the best type of pesticide for the job.

Clean and Free of Impurities Sunniland‘s water soluble fertilizers are manufactured on a dedicated line and are the industry standard blends pros have used for years on lawns, sports turf and golf courses including: • 33-0-17 • 0-0-62 • 46-0-0 • 23-0-31 These are the blends are clean and

free of impurities and are most efficient for delivering the nutrients needed for growing quality turf. Plus, Sunniland’s 23-0-31 blend has a stabilized nitrogen source for the highest efficient delivery of Nitrogen.

Better for the Environment and You A pioneer in fertilizer technology, Sunniland Corporation manufactures and distributes its Professional line of advanced slow-release fertilizers, which are better for the environment and better for you.

Helping professional turf grass managers chart and maintain an effective, cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable turf program is job one.

Sunniland offers extensive blending options on all of their professional use products. The company builds unique formulation programs to satisfy each customer’s specific need to better meet their requirements.

Who Uses Sunniland Pro? Sunniland Professional products are used every day by: • Athletic Field Groundskeepers – including the Florida Gators • Golf Course Superintendents • Ground Maintenance Supervisors • Landscape Contractors • Nursery’s – including Lukas Nursery • Turf Grass Management Professionals With the Sunniland Family of products, you can’t go wrong!

www.sunnilandcorp.com

. e r e h f l Go

36-HOLES OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF | LAKE LURE, NC

Tee up on two world-class courses with incredible scenery and championship design. Beginner or tournament winner, you’ll fall in love with the game at Apple Valley and Bald Mountain golf courses.

Group pricing available.

Call 828.694.3050 or email .

GroupSales@rumblingbald.com

INTERESTING FACT: Did you know that scenes from the hit movie “Dirty Dancing” were filmed on the Par 3 16th hole at Bald Mountain?

“The Swazye” Ultimate Golf Package

Have the time of your life with this ultimate golf package starting at $500*.

This package reflects a 10% OVERALL SAVINGS and each player receives:

• • • •

4 ROUNDS OF GOLF 3 NIGHTS RESORT LODGING 2 18-HOLE REPLAYS AND COMPLEMENTARY RANGE BALLS

Stay here, Play here, Live here!

Discover more at RumblingBald.com

For more information, please call 828.694.3050.

ASK ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL GOLF, MEAL PLANS AND OTHER AMENITIES TO YOUR STAY! *Rate is per person and based on quad occupancy in an a standard Condo/Villa. Rounds may not be shared. Price includes all applicable taxes and fees. May not be combined with other discounts, offers or previously booked reservations. Exclusions and blackout dates may apply. Replays based on available tee times. Valid through 8/31/18.

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF

Patriot Golf Day® has become the largest grass-roots golf fundraiser in America – a joint initiative of The PGA of America and the USGA, Patriot Golf Day enlists the support of public and private golf facilities across the country. Funds support Folds of Honor, providing educational scholarships to the children and spouses of service members killed or disabled while serving in America’s Armed Forces.

GET INVOLVED Although the national promotion of Patriot Golf Day is over Labor Day weekend, you can play golf any time of the year to support the families of our fallen and disabled service members. Here are a few ways to get involved.

HOST AN

EVENT CONDUCT A GOLF

MARATHON PARTICIPATE IN THE

DONATION BOX CAMPAIGN

LEARN MORE AT PATRIOTGOLFDAY.ORG

header from the publisher

Father’s Day Ties...

Years ago, Walt Disney World hosted an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.

The tournament was played on the Palm and Magnolia courses at the resort. The tournament was one of the player’s favorites because of the proximity to Orlando Florida: many players maintain homes here in FL and enjoy taking their families to the theme parks when not playing. Eventually the event took on the title and charity Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Walt Disney World Resort. The purse was $4,700,000 with $846,000 My Stepfather Nile Turner and I many years take home to the winner. ago. He taught me a strong work ethic and Children’s Miracle Network to always be reading something Hospitals raises funds and awareness for 170-member hospitals that treat 32 million kids each year across the U.S. and Canada.

This is where we met young JJ Qualkenbush playing in the Pro-Am. His caddie was Matt Coonan whose father, Mike Coonan, was a photographer for the event. JJ was taught at an early age to give back with his mad skills on the golf course. He played in Pro-Ams all over the country that gave back from the fees. How perfect that JJ has returned as a mature and interesting feature writer. Jan Qualkenbush, JJ’s father is an amazing supportive parent, it’s not a miracle that JJ has excelled in his career.

JJ played in three Children’s Miracle Network Tournaments and played high school golf where he had the 9-hole score record his sophomore year at (-4) 32 and had the lowest combined season average in his senior year for the division (36.2).

He received a scholarship to California Baptist University in Riverside, CA where he played for two years before returning home to finish school.

He graduates college in a couple months with a business major. Two months ago, he turned pro and plans to play all the different Q-Schools around the world in pursuit of getting his PGA tour card.

When we met he was at Hank Haney’s Academy, through 8th grade, traveled every weekend to golf tournaments and was the International Junior Golf Tour Player of the Year for 3 years in a row. In addition to all that, (He Was All That) JJ was featured on the cover of Golf Central 3 times in those 3 years of playing for charities in Pro-Ams from here to Hawaii.

This month we celebrate Fathers of all kinds, and June 21st is the first day of Summer AND... Shannon’s incredible 16 years with Golf Central Magazine - WOOHOOO!! My Dear Liza Mae Royek Willey’s Birthday, she would be 48, I miss her on the daily!

Thank you all for sending the positive, affirming emails when the mag is printed, especially the supporters that feel the impact of their marketing campaigns.

Love to Your Father.

JJ Qualkenbush on the cover modeling coLLo, his cousin Tom's new line. Talk about talented and caring families.

These guys are protecting golfers and looking out for each other!

See pages 37, 38, 39.

2009 North Florida PGA Amateur of the Year 6

Volume 19, Issue 2 Publisher: Terrie L. Purdum Editor in Chief: Shannon Coates Regional Partner: Doug Hollandsworth, Founder-Georgia Golf Trail

Editor Emeritus: Joel Jackson, CGCS Retired Chief Fertilizer Spreader: Eric Rasberry Golf Gym: Ken Pierce Ambassador of Buzz: Jennifer Jolly Associate Editor/Photographer: Greg Corbo Photographers: Lynn Pelham, Brion Price, Peter Hakansson Mike Coonan, Becky Galloway Senior Correspondent: Rick Harris, Sr.

Junior Correspondent: Bella Dovhey International Correspondent: Dove Jones Contributing Writers: Jay Golden, PGA; Greg Wise, Bob Bolton, Greg Corbo, Elisa Gaudet, Mike Jamison, Mike May, Ron Heller, Rich Styles, Fred Seely, Deb Shuck, JL Quebbeman, Mitch Sadowsky, Linda Williams-Sieg

Graphic Design: Melahn Cable, melahn@mac.com Website Design/Network Support: ryjo.com Golf Central Magazine is published monthly by: Sand Hill Publishing & Public Relations 1549 Warrington Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708

NEW PHONE: 321.765.7550 E-mail: info@golfcentralmag.com ©2018 Golf Central Magazine. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Editorial contributions are welcome, but Golf Central Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited proposals, manuscripts and photographs. All materials submitted not accompanied 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. Golf Central Magazine retains all reprint rights and reserves the right to edit any submitted material to meet our specifications for publishing and or use in advertising or promotion.

The Publisher 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 Publisher reserves the right to refuse to accept any material deemed inappropriate or in bad taste.

2017 Want to participate in a fun, global species-counting competition?

Ask the staff at your local golf course if they are participating in BioBlitz 2017!

518-767-9051 www.auduboninternational.org

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

R A I SI NG

TH E

PAR

New Luxury Homes in West Palm Beach From the $500s Introducing the Residences at Banyan Cay, a private gated community inside the Nobel House Resort & Golf Club with an array of resort-style amenities, just minutes from Downtown West Palm Beach.

OPTIONAL GOLF MEMBERSHIP AVAILABLE TO THE NEW JACK NICKLAUS SIGNATURE GOLF COURSE

1 AND 2-STORY • 3 TO 4 BEDROOMS • 3 TO 4.5 BATHS • 1,863 TO 3,101 A/C SQ. FT.

LIVEATBANYANCAY.COM • 561-530-2363 SALES CENTER 3089 GIN BERRY WAY, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401 Plans, elevations, speci cations, features, colors, designs, dimensions and materials are all subject to availability, and subject to change or substitution at any time and without notice. SobelCo expressly reserves the right to make modi cation, revisions and changes as may be required for lot t or by governmental bodies and law, or other reasons as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Illustrations of elevations are artist’s depictions only. Stock photography includes stock images and is used to depict the spirit of lifestyle and not for speci c references. For more information consult a sales representative. CBC017578

Volume 19, Issue 2 19th Hole 19 Nona Blue Cart Girl 28 Skylar Neil Fashion Forward 70 Course & Club Cuisine of the Green 58 Sandhill Crane Golf CLub

Departments

20 22 26 40 42 50 52

54 66 62 64 66 68

Father's Day Gifts Father's Day Gifts Hot Summer Products Grip It & Sip It Competitive Spirits Golf History Freddy's Fairway Thoughts

SFPGA NFPGA Turf Life Turf Life Turf Life Golf Fitness

Fashion Forward 44 Clubwear by Christine Storm Father's Day Tribute 10 Ken Peirce 11 Wayne Gimperman

FEATURE 38 coLLo Apparel

40

Florida Golf Central 34 Ventura Golfin' Getaway Fore Your Health 12 CBD Georgia Golf Central 21 Callaway Gardens Golf Bachelor 30 Alejandro Munoz Golf Fore Charity 18 Ovarian Cancer Research & Awareness Golf Travel 24 Sicily, Italy 46 Atlantic Links

21

Growing The Game 48 The First Tee Leader on the Links 36 Clemmie Perry Special Events 60 Academy of Golf Art Exhibition Stay & Play 14 Amelia Island Young Guns 27 Walk Up Music

36

golfcentralmag.com

Get to know Maggie. Stay for a day, weekend or a lifetime. There’s always something amazing to do in Maggie Valley, NC - including nothing at all.

Managed by Honours Golf (800) 438-3861 | maggievalleyclub.com

father's day memories

The Green Was Very Soft Under My Feet [ I dedicate this article to my dad, Leonard L. Pierce \

He was a hardworking man who, from

take me to the golf course. I couldn’t

what I fondly remember, loved getting

have been more than 4 or 5 years old.

out with his buddies to enjoy a day of

He handed me his putter and a ball (the

golf on the many great golf courses in

putter was taller than I), pointed me in

the Chicago area.

the direction of the putting green, and

I don’t ever remember him coming

told me to go play putting. He said he

home to tell us what a great round he

would come get me in 20 minutes and

had or what a great drive he hit on #7

he headed off to the clubhouse.

at so and so golf course. However, I do

When I got to the putting green I

remember him every so often mention-

dropped the ball, probably gripped the

ing the names of courses on which

putter like a baseball bat and started

he played. At the time they were just

to smack the ball here and there, just

names to me, but now I realize that he

playing putting. The green felt very

walked the fairways of some of the best

soft under my feet. I’d never seen grass

courses in the country. Butler National,

this short. It was like I was on a carpet.

Medinah Country Club, Cog Hill, Dubs

I can’t exactly remember why, but I

Dread, Butterfield Country Club to

thumped the soft surface with the put-

name a few.

ter. What a neat dent it made. I remem-

I wasn’t into golf back in the 60’s,

ber turning the blade vertical and with

which is when he played almost every

a full swing, like I was chopping wood,

weekend. I am really sorry now that

embedding the putter head into the

I missed that opportunity to share

green. Wow, that was fun. After about

golf with my dad. On the other hand,

5 more lumberjack swings, burying the

perhaps he wanted to keep that unique

head and yanking it out, I heard the

relationship with his buddies without

panic screams of a man running toward

me hanging around.

me from the pro shop.

There was one time that he did

The trip to the clubhouse is a blur,

but I can picture me airborne, held by the scruff of my neck, with my feet dangling like a rag doll. (I might be over dramatizing a bit, but hey, I was a little kid). The man dragged me into the clubhouse to inform my dad just what I had done. I immediately got “the look” from my dad (you know that look) and his card game came to an abrupt end.

Perhaps that’s why, to this day, I am a stickler for fixing ball marks on the green.

My Dad had one Hole-in-One in his life. It was May 18, 1968 at Butterfield Country Club, Hinsdale, Illinois. It was on the 9th hole, 165 yards. He used a 5 iron.

He got this plaque which is proudly displayed on the wall in my office.

To all the Dads out there, thank you for getting your son or daughter involved in this great game. I am grateful to my Dad for getting me started and inspiring me to do my best. I miss you Dad. If your Dad is still with you (and I hope still playing golf), be sure to contact him and give him a Big Hug...even if it’s just over the phone.

Happy Father’s Day!

10

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

By Wayne Cimperman

that night we scribbled some charac-

father's day memories

ters down on paper with the rules. I remember asking him what we should call the game. He replied instantly, “Vegas Golf, of course!” So obvious!

The Original version at the time only contained 7 chips (Positive: Birdie, 1-Putt, Negatives: Trees, Sand, Water, 3-Putt and 8-Ball). Right away I went to work on creating the funny characters that represented the positive and negative shots.

Vegas Golf “On The Course” Golf Game was created by a father and son who had a passion for playing poker and playing golf!

As a young man my father taught me to play craps, poker and golf! (Not sure which one came first). As I got older he would bring me to Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe for golf, gambling and fun.

I clearly remember on one of the trips to Vegas, playing a round of golf and we were using some of the casino chips from the night before to make bets. On

the back 9 my father said he has a great idea for a golf product. He said, “Let’s formalize what we have been doing by placing negative and positive tasks on real poker chips and sell it as a game! It will be a fun “On the Course” game that rewards you for the positive things you accomplish and punishes you for the

The game was first introduced as golf tee prizes in which they would and still do place sponsors logo on the back of each chip for various golf promotions.

It took many years trying to penetrate the difficult golf retail business. Since that time however, Vegas Golf has grown considerably. Vegas Golf The Game is now sold in over 12 countries and is the #1 selling “On The Course” golf game in the world.

My father passed away years ago but

hazards.”

“Great idea!” I said. I remember

I know he is happy to see how Vegas Golf has evolved.

