SOUTHERN ARIZONA
Feb-March 2012 Vol 9, Issue 1
MATCH PLAY BEHIND THE SCENES PRO TIPS
STILL THE
WEEKEND SPORTS GUY
NBC’s Dan Hicks Named Honorary Tucson Conquistador
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
Also Inside: PLAY AWAY: Mesquite Nevada l EXPANDED REVIEW: Tucson City Golf RULES l INSTRUCTION l Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? l TEE TO GREEN Behind The Cameras, Preparation Is Essential l Course Map & Directory
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For tee times, call 520-572-3500 and be sure to mention Southern Arizona Tee Times. To learn more about our Desert Southwest Golf Memberships, call 520-572-2700 or visit ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain
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CONTENTS Published by Media Solutions Group, Inc. PUBLISHER
CHAPTER SPONSORS
JACQUELINE McABEE
GLENDA GROW GOLFHUB HOOTERS I KNOW WIRELESS THE RITZ-CARLTON, DOVE MOUNTAIN SOL CASINOS THETEETIMESTORE.COM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RICK PRICE, PGA
COURSE REVIEWS JACK TALMAGE
ADVISORY BOARD ROBIN LANE RICK PRICE JACK TALMAGE TONY TERRY MIKE HAYES ADAM LAZARUS JUDY MCDERMOTT JACK RICKARD DAN WICKMAN
CONTRIBUTORS VITO BERLINGERI PATRICIA BROSSACK MATTHEW BOEPPLE RYAN ECKROAT, PGA LANCE ELDRIDGE MARY BETH LACY AL FISCHER ROBIN LANE ADAM LAZARUS JUDY McDERMOTT MARK OSWALD, PGA RICK SAMPLE, PGA MARYANN SOUTER WADE DUNAGAN, PGA The PGA TOUR
DISTRIBUTION J.C. McABEE
on the cover 47-70 Still The Weekend Sports Guy -
Dan Hicks Named Honorary Tucson Conquistador
special feature 39 Race To Secure A Spot In The Elite Field Begins 40 Official World Golf Ranking - One Month to Match Play 42 Behind the Cameras, Preparation is Essential 44 Accenture Match Play Volunteers / Volunteer Spotlight
GOLD SPONSORS THE ANTIGUA GROUP ARIZONA WOMEN’S GOLF ASSOCIATION CANOA RANCH GOLF RESORT DESERT DIAMOND CASINO ESPLENDOR RESORT & RIO RICO C.C. LODGE AT VENTANA CANYON ORO VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB POSTON BUTTE GOLF CLUB SANTA RITA GOLF CLUB THE GALLERY GOLF CLUB THE VIEWS GOLF COURSE TUCSON CITY GOLF TUCSON AND SCOTTSDALE GOLF VACATIONS TUCSON CONQUISTADORES WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPSACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
on the cover
SILVER SPONSORS GASLIGHT THEATRE HERITAGE HIGHLANDS OMNI TUCSON NATIONAL QUARRY PINES GOLF CLUB TUBAC RESORT & SPA TUCSON PARKS FOUNDATION WESTIN LA PALOMA RESORT & SPA
on the course 7 COURSE REVIEW: The Gallery, A Work of Art 8 PLAY AWAY: Mesquite Nevada -
Making It’s Mark as A Golf Destination
10 EXPANDED COURSE REVIEW: 14 COURSE MAP & DIRECTORY
Randolph Golf Complex
on your game 16 Demystifying the Club Fitting Experience 19 Learn to Enjoy the Bad 20 Managing your Wedge Game and Yardage Gaps 23 Fundaments to Improve your Chip & Run Shot 24 “R” Stands For Reduction, According to USGA 27 RULES: Questions on the Rules of Golf? 28 Swing Thru The Ball ... Not At It 30 WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE GAME? Ready Golf. 30 You Play Golf Becasue It’s Fun - Right? 31 Where Have All the Members Gone?
youthlinks SOUTHERN ARIZONA TEE TIMES OFFICE PO BOX 115 l CORTARO, AZ 85653 Phone: (520)792-6650 Toll-Free (888)792-6650 email: info@GoGolfArizona.com www.GoGolfArizona.com
49 50
Wu and Hong Dominate Junior Invitational JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT: Araceli Esquivel & Tyler Cooper
chapter news 32 Ventana Canyon Invitational Pro-Am 34 AGA Amateurs Come From Behind to Win
FACEBOOK: @ southernarizonateetimes TWITTER: @ SATeeTimes YOUTUBE: @ SATTMag www.gogolfarizona.com/about-us/subscribe.html
SOUTHWEST SECTION PGA Southern Chapter 600 S. ALVERNON WAY l TUCSON, AZ 85711 Phone: (520)290-1742 Fax (520)326-8772 email: southernchapterpga@yahoo.com www.southernchapterpga.com PRESIDENT: Dan Wickman, Signature Golf VICE-PRESIDENT: Steve Hughes, La Paloma, C.C. SECRETARY: Brent Lingel, Blanchard Golf Course HONORARY PRES.: Mike Hayes, Tucson City Golf ABOUT THE PGA
The Southwest Section PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America, consisting of more than 1,500 members in the state of Arizona and Southern Nevada. The Southern Chapter PGA is the six southern counties of Arizona. The PGA of America is the world’s largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives, and award-winning golf promotions. Your PGA Professionals are the “Experts in the Game and Business of Golf.”
community 54 The Gallery Golf Club Helps Tu Nidito Help Children 56 Giclas & Quihuis Score at Senior & Women’s City Am 57 New Men’s Club ‘9 & under’ Dominates Kane Cup 59 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 60 TEE TO GREEN: Local News and Reports 61 HOLE IN ONE: Latest Inductees to the Program 74 AMATEUR SPOTLIGHT: Lisa O’Donnell and Jim Trapp
19th hole 64-73 Entertainment, Dining & More! ABOUT SOUTHERN ARIZONA TEE TIMES
Southern Arizona Tee Times, official publication of the Southwest Section PGA Southern Chapter, is published bi-monthly by Media Solutions Group, Inc.. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the SWSSCPGA. Distributed throughout Southern Arizona with 20,000 bulk/on demand print circulation and 11,000 e-subscribers. Copyright © 2012. Printed on 20% recycled (10% post-consumer waste) paper. All inks contain a percentage of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Standards.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
5
TTry Tr rry our our Championship Championnsship 18-Hole 18-Hole Golf Golf Course Course
TheVi Th The Views V View Vie ews ws
The
Views
Golf Club at Oro Valley
520-825-3110
Open to the Public - Daily Green Fees - Golf Passes
ON THE COURSE Course Review
the gallery, a work of art
BY JACK TALMAGE One measure of what I would call a great golf course is when I play it for the first time and walk away saying I can’t wait to play it again. A lot of elements have to come together in perfect harmony; course conditions, design features, playability, good practice facilities, friendly and helpful staff, comfortable clubhouse and 19th hole, and how did I play…meaning do I want to come back because the course won or did I do so well that I want to do it again. For the record, I cannot wait to play Gallery South again, and the sooner the better. By the way, the course won, at least this time.
THE GALLERY GoLf cLub 14000 North Dove Mountain Blvd. Marana, Arizona 85658 Club Membership: Jennifer Price Phone: (520) 744-2555 www.gallerygolf.com
“A very popular option is the one year Trial Golf Membership that includes full use of all the clubs amenities”. Situated in the Dove Mountain Mecca of great golf courses, The Gallery Golf Club features two outstanding tracks. The North Course, designed by legendary John Fought with the help of past British Open winner Tom Lehman, plays up and back down two canyons in the
Tortolita Mountains. A lot of elevation changes provide for some dramatic views out over the valley floor, as well as some very challenging golf holes. The South Course, also designed by Fought, is a very different experience. Laying out on the desert floor with dramatic up close views of the mountains above, the South is considered a shot-makers course. Most of the fairways are very generous in width; just
avoid the well placed bunkers. What makes this such a unique golf experience, my partners and I decided, has to be the greens. These greens are some of the biggest I have ever played. Saying good shot because your approach is on the dance floor means nothing, you may have a 150 foot three putt in front of you. Fast with subtle undulations, and a generally crowned edge makes for a good test of both short game and putting. One of the prettiest holes on the course has to be the par three #8. At only 171 yards from the tips (thankfully there are five sets of tees at The Gallery), the hole is framed by the mountains behind it and fronted by a rock wall that, trust me, you need to carry. The cluster of greenside bunkers quite literally melts into the desert floor creating a very unique effect. The par five #10 has to be the signature hole. A split fairway divided by a manicured arroyo offers several choices on where to put your next shot to give you the best approach. Think your way carefully thru this hole or pay the price. The Gallery is a private club and offers all the
benefits attached to that. Not only are golf privileges available to members but there is a state of the art Gallery Sports Club with a fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, bocce, croquet, volleyball, swimming, you name it…everything you need for an active and healthy lifestyle. You can enjoy these benefits with others who have worked hard to enjoy life as much as you do. The Gallery offers many opportunities to enjoy the facilities with various membership offerings, including full golf, corporate, junior and Sports Club. A very popular option is the one year Trial Golf membership that includes full use of all of the clubs amenities. Contact the Membership Director for details and information on how to share in the Gallery experience. As the name suggests, The Gallery is truly a work of Art, something to be enjoyed inside and out! Jack Talmage is the General Manager and Director of Golf at Rio Rico Country Club. He comes to the golf business from an extensive career in golf resort marketing and sales. His passion is sharing the enjoyment of Southern Arizona Golf and he can be reached at (520)281-8567.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
7
MESQUITE NEVADA MAKING IT’S MARK AS A GOLF DESTINATION
Conestoga #6 Tee Box H BY JACK RICKARD If someone asked me to list my favorite “golf destinations” in the United States, I’d probably go (1) Bandon (Ore.) with its three wonderful seaside courses; (2) the Monterey Peninsula with Pebble Beach and Spyglass and (3) Pinehurst, N.C., with the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course. Mesquite, Nev., however, would not even be considered, even if I went ten deep. But give this semi-remote community credit. It’s trying to become a “golf destination.” So where is Mesquite? It’s some 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. It’s an easy drive through miles and miles of rough desert country. It’s almost like driving from Tucson to Phoenix. Mesquite is not big – around 20,000 full-time residents. Since it’s in Nevada, it obviously has casinos, three, in fact. They’re what I call ma-and-pa casinos. Why?-Because they have only one craps table. In the four days I stayed at the Casa Blanca casino, I never saw more than two people playing craps. Most of the clientele were older people trying their luck at video poker or slots. Mesquite does have seven golf courses. The Chamber of Commerce boasts that there is one tee box for every 162 local residents. The city is also the site of the annual Re/Max World Long Drive Championships that you may have caught on TV on Christmas day. Obviously in three days there I couldn’t try out all the courses. But the Falcon Ridge Golf Course, my first stop, is a challenging layout.
It’s built into the natural red cliffs of the Nevada desert landscape and features some dramatic shots off elevated tees as well as crushed white quartz bunkers. It was designed by Kelby Hughes and Crescent Hardy, two golf course architects I’ve never heard of. But they did a good job of routing the course through some interesting and challenging terrain. Falcon Ridge also has been named top course in Mesquite by the locals two years in a row. On the second day, I left Mesquite to tee it up in St. George, Utah, about 45 minutes away. It’s worth making the drive just to go through the Virgin River Canyon. For a few miles you are winding through some dramatic rock formations on both sides. I was told that when they cut the road through some 20 years ago it cost $1 million a mile. Imagine what the price would be today. Back to Mesquite. My last stop was the Conestoga Golf Club. It was designed by Gary Panks of Phoenix, one of my favorite golf course architects who was recently inducted into the Arizona Golf Association Hall of Fame. “The location made quite an impression on me with its elevation changes, panoramic vistas and the rugged nature of the bluffs and canyons,” Panks said. The Oasis Golf Club has two courses. One is named The Palmer because it was designed by Arnold Palmer in person. The Canyons course is more player-friendly. That translates into easier. Palmer isn’t the only big-name designer who has worked in the area. Down the road some 40 miles, halfway from Las Vegas, is the Coyote Springs Golf Club, designed by Jack Nicklaus. It’s in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. It’s some 20 miles off the Las
8 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
“So why make the drive from Las Vegas to Mesquite just for golf? Well, it is less expensive. The rates in Mesquite range from $75 to $125 depending on the time of year”. Vegas-Mesquite freeway and all by itself. No houses, nothing. A few years back it was going to be the start of a major development, with several courses planned along with lots of fairway lots. Then the economy went south and the course sits alone. Several of my friends played Coyote Springs and came back with two thoughts – it’s a fair and challenging layout but the greens will drive you crazy. One friend said he never had a level putt in 18 holes. So why make the drive from Las Vegas to Mesquite just for golf? Well, it is less expensive. Golf in Las Vegas is really expensive. The rates in Mesquite range from $75 to $125, depending on the time of year. It costs more in the summer. Would I go back? And does Mesquite qualify as a “golf destination?” Yes, on both counts. I loved the laid-back atmosphere of the community, and the two courses I played were really good. Jack Rickard is a retired Editor of the Tucson Citizen, and Southern Arizona Tee Times.
ON THE COURSE
THE LOCATION MADE QUITE AN IMPRESSION ON ME WITH ITS ELEVATION CHANGES, PANORAMIC VISTAS AND THE RUGGED NATURE OF THE BLUFFS ...
Coyote Springs #11
Coral Canyon G.C.
Falcon Ridge G.C. www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
9
EXPANDED REVIEw The
Three perspectives. One course.
RANDOLPH GOLF COMPLEX
Two Championship Courses, 300 acres and One Central Location
Tees
Par
Yards
Rating
Slope
BLUE WHITE RED
72 72 73
6863 3436 5972
72.1 70.0 67.6
128 122 117
(L) WHITE 72/6436/74.5/117
Randolph #6
(L) RED 73/5972/73.2/125
. . . about the Complex
Dell Urich #15
BY PAM DRAKE, PGA Head Golf Professional Tucson City Golf In a thriving metropolitan city like Tucson, it is refreshing to find 300 beautiful acres centrally located in the heart of a city dedicated to golf. The Randolph Golf Complex is comprised of two championship golf courses – the Randolph Course and the Dell Urich Course. The Randolph Course (formerly called Randolph North) was opened in 1925, and was the site of the PGA Seiko Tucson Match Play Championship, the PGA Joe Garagiola Tucson Open and the PING/Welch’s LPGA Championship. Measuring 6,902 yards from the championship tees and a lengthy 5,952 from the forward tees, this course will give golfers ample opportunities to use their drivers. The course setting is a scenic one with numerous tall trees, lush fairways, and beautiful views of the mountains
RANDoLPH GoLf coMPLEX RANDoLPH / DELL uRIcH 600 S. Alvernon, Tucson AZ 85711 Phone: (520) 791-4161 ProShopRandolph@tucsonaz.gov Website: www.tucsoncitygolf.com
Tees
Par
Yards
Rating
Slope
BLUE WHITE GOLD RED
70 70 70 70
6633 6123 5774 5270
70.2 67.4 66.4 66.4
123 115 112 112
surrounding Tucson. The course features water hazards on five holes and long fairways. With parallel fairways and few blind shots, some might consider the course to be easy. However the subtle breaks in the greens, generally breaking towards Hi Corbett Field have fooled amateurs and professionals alike. The Dell Urich Course opened in 1996 after a complete re-design on the site of the former Randolph South Golf Course and was named in honor of Randolph’s first golf professional. The dramatic makeover features spectacular views from four sets of tees and dramatic elevation changes. Dell Urich is the former home of the Tucson LPGA tour stop. It measures 6,629 years from the championship tees and 5,257 from
10 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
LADIES RATINGS: (L) WHITE (L) GOLD (L) RED
70/6123/73.7/129 70/5774/71.9/124 70/5270/69.3/116
INCLUDES A LARGE LIGHTED DRIVING RANGE, A CHIPPING AREA KNOWN TO LOCALS AS “THE PIT”, THREE PUTTING GREENS AND A LARGE PRO SHOP the forward tees. Golfers who hit it long off the tee will gain an advantage of extra roll as most fairways are crowned about 240 yards off the tee. Shorter hitters will drive into the upslope and not gain the extra yardage through roll. The fairways are also lined with numerous tall trees, lush fairways and just 3 water hazards. Other amenities offered at the Randolph Golf Complex include a large lighted driving range, a chipping area known to locals as “the pit”, three large putting greens, and a large well stocked pro shop.
ON THE COURSE Josie Trapnell
. . . representing the gals and playing Dell Urich
. . . representing the guys and playing Randolph
SATT READER REVIEW: BY Josie Trapnell and Charlie Sullivan
SATT READER REVIEW: BY Reggie Browning and Peter Morash
Dell Urich #16 Dell Urich Golf Course is currently in great shape and has at least 4 holes any course would be proud to use as their signature hole, with mature trees, undulating and twisting fairways and scenic mountains in the back ground. Although this is a somewhat hilly course, we watched a mobility impaired rider on her solo-cart move with ease over the terrain, we also admired her smooth fairway swing. The fairways are wide and the greens are large, making scoring on this course easy. That is; if you avoid the tree line and water hazards that you will find on three of the holes, number 17 being one that you must clear water, about an 80 yard shot to land on the green and avoid going too long, or you will find a back bunker to the left and a downhill slope to deep grass and possible water on the right. Some areas on the course need to be roped off, as some cart drivers are not being respective of the course; such as on the 12th tee. Just to the right of the green is a swell that many balls will find, the carts cut through here in lieu of using the cart path and it can be a muddy tire tracked mess where grass should be, thus penalizing you further for not finding the green. The staff at Dell Urich is friendly and knowledgeable; they even keep a supply of frozen Snickers in the Club House for those who need a pick me up at the turn. The cart girls are the best I have ever seen. They always have a smile, ice, are well stocked, a good joke or story to tell, and visit frequently if need be. To put it simply, Dell Urich is a wonderful place for anyone to play golf and have a great time.
Arriving at the Randolph Complex we were reminded of the old days when the courses were named Randolph North and Randolph South and it’s history since the mid-1980's, when the PGA and LPGA Tours made Randolph North/South an annual stopping place. A Municipal Course, Randolph has aged gracefully as subtle improvements have been made. As we walked into the Pro Shop we were pleasantly greeted by Golf Professional, Pam Drake and noticed a large variety of golf apparel, competitively priced, with ample items marked on Sale. Once we picked out the best looking cart in the line of carts ready to go, we proceeded to the Starter on the Randolph Course. The Starter was friendly and efficient as he told us the tee-box was ours. Although we did not have time to practice or putt before the round, the practice facilities are nice and there are two putting greens for use. Randolph is an oasis in a concrete desert. Unlike most desert courses, Randolph is very similar to courses back east, with holes paralleling each other bringing you back to the clubhouse after each nine. Errant shots rarely result in penalties for unplayable lies or OB. Almost every tee box view offers a treelined green fairway, brown dormant Bermuda grass rough on each side and the Catalina Mtns. visible in the distance. Course condition was very good the day we played. The rough was mowed to about 4", high enough to create tough approach shots or to lose your ball if you didn't follow its flight. Fairways were cut perfect but had numerous unfilled divots, an indication of heavy usage. Greens were patchy in spots and a bit bumpy, but oh so green. Most greens slope from back to front, so long iron approach shots hold well. However, accuracy is a must because the greens are quite small. A slight fade or draw and your next shot is a chip, pitch-n-roll or bunker. The greenside bunkers are strategically placed to catch the slightest off-line shot. The green aprons are wide enough, however, to allow one to run the ball up to the cup as an alternative approach to a high shot. Accuracy is also a must off the tee. The tree-lined fairways offer a narrow landing
“THE PAR 5'S ARE REACHABLE IN TWO IF YOU CAN HIT IT THROUGH THE DOGLEG. ”
Randolph #9 area and either a dogleg left or right. The par 5's are reachable in two if you can hit it through the dogleg. The par 4's and 3's are deceptively longer than they look. On many of the par 4's, even after hitting a good drive (for instance 240 yards off the white tees) Peter found himself hitting long irons into small greens. We saw the beverage cart 3 times in our round. It was fully stocked with beer, liquor, soda and snacks - all at what we believed to be low prices. While there are four restrooms, they are only available to players on or around the 4th, 10th, 13th and 16th holes. It would have been nice to have had a restroom somewhere around the 6th or 7th hole as well, and the existing facilties are in need of a facelift. We were disappointed to see the water on #9, #16 and #18 gone, but even the dry beds are formidable hazards. You can easily lose your ball in them and if you're lucky to find it, the next shot is still difficult. If you can't hit long approach shots, I suggest you layup on #9 and #18. If you find yourself in the hazard on #16, take a drop. I was most impressed with how the greens putt so true. Get the right line, hit it firm and you'll hole some long putts. Try to stay below the hole. Downhill putts can run off the front and putting from the left or right will give you a testy breaker. The two most intimidating holes are #10 and #15, but the course is a challenge for all skill levels. It requires accuracy and a precise short game. After your round, stop at the El Con Club & Grill. We were served by Mia, whose pretty smile and infectious laugh raised our spirits after a tough round. The menu is varied and quite reasonably priced. The atmosphere is relaxing and with 3 flat screen TVs you can watch the sports of the day while unwinding. We can say unequivocally, that Randolph North offers an enjoyable round of golf at an exceptional price that is sure to create a new memory or two.
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11
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GREEN VALLEY / NOGALES
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To add or update a course listing, email info@GoGolfArizona.com or call 520.792.6650 ext. 116
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14 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
MAP nOT TO SCALE.
y
82
49
28 p ROLLING HILLS GC
TUCSON AREA
24 l ARIZONA NATL. GC
9777 E. Sabino Greens Dr. Phone 520.749.3636 Par 71, Yardage 6776
08 l CROOKED TREE GC @
ARTHUR PACK REG. PARK.