Vegas Golf now offers 5 different Editions. Each one has different combinations of various chips. The most popular “All-In” contains 24 different chips. The most popular new chips are the Beer and the Grave Digger chip.

Beer chip rule…Every Par 3 whoever has the worst tee shot gets the beer chip. If it is in your pocket when the beer cart comes by you are buying! Grave Digger chip: takes you more than 1 shot to get out of a bunker.

Only one game needed per foursome.

1 Game....Lots of Laughs! The demo is a must see. Complete games start at only $19.95 with Free Shipping

Wayne Sr., Wayne Jr., and future Vegas Golf owner Wes Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

www.vegasgolfthegame.com 11

fore your health

By John G. Langdon, M.D., FACP

CBD can get you back in the game!

Golfing is supposed to be a way to relax and enjoy your free time.

Unfortunately the average golfer is a lot like all the other weekend warriors out there trying to recapture their youth only to find they pay an increasingly steep price for those weekend adventures. As we age pain, anxiety, inflammation, and sleep disruption plague all of us and the treatment of these problems has caused untold suffering from Opioids, tranquilizers, and surgery and often do not improve our game.

5000 years of history and in modern times highly sophisticated research has shown a better way of relieving these vexing problems. Rigorous research going back to the 1930s has clearly defined the chemistry and biology of cannabis molecules, the endocannabinoid system of receptors and led the way to a wide variety of clinical opportunities and applications.

Enter modern Cannabadiol [PCR CBD from Vijuvia life Centers] - 100 % THC free.

Cannabadiol and THC represent over 100 different molecules that come from the various strains of cannabis plants.

Both interact with a natural human system known as the endocannabinoid system [the body’s primary neuroimmune homeostasis regulating system].

THC, of course, causes psychotropic responses but has also found modern medical uses as in “Medical Marijuana” that go beyond the use of THC to just get high. THC however remains illegal at the federal level and its use can result in a positive random drug test. It is only legal at the state level in highly regulated state licensed dispensaries where a referral from state certified physicians is required for access Fortunately CBD, the other main component of the Cannabis plant in its purified form, provides almost all 12

of the benefits of “Medical Marijuana” and is completely legal and available as a supplement recognized by the FDA. CBD is legal in all fifty states.

CBD’s reputation as a supplement that reduces inflammation and pain, improves sleep and can boost energy that is often sorely lacking by the time the average golfer gets to the back 9 is well earned. The biological pathways that confer these benefits have been nicely worked out in the laboratories where decades of research confirm CBD benefits. Many active adults and especially seniors are enjoying the improved energy, performance and sense of well being imparted by CBD. If

these issues concern you CBD is worth a try. Moreover no side effects have been reported While CBD is available over the counter a significant buyer beware warning must be appreciated.

Therein, however, lies a problem because there are many CBD labeled products that are on the market with little documentation of what they actually contain. [Often a much smaller amount than the label would indicate]. Contaminants from the source as well as processing are real issues and rarely revealed in the labels.

John G. Langdon, M.D., FACP

Pharmaceutical grade CBD has shown no history of side effects and there exists significant medical research demonstrating the way CBD works through interacting with the natural homeostatic mechanisms that support life. It is the natural first choice for pain, inflammation, anxiety and sleep disruption.

The easiest way to use pharmaceutical grade CBD with zero THC is in the form of a softgel that provides maximum absorption and effect at the lowest dose [10mg]. 10 mg softgels provide both easy dose regulation as well as providing for the most flexible and economic approach to usage in the CBD market.

Dose range recommendations [10 – 40 mg] are the result of significant research by pharmaceutical grade CBD manufactures and provide reasonable guidance for starting use of CBD supplementation. Look for a pharmaceutical grade contaminant free product entirely sourced and made in the USA. The labeling of CBD should be clear and accurate as to the amount in each softgel. The label should also include a copy of “The Farm Act” which identifies the nature of the product and confirms it is THC free.

CBD as a daily supplement has the potential to return your golf game to its former source of relaxation and enjoyment if you can control your body’s response to age and physical challenges. Not smoking, proper diet and light daily exercise can enhance the value of CBD.

For more information: vijuvia.com/gcm John G. Langdon, M.D., FACP is an Internal Medicine specialist with 45 years experience, Chief Medical Strategist for Vijuvia Life Centers and Immediate Past Governor of the American College of Physicians [Florida Chapter] Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE The PGA TOUR has assembled one of the finest golf instruction teams in the game at the famed TPC Sawgrass facility located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Led by top-ranked golf instructor, Todd Anderson, expert instructors will begin with a complete assessment and develop a plan to quickly improve all facets of your game.

LEARN MORE TOURPERFORMANCECENTER.COM (904) 280-2452

By Tony Leodora

stay & play

Double Your Pleasure There was an old television commercial – with one of those catchy jingles – that promoted the benefits of Doublemint chewing gum.

The jingle went, “Double your pleasure. Double your fun. With doublegood, double-good Doublemint gum.”

The idea was that a gum featuring spearmint and peppermint flavors had to be twice as good as a normal chewing gum. It worked. The company sold millions of boxes of product.

Take that marketing approach and apply it to your next golf vacation.

Wouldn’t a location that offered two totally different atmospheres, in one location, be twice as good as the normal golf destination?

That is the appeal of Amelia Island – the low-country gem that sits just north and east of Jacksonville, Florida.

Yes, Florida.

Normally, the term “Low Country” is confined to South Carolina and Georgia.

But Amelia Island is the southernmost stretch of the charming combination of marshland and beachland that makes the Low Country so popular.

However, on Amelia Island the Low Country atmosphere is separated into two distinctly different cultures.

At one end of the island are opulent resorts that pamper the whims of every guest. The Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort and the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island are sanctuaries for the mind, body and soul. Great golf, fivestar dining, sensual spas and luxurious accommodations are the norm.

At the other end of the island lies the trendy, funky, lively and historic town of Fernandina Beach. It is a trip back in time … with a modern, upbeat twist.

No.16 at Oak Marsh

“Amelia Island is the oldest resort town in Florida, but it is still new to a lot of people,” explains Kate Harris, director of marketing for Amelia Island Tourism. “It has developed its own special charm over the years. Part of the allure is that is has something for everyone.”

When it comes to luxury, the two beachfront hotels toward the south end of the island have national reputations.

The Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort is a sprawling 1,350 acre natural paradise that offers 400 oceanfront rooms and suites – all with patios and balconies. The daily sunrises are so spectacular that early rising is a must.

The most adventurous go for a morning horseback ride along the beach.

As if the beautiful beach is not enough of an attraction, the Omni Amelia Island offers the largest poolscape in Northern Florida – featuring an infinity edge adult-only pool, a 10,000 square foot familyfriendly pool, a children’s splash park and two hot tubs.

There are nine dining options on property, 23 Har-Tru tennis courts, a nature-inspired spa, and a shopping No. 9 at Oak Marsh

14

village with boutiques and a Frenchstyle deli.

And, on days when indoor activity is preferred, there is a fully equipped fitness center and an indoor lap pool.

Just slightly north along the beach, the palatial Ritz Carlton Amelia Island is a stunning site. The sprawling hotel and conference center offers 446 rooms, club rooms and suites. There are four restaurants on site, plus the very active Lobby Bar. Corporate travelers and special event guests flock to the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island because of its 48,000 square feet of indoor function space. There are also several outdoor and ocean view venues.

The Ritz Carlton also boasts a worldclass spa, fitness center and tennis facilities.

At the north end of the island, the style of accommodations and relaxation takes a sharp turn – back to the 19th Century.

The town of Fernandina Beach is a collection of architecturally preserved restaurants, shops and hotels that harken to the days when the railroad first brought vacationers to Florida.

Foremost among the many choices for accommodations is the Hampton Inn and Suites Amelia Island Historic Harbor Front. This hotel honestly is unlike any other Hampton Inn. Upon entrance to the lobby, guests marvel at the grand staircase, ceiling clock and fireplace – design elements honoring the seaside village’s Victorian architecture. There are 122 guest rooms and two-room suites with features such as balconies, whirlpools and fireplaces.

“Our big draw is that we are so close to all of the attractions in town,” says Hampton Inn General Manager Bob Ramshaw. “For people who want a walking vacation, they can park their car at the hotel and never move it for Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

No 15 at Amelia National Golf Club the entire length of their stay.”

While the shops and restaurants bustle all day and into the night, there is one common activity – sunset. Guests in town flock to two locations to view spectacular sunsets each evening. The dock along the marina mixes views of fishing boats and sailboats with the orange glow that dominates the bay and Intracoastal Waterway.

For a slightly elevated view, the upstairs deck at the Salty Pelican restaurant allows visitors to sample some of the island’s freshest seafood and craft cocktails, while watching the sunset.

The Salty Pelican is just one of many popular restaurants – of all types – in Fernandina Beach. From the ultracasual nature of Timoti’s Seafood Shak … to the chef’s table at Joe’s 2nd Street Bistro … to the southern barbecue at Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen … to the Cajun/Creole dishes from LuLu’s @ The Thompson House … to Espana, a Spanish tapas bar. Well, you get the idea. There is quite an eclectic variety of culinary choices.

Now that you know you can stay comfortably and eat well on Amelia Island, it’s about time we get to the main attraction for many – golf.

The quality of golf, in close proximity to the beaches and hotels on the island, is amazing.

The Ritz Carlton offers the most convenient golf option – the 18-hole Golf Club of Amelia Island is only a few footsteps from the hotel entrance. It was

The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island

co-designed by Mark McCumber and legendary golfer Gene Littler. It is a lush layout, guarded by century-old oak trees along the winding marshland.

There is 36 holes of golf at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort.

The Long Point course is a Tom Fazio design, completed in 1987. It is the primary golf course for Amelia Island Club members. Hotel guests may access this private course one day in advance, based upon availability.

The Oak Marsh course is open to the public and is one of the truly classic Pete Dye-designed golf courses in the world. It was completed in 1972 and has withstood the test of time. It is not a long course, 6,500 yards from the tips, but features small greens and many twists and turns through the salt marsh creeks for which Amelia Island is famous.

Another Tom Fazio design is Amelia National Golf and Country Club. Part of a private, gated community developed by

Golf Club at Northampton Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

16th green at Oak Marsh ICI Homes, this course can be accessed through the packages presented by Florida’s First Coast of Golf (www. florida-golf.org). It is worth making the connection.

From the outset, Fazio was charged with producing a course of stellar natural beauty, designed for championship play.

He fulfilled his mission in every way.

To round out the menu of golf from great architects, there is the Arnold Palmer-designed Golf Club at North Hampton. Also part of a handsome housing community, this 7,080-yard, par 72 layout is a feast for the eyes and a beguiling siren that calls you back to test its charms – over and over.

For those who just want to play a little golf at a bargain price, and enjoy the exercise of walking, there is the Fernandina Beach Municipal Golf Course.

Once again, something for everyone is the theme on Amelia Island.

And convenience is another theme.

Amelia Island is located just a few miles off busy I-95 in northern Florida … or a half-hour drive from Jacksonville Airport.

Discover Florida’s oldest vacation destination … all over again.

15

19th hole header

Come hang with us. Everyone’s invited.

Your 19th hole.

Where to watch the game, or girls’ night out. A comfortable place to dine with family. A fun date night. A special place to celebrate.

And—where to go to feel at home.

We’ve got a tavern soul and a foodie heart. The warmth of a neighborhood hangout with the polish of your favorite restaurant, Nona Blue Modern Tavern is a place that brings people together, creates memorable moments, and reflects its community.

This was the vision for Nona Blue from the very beginning. When Founding Partners and veteran restauranteurs Joe Davi and Bill Bona came together to create the Nona Blue concept, they envisioned blending the warmth and social atmosphere of a tavern with the sophistication and excellence of a highend casual eatery.

We serve generous portions of fresh seafood, hand cut steaks, signature sandwiches, salads, and desserts all prepared in house using superior ingredients. “Food the way we like to eat” is how we best describe our menu. Local produce and farm-to-table ingredients is key to our delicious selections.

Nona Blue expansion plans are national in focus. We are presently seeking out markets and communities that have a need for high quality food and service in rooftop communities throughout the Florida market as well as neighborhoods across the country. www.nonablue.com

NONA BLUE’S BANOFFEE PIE Yield: 1 pie

Utensils needed: Measures: cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: 1 cup Graham Cracker Pecan Crust 1 medium banana 1/3 cup Nestle Dulce de Leche (hot)

Directions: 1. Pre-heat oven to 300F 2. Add ¾ of the graham cracker crusts to the bottom of small rivet. With your hand move the crumbs to the edges and from around the shell. Do not pack.

3. Place ¼ cup of crumbs in the bottom of the rivet and spread them out coast-to-coast.

4. Place the rivet in a pre- heated 300 oven and bake for 5 – 8 minutes (until golden brown).

5. Remove rivet from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.

6. Slice the banana 1/4-inch-thick and add to rivet making sure to cover the bottom of the rivet coast to coast.

7. Add dulce de Leche on top of bananas making sure the bananas are completely covered.

8. Refrigerate the cakes and allow to rest for 2hrs. before serving.

LAKE NONA – EST. 2013 This is where it all began. The Nona Blue Modern Tavern concept found the perfect home in this newly developed Lake Nona area. Offering a comfortable, warm place to hang, dine and connect with others, Nona Blue is a beloved fixture of this Greater Orlando community.

9685 Lake Nona Village Place Orlando, Florida 32827 PONTE VEDRA BEACH – EST. 2016 Home of the PGA TOUR and stunning beaches, Ponte Vedra Beach is the ideal backdrop for Nona Blue’s second location. It features all the warmth and character of our first location with the addition of waterfront views and a heritage-rich special event room 325 Front Street Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082 16

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

9685 Lake Nona Village Place Orlando, FL 32827 407.313.0027

Slรกinte

Visit Our New Location!

325 Front Street Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 904.834.7549 โ ข www.nonablue.com

By Dave Walker

Two Events and One Great Cause!

Once again, the Playing for a Cause Golf Marathon and the Party for a Purpose events were a tremendous success for the ultimate goal of Ovarian Cancer Research and Awareness. The golf marathoners were treated to a nice day of golf at Redtail Golf Club, then they rested for the next day they had to party, a tough combination. This year’s format had an added twist with the two-person team concept of the most birdies made throughout the day of golf. The team of Wayne Talski & Nicholas Boudreau were the winners in the category. The most holes played “Teal Shoe” Award went to the Sly Terry & Chris Luczywo team. This year we had golf marathoner’s from Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and

18

Alabama.