9101 N. Thornydale Phone 520.744.3322 Par 72, Yardage: 6887
06 l HERITAGE HIGHLANDS
4949 W. Heritage Club Blvd. Phone 520.579.7000 Par 72, Yardage 6904
16 p SADDLEBROOKE CC
64500 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd. Phone 520.825.2505 Par 72, Yardage 6494
17 l SADDLEBROOKE RANCH GC
30556 S. Robson Cir. Phone 520.818.6403 Par 72, Yardage 6875
29 p DAVIS MONTHAN
3965 S. Craycroft Rd. Phone 520.228.3734 Par 72, Yardage 6611
10 l EL CONQUISTADOR
GOLF RESORT
10555 N. La Canada Dr. Phone 520.544.1800 Par 71, Yardage 6801 Conquistador Course Par 72, Yardage 6713 Canada Course
09 l OMNI TUCSON NATIONAL GR
2727 W. Club Dr. Phone 520.575.7540 Par 72, Yardage 7262 Catalina Course Par 70, Yardage 6418 Sonoran Course
14 l THE PRESERVE
GC—SADDLEBROOKE
66567 Catalina Hills Dr. Phone 520.825.9022 Par 72, Yardage 6418
19 l PUSCH RIDGE AT EL CONQUISTADOR
10000 N. Oracle Rd. Phone 520.544.1770 Par 35, Yardage 2788
35 l EL RIO MUNICIPAL GC
1400 W. Speedway Blvd. Phone 520.791.4229 Par 70, Yardage 6418
20 l QUAIL CANYON GC
5910 N. Oracle Rd. Phone 520.887.6161 Par 54, Yardage 2311
22 p SKYLINE CC
GOLF CLUB (Marana)
8480 N. Continental Links Dr. Phone 520.744.7443 Par 71, Yardage 6300
8251 E. Irvington Rd. Phone 520.791.2539 Par 72, Yardage 6567
955 W. Vistoso Highlands Dr. Phone: 520.797.9900 Par 72, Yardage 6932
15 l MOUNTAIN VIEW GC 38691 S. Mountain View Blvd. Phone 520.818.1100 Par 72, Yardage 6728
45 l CANOA RANCH GC
36 l STARR PASS GC
39 l HAVEN GC
3645 W. Starr Pass Blvd. Phone 520.670.0400 Par 72, Yardage 7008
12 p THE STONE CANYON CLUB
14200 N. Hohokam Village Pl. Phone 520.219.1500 Par 72, Yardage 7307
60 l TUCSON ESTATES GOLF COURSE
2500 S. Western Way Phone 520.883.5566 Par 58, Yardage 2766
26 p TUCSON CC
2950 N. Camino Principal Phone 520.298.6769 Par 72, Yardage 6954
110 N. Abrego Dr. Phone 520.625.4281 Par 72, Yardage 6905
40 l QUAIL CREEK CC
2010 N. Quail Crossing Blvd. Phone 520.393.5802 Par 72, Yardage 7005
600 S. Alvernon Way Phone 520.791.4161 Par 72/70 Yardage 6863
18 p ORO VALLEY CC
300 W. Greenock Dr. Phone 520.297.1121 Par 72, Yardage 6964
23 p VENTANA CANYON
6200 N. Clubhouse Ln. Phone 520.577.4015 Par 72, Yardage 6907Mtn/6819-Cyn
CLUB DOVE MOUNTAIN
6501 Boulder Bridge Pass Phone 520.572.3500 Par 36 Yardage 3894 Saguaro Course Par 36 Yardage 3955 Tortolita Course Par 36 Yardage 3897 Wild Burro Course
01 l CASA GRANDE MUNICIPAL GC
2121 N. Thornton Rd. Casa Grande, AZ Phone 520.836.9216 Par 72, Yardage 6353
13 p THE VIEWS GOLF CLUB OF ORO VALLEY
03 l MISSION ROYALE GC
11 Mission Royale Pkw. Casa Grande, AZ Phone 520.876.5335 Par 72, Yardage 6700
04 l GRANDE VALLEY GC
1505 South Toltec Rd. Grande Valley, AZ Phone 520.466.7734 Par 72, Yardage 7183
MAP INSETS
31 l del LAGO GOLF COURSE
41 l TORRES BLANCAS GOLF CLUB
51 l TURQUOISE HILLS
4201 S. Camino Del Sol Phone 520.648.3468 Par 71, Yardage 6704
3233 S. Abrego Dr. Phone 520.625.5200 Par 72, Yardage 6978
42 p DESERT HILLS GC
2500 S. Circulo de las Lomas Phone 520.625.5090 Par 72, Yardage 6464
TUBAC
GOLF COURSE
800 E. Country Club Dr. Benson, AZ Phone 520.586.2585 Par 58, Yardage 3004
54 l TURQUOISE VALLEY
1794 W. Newell St. Naco, AZ Phone 520.432.3091 Par 72, Yardage 6778
50 l SAN PEDRO GC
926 N. Madison St. Benson, AZ Phone 520.586.7888 Par 72, Yardage 7313
52 l SHADOW MTN.
1105 Irene St. Sunsites, AZ Phone 520.826.3412 Par 72, Yardage 6632
One Otero Rd. Phone 520.398.2211 Par 71, Yardage 6576
RIO RICO / NOGALES
53 l SIERRA VISTA PUEBLO del SOL CC
2770 St. Andrews Dr. Sierra Vista, AZ Phone 520.378.6444 Par 72, Yardage 7074
58 l DOUGLAS MUNICIPAL G.C.
1372 E. Fairway Dr. Douglas, AZ Phone 520.417.7339 Par 71, Yardage 6653
AZ CITY / FLORENCE
57 l ARIZONA CITY G.C.
13939 S. Cleator Arizona City, AZ 85123 Phone 520.466.5327 Par: 72, Yardage: 6742
26000 Gila Bend Highway Casa Grande, AZ Phone: 1.800.237.4238 Par 72, Yardage 7545
14155 E. Via Rancho del Lago, Vail, AZ Phone 520.647.1100 Par 72, Yardage 7206
46 l TUBAC GOLF RESORT
1555 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd. Phone 520.825.3110 Par 72, Yardage 6715
56 l RITZ-CARLTON GOLF
CASA GRANDE/ELOY
44 l SAN IGNACIO GC
38 p COUNTRY CLUB OF GREEN VALLEY
32 l RANDOLPH GC
11 l GOLF CLUB @ VISTOSO
1401 W. Calle Urbano Phone 520.648.1880 Par 72, Yardage 6610
77 E. Paseo de Golf Phone 520.625.8831 Par 72, Yardage 6281
07 l QUARRY PINES
14000 N. Dove Mountain Blvd. Phone 520.744.2555 Par 72, Yardage 7435 North Course Par 72, Yardage 7315 South Course
43 l CANOA HILLS GC
5800 S. Camino del Sol Phone 520.393.1966 Par 70, Yardage 6549
12000 E. Tanque Verde Rd. Phone 520.749.4212 Par 72, Yardage 6630
05 p THE GALLERY GC
GREEN VALLEY
5200 E. St. Andrews Dr. Phone 520.299.0464 Par 71, Yardage 6123
25 l FORTY-NINER CC
30 l FRED ENKE GC
6100 W. Merrill Ranch Pkw. Florence, AZ Phone 520.723.1880 Par 72, Yardage 7282
RESORT GC
3600 N. Silverbell Rd. Phone 520.791.5235 Par 72, Yardage 6824
33 l DELL URICH GC
6601 E. Speedway Blvd. Phone 520.885.6751 Par 62, Yardage 3900
55 l POSTON BUTTE GC
02 l FRANCISCO GRANDE
34 l SILVERBELL GC
27 l DORADO GC
187 Kino Springs Dr. Nogales, AZ Phone 520.287.8701 Par 71, Yardage 6500
21 l LA PALOMA CC
3660 E. Sunrise Dr. Phone 520.299.1500 Par 72, Yardage 7088
600 South Alvernon Way Phone 520.791.4161 Par 70, Yardage 6633
49 l KINO SPRINGS GC
8900 E. 29th St. Phone 520.298.2401 Par 63 Yardage 4146
47 l RIO RICO CC
1069 Camino Caralampi Rio Rico, AZ Phone 1.800.288.4746 Par 72, Yardage 7119
59 l MT. GRAHAM GOLF COURSE
4000 Golf Course Rd. Safford, AZ Phone 520.348.3140 Par 72, Yardage 6573
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
15
ON YOUR GAME
Demystifying the Club Fitting Experience BY MICHAEL HELFRICH General Manager, Hot Stix Golf While many players are under the impression that club fitting is only for Tour pros, it’s actually just as suited, if not more so, to higher handicappers. Because regardless of whether someone’s playing for money or looking to break 100, the fitting experience determines the ideal selection of equipment for their unique “Swing DNA.” When visiting a certified club fitter, expect to answer a number of questions, such as: • What are the best and worst parts of your game? • Are you taking lessons? • What changes are you looking to make? • What is your most common “miss”? • What are your favorite / least favorite clubs? The next step will involve some measurements on your current clubs, including length, loft, lie, shaft frequency and swing weight. This is done so that when the fitting is complete you can compare what you have to what you need.
It also helps the fitter understand what you’ve been playing, and how that may affect your swing. A club fitter will use a launch monitor to analyze how the golf club is impacting ball flight. Specifically, they’ll interpret a slew of data points that include club head speed, ball speed, spin rates and angle of attack. Among the most important measurements is the golf ball’s angle of descent. It’s determined by measuring launch angle (angle of ascent of the golf ball immediately after impact) and spin rates (speed at which the ball spins, measured in revolutions per minute). The perfect combination of launch angle and spin will lead to an ideal angle of descent and greater total distance. In order to help visualize this, imagine you’re using a hose to shoot water as far as possible. Aim too high and you’ll lose distance because the water will fall steeply. Adjust too low and it will fall short because of a shallow arc. An optimum angle of descent for the driver will be in the neighborhood of 35-40 degrees for players with a driver swing speed between 85 and 110 mph. This
signifies that he or she is maximizing carry distance and roll potential. The optimum angle will be less for players with slower swing speeds and higher for those with greater speeds. Another important piece of swing data is smash factor or PTI (power transfer index), which is the ratio between ball speed and club head speed. With a driver, players are trying to reach a maximum smash factor of 1.5. Translated, this means that if a player’s swing speed is 100 mph, ball speed will be 150 mph. Golfers not approaching the 1.5 ratio aren’t making proper contact. The reason for this could be equipment related. Club fitters should have on hand a large selection of equipment from a range of manufacturers. Thus, when completing a fitting, players should expect to experiment with various club head, shaft and grip combinations until an ideal match is found. The data doesn’t lie, so this isn’t a guessing game. In the end, if you’re purchasing equipment, do yourself a favor and go through the club fitting process. It's fun, easy, will help you play better and, very likely, save you money in the long run.
About The
AUTHOR
MICHAEL HELFRICH
Hot Stix Golf - General Manager
480.513.1333
www.HotStixGolf.com
Mike Helfrich is the General Manager of Hot Stix Golf based in Scottsdale, AZ. with eight locations across the United States Hot Stix is widely excepted as the #1 Club Fitter in Golf. During Mike’s tenure at Hot Stix they have become the exclusive research partner for Golf Magazine and oversee the magazine’s annual “Club Test”. Mike’s career in the golf industry spans more than twenty years and started in his home state of Oregon, but having resided in Cave Creek for the last fifteen years now considers Arizona his home.
16 Phoenix Valley Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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18 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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ON YOUR GAME
Learn to Enjoy the Bad BY RYAN ECKROAT, PGA General Manager, Poston Bute G.C.
If you’ve played golf for much time at all, it comes as no surprise to you when I say that golf is largely a mental game. Yes, physical talent and ability is important to playing well, but if you have a five cent head on your shoulders, your picture perfect swing won’t get you too many good rounds. If you don’t believe me, think back to the times when the player with the ugly swing managed to pick your pockets simply because they kept their wits about them. A few years ago, while playing golf with a friend, I picked up what might be the simplest and best piece of advice that I’ve ever received about playing golf. Early on in the round, I mis-hit my approach shot and missed the green. While I wasn’t overly upset about the miss, it must have been apparent that I was disappointed about missing the green. As we were heading up to the green, my friend tells me, “You know Eck, if we never missed a green, we’d never get the chance to chip-in.” Having worked with him for a year or so at this point, I was used to getting such cheerful little tidbits (as he is by far one of the most positive people I have ever
met in my life). However, out of all the pieces of advice I’ve ever heard, this one stuck with me immediately and remains to this day. The reason being is that every missed shot provides an opportunity for a great recovery shot. Think about it, what is more exciting, sinking a fivefoot putt for birdie, or holing out a tough bunker shot for birdie that had your opponent already writing down your bogey? Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather have five-foot birdie putts all day long, but the point is, don’t give up when your ball ends up in a nasty spot. Yes, sometimes you have to take your medicine and chip out from behind the trees, take a drop from the unplayable lie, etc. However, before you make that choice, allow yourself to see the opportunity for success. Better yet, relish the opportunity to show off your recovery skills when you accidentally send a shot astray. Sure, you may not pull it off each time, but your chances of success improve dramatically by just staying positive and thinking about the good things that can happen rather than the bad.
I PICKED UP WHAT MIGHT BE THE SIMPLEST AND BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED ABOUT PLAYING GOLF ...
About The
AUTHOR
RYAn ECKROAT, PGA
Poston Butte Golf Club - General Manager
520.723.1880
reckroat@troongolf.com www.PostonButte.com
Ryan is the General Manager at Poston Butte Golf Club at Anthem Merrill Ranch in Florence, Arizona. As a PGA Member and 9year veteran with Troon Golf, Ryan has managed multiple facilities in Arizona and Colorado. Ryan began his career with Troon Golf at Legend Trail Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. He then moved to Colorado to open Vista Ridge Golf Club, a master-planned community just north of Denver. Ryan returned to Scottsdale after being named the Head Golf Professional at The westin Kierland Resort, Spa & Villas where he served for 3 and a half years before joining the Troon Golf team at Poston Butte Golf Club in 2008.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
19
Managing your Wedge Game and Yardage Gaps BY DANNY MEDINA, PGA Head Golf Professional, Omni Tucson National
How many of us have found ourselves missing greens with our wedge shots or standing over the shot with a wedge in our hand and not feeling comfortable with the club choice? Wedges are made to control your shots not power your shots. Very seldom should we need to swing our wedges at 100% power. Over powering or swinging too slow at these shots because we don’t have the right club due to the wide spread of yardage gaps between our wedges can lead to inconsistent approach shots. Often you find the shots either having too much backspin, the golf ball escalating quickly in trajectory and coming up short in yardage, or the wind moving the ball in the air more than we want. With long irons being difficult for most golfers to hit and hybrid clubs becoming more popular, finding an option to put a fourth wedge in our bag can be easy. The percentage of shots used with your wedges is higher in a round than the use of your 4 iron, 3 iron, or 5 wood; giving us an option to trade the rarely used 3 or 4 iron for a fourth wedge or a gap wedge. Many golfers carry a pitching wedge then jump to a sand wedge and possibly a lob wedge. There are a lot of options with the club manufactures these days which is nice, but the question is which one will best fit my needs? You have the choice from multiple degrees of loft and bounce to best select what will accommodate your gap. A good general rule of thumb is to maintain a 4 degree spread between your clubs, your wedges should be no different. Most golfers bags are set up with the pitching wedge as the most lofted club in the standard set and then jump to the sand wedge, leaving us an 8 to 9 degree difference between the two. Again each individual’s club yardage will be different but if we can fill the gaps we are sure to increase our yardage control and shot making ability! Golf is a tough game as it is so if we can add these tips to make our decision making throughout our rounds easier we are on our way to better scores and a much more enjoyable round of golf! Danny Medina is the Head Golf Professional at the Omni Tucson National Resort. A native Tucsonan, Danny has been working in the golf business for over 13 years and has been a PGA Member since 2009. Danny has worked extensively with golfers of all calibers, members, junior players, initiating clinics and workshops. Danny instructed golf classes for Pima Community College for 8 years and really has developed a passion for growing the game of golf. Danny enjoys his free time away from the course with his son Jacob! Danny can be reached at 520.575.7540 or dmedina@omnihotels.com
20 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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520.409.5301 Cell 520.665.3190 Office snorthcutt@comcast.net
22 Southern Arizona Tee Timeswww.HomesInTheTucsonArea.com Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
www.CanyonPassHomesandLand.com
ON YOUR GAME
Fundaments to improve your Chip & Run Shot BY MARK OSwALD, PGA
General Manager, Oro Valley Country Club
Grip: Choke down on the club for better feel, and accuracy. Maintain a medium to firm grip pressure that will help you swing the club back and forward with the shoulders and arms not the hands and wrists.
Address Position. Hands ahead of ball, weight on front foot, ball position off of back foot. Note position of practice aid under left arm.
Stance: Open your stance; your feet should be approximately shoulder width apart. Put approximately 80% of your weight on your front foot. It is very important to maintain this weight distribution during the swing. Do not allow your weight to shift to the rear foot as you take the club back. Ball Position: Ball position may vary depending on the height and amount of roll desired from the shot. For more roll, place the back in your stance. For a higher, softer shot, position the ball more forward in your stance. In most of you chipping shots the ball will be played back in your stance which will maximize the amount of roll and minimize the amount of time the ball is in the air.
Top of backswing, weight remaining on front foot, no wrist break.
Finish position. Notice position of practice aid away from body, no wrist break.
Club Selection: Before selecting the club to be used, find out how much “air time” and “ground time” is required for the shot. Air time relates to the amount of time or distance the ball will travel in the air. Ground time relates to the distance or roll the ball will make once it is on the ground. Keep the air time to the minimum amount required to land the ball on a flat short grass surface. For more air time use the more lofted clubs such as the Lob, Sand or Pitching Wedge, for more ground time use less lofted clubs from 9 iron to hybrid club or even a fairway wood. The more you want the ball to roll the less loft you want on the club.
Stroke: Use the pendulum stroke. Commonly taught as the putting stroke, this stroke is made with the arms and shoulders moving the club back and forward in one piece. The hands remain firm; keep the wrists from breaking while making this stroke. The length of the backswing will determine how far the ball will fly in the air; the amount of loft on the club will determine how far the ball rolls once it is on the ground. Look at the finish of your swing, you should find your hands pushed out at the target and the front arm firm with no wrist break or cupping. Keep your grip ahead of the clubface through impact. Do not allow the clubface to pass your hands. This will assure you are hitting down on the shot and not breaking your wrists or scooping the shot. Practice Drill: Take an old club and insert a shaft, alignment stick or dowel into the end of the grip. Take your address position with the stick extending under your left arm. Now make the stroke with your arms and shoulders. Do not allow your wrists to break. If you are doing this correctly the stick coming out of the grip will not bother your stroke. If you begin to break your wrists at any point on your downswing the shaft will hit your side. This is a great tool to see if you are breaking your wrist during the stroke. Summary: Chipping is a lower shot that releases and rolls. Play the ball back in your stance, weight and hands ahead of the ball. Use the length of your backswing to determine the air time and club selection to determine the amount of ground time or rolling distance of the shot, follow through, and do not break the wrists. With some practice you can get really good at this shot and lower your score.
About The
AUTHOR
MARK OSWALD, PGA
Oro Valley Country Club - General Manager
520.297.7384
moswald@orovalleycountryclub.com www.OroValleyCountryClub.com
Mark Oswald has been a PGA Member for more than 24 years (since 1987) - He has worked with all levels of golfers, from first time beginners to touring professionals, over 25 years of offering Professional Golf Instruction. Mark has managed several clubs in Arizona including the Hilton El Conquistador, The Golf Club at Vistoso, Prescott Country Club and Great Eagle Golf Club and is currently the General Manager at Oro Valley Country Club.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
23
ON YOUR GAME
“R” Stands For Reduction, According to the USGA BY GINNY ZAK, AwGA AwGA Handicap Committee Chair
A not too uncommon cause for chagrin among amateur golfers is opening your Handicap revision email to find that your Handicap has gone down drastically since the previous revision, and there is a mysterious “R” appearing next to your Index. The “R” stands for Reduction. Not only is it startling, it can also be quite confusing, particularly if it’s the first time you’ve seen it. Please allow me to explain. Betsy Smith
handicap Revision
The USGA defines a tournament score as “a score made in a competition organized and conducted by the committee in charge of the competition. The competition must identify a winner(s) based on a stipulated round(s), and must be played under the Rules of Golf. “ Scores designated as “T” scores are technically the same as any other score in your record…except that they are kept as part of your scoring record for 12 months, or for as long as they are “current” (part of your last 20 scores). When a player shoots significantly better in tournaments than they do in regular play, an additional step for calculating a handicap index may be used. This step, described in section 10-3 of the Handicap Manual, uses the differentials of your two lowest tournament scores from the previous 12 months. The average of the two differentials is compared to the player’s handicap index, and if the difference is 3 or more, a chart based on the statistical probability of shooting those
scores is entered. Using this chart, a player’s handicap index may wind up being reduced. The reduction will show with the letter “R” after the player’s handicap index. The reduction can change with each handicap revision, as your handicap index changes. This is an automatic part of the handicapping software required by the USGA, and should be monitored by the Handicap Committee at each club. The Handicap Committee has the ability to change the reduction if they feel it is needed. This often happens when a player has had a significant physical change… something that would hinder the player’s ability to shoot the lower scores of the past months. At each club, the Handicap Committee is asked in advance to assess which events are significant in the traditions of the club in order to designate which events should be recorded for handicap purposes as “T” scores. Ordinary play days (such as Ladies’ Day, Saturday Sweeps events) are not considered to be significant, and would dilute the effect of the Tournament Score system. A general aim for clubs is to have around 8 scores/events designated as a T score each season. The 10-3 method is based on statistical probability-what is the likelihood of shooting a given score with a certain level of handicap? Built into the system is the fact that, as a player plays more tournaments, the likelihood of shooting a better score goes up. Some people call it being “tournament tough”. But, in fact…it is really based on statistics!
About The
AUTHOR
GInnY ZAK
Arizona Women’s Golf Assoc. - Handicap Committee Chair
602.253.5655
www.AWGA.org
Ginny Zak has been a member of the Arizona women’s Golf Association Board of Directors since 2009, chairing the Association’s Handicap Committee. Ginny’s Committee oversees the operation of the Association’s Handicap service, insuring that it is operated in full compliance with the requirements of the USGA Handicap System and the AwGA/USGA licensing agreement, and works to the benefit of the Association, the membership, and women’s golf in Arizona.
24 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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&$ www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
25
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ON YOUR GAME
AS A GOLFER, YOU HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO YOUR FELLOW PLAYERS TO KNOW AND FOLLOW THE RULES OF GOLF
Questions on the Rules of Golf? BY RICK PRICE, PGA In the course of a round of golf, or while playing in a tournament, we have all run across a situation where we had a question on a ruling that we didn’t know the answer to. So, automatically we reach into our golf bag to pull out our rule book, and realize we do not have it with us because we left it on our desk at home after studying the rules all night long. Not likely. However, you should always carry the rule book in your bag for situations that may occur. A great resource that can help you with your questions on the rules is your local PGA professional in the golf shop. Here are some other resources to answer your questions;
go right to the main source and contact the USGA through their website or even call them directly. They always have a staff member available to answer any rule's question. Golfers also should take advantage of the resources the PGA provides through initiatives like Play Golf America, PGA First Swing Guide and the PGA Summary of Rules of Golf. As a golfer you have the obligation to your fellow players to know and follow the Rules of Golf. If you follow this simple philosophy, it will give you a better understanding of the rules. “Play the course as you find it, play the ball as it lies and play fairly.” The new Rules of Golf book is
now available for 2012-2015. My recommendation would be to make sure to pick one up so you can keep it in your golf bag. However, before you put it in your bag, take 10 or 15 minutes to familiarize yourself with some of the changes. Before you jump right into the definitions, and the rules directly, read through the section “How to Use the Rule Book.” This will be very helpful in understanding how to use the book more effectively and efficiently. Golf is a unique game where, in general, the players govern themselves and respect the rules of the game. The game is more enjoyable for all and rewarding when you play by the rules.
About The
AUTHOR
RICK PRICE PGA
SWSPGA Southern Chapter - Operations Coordinator
520.290.1742
southernchapterpga@yahoo.com www.southernchapterpga.com
Rick Price, PGA is currently the Operations Coordinator for the Southern Chapter of the Southwest Section PGA and the Editor of Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine. with an extensive career dedicated to our local golf industry, Rick has held positions in numerous golf facilities throughout the years, including El Conquistador, Rio Rico GC and Omni Tucson National.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
27
Swing Thru The Ball ... not At It
In my hand I hold a ball, White and dimpled, and rather small. Oh how bland it does appear, This harmless looking sphere.