Mercedes-Benz of North Orlando again joined the golf event as the Putting Green Sponsor. We were pleased to have Mesa21 Real Mexican Restaurant as our official dinner sponsor. Sandra Rios and her staff did a great job with the party dinner. Also making the party very memorable were the folks from the band – Duocustic. The Party for a Purpose found the coolest event venue in Orlando – M-Motors. This 60-car vintage auto museum was the greatest backdrop for an awesome fundraising party.

Our funds from this event goes towards a very unique program developed

by Robert Holloway, MD. One of the nations top GYN Oncologist. Dr. Hol-

loway’s team has designed a research program for Cancer Immunotherapy.

“We are very grateful for the work being done in Dr. Holloway’s office, which gives hope to many cancer patients” says Lisa Bowen, RN. ovarian cancer survivor and event host. We appreciate all of our sponsors that were a part of both events. Our tournament committee worked very hard to build an event to benefit Florida Hospital Cancer Institute.

If you enjoy vintage cars, great golf, food & wine you need to add this event to your calendar! For more information on how to get involved in next years event please contact Dave Walker Jr at (321) 277-9094 or visit; playingforacause.org

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

MM Majors Motors Beyond the Best

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

19

Nadkins

product showcase header

A lot of thought and care went into the creation of Nadkins.

After all, this isn’t designed for any old part of the body. Each individually wrapped towelette is 100% Natural and 100% Non-Toxic.

Key ingredients like Aloe Vera, Allantoin and Vitamin E gently cleanse and hydrate sensitive skin, while pleasantly soothing and comforting, leaving you with a refreshing tingly feeling that›s something to behold.

Trust us ... they won’t be sorry www.nadkins.com

Sound Caddy

– Father's Day Special – Sound Caddy (SoundCaddyGolf.com), a state-of-the-art Bluetooth speaker and power bank for golf, is offering a special for Father’s Day: $30 off the purchase of a Sound Caddy, plus free shipping.

“Sound Caddy is a popular item all year round, but Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to give one as a gift,” said Henry Adams, founder of Sound Caddy. “We are pleased to present this special offer for the occasion.”

The code for ordering a Sound Caddy for Father’s Day is FATHER. Sound Caddy has been gaining a growing and loyal following since its inception last year. Allowing golfers to unwind and experience the freedom of high-fidelity music on the golf course, Sound Caddy is dedicated to enhancing the game of golf while not disrupting its traditions.

For more information, see SoundCaddyGolf.com.

Vertical Groove Golf Play the Vertical Groove driver that John Daly won the Insperity Invitational and is Number 1 in driving distance on the PGA Tour Champions. Voted the Number 1 Driver by Golf Aficionado, this 450cc, 2-piece seamless weld Titanium head with 17 vertical grooves across the face is changing the golf industry. More amateurs are hitting it further and straighter than ever before with the Vertical Groove Driver. Gaining confidence in your driving off the tee box and playing from the fairway lends itself to more fun and lower scores. Go to vertgolf.com to customize your driver and now the new 3-wood. The new 3-Wood offered by Vertical Groove Golf comes in 14 and 15 degrees. The 3-wood has incredible turf interaction and easy to get the ball in the air. The 14-degree is for the better player with the weighting more forward, where the 15-degree weight is back to get the ball up in the air for the amateur player.

All clubs are custom built in Jupiter, Florida. The company offers many shaft options. The standard shaft in every driver is the Aldila NV2k which is an OEM upgrade. The shafts come in ladies, senior, regular, stiff and xtra stiff.

The driver comes in 8-degree, 9.5-degree, 10.5-degree and 12 degree. Order your driver and 3-wood today and change your game with Vertical Groove Golf.

Go to vertgolf.com 20

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Short Par 4

Rickie Fowler and Wesley Bryan Tour Experience Boxes Short Par 4, a golf inspired box subscription service that ships hand curated, top quality, branded golf apparel, footwear and accessories directly to golfers, is proud to announce that the company will begin shipping its TOUR Experience early orders on May 20th.

“These new golf outfits, accessories and gear from the Rickie Fowler and Wesley Bryan TOUR Experience Memberships are current, stylish, and direct from the PGA TOUR. We are really looking forward to our member’s response. Here at the company, we all were pretty impressed, and we think our members will be blown away,” stated Short Par 4 CEO, Bobby DiMeo. The new Tour Experience Membership features one of a kind, exclusive boxes curated

by PGA TOUR’s biggest stars with their apparel, accessories and gear for both on and off the course. Other unique offers such as signed memorabilia and one-of-a-kind items used during tournaments will provide real insight to what it is like to be on the PGA TOUR. Also, included is VIP access to “PGA Player” only deals and exclusive insider access to Rickie Fowler and Wesley Bryan. Both who showcase their respective brands and styles in their Short Par 4 signature Tour Experience Memberships.

The Rickie Fowler TOUR Experience by Short Par 4 features his Tour outfits, accessories and premium gear from his own sponsors like PUMA. Tour shirts, hats and outer wear from PUMA with Rickie’s partner logos; Cobra for logoed Tour hats, Titleist for balls and gloves, and Red Bull for unique one-of-a-kind items like towels and his favorite divot fixer.

The Wesley Bryan Tour Experience by Short Par 4 was built for those members who appreciate Wesley’s fresh but bold fashion sense. This membership includes Tour shirts, pants, shorts, Tour outerwear, socks and more. The Tour Shirts and outwear will be logoed with Skechers, the same as he wears on the PGA TOUR. Again, this is special because this logoed Skechers apparel is not available anywhere. Other brands included in the Wesley Bryan Tour Experience are Callaway for logoed Tour hats, Taco Bell for belts, Johnson Gray Designs for ball markers and custom items.

“Another cool component in Wesley’s TOUR Experience is that he will be engaging with his members monthly on social media. He will be sharing his thoughts and insights from the PGA TOUR – really making this a TOUR Experience,” added DiMeo. Short Par 4 is golf’s leading box subscription service with over 250,000 boxes delivered to their members in 2017. Their membership is growing at a record pace and with the newly developed website, new membership levels, the company and its brand is expected to grow expediently in 2018.

Short Par 4 has been thriving since 2014 and has shipped over 500,000 boxes and counting! The company is located in Sarasota, Florida. For more information, please visit https://www.shortpar4.com/.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

21

product showcase

Luxury Belts Redefined Nexbelt, The Original Belt with No Holes, introduced a new collection of ratchet-style belts recently that have redefined the category of luxury belts. The Rowland Thomas Collection of belts are handmade in the USA and feature full grain leathers that are imported from the finest Italian tanneries. The leather is embossed, by hand, to replicate snake scales, for the Serpent Collection, a crocodile print, for the Kayiman Collection or a herringbone texture for the Herrington Collection.

The buckles are detailed with classic designs and feature stainless steel hex screws similar to what you’d see on a fine luxury timepiece. The belts will accommodate up to a 45” inch waist and feature a unique ratcheting system called Precise-FitTM. Instead of the typical 1” inch adjustment of a traditional pin-and-buckle style belt, these belts allow the person wearing them to “micro-tune” the belt and adjust it ¼ inch increments, providing the best fit, feel, and fashion available. These belts come in a Premium Presentation Box and a Velvet Travel Bag.

Available in six different designs to compliment your wardrobe collection.

SERPENT COLLECTION - Full grain Italian leather with a special embossed cut to replicate snake scales. The belts are Made in the USA to the highest standards.

KAYIMAN COLLECTION - Full grain Italian calfskin embossed in brown crocodile print with black highlights or black crocodile print with blue highlights.

HERRINGTON COLLECTION - Full grain Italian calfskin embossed in a tan herringbone texture or black herringbone texture.

Available at www.RowlandThomas.com.

22

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

product showcase

The Biggest Innovation in Sunglasses since the Invention of Sunglasses Entrepreneur and Popticals founder David Porter saw a problem: sports sunglasses had no easy and safe way to be carried around when not in use. The storage cases wrap-around sunglasses came with were too bulky, and without a case, they often end up broken or lost. So David did what he does best and invented a solution: a design that allowed wrap-around sunglasses to compact down to a small size.

Popticals was founded with a spirit for innovation and adventure. They build portable, premium sports sunglasses that provide high-performance eyewear when you need them, and a convenient, safe way to store them when you don’t. With industry-leading lenses manufactured by Carl Zeiss Vision and Italian manufacturing, they hold their products to an extremely high standard of quality. Their patented design represents something larger than just a way to make sports sunglasses portable. It’s tangible evidence of their mindset to not only build better gear, but to think of a new way to do things altogether. Simply put, innovation is in their DNA. THE DESIGN & ENGINEERING OF THE FL2 MICRO-RAIL SYSTEM® The FL2 Micro-Rail System® started with a deceptively simple challenge: how can sports sunglasses compact down to a portable size? Sports sunglasses have a wrap-around style with curved lenses and frames to ensure a secure fit around the head during active use. The problem with a curved, wrap-around design is that they take up a lot of space inside unwieldy, bulky cases when they’re not in use and cannot be folded up. To build a true portable wraparound design required something different.

So Popticals broke the mold and engineered a completely new approach. At the heart of their patented design is the FL2 Micro-Rail System®. Using a rail system built into the frames, the lenses slide inward and parallel to each other for compact storage. The system uses stainless steel pins that move along a track within the frames for smooth Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

and effortless movement. A powerful magnet guides and locks in the connecting pieces in the center of the frames to create a secure and solid connection. The temple sections of the sunglasses fold inwards using two hinges for a truly small carrying size. The technology allows the sunglasses to keep the curved design elements of wrap-around sunglasses for active use without the large and bulky storage size.

EXPERIENCE THE NYDEF™ GOLF DIFFERENENCE Golf is a game of precision and being able to accurately read the course can make or break your game. Having high-performance eyewear to tackle these obstacles is just as important as having the right club or perfecting your stroke. Popticals partnered with optics industry leader Carl Zeiss Vision to create golf-specific lenses that bring visual precision to every golfer. NYDEF™ GOLF lenses feature purple and violet tints to reduce the green saturation of the course, allowing the different shades of green to be more easily distinguished.

• Enhanced Contrast – Optimized coloration and sharper contrast helps you see the topography of the course clearly while also enabling better tracking and visibility of the ball.

• Non-Polarized, On Purpose – Polarized lenses flatten the image you see and affect depth perception. NYDEF™ GOLF keeps depth of field intact and allows you to see reflected light that helps distinguish between varying textures and conditions of the course.

• Clearer. Lighter. Better. – Nylon construction makes NYDEF™ GOLF significantly clearer and lighter in weight than polycarbonate lenses used in most other sunglasses.

Popticals NYDEF™ GOLF Sunglasses are available in several different frame styles. Visit their website at www.Popticals.com for more information or to purchase online.

23

By Greg Wise

golfheader travel

3 Generation Challenge

The stage was set with a trip across the pond in early April.

Destination Italy… Sicily to be exact.

We were no more off the plane and our 10-year-old grandson started in… “When are we going to play golf, Grandpa?” “Where are we going to play?”

That was like music to my ears.

Our son, Travis Wise, daughter-in-law Charlotte and our 10-year-old Grandson Chase live near Catania, just below Mt. Etna on the coast of Sicily. There are very few active Volcanos in the world… and one of them happened to be Mt. Etna.

I knew we had to have a day to experience Mt. Etna.

Granted one of those questions that Chase has stated… was going to wait for a little bit, until we had a chance to rest after the long flight.

Where to play… was up to Travis as he knew the island and the distance that it would take to make it there and back on a day trip.

The choice was made… Siracusa Golf Monesteri, just outside the town of Siracusa.

This track was set in the foothills regions, Southeast of our base location.

Taking the first tee with your son and grandson is quiet an awesome experience. But playing a strong round of golf

Greg Wise, Chase Wise and Travis Wise… all sharing the Turf Life with borrowed clubs and in your tennis shoes, even made it better.

I am so lucky that my Golf Pad application was picking up the golf course and was giving actual yardage, as opposed to meter measurement. That was somewhat of a surprise to me, that I was going to have to figure out how many meters that a shot was. The app really came through to save the day.

Siracusa Golf Monesteri was a beautiful setting. As we approached the course it was surprising that we drove around the course to finally get to the entrance road. With a natural volcanic rock wall surrounding the golf course and mature trees, this was set to be a great day of golf.

Playing this track for the first time Chase teeing off on the first hole

was like any other location. Not knowing exactly what was best for placement was a challenge at best, but playing the smart side of placement golf… my brain was saying… don’t hit it anywhere you couldn’t see it land. Well, that theory played out to be some good advice.

Although, not being a long course to play, the challenge was to play around the natural rock formations that may end up in or very close to the edges of the fairway.

Siracusa Golf Monesteri is actually a destination resort in the region. The rooms and facilities were quite pleasing to the eye and a very comfortable warm reception from the staff made us truly feel welcome to the area.

Would I play it again? Absolutely.

Although, there are many golf facilities and resorts in Sicily, I would return for another round of golf at Siracusa Golf Monesteri.

Travis… I think I found your golf ball on the cactus line 7th fairway

24

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Main entry to the complex and hospitality area

Tremendous views in the waste areas to play over on the tough par 5 – 4th hole

Chase wearing his Turf Life

Sharing the course with some equestrian riders out for a nice ride Cactus with Piney Pears… ready for picking.

Okay… Not me!

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

25

Hot Summer Products

HOT SUMMER PRODUCTS!

T

he 2018 golf season is heating up and Father’s Day is just around the corner. Here are a few hot new products to help your game and keep you cool on the course.

Strike Absorber Strike Absorber ® is the ultimate golf practice mat designed to absorb the impact of the golf club when practicing golf shots. The patented golf practice mat is designed to reduce or eliminate strains on the body.

No more sore wrists, hands, elbows, back and shoulders. The Strike Absorber’s inflatable internal bladder allows for the firmness of the mat and artificial turf to be adjustable to your preference and desired practice session. This adjustable firmness provides Strike Absorber’s exceptional forgiveness when the club strikes the ball. Now you can practice effectively and efficiently without the pain or discomfort in your joints.

The Strike Absorber mat can be used on the range, at home, in a studio, along with a golf simulator or a practice net. www.strikeabsorber.com

Gen i2 Golf Simulator Coach Labs, makers of the most effective SMART training aids on the market, introduces the world’s first affordable and portable golf simulator. The Gen i2 simulator package is a game changer and includes golf ’s only intelligent full swing golf ball. The Gen i2 ball contains a nine-axis sensor and on-board MCU providing a miniature launch monitor in the core. The data is then transmitted through an app to any mobile device. The Gen i2 simulator package includes a professional grade pop up net, multi-terrain practice mat and free Gen i2 app for both iOS and Android. Play full rounds with friends in less than an hour or connect to tournaments directly through the app. Gen i2 can be used to practice on the course and get live accurate feedback during your round. Intensify your play. www.coachlabs.com 26

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Live View PLUS One of the fundamental problems for golfers trying to improve their swings is the difference between what a player feels and what is real. Live View+PLUS’ Digital Swing Mirror wireless camera makes it possible for a player to see his own swing in real time from any angle while staying in correct posture. LiveView+PLUS is like having eyes in the back of your head, providing live streaming, 60FPS slow motion recording and built in wide-angle optics. The wireless camera connects to any IOS or Android device using smart phones and tablets as displays and LiveView’s proprietary app. The app provides swing analysis tools into the live video feed, creating templates for tracing lines and matching body positions to adjust your swing. LiveView+PLUS offers “Automatic Replay” after every shot. The pocket size camera is easy to operate and is designed to benefit golfers of all abilities. Live View Golf has received two Golf Digest “Editors’ Choice” awards (2017 & 2018) for best video cameras. www.liveviewgolf.com

Jack Grace USA

In the world of customizing your golf couture, shoes just got a lot cooler. Enter Jack Grace USA, a golf shoe company designed with interchangeable saddles. These premium leather golf shoes with interchangeable saddles look completely normal to the naked eye. The hidden channel technology, designed with magnets and a hook and loop fastener, let the saddle hide behind the welt making it look like a standard golf shoe. The laces are fully functional and tighten the entire shoe.

Jack Grace USA shoes feature a diamond shaped spike-less outsole that provides excellent traction and stability. The customizable saddles come in 25 base colors. Jack Grace USA is a golf shoe that expresses your style both on and off the course. The men’s “Innovator” shoe comes in black, white and grey. Women’s shoes will be available in September. www.jackgraceusa.com

Glove Ride Golf gloves are not only an essential accessory, but can be costly due to everyday wear, tear, overuse and let’s face it, outright abuse. How many times have you reached into your bag to discover a crusty, crumpled up, misshapen glove? Show your gloves some love! GloveRide is the answer. GloveRide attaches to your golf bag providing a convenient place to hang your gloves. The eight-inch long, flexible plastic hang-tag is embedded with a one-inch wide industrial strength Velcro strip. GloveRide includes a customizable poker chip ball marker that locks firmly into the top of the tag. Golfers can hang 3-4 gloves and store them conveniently making their gloves last longer. GloveRide is made in the USA and comes in a variety of colors. www.gloveride.com

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

27

Photos by Gerald White

cart cart header girl girl

What type of music do you prefer?

Some 60’s Classic Rock! Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, & Steve Miller Band!

What is your idea of “the perfect date”?

Out on the water with a bottle of wine and some music

Favorite comedian?

Kevin Hart, were both Eagles fans!

Favorite type of movie?

Favorite type of movie would have to be a sappy romantic comedy… typical right.

Favorite charity to support?

My favorite Charity to support would have to be Autism Speaks

Skylar Neil Where did you grow up?

I Grew up in Sewell, New Jersey

What is your favorite sport to play? Favorite to watch?

My favorite sport to both play and watch is football.

Do you enjoy playing golf? Are they’re any golfers in your family?

I enjoy playing golf for fun! I have an uncle who plays, but we are the only golfers in the family

What do you feel makes this club special?

The fantastic staff who help bring in so many wonderful golfers year after year.

What is your favorite part of being a cart girl? What is your least favorite part?

Seeing so many members and regulars makes it feel a lot less like a job, and more like enjoying others having so much fun out on the course!

If you weren’t a cart girl, what would you be doing?

I would probably be behind a desk doing one of those boring 9-5 shifts… boring!

What is your memorable moment working as a cart girl?

Would probably have to be when there was an entire tournament of male golfers in women’s golf skirts, they fit in perfect!

28

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

golf bachelor header

When they yell and throw their golf clubs, also when they spit on the green.

Name the three most important things to you in this world.

My kids, my job and my parents.

What three people would you most like to play with in your fantasy golf foursome?

Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan and Severiano Ballesteros.

What are some of your great accomplishments?

I won the 1992 Mexican amateur championship. I made it to the PGA tour qualifying finals, that gave me my nike tour card in 1999.

Relaxed evening at home, or nightclub and cocktails?

Nightclub and cocktails.

Favorite comedian?

Jimmy Fallon.

Last book you read?

The match by Mark Frost.

Favorite charity to support?

Red Cross

Where were you born? Did you grow up there?

I was born in Guadalajara, México but I grew up in México City. At 19 I was offered a golf scholarship at the university of Oklahoma.

What else would you like for us to know about you?

What you see is what you get!!

Is “acting your age” over rated?

I don´t feel my age and I truly act younger most of the time.

High school group you hung out with the most; nerds, jocks, stoners, preppies?

I hung out with the jocks and preppies. I was a really good athlete in high school playing soccer and golf, at the same time I partied with the preppies.

What do you do for a living?

I am the Director of Golf At Yucatan Country Club which is one of the nicest golf clubs in México. YCC is located in Mérida México.

What would you like to do for a living?

I love my job, but I would love to play in the Senior PGA Tour.

Aside from golf; what do you prefer for fun and relaxation?

I love spending time with my two kids and I love watching sports.

Tell us something about yourself that only your closest friends know.

Only my close friends know that I´m not really cocky, that most of the time when I am around a lot of people I´m kind of shy.

What three things would you need to survive on a deserted island?

A beautiful girl, food and water.

Who would you like to have with you on the same deserted island; and why?

With the hottest girl that reads this article What do you find to be the most annoying habit people demonstrate on the golf course?

30

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

header georgia golf central

By Mike May

Where Mankind and Mother Nature Live in Harmony When you step foot on the first tee at either the Lake View course or the Mountain View course at Callaway Resort and Gardens (17800 U.S. Highway 27, Pine Mountain, Georgia), get ready for an exciting and eye-opening adventure. Your next four hours should not be solely consumed with your pursuit of eagles, birdies, and pars while trying to avoid bogeys, double bogeys, or worse. While playing golf will be the focal point of your Callaway excursion, it’s important to take note of the flora and fauna that help shape and define this golf experience. Even the city where this resort is located has a name which personifies the rural experience – Pine Mountain.

The overall golf experience at Callaway Resort and Gardens, one of the 20+ locations on the Georgia Golf Trail, is truly impacted by the plant and animal life which thrives and survives in this area of western Georgia.

“Without a doubt, Callaway Resort and Gardens is one of the jewels of the Georgia Golf Trail,” said Doug Hollandsworth, founder, Georgia Golf Trail. “This resort offers as much to

32

do for the golfer as the non-golfer.”

While Callaway Resort and Gardens was built for visitors to get some R & R, there are some ‘residents’ of the property who don’t pay for their room or board, yet they are an integral part of the Callaway experience. Those ‘freeloaders’ are white-tailed deer, turtles, Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies, Eastern bluebirds, gray squirrels, red-tailed hawks, mallard ducks,

Canadian geese, great blue herons, red foxes, grey foxes, wild turkeys, and the Georgia state bird, the brown thrasher.

It’s worth noting that the bluebird nest boxes, which you will see on both golf courses, actually serve two purposes – one for the bluebirds and one for golfers: (1) they are homes for these colorful cavity nesters and (2) they serve as 150-yard markers along the golf course.

Callaway Resort and Gardens is also filled with a wide variety of flora as the property is overflowing with trees, plants, and flowers to see, smell, and admire such as the rare plumleaf azalea, which is the Callaway Resort and Gardens’ floral emblem.

Lake View opened in 1952, the same day that Callaway Gardens opened for business. The Mountain View golf course, which has been open since the mid-1960s, hosted a PGA Tour event -- the Buick Challenge -- from 1991 to 2002.

As you play both courses, take notice of the loblolly pines in the surrounding forests. The loblolly pine is the chief pulpwood source in Georgia, but the ones at Callaway Resort and Gardens remain untouched. Other significant plant life include the climbing muscadine grapevine, southern magnolias, Yaupon holly, and longleaf pine. The Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

climbing muscadine grapevine has purple thick-skinned, fall-ripening fruits, which are commonly seen in sauces, jellies, and preserves. The story about southern magnolias at Callaway is impacted by love. Decades ago, Callaway Gardens founder Cason Callaway presented his wife, Virginia, with a gift of 5,000 southern magnolia seedlings which were planted throughout the property. The Yaupon holly is a native evergreen which provides food and nesting sites for many songbirds.

And, long, “pompon” needles characterize the longleaf pine, which once dominated Pine Mountain Ridge.

In addition to the variety of plant life, animals roam freely across both golf courses, though they do their best not to be seen by mankind. Keep an eye out for red fox, gray fox, gray squirrels, Eastern fox squirrels, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer, which is the largest mammal at Callaway Resort and Gardens. The deer are often spotted in the early morning and early evening hours, grazing along the edges of the fairways.

The gray squirrels live acrobatic lives as they are seen moving and flying among the treetops, as they go to and from their large, leafy nests. The ponds and lakes are filled with mallards, Canadian geese, great blue heron, bufflehead ducks, and two types of turtles – plate-size yellowbellied sliders and palm-size stinkpots.

Even the fishing pro shop and

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

hub of boating operations at Callaway Resort and Gardens has an ‘outdoorsy’ name: the Kingfisher Outfitters, which is located below the very popular Gardens Restaurant.

In addition playing golf at Callaway Resort and Gardens, visitors can also go biking, boating, bird-watching, fishing, hiking, swimming (in a pool or in a lake), or play a few sets of tennis.

When making the trek to Callaway Resorts and Gardens, pack a suitcase as there are many accommodation options. They include the spacious, first-class Lodge and Spa; the Mountain Creek Inn, which has a classic hotel

feel; the Mountain View Golf Cottages, which overlook the practice facility; the Southern Pine Cottages, which are nestled in the woods; and the Mountain Creek Villas & Vacation Homes, which are perched in a more natural setting.

Each accommodation option comes with free admission to Callaway Gardens.

So, when you are ready to see the magnolias, get a glimpse of the azaleas, see wild turkeys, and play two great golf courses, visit Callaway Resort and Gardens. To reserve your time or inquire about golf packages, call 1-800-852-3810 or access http:// www.callawaygardens.com/golf.

33

florida golf central

Ventura Members Venture Out! The 18th Annual Ventura Group Golfin’ Getaway was spent this year in the Bradenton, Florida area. As usual it is a three-day, two-night excursion to a golfing area within a 2-3 hour drive from Ventura golf course in Orlando, Florida.

Golf Central’s Senior Golf Correspondent Rick Harris and his wife Betty selected the Best Western Plus hotel just off I-75 and SR 63 as its base of operations and within 15 minutes of

ing which was then followed by the

taken as the evening ended. On the

all three golf courses. This year the golf

distribution of prizes for the first two

third day the final event was played

was played at Stoneybrook, Greenfield

days of play. Winners were awarded

on the Links course at Greenfield

Plantation and Waterlefe. The highlight

prizes for a skins game, closest to

Plantation and everyone eventu-

of the golf was Waterlefe with its mag-

the pin and low gross scores in both

ally returned to Orlando safely.

nificent homes on the 18th fairways.

men and ladies divisions. For the first

As always, on Thursday the players

34

Harris stated that his goal is to

time in history the ladies beat the

have two more events and then

gathered at the River Strand restaurant

men in number of skins earned for

turn it over to whomever wants to

for a group dinner and a short meet-

the first two days! A group photo was

carry on this Ventura tradition!

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Saddlebro o k Reso r t • p r efer r ed g olfer s pa cka g e

“We are proud of the work done on the golf courses, greens, and new Golf Training Center and Range ... come play and enjoy your stay!”

Experience

Renewed Golf Courses

Receiving Rave Reviews!

Great golf is only the beginning.

Preferred Golfers Package Includes: ◆

Accommodations in a Deluxe Guest Room, 1 or 2 Bedroom Suite

◆

Full Breakfast Buffet

◆

18-Holes of Golf (cart & greens fees), including arrival and departure days

◆

Welcome Gift

◆

Unlimited Use of the Practice Facility

◆

Nightly Club Cleaning and Storage... and More!

For Seasonal Package Pricing and Reservations Call 813-907-4401 Groups of 12 or More Call 813-907-4726

5700 Saddlebrook Way ◆ Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Ph: 813.973.1111 ◆ Fax: 813.973.1312 ◆ saddlebrook.com

Saddlebrook Prferred Golfers Package FP Ad.indd 1

2/21/17 3:33 PM

Leader on the links

C

WOMEN OF COLOR GOLF

“Driving Our Dreams Down Fairways!”

Champion of Change– Clemmie C. Perry Clemmie Perry is the Founder and Executive Director of Women of Color Golf (WOCG), and Girls On the Green Tee (GOTG-T). The mission of WOCG & GOTG-T is to promote and facilitate the inclusion of minority women and girls into the game of golf. WOCG seeks to create a spark of interest and inspiration in the game of golf. This inspiration is then turned into action with organized golf clinics, recreational golf events, business networking & mentoring opportunities. WOCG started in 2014, and has

36

introduced over 400 minority women & girls to the fundamentals of golf in the Tampa & St. Petersburg, Florida bay area and Washington, D.C. Women of Color Golf (WOCG) and Girls on the Green Tee (GOTG-T) programs have grown into a nationally recognized community-based organization, with recent recognition by former President Barack Obama, as a U.S. White House Champion of Change for After School Programs for Marginalized Girls.

WOCG has been featured in Forbes, Ebony, Black Enterprise, Golf for Her, Professional Golf Association (PGA) magazine, the African American Golfer’s Digest, Onyx Magazine – Women on the Move, Bay News 9, The Tampa Bay Community Network Sports TV, Tee Time Florida TV and several other local media broadcasts.

The Women of Color Golf (WOCG), is also a recipient of the Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero Award.