BY KIM GRIGGS, PGA Head Golf Professional, The Views G.C.
Golf is a sport that seems to have its effect on people in many different ways. Your geographical location can affect your game in either a positive or negative way. The weather certainly dictates your outdoor access to the game we all love. Growing up in Massena NY (1 hour south of Montreal, Canada) there were only 3-4 months of summer golf and a month of that was “winter rules”. Golf was definitely not the most popular sport due to the cold weather. As a kid, we were not able to drive a ball across the frozen ground, so we were lacing up our skates instead and heading to our back yards for a pick up hockey game. Fast forward twenty years and I am living in Bloomington, Indiana where for the first time I started playing golf on a regular basis. I began to develop muscle memory and some consistency in my golf shots. The driver tended to be my favorite club (similar to my hockey stick and the motion of a slap shot!). However, golf still wasn’t coming as easily as I had hoped. Upon entering the golf business as an assistant professional, I met a younger colleague by the name of Tony VanNess (also an assistant) who would constantly tell people that golf was an easy game. Of course, I would always disagree. Maybe it was easy for Tony because he started playing golf at the same age I picked up a hockey stick. Tony played junior golf, high school golf and went on to earn a scholarship at Methodist College in North Carolina. I wonder if Tony has a slap shot? Now, let’s fast forward twenty more years, my golf career has taken me to Tucson, AZ. And golf is still not easy. Where is that hockey stick of mine? I would like to share a poem with you that describes golf for a lot of people, including me. I feel that we can all relate to this poem at some point in our golfing life. When I teach (beginners especially), I make a point of advising them that golf is a difficult sport and they need to be patient in learning how to play it. Setting realistic goals and having fun is important. My favorite saying is “Swing through the ball, not at it”. Finish your golf swing and be balanced! Pretend that there are flash bulbs going off and pose for the cameras. Please see your local PGA Professional for your lessons today.
By its size I could not guess, The awesome strength it does possess. But since I fell beneath its spell, I’ve wandered through the fires of hell. My life has not been quite the same, Since I chose to play this stupid game. It rules my mind for hours on end, A fortune it has made me spend. It has made me curse and made me cry, And hate myself and want to die. It promises me this thing called par, If I hit it straight and far. To master such a tiny ball, Should not be very hard at all. But my desires the ball refuses, And does exactly as it chooses. It hooks and slices, dribbles and dies, And disappears before my eyes. Often it will have a whim, To hit a tree or take a swim. With miles of grass on which to land, It finds a tiny patch of sand. Then has me offering up my soul, If only it would find the hole.
Ode to a Golf Ball
ON YOUR GAME
It’s made me whimper like a pup, And swear that I will give it up. And take to drink to ease my sorrow, But the ball knows… I’ll be Back Tomorrow!
~ author unknown ~
About The
AUTHOR
KIM GRIGGS, PGA
The Views Golf Club - Head Golf Professional
520.825.3110
www.theviewsgolfclub.com
Kim was selected as The Views Golf Club's first female Golf Professional in March of 2008. Kim’s experience ranges from being First Assistant Golf Pro at La Paloma Golf Course for one year to First Assistant Golf Pro at Tucson National for three and a half years. Becoming a member of the PGA in 2005, she has been a golf instructor for more than a dozen years at all playing levels, from beginner to advanced.
28 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
29
ON YOUR GAME
You play golf because it’s fun – right?
What’s Great About The Game? BY AL FISCHER, ‘Golf Anyman’ You might wonder what qualifies me to write this column. Not much I confess. I began playing this game when woods were persimmon and thread wrapped and putters looked like putters and many were hickory shafted. To really economize you went to walgreens and bought Po-Do golf balls. My tour includes 30 plus years in the Midwest and 20 here in the Sw. My golf adventure has been a fascination and a frustration, a joy and despair. You would think after all these years I’d be scratch or single digit. Not a chance. I’m a 15 give or take and happy with that. I hope to give you, the reader, a thought, a chuckle, a snort as I look at the game. You’re welcome to comment, agree or disagree or call me a complete idiot.
Ready Golf - Change the Flow & Pace Before I begin, I have a few confessions to make. One, I readily admit that patience is not my strong suite – ask anyone who knows me. Two, my idea of an ideal round of golf is 3 hours, give or take. That’s by myself or a foursome. It’s not a track meet or a polo match, just nice steady golf. I know it’s not the norm, but it is for me. Aside from tournaments or events where traditional golf applies, and touching on one of my favorite subjects - pace-of-play, what’s wrong with playing ready golf? I’m sure all of you have watched the foursome in front of you finally arriving at the green. After watching this marathon on a few greens you know it must be the U. S. Open or they’re playing for 50 bucks a hole. It’s mark, clean, sight, practice, putt, and mark and then do it again forever. By this time I’ve either taken a short nap or
read a few chapters in my current favorite whodunit. I’ve certainly lost focus on the game. Cause of the above? Not sure, but maybe watching too much tournament golf on the tube has something to do with it. That being said, here’s how ready golf works. One, there’s no such thing as “you have the honor.” First person on the tee tees it up and hits. Same thing applies in the fairway. If you’re ready to hit even though you’re not away (and assuming no one is in front of you or swinging) hit the ball! Now, when you get to the green, you’ve repaired divots, cleaned your ball the player away putts and continues until he’s in. Next away, same and you’re done. How easy and simple is that? You’ll be surprised how the above changes the flow and pace of the game. I rest my case with an interesting excerpt from a recent golf article:
TOP 4 WAYS TO SPEED UP PLAY –
BY NOREEN CHRYSLER, PGA Director of Instruction, The Golf Club at Vistoso
The great thing about my job is that I get to see people on a good day. They are playing golf. I’ve always felt sorry for people whose job is to see their customers/clients on a bad day or even their worst day. We, in the golf business, see our customers when they are about to have fun – or at least try to have fun. However, sometimes we lose sight of that notion. We forget that being on a golf course is a wonderful gift that should be cherished, not met with foul words and flying clubs. I have to admit that I’ve had my share of less than stellar behavior on the course, but thankfully I’ve moved past it (99% of the time anyhow). When I have a student who isn’t enjoying their time on the golf course, it bothers me. That just shouldn’t happen. There will be days when you don’t play well or you didn’t have a good time. But if you are having more bad days than good, you need to stop and reevaluate things. I’ve found that frustration on the golf course is at its highest when expectations aren’t being met. You plan on the ball sailing beautifully down the center of the fairway and instead it ends up in a bush. Or, you envision the ball flying high and landing softly on the green, but instead it lands short, in a bunker with a lip as tall as you. You expected a good shot but it didn’t end up the way you wanted. However, what have you done to warrant those expectations? Have you hit a few buckets of balls with nothing but your driver or is the only time you see your driver when you are using it on the golf course. Have you practiced those approach shots so that you know just how far each club will go? My point is, sometimes we get frustrated and don’t deserve the right to be so. If you put in time into your game to warrant the results then your frustration is valid, but otherwise, the problem isn’t your game, it’s your expectations. It’s like dealing with a computer – garbage in, garbage out.
Based on Crystal Springs Resort’s (New Jersey) Fast track Golf Program, which promotes rounds of under four hours.
1. Use a stroke maximum of 7... With scores in the mid-90’s, this saves about 16 shots per foursome. 2. Putt a maximum of 3... Bonus: golfers relax and make more putts. 3. Abandon lost balls after one minute... This saves 16 minutes per foursome, assuming each player loses one ball. 4. No honors. Fire when ready! Ready golf saves up to 2 minutes per hole – more than 30 minutes off a round. Now, I’m not sure I subscribe to #1 and #2, but I sure like #3 and #4. It certainly shows you what can be done to cure the 5 hour rounds. 30 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
We had a gentleman in the golf shop a few weeks ago who said it perfectly. I asked him how he played, and instead of saying he played poorly he responded with, “Well, it was a direct reflection of the time I put in on the driving range, which is zero.” He was disappointed but you could tell he understood that he was getting out of his game, exactly what he was putting into it. Noreen Chrysler is the Director of Instruction at The Golf Club at Vistoso. She has been a Class A PGA professional for 15 years. Noreen prides herself in ensuring that her students learn about golf while having fun. To learn more about Noreen visit her web page at www.keepgolffun.com or email her at nchrysler@wctgolf.com
Where Have All The Members Gone? BY BRAD ENGEL, PGA Director of Golf Operations, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain
The golf industry is changing rapidly. During the late 90s golf courses couldn’t be built fast enough to meet the demand of golfers. Little more than a decade later we have a surplus of golf courses with many forced to close their doors. It is well documented that rounds played across America are down; fewer juniors are taking up the game, the number of women playing is down, and our seniors and core golfers are playing less. The dramatic change can be attributed to overbuilding, a poor economy, an aging population, and a change in the family institution. All this adds up to a diminishing golfing membership for many clubs. PGA Professionals and clubs across America are finding creative ways to maintain and attract new members. The PGA of America has introduced an initiative called Golf 2.0. “Golf 2.0. brings our industry a long-range strategic plan to substantially increase participation in the game.” They are providing golf professionals and clubs with strategic initiatives to increase the number of golfers, the number of rounds played and generate more revenue. Many clubs are now looking beyond the traditional membership offerings and creating a menu of services to suit a variety of customers. One such club, Heritage
Highlands at Dove Mountain has reduced their public membership and daily golf fees, is offering limited memberships for their residents, and has rated their forward tees for men. Another club, Oro
Valley CC, offers summer reciprocal programs with other area clubs to provide an added benefit to membership. While there are many ways to attract and maintain memberships, one thing for certain is that continuing to do business as we have in the past won’t work in the future. We are appreciative of the golfers we have playing, and want to be sure we can provide value and benefits through our programs. Junior, seasonal and weekend memberships require less financial commitment, while shortcourses and new ways to play, such as SNAG Golf require less time and skill in hopes of attracting and keeping golfers “in the game.” Brad Engel, PGA, is the Director of Golf Operations, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain. He can be reached at 520-579-7000.
CHAPTER NEWS
Ventana Canyon Invitational Pro-Am
Southwest Section Southern Chapter
BY BRANDON SMITH, PGA Pro Winner Brian Brodell
For the 12th consecutive year Ventana Canyon hosted the Ventana Canyon Invitational ProAm; and again, we were honored to have Sol Casinos as our presenting sponsor. Twenty three teams from across the U.S. and Canada traveled to the Lodge at Ventana Canyon for 54-holes of competition. Teams consisted of one professional and three amateurs playing two better balls of the foursome. Unfortunately, the weather was not Tucson’s usual. A steady rain dampened the opening round. In spite of the wet weather, professional Brian Brodell, PGA Assistant Golf Coach at Purdue University, fired a 3under 69 to take the lead among the professionals. A team from Calgary, AB led by PGA Professional Dennis Bradley had the first round team lead at 125 (-19).
Dean Vomacka, PGA
The weather turned worse for round two, which was eventually canceled. Round three went off under grey skies, but remained dry for the completion of the event. Dean Vomacka, PGA, turned posted a course record 64 (-8) on the Mountain, but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the field. Brian Brodell posted a 1-under par 71 to hold off the professionals and claim a $2000 first place prize for the second consecutive year. Brandon Smith, PGA Head Professional at Ventana Canyon and Ryan Helminen, PGA Instructor at Ridgeway CC in Appleton, WI finished two shots behind. Brodell’s individual play was also enough to help his team fire an Esterling; Torres; Brodell; and Battermann
32 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
Overall Team Winners Brian Brodell, PGA Dylan Esterling Dave Battermann Richard Torres 1st Flight Winners Dennis Bradley, PGA Ken McDonald Jerry Danielson Phil Bullough 2nd Flight Winners Rick Price, PGA Reb Bailey Parker Waechter Joe Cartlidge 3rd Flight Winners Dean Vomacka, PGA Bob May Ted Riggs Dave Bassett
amazing 123 (-21) to come from behind and take the team title as well. On behalf of all the professional and amateur players, a special thanks goes out to the Lodge at Ventana Canyon for the wonderful hospitality and to Sol Casinos for their special partnership. Without their continued support, this event would not be as well presented as it is. The dates for 2012 are December 9 – 12. If you would like information on this event, or are interested in playing, please contact Brandon Smith at 520-577-4061.