Clemmie Perry has over 20 years’ experience working for two Fortune 500 companies (Lockheed Martin Corporation and Florida Power & Light Com-

pany). At Lockheed Martin Corporation, Ms. Perry served as the Corporate E-Learning Training Manager. She was responsible for managing virtual learning teams and developing online corporate training materials for 130,000 Aerospace & Defense employees. At Florida Power & Light Company in Miami, she was responsible for electrical distribution systems training and the implementation of smart grid & smart meter technology training programs.

Clemmie earned her B.S. degree from Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida and an M.S. from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

She is a member of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Florida A&M University (FAMU) Alumni Association, National Football League (NFL) Cheerleader Alumni Association and LPGA – Women Who Play. She currently serves on the World Golf Foundation Diversity & Inclusion 2020 Task Force, the Women’s Golf Task Force and is a Board Member for the Florida Sports Hall of Fame (FSHOF). www.womenofcolorgolf.org

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

By JJ Qualkenbush

Hello all!

You may remember me from a few columns I have written for Golf Central magazine including being featured on a few covers. I’m happy to be back and bring you content about the game that has brought me much joy. As I pursue my quest to compete on the PGA tour I am grateful to have the opportunity to write for you and shed some light on the lesser known topics of the game. I am about to graduate college and have been lucky to compete all over the nation in recent years. I am equally excited to be a contributor Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

distraction. However, I would not be opposed to it in fun events like the Ryder Cup or like the team event we saw in Louisiana recently.” One things for sure is that millennials are much more open to the idea. Ever since Tiger made his triumph to the tour and had his breakout season in 2000, the game is being marketed in a totally different fashion, encouraging a more hip atmosphere and priding the inner athlete. Because of this new millennial era full of young guns, we get to see a bunch of new and exciting things taking place in the golfing industry and this could be one of them as an effort to raise attendance levels and make the sport more appealing. I understand that it is tough to change the dynamics and culture of a sport given its tradition, but I feel we are on the verge of something similar to what we see in other sports.

Now that I have taken my position on this, I would like to play the devil’s advocate and look at the pros and cons in depth. The pros of this would be that it would help expand the game to a new audience. People will take notice and enjoy the idea, bringing more people to tournaments, and boosting television ratings. The con is that the game is best played when the mind is present with the players intention, so clearly this could be a distraction to them. The other con would be that noise can spread across the golf course, and sometimes tee boxes are within close proximity to one another. For walk-up music to be present at tournaments, officials will have to weigh these pros and cons, but there are a lot of bright minds in the industry so I believe they could make it work at the end of the day.

In closing, I believe we will see many changes to our sport whether it be in the form of walk- up music, or more rules changes, which we are beginning to see. Let me know what you think about walk-up tunes on the PGA tour by messaging me @ jjqgolftips on Instagram. I would love to hear your feedback on the topic and spark a discussion with you.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Turf Life brand which has been very supportive of the columns and has given me the opportunity to bring content to my valued readers. Stay tuned because in my next article I will discuss my recent rounds with pros such as Jordan Spieth, Alex Ceijka, and more. Until next time, hit ‘em long and straight!

young guns

Walk-Up Music: Good or Bad?

to this wonderful magazine so without further ado I would like to discuss a unique trend that is starting to make its way on tour.

We are starting to see the trend of a new era on the PGA tour where players are now embracing the phenomena of walk-up music and it is nothing short of exciting. The first sign of this took place on the web. com tour last year at the Digital Ally Open as players and fans had a bunch of fun embracing the emerging idea. Recently, walk up music has made its way onto the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and it was a very hot topic. Being from California it was exciting to see Charley Hoffman bust a tee shot down the fairway to the tunes of “California love” by Tupac and witness Justin Thomas and Bud Caudley tee off to “The circle of life” from the Lion King. Now that we have seen walk-up music make it to the big leagues, it is only a matter of time before we see if it can withhold the test of time. I firmly believe that walk-up music will be one of the greatest additions to the game that we have seen and bring a new energy to professional golf tournaments.

Something about walk-up music is very infectious. You go to a basketball game or a baseball game and the energy in the room is full of excitement and there is a sort of rush you get from being in the presence of this. I know that golf is a game of tradition and being hush hush is the status quo. However, I really don’t think the players on the PGA tour would care if they had the opportunity to pipe a drive down the first tee to their favorite musical tunes, week in and week out. In fact, I think many of them would enjoy it. Although golf is a game where we must respect tradition to a certain degree, we must also take into consideration that the present state of the game is much different than it was 30 years ago. I could not say with certainly whether professionals of the past era would embrace the vibrancy of having walkup music to the first tee. I interviewed an anonymous PGA tour pro from the 80s and 90s era who cracked the top 50 on the PGA tour and he seemed to be a critic of the idea, stating that “golf is not that kind of sport, and it never has been” going on to say that “while it may be fun for the fans, we (as players) need to focus on our game out there and it would just cause a

37

feature header 38

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

grip it & sip it

A BIT ABOUT PROSECCO Prosecco is a white wine produced exclusively in northeastern Italy and is historically linked to the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area. The first written Prosecco wine reference dates back to 1772, when academic Francesco Maria Malvolti mentioned the quality of local winemaking (in the VIII volume of Giornale d’Italia ), listing Prosecco among the cultivated varietals. Local growers gradually came to specialize in crafting Prosecco and it eventually became the focus of the area.

FRIULI FRIULI VENETO

Valdobbiadene

Venezia

VENETO

Conegliano Treviso Venezia

Trieste

I TA LY

SOURCING Grapes sourced for Ruffino Prosecco are from highly sought-after vineyards located in the northeastern regions of Italy, an area known for high-quality Prosecco production.

THE GLERA GRAPE All Prosecco wines are primarily produced from the Glera grape, an indigenous variety with origins in the northern Italian village of Prosecco, near Trieste. The Glera grape gives the wine structure and body and is considered to be the heart of Prosecco wines, just as Sangiovese is the heart of Tuscan wines.

PROSECCO DOC In August 2009, the Prosecco DOC (Certification of Controlled Origin) was established, putting strict standards of quality and production in place. The Prosecco DOC area is made up of nine provinces and two regions. Ruffino Prosecco is sourced from throughout the Treviso DOC region in Veneto (encompassing Valdobbiadene). The highest standard is DOCG, which encompasses a limited area of fifteen communes between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. According to the Prosecco DOC code of production, a Prosecco wine must be made with a Glera grape minimum of 85%. Ruffino Prosecco is made with 100% Glera grapes.

40

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

PROSECCO

BY THE SIP VINIFICATION & CHARMAT METHOD

KEY FACTS GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Glera

As with every sparkling wine, the production of Prosecco occurs in two stages. The first stage follows traditional white wine vinification process. We blend Glera grapes from different Valdobbiadene areas to create a fruity, harmonious wine. The second stage involves the Charmat method—where, using selected yeasts, secondary fermentation (lasting between one and four months) takes place in pressurized tanks before the wine is bottled under pressure. The Charmat method is wellsuited for wines made from aromatic grape varieties since it preserves the character of the grapes, thus yielding fresh, fruity, and fragrant sparkling wines—like Ruffino Prosecco.

VINTAGE: NV (typical for Prosecco) APPELLATION: Prosecco, DOC ABV: 11% STYLE: Extra Dry RESIDUAL SUGAR: 18g/L (range for Extra Dry 12 � 20g/L) TASTING NOTE: Fruity and fragrant with clean notes of citrus, pears, and apples, accompanied by slight hints of hawthorn, wisteria, and elder. Fine bubbles caress the palate while intense flavors of apples and peaches drive a pleasant finish.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: Enjoy Ruffino Prosecco as an apéritif or as a versatile food companion; it pairs perfectly with pizza, fish, shellfish, or white meat dishes.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

41 Please enjoy our wines responsibly. © 2011 RUFFINO IMPORT COMPANY, RUTHERFORD, CA

competitiveheader spirits

THE SVEDKA STORY SVEDKA Vodka has been making its mark since it was first imported in 1998.

Imported to the US from Sweden – a country that has been perfecting vodka for centuries – SVEDKA Vodka is proudly named after its country of origin. SVEDKA is a mix of the word ‘Svenska’ (meaning ‘Swedish’) and ‘Vodka’ (derived from the Slavic word ‘voda’). As these two words are combined, SVEDKA is a name as catchy as it is clever – fitting for a brand renowned for its character, quality, and value.

WHERE SVEDKA COMES FROM SVEDKA’s crisp, distinctive taste profile begins on the shores of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden, in the small town of Lidköping (population: 25,000). Every 750ml bottle of SVEDKA Vodka begins with four pounds of Sweden’s hearty, flavorful winter wheat, all harvested from the pastoral farmlands surrounding the distillery in Lidköping. Another key component to SVEDKA’s quality is the crystalline water from one of the world’s cleanest sources, Sweden’s ice-cold underground springs.

HOW SVEDKA IS MADE Continuous distillation — a method first introduced in the 11th century — creates ideal conditions for producing top-quality vodka.

The “continuous” aspect of the distillation process insures that ingredients are constantly moving so the winter wheat, yeast and water never stalls or pools. At the final stage in this distillation process, SVEDKA is run through highperformance purification columns, five separate times to remove impurities. The end result is outstanding quality SVEDKA Vodka.

SVEDKA’s Double Eagle INGREDIENTS • 1¾ parts SVEDKA Vodka • ¾ part lemonade • ½ part triple sec • 1 part cranberry juice • Juice of 6 whole limes • 12 cups ice • Whole blueberries & sliced strawberries DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Add 5-6 cups of ice, stir, and garnish with blueberries and sliced strawberries. As the party continues add more ice and fruit as needed.

Yields 25-30 servings.

42

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

SVEDKA’s Tee Off INGREDIENTS • 1½ parts SVEDKA Cherry • 2 parts peach tea • ½ part fresh lemon juice • ½ part simple syrup DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with ice and stir. Garnish with peaches and cherries.

SVEDKA’s Hole in One INGREDIENTS • 1½ parts SVEDKA Peach • ¾ part fresh lemon juice • ½ part honey • Splash ginger beer DIRECTIONS Pour SVEDKA Peach, lemon juice and honey into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with skewered peaches and honey comb.

SVEDKA’s Celebration INGREDIENTS • 1½ parts SVEDKA Vodka • 1 part watermelon schnapps • ½ part cranberry juice • ½ part fresh lemon juice • ½ part simple syrup • ¼ part Blue Curaçao • Club soda DIRECTIONS Build in a rocks glass. Add watermelon schnapps, and cranberry juice over ice, then carefully add lemon, simple syrup, and SVEDKA Vodka to create the white layer. Then VERY carefully layer the Blue Curaçao to create the color separation, and gently top with soda. Garnish with fresh watermelon pieces.

SVEDKA’S Citron Palmer INGREDIENTS • 2 parts SVEDKA Citron • 1 part sweet tea • 1 part lemonade DIRECTIONS Pour SVEDKA Citron over ice into a tall glass. Fill halfway with sweet tea. Top with lemonade and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

43

fashion forward

Taking Ladies Golf Fashion By Storm!

Christine Storm, golf enthusiast

and the brains behind the golfing apparel brand Clubwear by Christine Storm, strives to entice more women on to the golf course by making it possible to go from the golf course to an evening out with the change of shoe!

“While working as a cart girl between my singing gigs I met a lot of very busy entrepreneurial women such as myself that didn’t have time to go from the course to their next daily event. I thought that the ladies on the course were not being treated fairly by the boxy golf clothes that they were wearing. I began to imagine a woman being able to play golf and then slip on some smart shoes and a blazer and go to a meeting then later change out that blazer and smart shoe for a leather jacket and high heels to go enjoy a glass of wine with her friends!” Storm said.

It began to make a lot of sense to her as she was trying to get to various meetings and places in LA traffic! She also thought of how a lady golfer could cut down on the amount of clothing that she would need to pack for her golf vacations!

Storm took couture inspired lines and blended them with high end breathable pima cottons so that a woman could move effortlessly, stay cool while doing it and look beautiful in her luxury activewear.

Clubwear by Christine Storm’s motto is “Play Well, Look Amazing” and it is Christine Storm’s hope that women everywhere will begin to feel this way!

44

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

By Mike May

golf travel

Bonding with Birdies, Bogeys, Buddies, and Basketball in Britain Fairways, friends, free throws, fish & chips, and enjoying father time.

That’s the best way to summarize my experience in June 2017 – 17 days in England, 12 of which were spent with my now-grown children, Trevor and Emily, as we toured parts of the ‘old country.’ Our trip started with two days in London, then six days in England’s most southwesterly county of Cornwall, and concluded with three days on the Isles of Scilly, which are perched in the north Atlantic, 30 miles off the Cornish peninsula. While in London, we lived like locals -- we ate Indian food, rode the tube around the British capital, and rented a room in a home in the London suburb of Richmond. Ingrid and her family were great hosts. And, she made a great cup of tea, too!

What started out as a short buddies golf trip to England eventually evolved into a full-blown adventure which included 10 rounds of golf, countless orders of fish & chips, many Cornish pasties, three dinners at Indian restaurants, two days on a red double-decker bus in London, a boat ride along the River Thames, a trip to the Greenwich Meridian, throwing a frisbee in London’s Green Park, enjoying An American in Paris in London’s west end, a drive-by viewing of Stonehenge, and working alongside Trevor and Emily as we conducted a complimentary threehour basketball clinic for more than 80 children from the Five Islands School on the Isles of Scilly. We did manage a few hours of sleep!

One of the key elements of the trip for me was playing six editorial rounds of golf at five golf clubs that comprise

England’s Atlantic Links, a ‘trail’ of golf courses in the southwest English counties of Somerset (Burnham & Berrow Golf Club); Devon (Saunton Golf Club and Royal North Devon Golf Club); and Cornwall (St. Enodoc Golf Club and Trevose Golf and Country Club). Trevor joined me for one of those rounds. In all seriousness, every golfer who craves that classic British links golf experience would be as well-served by visiting the Atlantic Links as they would be by making the longer trek to Scotland.

This was a trip that I worked on for 10 months. Nearly every aspect of the trip was planned so that when it was time for the trip to begin, it was meant to flow like clockwork….and it did.

The time spent in Cornwall was intentional as it gave me a chance to share four years of my childhood – living in Cornwall from June 1977 to July 1981 -- with Trevor and Emily. We spent six days and six nights in my old hometown, the seaside town of St. Ives,

Emily May (center) with two of the more talented young basketball players at the Five Islands School, Freya and Ben

The view of the Pedn-Olva Hotel in St. Ives, Cornwall -- taken at low tide from the golden sands of Porthminster Beach, which sits adjacent to the hote 46

located in western Cornwall, a five-hour drive west of London. While there, we had breakfast at the Pedn-Olva Hotel, our family’s former hotel and home; walked through the St. Ives harbor at low tide; spent time visiting with longtime friends Neil and Jo Hodding, who reside in the area; played golf at my former home golf course, the West Cornwall Golf Club in nearby Lelant; and had a guided tour of my former high school, Truro School in Truro. We also spent time visiting and breaking bread with first cousin Rosalind and her husband John, who live in nearby Falmouth.

We also had a trip to the side-by-side coastal towns of Penzance, Newlyn and Mousehole. The trip to Mousehole was important as it’s the focal point of our annual Christmas celebration in Florida, where every year on December 23, we read the story of The Mousehole Cat and conduct our own Festival of Lights celebration, as they do back in Mousehole every year. FYI: No cats were spotted in Mousehole during our visit.

Toward the end of our trip, we spent three days on the Isles of Scilly. We traveled to the Scillies by plane (on Skybus) and returned to the mainland by boat (on The Scillonian). To get to the Scillies, we jumped aboard an early-morning, 15-minute flight from Land’s End Airport to the main island of St. Mary’s on Scilly. Our return trip as passengers aboard The Scillonian was smooth, uneventful, and took just under three hours. The Scillonian, the ocean-going passenger and freight ship, has been traversing the seas between St. Mary’s and Penzance since the 1970s.

Both forms of travel were experiences within themselves.

During our first afternoon on the islands, we shared our joint interest and knowledge of basketball with more than 80 local school children who relished the chance to learn a few fundamental basketball tips from the three visiting Americans who had a combined 75+ years of experience in this now global game. Spalding and Point3 supported this one-of-a-kind overseas clinic, which has been requested to return by popular demand. While on the Scillies, we stayed with and visited with longtime family friends – the Ward family.

We also had time for a quick day-trip to the island of Tresco and its worldfamous Abbey Garden. The Scillies remain a special place to visit, which must include shopping excursions to The Foredeck and 49 Degrees.

Before heading back to London to Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Mike May standing outside his former home in England, the Pedn-Olva Hotel in St. Ives, Cornwall. Mike and his brother, mother, and father lived at the hotel and operated the hotel from June 1977 to July 1981 catch our flight home, we concluded our trip with a visit to my dad’s grave in the Penzance Cemetery. It was a poignant and emotional experience for all of us, especially for me, as it was the first time

away rugby games.

His physical size and presence often allowed him to dictate policy and procedure amongst teammates.

Upon boarding the flight home, we had achieved every objective: we experienced moments along many fairways, taught the art of shooting free throws, spent quality and quantity time with friends, consumed many servings of fish & chips, and got the chance to spend lots of father (and grandfather) time. Did I mention that we ate quite a few Cornish pasties, drank

Trevor May, Mike May, and Emily May in the village of Mousehole, just a few feet away from the historic Mousehole harbor, which is located in western Cornwall “We try to do our jobs without being noticed,” admits Whyman, The dedication to excellence displayed

by Whyman and his team is not easily achieved because weather patterns – the wind, sunshine, and rain – are constantly changing at Burnham & Berrow.

“Because of the steady winds at Burnham & Berrow, one of our biggest issues is keeping the sand in the bunkers,” says Whyman.

The next big course maintenance project at Burnham & Berrow is to upgrade the quality of the teeboxes.

“We are striving to improve the firmness of the surfaces of the tees,” declares Whyman.

An image of the British Railways train as it passes along the West Cornwall Golf Club that Trevor and Emily had a chance to officially acknowledge their grandfather (Christopher May), who died nearly ten years before their birth. A joint prayer was recited before we departed, pledging to return again in the not-too-distant future.

We did set foot on the grounds of the Penzance & Newlyn Rugby Football Club (home of the Pirates) and its Mennaye Field, where my dad had spent many magnificent moments as a young man playing rugby for the Pirates in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many friends and family recall his larger-than-life presence – as much on the rugby pitch as off the rugby pitch. He certainly created a stir on bus and train trips to and from Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

lots of tea, and enjoyed the atmosphere of a few English pubs?

P.S. Before my round of golf at Burnham & Berrow GC, I had a chance to sit down with head greenkeeper Richard Whyman who explained what it takes to keep the turf alive, well, and thriving at Burnham & Berrow GC throughout the year…….

One of main reasons why Burnham & Berrow is such an attractive destination is because of the ongoing efforts by the head greenkeeper and the maintenance team at the club. The course is only in great shape because of a daily commitment to excellence by head greenkeeper Richard Whyman and his crew of dedicated workers.

Trevor May and Mike May enjoying a round of golf at Mike's former childhood golf course home, the West Cornwall Golf Club in Lelant 47

growng the game

The First Tee Unveils Its First-Ever Interactive Golf Experience For Kids & Families At The Players Championship

Keith Dawkins, CEO of The First Tee; Billy Reid, participant from The First Tee of the Palm Beaches; and Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR

The First Tee, the youth sports organization that introduces kids to the game of golf and its inherent values, transformed the way kids and families experience the game with the debut of The First Tee Experience at THE PLAYERS Championship. This week-long, interactive destination welcomed kids of all ages at TPC Sawgrass.

The First Tee Experience was a new 5,000-square-foot, air-conditioned venue located in The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation Kid Zone that featured golf-themed games, golf-inspired social media activities and fun, interactive ways for fans to show off their skills and practice their trick shots. Fans participated in scaled versions of The First Tee’s signature programs currently offered in schools, at youth centers and at golf facilities around the country and the world.

“The First Tee is excited to be at THE

48

PLAYERS Championship to offer a new and exciting way for kids and families to experience the game of golf,” said Keith Dawkins, Chief Executive Officer, The First Tee. “Partnering with the PGA TOUR to leverage the power and scale of events like THE PLAYERS in order to engage the next generation of kids and carry the positive messages of The First Tee is a big part of our strategy moving forward.”

Highlights included: The First Tee’s par-3 Mini-Golf Challenge, an interactive Nine Core Values golf tee wall, a virtual reality gaming area, The First Tee golf simulator presented by aboutGolf, Military Appreciation Day and Mother’s Day arts & crafts activities, digital photo booths and a one-of-a-kind, golfinspired live interactive art installation

by renowned artist Bryan Blue (Blue the Great). The First Tee Experience also featured a recharge lounge for adults to watch the live feed of the tournament and get information on The First Tee and ways they can connect with a chapter in their hometown.

Founded by golf’s governing bodies – LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA - The First Tee introduces kids to the game of golf and its inherent values through partnerships and programs in more than 10,000 elementary schools, 1,300 youth centers and 1,200 golf facilities. Through the game, The First Tee teaches Nine Core Values that are inherent to the sport – Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Confidence, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courtesy and Judgment.

To learn more about The First Tee, please visit: www.thefirsttee.org

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

18-Hole Championship Golf Course | Fitness Center | Spa | Heated Swimming Pools | Reflection Bay Sports Complex with Brand New Basketball Court

Your Flight to Florida is Now Boarding!

Receive Up to $2,000 in Travel Reimbursement*, with Our Fly & Buy Program Speak to a Sales Consultant for Details 6320 SW 89th Court Road, Ocala, FL 34481 • 877-847-8297 • delwebb.com/stonecreek

Garden Series: Starting from $166,990 1,289 – 2,315 SQ FT | 2-4 BR 2-3 BA | 2-Car Garage

Ask about our special flex cash incentives available for a limited time.

• Now Selling in the 2nd Phase of our Fairfield Neighborhood

Classic Series: Starting from $217,990

• Water View Home Sites Available

1,659 – 3,077 SQ FT | 2-5 BR 2-3 BA | 2-Car Garage

• Environments for Living Energy Efficient Package

Estate Series: Starting from $280,990

• Dog Park, RV Storage Facility, Softball Field & Fishing Pier

• Private, Guard-Gated Community • Tennis, Bocce, Pickleball & Horseshoe Courts

2,384 – 3,656 SQ FT | 3-5 BR • Quick Move-In Homes Now Available 3-4 BA | 2-3-Car Garage

* Fly and Buy offer is valid on new purchase agreements accepted by Del Webb at our Del Webb Stone Creek community between 05/01/18 and 6/30/18. If buyer executes a new purchase agreement accepted by Del Webb during their explore Dewl Webb weekend and presents a copy of their plane ticket, then at closing buyer will receive a credit of up to $2,000 which can be applied toward closings costs. Buyer is responsible for any closing costs in excess of the incentive amount. Any unused credit is the property of Del Webb, and may not be used to reduce the Total Purchase Price of the home. Offer may not be redeemed for cash or equivalent. This incentive may affect the amount of loan for which a buyer may be eligible, check with your lender for details.

golf history header

By Mike May

A Miami-Dade Delight The Miami Beach Golf Club (2301 Alton Road, Miami, Florida; 305-532-3350) has come a long way, baby! This golf course, which opened for play in 1923, was originally called the Bayshore Golf Course. The property, which featured an ornate Mediterranean clubhouse, was part of developer Carl Fisher’s ambitious real estate project, which was designed to lure wealthy winter residents from the Northeast and the Midwest. While Fisher oversaw the project, he hired an expert to design the golf course – England’s Willie Park. To add some sizzle and star power to the grand opening of this golf course, golfing legend Gene Sarazen was invited to play the inaugural round in November of 1922.

This golf facility – now one of the 53 golf courses that is part of the Florida Historic Golf Trail – remained one

of Miami’s leading locations for golf until the U.S. entered World War II. During World War II, the golf course experienced a transformation as the U.S. Army rented the course for $1 a year and used it as a training ground, where rifle-toting soldiers ran through the course’s palm trees as they prepared for combat.

In 1944, investors from Chicago attempted to buy the golf course in order to build 650 upscale homes on the property. Instead, disapproving neighbors successfully persuaded the City of Miami to buy the land and keep the golf course.

In 1954, a new clubhouse was built.

In 2002, this golf course experienced another transformation – a $10 million renovation transformation.

The City of Miami Beach hired Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates in order to bring this course into the modern era. Simply put, it was a case of ‘out with the old’ and ‘in with the new.’ All of the grass and many of the trees were removed and replaced; the lakes were emptied, redesigned and refilled; the irrigation system was replaced; bunkers were reshaped, redesigned, and replaced; and a yet another clubhouse was constructed.

After the changes were made, the old Bayshore become the new Miami Beach Golf Club. Now, the ‘new’ Miami Beach Golf Club is a venue which south Florida residents and visiting golfers are enjoying today and will continue to do so for years to come. Currently, this 18-hole par-72 layout features four sets of tees that

Miami Beach - Bayshore Golf Course 1928 -MBflgov 50

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

miami beach image 1 - TODAY - from MBGC website

measure from 5,000 to 6,800 yards.

“We at Miami Beach Golf Club and Professional Course Management are delighted to be the featured course along the Florida Historic Golf Trail,” said Jeff Hunt, Director of Marketing, Miami Beach Golf Club. “The club is consistently ranked as the top public course in the area and has prominent standing in the world golf community from hosting the South Beach

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

International Amateur, the world’s 5th ranked amateur championship.”

In 2011, the Inaugural South Beach International Amateur was played the week before Christmas at Normandy Shores and Miami Beach Golf Clubs.

In 2011, the first year of the tournament, U.S. Amateur Champion and current PGA Tour player Kelly Kraft won the 72-hole event. The South Beach International Amateur has become

the 5th ranked amateur tournament in the world behind the U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, Western Amateur and NCAA Division 1 Championship.

After golf, there’s no need to venture off-property to satisfy your appetite and quench your thirst as the on-site restaurant offers the complete package ranging from breakfast to brunch to lunch to appetizers to sandwiches to snacks to salads to soups to desserts.

51

freddy's fairway thoughts header

By Fred Seely

Illustration by Greg Wise

The Law of Unintended Consequences finds its way into almost every good idea. In this case, it is golf handicaps.

The Florida State Golf Association has a series of one-day events. One reason was to provide competition for those who did not have a USGA handicap for whatever rerason, usually because they didn’t belong to a club.

Part of the FSGA called a Type 111 handicap. It’s an honor system thing where you can enter your scores and get a handicap, and also a GHIN number. The peer pressure, it was assumed, would come from others in the one-day tournament fields.

Sounds reasonable, and something that other associations should consider.

The problem: the player now has a FSGA-sanctioned handicap and a GHIN number, and can use it to enter nonFSGA events. There’s no peer pressure and the player could have entered whatever he or she wanted, and ignored whatever he or she wanted. The tournament director sees the GHIN number, may check it on the internet and sees no reason not to accept it, happy to have another entrant.

Thus, potential problems.

An example: over the last three years, one player entered our local Senior with a handicap in the 9-11 range. Here’s how he scored: 2016: Third gross 76-76, won net with 64-64.

2017: Won gross with 75-75, second net with 64-64.

2018: Third gross 76-76, won net with 65-65.

Worse, he never entered those scores in GHIN. How did this slip through? The usual reason you see in volunteer organizations: there was a different tournament director each year, thus no continuity.

The FSGA is straightforward on this. Yes, it might be a problem, but only if you are careless. If you smell a rat — and 52

our example almost certainly is a rat — then don’t accept the entry.

Moral of this story: if you’re a tournament director, take some extra time and make sure you’re not getting a rat.

• The latest hot button on the PGA Tour is a driveable par 4, and the Players fell for the siren’s song. A year ago, they redesigned the TPC Stadium’s tricky 12th hole and made it reachable with a driver, but the risk turned out to be much greater than the reward. So, back (literally) to the drawing board to design a hole that might give players more incentive to go for the green by making the fairway landing area more severe and the green complex less threatening.

Did it work? Not really. There were more who went for it than last year but most stayed safe with a mid-iron and a wedge. Short par 4s can be exciting but, as in this case, they also can be a big bore.

• Another course — in his case, a third of it — is going away.