Waechter; Bailey; Cartlidge; and Price
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CHAPTER NEWS
17TH AnnUAL
GIBSOn CUP
AGA AMATEURS COME FROM BEHIND TO wIN BY RICK PRICE, PGA The game of golf never ceases to amaze me how from one hole to the next, from the front to back nine or a round of golf from day to day can be so dramatically different, as perfectly presented in the 17th Annual Gibson Cup Matches. The top Southwest Section Southern Chapter PGA professionals and the Arizona Golf Associations Southern Arizona amateurs compete against each other in a match play format promoting competition between the associations to see who will reign as the annual champion.
Steve Hughes, PGA Host Professional
La Paloma Country Club again hosted this friendly competition. The first day’s format consisted of Four Ball matches, two players from each team paired together playing their best ball against the other team. The final round consisted of single matches where scoring was based on a point system, (1) point for the low front nine, (1) point for the low back nine, (1) point for the overall low eighteen hole total. After the first round team matches, the professionals were in a complete reversal from last year. Even though the professionals won the year prior, they had a dismal opening day only recording a total
Erik Nielson, AGA
of (4 ½) points. Well, they seemed determined not have that happen again, starting off with a flurry. In the senior division matches Jim Kirwan holes out from the fairway for an eagle two on the first hole and his partner local Icon Bob Gaona follows it up on the second hole and does the same thing to take an early two up lead. While the sparks began to diminish at the closing of the first round, professionals had an amazing (13 ½ - 4 ½) lead over the amateurs. What was so ironic was it’s the exact same lead the amateur had over the professional last year before they squandered it in the final round. A ninepoint lead is incredible and almost impossible to lose. However, the history of
34 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
TAK FUJI TURNED IN A STELLAR PERFORMANCE WINNING ALL (3) POINTS TO BECOME THE TEAM HERO
Tak Fuji, AGA & Ryan Eckroat, PGA
golf had something to say about the outcome, as it did for the amateurs the year prior. The history of the matches has the professionals leading the series (106) after their win last year. The amateurs were coming off a four year winning streak before handing the Cup back over to the professionals. During the final twelve single round matches, I was not sure what was colder; the weather or the professionals play, because they were ice cold. The amateurs heated up the temperature putting the pressure on the professionals match after match. After only the first six matches the amateurs had already pulled into a tie for the lead. The final six matches were going back and forth and still looked to be up in the air on who would come out on top. As team captain, Brandon Smith, head professional from Ventana Canyon, finished his match winning (2 ½) points over Grant Cesarek. The professionals took back the lead. However, the next match produced a stunning surprise when the veteran amateur Erik Nielson took down professional Chris Dompier winning all (3) points to retake the lead. As it usually does, it came down to the final group; Professional John Basden against John Bobroski and amateur Tak Fuji playing Ryan
Dave Simm, PGA; Tom Beach, AGA & Dan Meyers, AGA
Cyrus Whitney, AGA
Eckroat. The anticipation of the outcome was weighing heavy for both professional and amateur teams on who was going to be the ultimate winner of the 17th Annual Gibson Cup matches. The name “Gibson Cup” is in honor of long time local PGA club professional and University of Arizona Golf coach, John Gibson. The amateurs only needed (2) points for the victory as the professionals needed (4) points. Professional John Basden recorded (2) points to draw the professionals closer to a back to back win. However, it was not to be for the professionals as amateur Tak Fuji turned in a stellar performance winning all (3) points to become the team hero for the amateurs. Amateurs posted an amazing (24 ½) points in the single matches over the professionals (10 ½) points for an overall victory (29) to (25). This brings the seventeen-year history to a total of ten wins for the Southwest Section Southern Chapter professionals and seven wins for the Arizona Golf Associations Southern Arizona amateurs.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
35
36 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
Glenda@GrowTucson.com
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Ahh! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good To Be Back.
To our members delight, some how the uncertainty of the past several years missed The Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. Thanks to committed, stable ownership, our two PGA Tour tested golf courses are not only immaculately conditioned and maintained, but actually improved year after year. In addition, our Sports Club continues to provide our members with everything they need to achieve a healthy lifestyle. While others longingly reminisce about back-in-the-day, days at The Gallery are better than ever. For membership and golf information, contact Jennifer Price at (520) 744-4700.
gallerygolf.com
WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
aCCENTURE
Match Play Championship Draws Near . . .
DEFENDING CHAMPION Luke Donald , 2011 Champion of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
February 20 – 26, 2012 The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain Marana, Arizona
Race To Secure A Spot In The Elite Field Begins ... With the 2012 PGA TOUR season underway, the best players in the world are jockeying for position inside the top 64 of the Official World Golf Ranking in an effort to qualify for one of the most elite events on golf ’s calendar, the Accenture Match Play Championship. One of four events in the World Golf Championships series, the Accenture Match Play Championship returns to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., February 20-26. Fans will have the chance to watch the top 64 players in the Official World Golf Ranking (as of Monday, February 13) go head to head in this unique, match-play event.
“The start of a new PGA TOUR season is always exciting, but even more so for us here at the Accenture Match Play Championship and sports fans throughout Southern Arizona,” said Executive Director Gerald Goodman. “The 2012 Accenture Match Play Championship is literally right around the corner, and the coming weeks will be exciting as we watch the brackets take shape.” One player who doesn’t have to worry about qualifying for the Accenture Match Play Championship is defending champion Luke Donald. With his 3-and-2 victory over Martin Kaymer in last year’s Championship Match, the Accenture
Match Play Championship title helped launch Donald to becoming the No. 1ranked player in the world, a position he still holds today after a stellar finish to the 2011 season. In addition to winning in Tucson, Donald captured the season-ending Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and led the PGA TOUR with 14 top-10 finishes in 19 starts. For the second consecutive year, Donald finished third in the season-long FedExCup competition, posting top-five finishes in three of the four PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup events. Donald became the first player from England to be voted PGA TOUR Player of
OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
NAME/AVERAGE Luke Donald, Eng Lee Westwood, Eng Rory McIlroy, Nir Martin Kaymer, Deu Steve Stricker, USA Webb Simpson Adam Scott, Aus Dustin Johnson, USA Charl Schwartzel, Zaf Jason Day, Aus Matt Kuchar, USA Nick Watney, USA Graeme McDowell, Nir K.J. Choi, Kor Phil Mickelson, USA Justin Rose, Eng Sergio Garcia, Esp Hunter Mahan, USA Ian Poulter, Eng Paul Casey, Eng Alvaro Quiros, Esp Bubba Watson, USA Kim Kyung - Tae, Kor Bill Haas, USA Tiger Woods, USA Keegan Bradley, USA Louis Oosthuizen, Zaf Robert Karlsson, Swe Simon Dyson, Eng Bo Van Pelt, USA David Toms, USA Rickie Fowler, USA Martin Laird, Sco Bae Sang-moon, Kor Thomas Bjorn, Dnk Brandt Snedeker, USA Anders Hansen, Dnk Geoff Ogilvy, Aus Jason Dufner, USA Francesco Molinari, Ita Fredrik Jacobson, Swe John Senden, Aus Zach Johnson, USA Peter Hanson, Swe Miguel A Jimenez, Esp Aaron Baddeley, Aus Y.E. Yang, Kor Ryo Ishikawa, Jpn Darren Clarke, Nir Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, Esp Retief Goosen, Zaf Jonathan Byrd, USA Gary Woodland, USA Jim Furyk, USA Ben Crane, USA Ryan Moore, USA Mark Wilson, USA Greg Chalmers Matteo Manassero, Itl Robert Allenby, Aus Charles Howell-III, USA Toru Taniguchi, Jpn Rory Sabbatini, Zaf Joost Luiten, Nld
10.05 7.78 7.53 6.32 5.918 5.37 5.33 5.17 5.08 4.91 4.69 4.61 4.54 4.50 4.27 3.84 3.78 3.75 3.74 3.64 3.56 3.53 3.52 3.50 3.49 3.44 3.44 3.41 3.41 3.39 3.30 3.20 3.20 3.18 3.13 3.09 3.08 3.07 3.06 3.04 3.01 2.99 2.98 2.88 2.86 2.81 2.80 2.71 2.71 2.69 2.67 2.64 2.62 2.59 2.38 2.31 2.26 2.26 2.25 2.21 2.17 2.16 2.11 2.11
STEVE STRICKER Leading USA player (No. 5) as of Jan 15th, will return for the 2012 World Golf ChampionshipAccenture Match Play Championship in Marana.
the Year since the award’s inception in 1990. He also wrapped up the Byron Nelson Trophy and Vardon Award for lowest adjusted scoring average (68.86). Among the notable players in need of a strong start to the 2012 campaign to qualify for the Accenture Match Play Championship are three-time PGA TOUR winner Anthony Kim (No. 84), three-time major championship winner Padraig Harrington (No. 89) and Camilo Villegas (No. 97), also a three-time winner on TOUR who finished 3rd at the event in 2010. The Accenture Match Play Championship has been played in the Tucson area since 2007 and at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain since 2009. New this year to the tournament, is “Follow the Leaders,” a program that gives fans an opportunity to fall in behind the Championship Match and follow the players down each fairway until the 2012 champion is decided. “Follow the Leaders” will give fans the unique chance to experience the crowd, walk the fairways and view the greens from a player’s perspective, and all Sunday ticket holders are invited to participate.
Qualification: Official World Golf Ranking as of Jan. 15, 2012. Top 64 as of February 14, 2012 qualify for the Accenture Match Play Championship.
In addition, fans are permitted to bring their cell phones to the tournament for the first time ever. Calls are only permitted in designated areas; no video recording at any time; and no photographs after Tuesday.
On the Bubble: Visit www.officialworldgolfranking.com for weekly rankings, and players on the bubble.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets can visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com or call the Tucson Conquistadores office at 520-571-0400.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
41
SPECIAL FEATURE
Vicki Romeo and Steve Dietrich (far back, L-R) following Bjorn and his Caddy.
Behind the Cameras, Preparation is Essential… BY ROBIN LANE Ryan Recker, Sports Anchor on KVOA, NBC Tucson says that preparation is essential in a sports broadcast. The World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship is a very special event for NBC and Golf Channel. According to Ryan, the presentation is the simple part. Behind the scenes is so much more complex. It takes a collection of people, an army to make a quality, high level production. There is a special crew of volunteers who have worked extra hard behind the scenes for the past six years to make our golf tournament here in Marana appear seamless. As you watch the matches on TV, you hear the broadcasters calling the shots on hole number 7 as the action heats up and then the camera quickly shifts to hole number 12 where a great shot is happening. Ever wonder how they do
that? How do they know? It is more than magic; it is the hard work of a group of individuals that feeds the right information to the producers at exactly the right time working together. The TV
Ryan Recker, KVOA Sports Anchor
crews are an army of 36 dedicated volunteers who are special. They do not wear uniforms, they wear comfortable walking shoes. They do not carry signs to quiet the crowd; they wear a headset and a microphone. They do not know how to direct the crowd to the restrooms because
they do not stop much. They stay inside of the ropes and walk along with the players during each match. It is their job to ALWAYS know what is going on in that match. The headsets are tuned to a channel with the production truck. The volunteers hear 32 matches on the radio. They answer questions and let the camera and producers know who is away and where their particular match stands. At the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, a single loop is 7 miles of walking up and down hills. Each of the volunteers will “walk” the course with their match. When the first match ends, they are often told over the radio to get over and pick up another match already in progress. They may be standing on hole number 16, but they had better hoof it quickly to number 3 and tune into the action. Conversations are flying on the radio and they can hear it, but they must focus on their match so they can answer
Tommy Lane, Local Volunteer Shown Here ‘Making Do’ With Duct Tape To Fix Equipment On The Fly
Kathy Banon stays far enough away from the action (far, far right) to speak on mic. This may be why so few photos are available of volunteers!