The Oak Bridge Club is a public facility inside the gates to the TPC Sawgrass and the St. Johns County commissioners finally have approved a development plan that will allow housing and some retail on six of its holes. You can see two of them from A1A. Holes 2-8 will be developed, some as an assisted living facility. The first hole, a par-5, will be converted to a par 4 and a par 3, and the adjacent par 4 9th stays intact. Together, the three will be used for teaching and as a short course. The existing back nine will remain intact, though it’s assumed that the owner will be back to the commission with a new plan if the first six develop as planned.

• Paul Tesori became the latest one to gain fame as a caddie; he got almost as much air time during the Players as his boss, Webb Simpson. But Tesori is one of many loopers who had a solid playing career. He played in a half-dozen Tour events, never making a cut, and he also was runner-up to Chris Couch in the 1994 Florida State Amateur at Sawgrass Country Club.

• Legalized betting is on the way, thanks to the Supreme Court decision, and no one seems to be able to figure out how it will affect golf. Our game is difficult to bet. James Corrigan of The Daily Telegraph is a respected British writer and had this to say: “Lawyers will inevitably converge and it will turn ugly, but, be sure, the sports over there, in contrast to over here, will benefit by way more than mere sponsorship deals. And golf being the most capitalist pursuit in existence – making the Premier League seem like Amnesty International – is ready to make hay on the fairways.

“Betting kiosks will pop up at PGA Tour events, so ‘the mashed potato’ crowd, already fuelled by bars opening at 8 a.m., will have even greater motivation to heckle and berate.

The problem gamblers will proliferate, corruption will be a buzzword and the purists and pious will hark back to the fixed 1919 World Series that forced the lawmakers to tighten it all up in the first place.”

Comments? I’m at fs4569@comcast.net.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

outh orth florida PGA north south florida florida PGA PGA north southflorida floridaPGA PGAnorth southflorida floridaPGA PGAnorth south

6-8 and it allowed me to build a lead and some momentum heading to the final holes,” Fieger said. Fieger went on to post a 68 for a two day total of 137, 7 under par and a six shot victory over JC Anderson and Marty Stanovich who both posted 1 under par, 143. Jerry Tucker shot rounds of 69-67 to win the 60-69 age division while Jay Horton shot 71-70 to win the 70-74 age division. Tom Joyce shot 70-70 to win the 75 and over age division.

Gene Fieger, PGA

Gene Fieger, PGA Captures 2018 South Florida Senior Open On Monday, May 11th, Gene Fieger got out to an early lead by firing a 3 under par 69 in round 1 of the South Florida PGA Senior Open Championship and used a 35 minute stretch in round 2 to solidify his third victory in the championship. Monarch Country Club in Palm City hosted the 31st playing of the championship.

“I went birdie, birdie, eagle on holes

3rd Annual PGA Hope Classic Raises Funds to Support Local Veterans Through The Game Of Golf More than 75 amateur golfers from Palm Beach County came together May 10th to help raise funds to support local veterans through the game of golf. The 3rd annual PGA HOPE Classic presented

by FITTEAM and Raymond James took place at The Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Florida.

The PGA HOPE Classic began with a special veteran presentation, followed by an 18-hole tournament, and finished with a cocktail reception and silent auction. The results of the day are designated to help fund the South Florida PGA Foundation’s PGA HOPE (helping

our patriots everywhere) program. The special veteran presentation included the singing of National Anthem by the Jupiter Christian School’s choir and a presentation of the colors by Jupiter High School Junior ROTC. But what really gave heart to the golf event, was the firsthand account of PGA HOPE participant Mary AndersonKokell, a Vietnam War Army veteran.

She shared how HOPE got her out of her house and made her feel welcome in society once again. Kokell implored everyone in the attendance to come to a HOPE program and see the affects it has on the participating veterans. Such as, a Korean War veteran that can hardly stand on his own, but can now walk up to the driving range and drive a golf ball 20 yards. At the end of the day during the cocktail reception, Kokell challenged all in attendance to bring one of the 450 veterans that have gone through the PGA HOPE program to next year’s event.

This challenge is to show the veterans how their local community has their back even after the six-week of golf lessons are over.

This year the PGA HOPE Classic raised $46,000 for the South Florida PGA Foundation’s PGA HOPE program.

he he

3rd Annual PGA Hope Classic 54

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

ABOUT PGA HOPE In 2015, PGA HOPE (helping our patriots everywhere) was launched in south Florida. PGA HOPE was designed to provide local military veterans with an opportunity to learn the game of golf as form of rehab from local PGA Professionals. PGA HOPE provides golf as a therapeutic rehabilitation tool for all military Veterans. The lifetime sport of golf has proven to be an excellent outlet for activity and competition but also allows military to assimilate back into their community through the social interaction the game provides.

ABOUT THE SOUTH FLORIDA PGA FOUNDATION The South Florida PGA Foundation is a not-forprofit organization founded to support the South Florida community, with a focus on junior golf, education and scholarships, and charitable gifting. The South Florida PGA Foundation falls under the direction of the South Florida PGA, a not-for-profit organization comprised of over 1,850 men and women PGA Professionals serving as the experts in business and the game of golf.

In 2004 the South Florida PGA Foundation began operations as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to support the South Florida community. Since its inception, the Foundation has experienced extreme growth through the support of countless PGA Professionals, facilities, and numerous corporations. Over

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

the past thirteen years the Foundation has touched the lives of more than 12,000 individuals residing in South Florida, through various programming included but not limited to junior golf, charitable gifting, and scholarships.

Roger Kennedy, PGA and Team Win 2018 South Florida Senior Open Pro-Am On the eve of the 2018 South Florida Senior Open, 10 PGA members and their teams of four came out to compete for the Pro-Am title at Monarch Country Club. The two best ball of four format teamed SFPGA Professionals with three amateurs to seek out the overall team championship. Roger Kennedy, PGA Life Member, Brent Daniel, Tom Vandewall, and Nelson Burton caught fire and the result was a birdiefest. It took a blazing score of 128 (-16) to claim a two shot victory over the nearest competitors.

9th Annual SFPGA Foundation Tire Kingdom Charity Pro-Am Raises Over $30,000 Monday, May 7th the South Florida PGA Foundation conducted its 9th An-

nual South Florida PGA Foundation Tire Kingdom Charity Pro-Am at Olde Florida Golf Club. Twenty teams comprised of one PGA Member/Associate and three amateurs came out for a wonderful day of golf in support of the South Florida PGA Foundation and the many programs it administers.

The format for the event was one net/one gross. Finishing atop the leaderboard was the group from Bonita Bay Club led by PGA Professional Justin Smith. Smith along with amateurs Bob Murphy, Gavin Gillette, and Taylor Stewart fired a team total of 127 to capture the title.

Through this event, over $30,000 was raised to support programs administered by the Foundation including but not limited to PGA HOPE (helping our patriots everywhere), Smiling Fore Life, Habitat for Humanity, junior golf, charitable gifting and scholarships.

Special thanks to our supporting partners Blue Martini, Fairway & Greene, Heritage Creations and The Lincoln Motor Company.

55

orth florida PGA north florida PGA north florida PGA north florida PGA north

North Florida PGA proudly announces our 2018 Section Award Winners!

The North Florida PGA celebrated their 2018 Section Award Winners at the Omni of ChampionsGate on May 23! Our Section award winners are the best of the best! The Chapter Award Winners were the nominees for our Section Awards. Congratulations to all of our Chapter Award Winners and we proudly present our 2018 NFPGA Award Winners:

PGA Golf Professional of the Year Matt Borocz TPC Sawgrass Teacher of the Year Matt Mitchell The Downs Golf & Practice Facility Bill Strausbaugh Award John Hughes John Hughes Golf Horton Smith Award Matt Jordan Streamsong Resort Youth Player Development Jack Aschenbach North Florida Junior Golf Foundation Player Development Award Joey Hidock The Villages Golf Academy Patriot Award Ken Juhn Terrace Hill Golf Center Merchandiser of the Year-Private Ryan Gray Golden Ocala Merchandiser of the Year-Public Ashley Hayden University Park Golf Club Merchandiser of the Year-Resort Scott Wilson Streamsong Resort Assistant Professional of the Year Zoran Ilic Lone Palm CC Sales Representative of the Year Mark Larson Fairway & Greene Amateurs of the Year John Konicek Orlando Monroe Berkman SoloRider Management Sheila Brocki Jacksonville Mary Ann Kurtz Venice Superintendent of the Year Trevor Hughes Ponte Vedra Inn & Club 2017 NFPGA Player of the Year Rod Perry Crane Lakes Golf & CC 2017 NFPGA Sr Player of the Year Dan Olsen Jacksonville

PGA Professional of the YearMatt Borocz and his wife Jennifer

NFPGA Award Winners

56

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

CELEBRATE A Golfing Renaissance Charlotte Harbor National at Bobcat Trail is the newest jewel in the Gulf Coast Golfing Crown.

Owner Rich Smith, former CEO of the North Florida Section of the PGA of America cordially invites you to enjoy a unique new level of the golfing experience. A multimillion dollar renewal of the greens and fairways, completely updated club and facilities plus a new dimension of regular entertainment all combine to offer Gulf Coast Golfing enthusiasts a new destination to play.

Call today and book your tee time.

CELEBRATE the all new Charlotte Harbor National.

1350 Bobcat Trail • North Port, Florida

(941) 429-0500 golfthenational.com

By Candice Temple

cuisine om the green

Sandhill Crane Golf Clubhouse Adds Restaurant to its Amenities

Clubhouse Restaurant and Special Events Perhaps one of the most anticipated upgrades at Sandhill Crane Golf Club is the event space and the debut of a fullservice restaurant that will be a new part of operations! The Dancing Crane Restaurant will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner options to the public daily.

GCF Enterprises, headed by James Gelfand, is the managing firm responsible for everything from day-to-day

58

The Dancing Crane Filet with Butter operation of the restaurant to event and catering services. The team behind GCF Enterprises has over 70 years of combined past catering and special event

experience at The Grand Bay Hotel, The Registry Resort, The Diplomat Resort, PGA National Resort & Spa, Mar-a-Lago, Lowes Vantana Canyon, Equinox, and Salamander Resort & Spa. Residents, visitors and businesses will be able to host a multitude of events at the clubhouse utilizing the second-floor ballroom or the ample open-air space. Weddings, quinceaneras, life celebrations, bar or bat Mitzvahs, luncheons, corporate events, office meetings, holiday parties; the list goes on. Both indoor and outdoor requests can be accommodated. Full audiovisual support is also available on site.

In addition to hosting private events, the clubhouse will host special events to fill in your social calendar on holidays and special occasions. Each Sunday the restaurant will present a jazz brunch with live music. In addition, they will work with City staff on occasion to create a family-oriented schedule of events.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

cooking of recognizable foods that will

salad to jerk chicken and pigeon peas,

be presented uniquely, and service that

tastes from Italy, France, Spain, Asia

makes all feel welcome and comfortable.

and the Caribbean will all be found on

I look forward to being the bridge that

the menus throughout the seasons.

connects all who dine at The Dancing

Bread is another hugely important

Crane with the great local farms and

part of me. I plan on capturing and

fisherman we are so fortunate to have at

cultivating wild yeast that will be the

our doorstep.

foundation and unique flavor that can never be replicated anywhere else.

I have tasted my way around the world, always searching for innovation

Smoked Onion Brioche, Black Pepper

and flavors to bring home and call my

and Cheddar Pretzel, and Buttermilk-

own. That journey has helped me sew

Scallion Sourdough, to name a few, that

together a global culinary “quilt” that

will find their way into our signature

defines who I am as a chef. The center

bread basket and hug many of our

MEET THE CHEF: Sean McKee

of my inspiration starts at home here

sandwiches.

The Dancing Crane’s Culinary Direction

from New Orleans to Charleston. We

another passion, dessert! Warm, house-

hope to build a smokehouse on prop-

made donuts to go with your after-

erty, so we can cure and smoke our own

dinner coffee, or our own ice creams

by the feedback and requests from our

Tasso, bacon, brisket, ribs, pastrami and

and sorbets that will make our banana

guests. That said, The Dancing Crane will

smoked fish. Many vegetables will also

split sundaes and craft root beer floats a

open with menus that reflect many of

be kissed with a blend of Applewood

heavenly finish for all. We hope the vari-

my favorite foods and styles of cooking

and Hickory smoke that will make The

ety of flavor and fun will leave everyone

designed with our team’s core values

Dancing Crane’s menus sing harmoni-

wanting to return to The Dancing Crane

in mind. Our goal is simple, really good

ously with a southern accent.

time and time again.

food. Every time.

It won’t all be southern fare. From fresh

Now that I’ve made you hungry, be sure

pulled mozzarella and heirloom tomato

to stop by and see us!

By Chef Sean McKee Our direction will of course be guided

We will accomplish this with scratch

in the south. I love the big, bold flavors

I also have a sweet tooth that drives

Kenny Perry and Trevor Immelman have made Transitions® lenses part of their game.

On the PGA TOUR®, vision is a golfer’s most important equipment. Transitions lenses adapt to changing light to help golfers see more comfortably in all light conditions and help protect eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Visit your local Vision Source doctor, Dr. James Podschun, located at 2828 Casa Aloma Way, Suite 400 in Winter Park, FL 32792, to ask which Transitions lenses are right for you. 407-671-0960

www.TurfLife.club Come see us at the PGA Show booth #3516

P ER FORMANCE SUNW E A R

Transitions and the swirl are registered trademarks and Transitions Adaptive Lenses is a trademark of Transitions Optical, Inc. ©2012 Transitions Optical, Inc.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

transitions.com

59

special events

Augusta– Home to the Masters of Golf Art The Academy of Golf Art (www.academyofgolfart.org) exhibition, The Academy of Golf Art: Artists of the Game, on view at the Morris Museum of Art, in Augusta, Georgia, has concluded. The successful exhibition, in honor of the Academy’s 15th anniversary, took place Feb. 24– May 13, including Masters week, and was seen by many golf-loving attendees as well as numerous viewers to whom golf art was a new discovery. The exhibition coincided with the 25th annual Morris Museum Gala.

“The Academy of Golf Art is very proud of its three-month exhibit at the 1st Hole St Andrews by Linda Hartough Old Tom by Brad Pearson

Bay Hill 17th by Richard Chorley

Morris Museum of Art,” said George Lawrence, president of the Academy. “It truly was a pleasure working with the museum’s staff, who were uniformly professional and friendly.”

Featuring the Academy’s member artists only, The Academy of Golf Art: Artists of the Game was the Academy’s first-ever comprehensive exhibition, with every member artist represented.