Gayle Brace (center) is one of many volunteers who proudly wear ‘the headset ‘ and narrate the action to producers.
Robin Lane, one of 36 volunteers that help to bring the tournament highlights right into your living room.
when called upon. They will hear their name on the radio and a quick question to be answered.
bathroom breaks and there are ways to let the producer know when you ended up too close to speak freely.
It sounds like very complicated work, but these volunteers are seasoned and professional. They are all golfers so they know the terms. They have all learned over time to speak clearly, speak quickly and clear the channel. They have to stay alert and be ready at any time to answer questions like, “How far away is Tiger from his ball?”; “What is Mickelson putting for?”; “Can this match end here on this hole or do we have time for a commercial break?” “Holy Cow! Did he just chili dip that wedge shot?” Although there is a 7 second delay between what is taped and what is broadcasted, that is not enough time to get it wrong. There are dozens of cameras around the course rolling film at all times. Highlights can be happening at any moment and it is the job of the TV volunteers to narrate the action. Each volunteer has a page of information and sometimes a clipboard to keep track of the action.
Did you ever wonder how Johnny Miller can tell which club the pro is hitting on a par three? Well there is a volunteer on the tee with the golfer peeking into his bag or asking for a hand signal from the player’s caddie to tell the spotter what he is hitting. It is always a big secret on the tee so the other player does not know. The difficulty is getting the info as soon as the club is chosen and before the golfer hits it so the folks at home can marvel over the shot. Does it sound strange that the broadcaster knows the distance left to a long par five? Simple! The spotter is out there in the fairway pacing it off and calling it into the producer while the golfers are walking down the fairway. By the time the golfer and caddie arrive at the ball, the distance is measured and relayed on the radio channel. There are handheld cameras out there with many of the matches. There are volunteers shadowing each of the camera crews. They are the folks hoisting a tripod and carrying spare batteries while staying ahead of the spectators.
The TV volunteers have learned valuable lessons over the six years here in Marana. Stay ahead of the action. Never get trapped behind the players on the course or they will be running to catch up. They cannot speak on the radio while running to catch up. Stay far enough away from the players that they can speak on the radio while play is going on. If they are asked a question and the player is putting, it is bad to talk while standing too close. Keep the radio on at all times because you never know when the producer will need to talk with you. There are codes for
At the end of the day, the TV crew will all sit down and say, “Wow! That was fun but MAN do my feet hurt!” At 7am the next day they are back out there to do it all again. NBC pays these volunteers $50 per loop for their hard work and dedication. As a group, these folks offer up the monies they earn to the First Tee of Tucson. Last year the donation totaled over $3,000 for the youth of Tucson. ,
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Volunteers at the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship PGA TOUR events are executed with the help of close to 1,000 volunteers every week. The World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play Championship is no different. We simply cannot execute an event of this magnitude without the generosity and tireless efforts of our volunteers. The PGA TOUR, Accenture, and the Tucson Conquistadores appreciates their efforts and is always thankful for their time. The enormous effort put forth by volunteers allows the Accenture Match Play Championship and the Tucson Conquistadores to donate the net proceeds of the tournament to charity, while at the same time providing a fun and exciting experience for each volunteer.
Volunteer Spotlight - Faith Tanner Faith Tanner, a Michigan resident volunteered at the 2011 Accenture Match Play Championship. Faith acclaimed national press with her mission to volunteer at every PGA TOUR event in 2011. She and her husband Larry set a goal to volunteer at all the 2010 PGA TOUR events as they felt that the tournaments were a win, win, win for many many people and the communities in which they are held. They knew the revenue generated for charity would otherwise not exist without the production of a PGA TOUR golf event. Larry passed away before their goal could be accomplished together but with the start of the 2011 season, Faith went on a mission … an adventure to volunteer at every tournament in Larry’s memory. Faith worked as a Marshal the entire tournament week on the crossing gate
from the practice putting green to the practice range. Faith saw the top 64 players in the world cross her path while the players signed autographs for the fans walking from the practice green to the practice range. Although Faith was featured in the local and national media for her mission, all of our volunteers are ROCK STARS! Faith learned that a single professional golf tournament is like no other sporting event when it comes to the number of people it takes to make it successful -- and you can understand why when you visualize this sporting event’s arena, a golf course. It takes an average of 1000 + volunteers to make a PGA TOUR event run successful and not all jobs are glamorous but they all are an integral part of the event being able to donate millions to charity.
VOLUNTEERS ARE EVERYWHERE! Hospitality Services, Player Services, Player andVIP Transportation, Honorary Observers, Special Events, Military Outpost, Caddies, Escort Marshals, Evacuation, Lasers, Marshals, Media Center, Practice Range, walking Scorers, Standard Bearers, Administrative Services, Office Support, Golf Carts, Parking, Greeting & Ambassadors, Shuttles, Supply Distribution, Volunteer Headquarters, Sales, And will Call.
ON THE COVER Former KVOA weekend sports reporter Dan Hicks returns home every February to anchor NBC Sports live telecast of the Accenture Match Play Championship. This trip, he’ll be wearing a Tucson Conquistadores blazer. Working alongside acclaimed analyst Johnny Miller in the 18th hole tower, Dan Hicks anchors NBC’s coverage of the PGA TOUR. You see him at THE PLAYERS and the TOUR Championship, and at the U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, President’s Cup, and World Golf Championships. “Dan is a terrific host because of his passion for the game, his sense of golf history and his personality — people enjoy listening to Dan,” said Tom Roy, Golf
Producer, NBC Sports. “That’s important because golf fans are extremely knowledgeable about their sport. You have to have someone credible anchoring the broadcast. It has to be someone passionate and that’s Dan Hicks.” Incidentally, Roy began his career as a "gopher" for NBC Sports at the Tucson Open Golf Tournament. He is a Salpointe Catholic High School graduate, and his father, Billy, was the long-time head golf
professional at the Country Club of Green Valley. A Tucson native, Hicks graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1984. “I went right to work. I thought in my field the most important thing I could do was get on the air in any way shape or form.” Hicks began his professional career at
NBC’s Dan Hicks Named Honorary Tucson Conquistador 46 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
KCEE/KWFM radio in Tucson. “I got a part-time job reading the news for $5 an hour,” said Hicks. “I still had to live at home because I really couldn't go anywhere else. I gradually began doing a sports radios show and had a show called ‘Dan Hicks' Sports Fix’." Over two years later, Hicks moved to KVOA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Tucson, where he honed his on-air skills as a weekend sports anchor and reporter. He left Tucson in 1989 to join CNN where he had the good fortune of meeting his future wife, Hannah Storm. “She got to NBC Sports like a month before I did. It was amazing that we both ended up there, it was like hitting the jackpot.”
Since joining NBC Sports in June 1992 as a play-by-play announcer, Hicks has called a wide variety of sports, ranging from Olympic speed skating and swimming to NFL and NBA games. “Announcers over their careers tend to find their niche – the sport they do best,” Hicks said. “For me, it’s golf.” Hicks hosted his first U.S. Open, the 100th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, in 2000. “That was one of those times in my career I've just pinched myself.” Hicks is an 8-handicap golfer, who says, ”If I’m not working or with my family, I’m on the golf course.” He and Storm have three daughters. Storm
now hosts the weekday edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter. The Tucson Conquistadores have been stingy about handing out honorary memberships—an elite list of just 23 men have been honored since 1962. The group recognizes persons who have greatly contributed to the success of the organization and its fundraising efforts; and persons who have been instrumental in making Tucson a world-class destination for professional golf. Dan Hicks fits the bill (and the blazer) just fine.
TUCSON CONQUISTADORES HONORY MEMBERS
“It was a huge honor. I was surprised and very humbled to be welcomed into an organization that I have admired for decades since I grew up in Tucson. I've known many of the Conquistadores personally for many years and it is a privilege to now be included among them and the outstanding work they do. Their charitable work speaks for itself and their enthusiasm for golf and spirit for the game is second to none.” – Dan Hicks
Joe Garagiola Jim Simpson Bob Hope* Walt Ditzen James Dudley* Vernon “Lefty” Gomez* Monte Hall Robert McCurry* Dean Martin* Arthur H. “Red” Motley* Tommy Richardson Morris K. Udall*
Ricki Rarick* Gerald R. Ford* Hideaki Moriya Lewis C. Murphy* Karl Eller Roy Merrills John Denver* Vince Gill Vaughn Moise Dennis Criswell Dan Hicks *
Deceased
pHOTOS: 1. Dan hicks in 1999 with Mentor-Conquistadore jon Ruby General Manager KVOA 4 and Gary Koch, former pro golfer and from NBC Sports. 4 Dan hicks with Uncle Bob from 96.1fM Golf Radio at Accenture Match Play 5. Dan hicks with johnny Miller at the Waste Mangement Open in Phoenix, Az 7. Dan hicks with tucson Conqusitadore tim Stilb at Accenture Match Play 8. Dan hicks receiving tucson Conquistadore helmet in 2012.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
47
YOUTHLINK
Boys Division 1 Frankie Wu 2 Andrew Gunn 3 Tyler Cooper 4 Kevin Goldstein 5 Billy Comeaux T6 Logan Graybill T6 Nick Leitner T8 Chris Meyers T8 Gavin Cohen 10 Anthony Moncada
Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ Oro Valley, AZ Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ Oro Valley, AZ Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ
69-72--141 72-73--145 76-76--152 76-76--152 73-80--153 76-78--154 75-79--154 80-75--155 77-78--155 80-77--157
Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ
77-74--151 83-86--169
Girls Division 1 Desiree Hong 2 Natassja Meredith
48 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
Wu and Hong Dominate Junior Invitational
THE SHOT OF THE DAY CAME FROM 13-YEAR OLD CHRIS MEYERS WITH AN ACE ON NO. 16, PLAYING 212 YARDS
The annual Southwest Junior Invitational hosted some of our top local boy and girl junior golfers at the Championship par 70 Silverbell golf course. The frigid condition didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop 15-year old Frankie Wu from lighting up the course with an opening round of 69 to take a three-shot lead over senior golfer from Catalina Foothills High School Andrew Gunn. Freshman from Sahuaro High School Desiree Hong led the girls with a 77. The shot of the day that we all dream of came to reality
for 13-year old Chris Meyers, making a Hole-inOne on the difficult hole no. 16 playing 212 yards. In the boy's division, Frankie Wu from Ironwood Ridge High School continued his solid play following up his opening round 69 with a final round 72=141 to fend off the play of Andrew Gunn shooting a 72-73=145. Third-place finisher Tyler Cooper shot back to back 76â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a 152 total as did fourth-place Kevin Goldstein. One of the other top finishers was 12-year old Gavin Cohen fired rounds of 77-78=155 good enough for a tie for eighth place. Desiree Hong continues her winning ways in the girl's division following up her first round 77 with an impressive 74 for a 151 total. The runner-up was Natassja Meredith shooting rounds of 8386=169. www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
49
YOUTHLINK
JUnIOR SPOTLIGHT #!+ "$ $& !! "$#( !+ ' '' $#' ! ( # $!% $! $)&' Full Swing Short Game On Course Instruction
designed for all levels! beginning Juniors developing junior golfers tournament Junior golfers
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Araceli Esquivel
Tyler Cooper
14 YEARS OLD / 8TH GRADE, TUSD STUDENT
18 YEARS OLD / RINCON HIGH SCHOOL
How did you get started in golf?