Works displayed included sculpture; paintings in oil, pastel, watercolor and casein; and photography.

The exhibition’s opening reception, on March 8, featured Dr. Robert Jones IV, grandson of legendary golfer Bobby Jones. His presentation included stories about the founding of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, 60

Grand Slam Memorial by David Coolidge Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Jade Dragon Snow Mt. Golf Club by Dom Furore

Mr. Hogan Was Here – Shady Oaks CC by Glenn Davis as well as anecdotes about his father, grandfather and longtime Augusta National Chairman Clifford Roberts. A number of Academy member artists and staff were present at the well-attended reception.

Works on display at the exhibition were by member artists Richard Chorley – Hertfordshire, England; David Coolidge – Naples, Fla.; Glenn Davis – Hurst, Texas; Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Centennial Reflections by George Lawrence Leslie B. DeMille (deceased, 2017); Dom Furore – Traverse City, Mich.; Linda Hartough – Okatie, S.C.; George T. Lawrence Jr. – Westhampton Beach, N.Y.; Brad Pearson – Holdrege, Neb.; and Noble A. Powell III – Port Hueneme, Calif.

“It was a great pleasure for all of us here at the Morris Museum of Art to present The Academy of Golf Art: Artists of the Game,” said Kevin Grogan, director

and curator of the Morris Museum of Art. “Not surprisingly in this golf-crazed community, the exhibition attracted record numbers of visitors, and everyone who saw it seems to have been completely taken with the work of the talented members of the Academy.

“We look forward to sustaining a close working relationship with the Academy of Golf Art in the future.”

61

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge Names Don Emery President and General Manager

“By creating a well thought out strategy we will ensure that the Palmer family legacy and values continues for years to come.”

–– Don Emery

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge today announced that Don Emery has been named president and general manager. He begins his tenure on May 10. Emery joins Bay Hill Club & Lodge from The Riviera Country Club and The Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California, where he was the general manager for the past six years.

Prior to The Riviera Country Club, he was the general manager at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Florida.

“We are excited to have Don join Bay Hill Club & Lodge,” said Amy Palmer Saunders of the Arnold Palmer Group.

golf and tennis tournaments including

Emery was named the Manager of the

“Don brings more than 20 years of

the 2017 USGA U. S. Amateur and the

Year in California by the USPTA (United

experience in the hospitality industry,

annual PGA TOUR’s Northern Trust and

States Professional Tennis Association)

which will be instrumental for the

Genesis Open, as well as the annual ITA

in 2014.

ongoing success of Bay Hill Club &

Women’s All-American Tennis Champi-

Emery presently serves on the

Lodge. Bay Hill is a unique property as

onship. Under Emery’s leadership, both

Advisory Board of the Collins College

it has both a lodge as well as one of the

the Interlachen Country Club and The

of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly

top-rated golf courses in the country,

Riviera Country Club were named Plati-

Pomona and recently completed his

and annually hosts the PGA TOUR’s

num Clubs of America, each for the

term on the Board of Directors for the

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented

first time in their history. Riviera is cur-

Japan American Society of Southern

by Mastercard.”

rently a Platinum Club of the World and

California. He is a graduate of Cornell

a Distinguished Club of the World with

University’s Hotel School of Hospitality

a special ‘Iconic’ status. For his efforts,

Administration.

At The Riviera Country Club, Emery and his team hosted both top-flight 62

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

THERE ARE A MILLION THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN FOR YOUR COURSE TO BE PLAYABLE.

AND YOUR GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT IS THINKING ABOUT THEM ALL.

The pH of this.

The growth of that.

Too much moisture.

Not enough moisture.

Looking out for the environment.

To learn more visit gcsaa.org/GC

Looking out for the health of the course.

And that’s just over coffee.

So say thanks to your golf course superintendent. Or make that, thanks a million.

Sustainable Skidaway

Becoming an Audubon International Certified sustainable community– naturally Looking back, it seems like a natural evolution. Starting with Skidway Island itself -- a special part of the Lowcountry, home of beautiful marsh views, a huge variety of wildlife, a haven for people and animals alike, where golf courses were designed in and around the existing landscape.

Twenty years ago, The Landings Club management asked a group of dedicated members to investigate an Audubon International environmental certification program for golf courses. Within four years, all six courses were certified

the Marsh with birds

as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.

Skidaway Audubon was begun and suc-

like the bird cam and community farm.

cessful teamwork between its volun-

Other volunteer groups within the

teers and our golf course maintenance

community focus on conservation too.

team continues.

The momentum of all this history and the initiatives of so many made it natu-

Expansion by Skidaway Audubon into other areas of stewardship began

ral to seek certification for the entire

a decade later with notable successes

Landings community.

In February of 2018, The Landings on Skidaway Island was designated a Certified Sustainable Community by Audubon International. We are the first community in the state of Georgia to earn this award.

The sustainable community designation is a natural extension of The Landings developer’s vision. The original developer worked wherever possible to preserve the natural tree canopy and created a system of lagoons to capture rain water and keep runoff out of the marsh.

“Sustainable living in a sustainable community is a direct reflection of the sensibilities of our residents and members,” says The Landings Club Executive Director, Steven Freund.

A large committee took on this iniBridge to the Lagoon

64

tiative. Sustainable Skidaway included Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

leadership from our neighbors at the

The Lagoon

State Park and UGA Marex. It involved staff at the Landings Club and The Landings Association, as well as an executive team comprised of amazing Skidaway Island community members. This important honor is a result of the hard work of many, both in the past five years and over the lifetime of our community.

The natural beauty and an active, engaged population are a large part of what makes The Landings on Skidaway Island one of the most amazing places to live in the United States. With six 18-hole golf courses, over 30 miles of walking trails, community gardens, dog parks and much, much more…Come and see what it’s like to live in paradise. Contact us at info@thelandings.com to plan your Discovery Visit. TheLandings.com

a scene at The Landings Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

65

Story and photos by Greg Corbo

Original strain of Seashore Paspalum grass still thriving on Florida’s Gulf Coast

Designed by legendary architect

Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1968, Apollo Beach Golf Club is one of only two signature golf courses Jones stamped on Florida’s Western Gulf Coast. As advertised on its website, “The Apollo Beach Golf Club holds the unique distinction of being one of the first courses in Florida to use Paspalum grass, a special strain that thrives in salt water areas.”

A mere quarter-mile from the Gulf beaches, Apollo also happens to sit closer to the water than any other club in Hillsborough County. Its proximity to the Gulf is visually evident that some form of water (either a lake, canal, or pond) exists on every hole here. Since its water source is high in salinity, the club installed Seashore Paspalum greens in 2001 and the turf is still going strong according to

Tom Doozan (PGA), the club’s Vice President of Operations since 1983.

“We had what you call ‘Bermudagass Decline,’” said Doozan, who serves as both Head Superintendent and Director of Golf. “We had areas that were thinned out, discolored and the turf was very uneven which was why were compelled to go with the Seashore Paspalum.”

The final stages of Bermudagrass Decline occurs when algae typically covers these thinned out areas thus sealing the surface cutting off the vital exchange of necessary air flow to

the roots. Residing in such a humid subtropical climate, the location of the club dictated the application of Paspalum for its sturdy characteristics: drought tolerant; requires less fertilizer; and prefers to be cut at lower heights. It’s basically treated as a cool season grass, but does require a bit more mowing in warmer weather when it can grow aggressively stabilized by a dense root system. If you don’t stay on top of it, it can get clumpy with thatch an organic matter.

“When the temperature is warm it grows great, when its cooler it

No. 9 with Tampa Electric plant smokestacks in the background.

66

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Doozan readily admits it can be tricky juggling both roles as Superintendent and Director of Golf, but says his reliable and dedicated maintenance staff of (5 full-time, 3 part-time) allows him time to focus on running the daily operations of a club that has roughly 350 members and puts out 38,000 rounds a year. Come on out to Apollo Beach Golf Club: “Fun, friendly and affordable.” Tipping out at 7,033 yards from the back (Blue) tees, Apollo Beach is a fair, formidable test as tees and fairways are comprised 419 Bermuda.

There are no signature holes here, just 18 really good ones. And don’t forget to stop in at the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center either before or after your round, just minutes away from the entrance of Apollo Beach Golf Club.

Patrons observing the Stingray pool at the Manatee Viewing Center just minutes from Apollo Beach Golf Club

No. 6 at Apollo Beach is a solid Par 4 dogleg left measuring in at 403 yards stays dormant,” said Doozan. “Since our water source is salt, we had to make a change and it’s been very beneficial. The turf is also greener than Bermuda. In the summer our greens are a beautiful bright green.”

Doozan says they conduct two core aerations and two solid tine aerations per year. Verticutting the greens is done twice a month and a liberal topdressing is done twice a year. According to various sources, the first PGA Tour event to be held on Seashore Paspalum greens was the 2012 PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort (S.C.) won by Rory McIlroy. Players were quick to point out the turf had more grip than Bermuda allowing them the freedom to fire at closer pin locations.

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

Don’t miss it left on No. 3 at Apollo Beach 67

golf header fitness

Golf Fitness In the Palm of Your Hand AMPD Golf Performance Introduces App Designed the Train Like the Pros

Dallas-based AMPD Golf Performance is a firm believer that personalized fitness training and skills should be accessible to anyone, anywhere. Through AMPD’s daily training process, they stay true to their name, which means: Assess + Move + Perform = Dynamic Athlete. They use data and research based on biomechanics and physiological recovery to provide innovative training, which helps all clients become “dynamic athlete” status.

AMPD recently released AMPlified Online Training to provide their oneof-a-kind training process to players across the globe. Each month a new workout progression is released on the online program that is based on the exact same training that PGA Tour Professionals have used to win multiple Major Championships.

Damon Goddard, partner at AMPD

68

Golf Performance, and famed fitness coach who was just named as one of Golf Digest’s 2017-2018 50 Best GolfFitness Professionals says, “These programs are built to develop champions and progress a golfer over a lifetime of workouts that strategically build

off one another. The progressions are designed to reduce the risk of injury and optimize performance.”

Designed for ease of use, the customized online training programs available for $149 per month require only a mix of training equipment such as bands, dumbbells, cable and kettlebells for each 30-60 minute session.

Goddard continues, “Our hope is that the mass availability of this technology will produce dynamic golf-athletes that are healthier, more efficient and more effective, improving everyone’s game and overall experience on and off the course.”

Golf Central • Volume 19, Issue 2

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT MATTER THE MOST.

DON'T IGNORE YOUR IMAGE..EMBRACE IT! Image matters. Design, Graphics and Signs are a chance to make a first impression with a new customer, a way to inform, identify and direct the public and a way to create a brand and image for your facility. Don't ignore your Image... Embrace it.

Whatever your requirements are, we will work with you to select the best method suited for your project and budget. TrueBlue Designs, Inc. offers a complete range of services that put your name, logo, or message on virtually anything. We strive to meet each client's individual needs, deadlines, deliver positive results, and add value to your property and or business(es).

SIGNS. PRINT. GRAPHICS. 407.326.6800 | TBDsigns.com PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

GOLF TORNAMENT SIGNAGE

BANNERS & SIGNICADE AND MUCH MORE

Hole Sponsor Signs

STAY AND PLAY THE

Just 60 miles south of Disney World is one of the most affordable golf destinations anywhere in the country.

Stay & play for as little as $99/person/night

including room, golf, and complimentary breakfast. (based on double occupancy)

VisitSebring.com for details.

TOURISM. It’s a break for everyone.

Our more than 66 million annual visitors aren’t just good for the tourism industry, they’re good for everyone who lives here.

Tourists pay over $436 million in sales taxes, they pay to improve our infrastructure and helped build many of the public venues companies and residents enjoy. They are a major reason that businesses not directly associated with tourism are thriving, too.

Over the years, tourist numbers have attracted the great dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities that exist here, and have helped create many other businesses who serve the needs of our growing metropolitan area. The bottom-line is that tourism creates jobs, businesses and a better quality-of-life for everyone. Including you.

Collierville, TN - Spring Creek Ranch - May 7 Brentwood, TN - The Governors Club - June 4 Bristol, VA - The Virginian - September 17 Kennesaw, GA - Pinetree County Club - Oct. 1 Lenoir City, TN - WindRiver Golf Club - Oct. 22

www.patsummitt.org/golf If you are interested in hosting a golf tournament to benefit The Pat Summitt Foundation, please email contactus@patsummitt.org.

“It’s harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb.

Continue to seek new goals.” - Pat Summitt

HYDRATE YOUR GAME IN SIGHT, IN MIND

Keeping a bottle of water visible and by you throughout the day will help remind you to keep sipping! Try and keep one at your desk, by your bedside, in your car and always in your golf bag!

GO LONG AND GO HYDRATE

Even if you are just hitting the driving range, especially in hot conditions, be sure to hydrate afterwards to avoid fatigue and dehydration.

DRINK IT UP

Aim to drink between 7 to 10 ounces of water for every 30 minutes of play to stay well hydrated, fuel your muscles and keep your mind sharp.

perfect pH* of 7.4

your body’s natural pH balance

*approximately 7.4

Reynolds Lake Oconee

Welcome to the Georgia Golf Trail Stone Mountain Golf Club

The Georgia Golf Trail has something no other state has to offer anywhere in the country, 23 top resorts that have first class golf and accommodations second to none.

From the mountains to the coast, come play golf where legendary golfer Bobby Jones lived and helped build a reputation of golf history that you won’t find anywhere.along the Georgia Golf Trail.

Sea Island

• Arrowhead Pointe • Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa • Brazell’s Creek • Callaway Gardens • Chateau Elan • Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee • Harbor Club on Lake Oconee • Highland Walk • Innsbruck Golf Club • Jekyll Island Georgia • Lake Blackshear • Lanier Islands – Legacy Golf Club • Little Ocmulgee • Meadow Links • Old Toccoa Farm • Reynolds Lake Oconee • Sea Island • Sea Palms Resort & Conference Center • Stone Creek Golf • Stone Mountain Golf Club • The Creek • The Lakes • The Club at Savannah Harbor • The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort

Learn more about where to gofor and what Package to see on Quote Lake Oconee by visiting www.Facebook.com/LakeOconeeTracy Call Today 770-266-0331 a Golf | Check us out online at georgiagolfandtravel.com