How did you get started in golf?
I began playing golf when I was 9 years old when my Grandpa gave me a set of golf clubs for Christmas. The first time I stepped foot on a course was in Maricopa, AZ at the Duke Rancho El Dorado with my dad. We used to practice there in the afternoons, and as it grew darker, I would lie in the middle of the green and look at the stars as they became visible. From then, I knew that this was the sport that I wanted to pursue.
At the age of three my dad put a cut down 7 iron in my hand and drug me to the driving range. I fell in love with the game ever since.
Why do you play golf? I decided to play golf because I knew that it would be a good way to bond with my dad. He loved playing golf ever since he was a kid, so if I began when I was a kid, we would be able to get many more years of golfing together. However, the more I played, the more I realized that this is a sport I could be good at. When we moved to Tucson, I joined the First Tee Program. I have been a very active participant and have volunteered my time to support the program, and they have helped me so much, too. I have also been a part of the Ricki Rarick junior golf program over the past two summers.
What are your future plans after junior golf? I am working very hard to be a part of a high school golf team at this time.
Why do you play golf? As I have grown up playing the game of golf, it has taught me a lot. Golf has taught me many life lessons as well as teaching me to keep a positive outlook on myself and life. My perspective on the game totally changed just a year ago. At first, I played it for the love of the game, but the love of the game easily turned into passion. Golf for me now is more than an escape; it is my life and my future.
What are your future plans after junior golf? As for junior golf I am very excited for this summer of my last year of junior golf and all of the state tournaments. As for after junior golf, I plan on playing at a collegiate level and to possibly turn pro right after college.
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G O L F www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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Enriching the lives of women through golf
W Player Development Programs
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W Funding JJunior Golf
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COMMUNITY
The Gallery Golf Club Helps Tu nidito Help Children
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n Saturday, December 3, The Gallery Golf Club held its 8th Annual “Golf For A Tu Nidito Child” Tournament. Tu Nidito is a local charitable organization that provides comfort, hope, and support to seriously ill and grieving children entirely free of charge.
Children like Luke, Leila and Damien Luke is ten years old and his dad, his best friend, died last year. Luke attends grief support group at Tu Nidito. Leila is three-yearold has kidney cancer. She receives one-on-one support from a Tu Nidito case manager. Damien, whose mom also died last year, is only four years old. Damien attends a Tu Nidito grief support group with other kids his age. 72 Gallery members and non-members participated. Each foursome was paired with a Tu Nidito child. While the children were not present at the tournament, each team got a photo and the story of the child they were golfing for. The event included a round of golf on The Gallery North Course and lunch with a silent auction and raffle. $100 of the entry fee went to Tu Nidito. More than $14,000 was raised in all, bringing the 8year total benefit from this event to just under $100,000. “Obviously, the opportunity to play The Gallery is a tremendous draw, but the cause is what makes the day for the participants.” said Tournament Member Coordinator Miles Weigold. “We hope to continue to grow the event to provide even more funding for Tu Nitido’s important work.” “The Gallery tournament was originally Co-chaired by Gallery Members Bob Colburn and Al Fischer, who also are ardent 54 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
supporters of the Tu Nidito efforts”, said Gallery General Manager Phil Satterfield. “These members have, through the years, been very vocal in rallying other Club members to this worthy cause and it shows during the event, and when we have contact with the Tu Nidito organization.”
Tu nidito Provides Hope Tu Nidito provides comfort, hope and support to children whose lives have been impacted by the most difficult times imaginable. Grief support through ongoing support groups for children and teenagers who are grieving the death of a loved one. Tu Nidito provides a safe place where grieving children can share their loss experiences in a caring, supportive environment. Support for children with serious medical conditions in both one-on-one and group sessions. Services are designed to assist each family member through the difficulty and stress of diagnosis, change in prognosis, and course of treatment. Masters level social workers, case managers and highly trained volunteers provide individualized support to the diagnosed child, their siblings and their families. Tu Nidito also offers ongoing support groups for children and teenagers who have a parent diagnosed with cancer or other serious medical condition. In addition to The Gallery’s “Golf For A Tu Nidito Child” Tournament, Tu Nidito is the primary beneficiary of El Tour de Tucson. All of Tu Nidito's funding comes from our community’s generosity. There are several ways you too can donate to Tu Nidito. Online at www.tunidito.org, by phone 520.322.9155 or mail to Tu Nidito, 3922 N Mountain Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719
DRIVE
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$ $1 1 MILLION MILLION
Golf may be an individual sport, but it’’ss all about teamwork when ab it comes to creating opportunities for Southern Arizona kids. How can you help us reach our $1 million goal this year? It’’s as easy as purchasing tickets or a hospitality package for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play. Y Your our purchase helps fund all types of youth athletic programs, including the unique, character-building golf program, The First T Tee ee e of Tucson. u Find out more at www w.tucsonconquistadores.com. .tucso Or give us a call at (520) 571-0400.
FEBRUARY 20-26, 2012 THE RITZ-CARLTON GOLF CLUB, DOVE MOUNTAIN
WHO ARE THE TUCSON CONQUISTADORES? No, we’re not a hotel, or an equestrian group. We’re a 50-year old civic organization with over 190 members. Our purpose is two-fold: TTo o provide youngsters of all backgrounds an opportunity to participate in athletic programs; to support the economic development of our community by helping to attract and operate professional golf events. The TTucson ucson Conquistador Conqu es’ primary fundraiser has been, and continues to be an annual PGA TOUR golf tournament. The Conquistadores adopted a struggling Tucson Open in 1966, turning the fledgling tournament into a nationally-televised event that became the pride of the community. The World Golf ucson Championships-Accenture Match Play replaced the TTucson uc
Volunteer John G Gilley illey coaches a member of The First Tee Tee e of TTucson. ucson.
Open in 2007, escalating Southern Arizona’s prominence to golf fans around the world, and boosting the economic value to the community to over $50 million each year. The TTucson ucson Conquistador Conqu es Foundation was established to assure monies for youth groups will be available well into the future. The group also established the Conquistadores Youth Golf Fund to support the growing costs of operating The First
www.tucsonconquistadores.com
www.thefirstteetucson.org
Tee of T Tucson—the ucson—the popular program is headquartered at the Trini Alvarez-El Rio Golf Course in TTucson; ucson; a successful satellite program now operates at the Country Club of Green Valley.
Tucson Conquistadores 6450 E. Broadway Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85710
(520) 571-0400
COMMUNITY
Giclas & Quihuis Score at Senior and Women’s City Am
Senior City Am Winner Patric Giclas
Women’s City Am Winner Krystal Quihuis
BY PAM DRAKE, PGA Head Golf Professional, Randolph Golf Complex
The 2011 Senior City Am was contested on the Randolph and Dell Urich Golf Courses in November and is open to anyone 50 and over. Patric Giclas, a recent addition to the senior ranks, posted a thrilling come from behind, sudden death victory. The first round leader at 1 over par was Rob Hines holding a two shot lead over a very strong field. Four players were tied for second heading into round two. On day 2, both Patric and Mark Morrow
56 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
IT WAS A PAR ON THE SECOND HOLE OF SUDDEN DEATH THAT SEALED THE VICTORY FOR GICLAS
QUIHUIS, THE YOUNGEST PLAYER IN THE FIELD, RECORDED HER 16 SHOT MARGIN OVER VETERAN MILLER
shot even par 70 on Dell Urich to finish tied at 145. It was a par on the second hole of sudden death that sealed the victory for Patric Giclas. The 2011 Women’s City Am was contested at the same time as the Senior City Am also held on Randolph and Dell Urich Golf Courses. Although we did not have a deep field, Krystal Quihuis posted a stunning 8 under par victory shooting 70-65. Krystal, the youngest player in the field, recorded her 16 shot margin over veteran player Judy Miller. Dates for next years events will be November 17 & 18, 2012.
new Men’s Club ‘9 & Under’ Dominates the 6th Annual Willie Kane Club Cup 9 & Under Men’s Club Regular Kane Cup Gross Winners
The 6th annual Willie Kane Club Cup & Willie Kane Senior Club Cup was played at the Silverbell Golf Course on Saturday December 10, 2011, and the Randolph Golf Course on Sunday December 11, 2011.
THIS YEARS EVENT SAW TWO NEW PARTICIPANTS END UP IN THE WINNER CIRCLE Tucson Metro Golf Club Regular Kane Cup Net Winners
The event formerly known as the Citizen Cup was re-started and re-named in 2006 for the former Head Golf Professional of the Randolph Golf Complex Willie Kane. Willie was a member of several Randolph Men’s Club teams that dominated the event back in the early 80’s with other teams like Tucson Country Club Men’s Club, and the Tucson National Men’s Club. Willie loved the team aspect of the Citizen Cup, so it made sense when we decided to revive the event that we would re-name it in his honor. 9 & Under Men’s Club Senior Kane Cup Gross Winners
This years event saw two new participants end up in the winners circle. The newly formed 9 & Under Men’s Club won the Gross Division of the Willie Kane Club Cup by 36 shots over the runner-up Randolph Men’s Club. Tucson Metro Golf Club won the Net Division of the Willie Kane Club Cup by 18 shots over the runner-up 9 & Under Men’s Club. The 9 & Under Men’s Club also won Gross Division of the Willie Kane Senior Club Cup event, while the Tucson Metro Golf Club won the Net Division.
Tucson Metro Golf Club Senior Kane Cup Net Winners
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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BY MATTHEw BOEPPLE New Year's Resolution: Become A Millionaire. Sounds nice, but how does one go about achieving this lofty goal? The Tucson Parks Foundation has a suggestion, enter the 2012 Desert Diamond Casinos' Hole-in-One contest. It's really simple! Purchase your tickets online at www.TucsonHoleInOne.com. Come out to the Randolph Golf Complex on qualifying days between Feb 9th - 18th. Get your ball as close to the pin as you can. The top three contestants each day will advance to the semifinals to earn their chance at a shot for the $1 million prize. Contestants will also be competing for daily prizes that, at past events, have included clubs, balls, bags, gift certificates, and more! Are you more of a shot game player? For the second year, we will also be having a $10K Putting Contest. Not a golfer at all? All tickets double as raffle tickets for prizes such as resort stays, restaurant gift certificates, a flat screen television, and more! Tooley's Cafe has also thrown in a coupon for a free Americano or $1 off your meal. In addition to all of the winners in both contests and the raffle, the real winner is Tucson city parks. The Tucson Parks Foundation has donated over $3 Million since 1983 to parks and recreation capital projects and programs. Your participation in our events, such as the hole in one contest, make all those improvements possible.
ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REALLY SIMPLE! PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.TUCSONHOLEINONE.COM COME OUT TO RANDOLPH BETWEEN FEB 9TH - 18TH. You can purchase your tickets for the Hole-in-One Contest at www.TucsonHoleInOne.com. Use coupon code TEETIMES to save 10% on your ticket purchase.
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www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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COMMUNITY
tee to green Local News and Reports
BY RICK PRICE, PGA
The Views Golf Club receives National Recognition The GolfCourseHome® Network announced the winning selections for its Fifth Annual Dream 18 list of great residential golf holes.
Course, which had its second hole selected for the list, will be in the spotlight next year when the celebrated layout will be the host course for the 2012 PGA Championship.
Overall, this year's Dream 18 edition features master-planned golf communities located in eight states from Pennsylvania and Florida to Utah and Arizona. The selection pool consisted of the more than 4,500 golf holes on the 250-plus Florida led all states with five Dream Holes championship golf courses featured on the selected. Kiawah Island's stunning Ocean GolfCourseHome® Network.
The 2011 Dream 18, which showcases a fantasy golf course, is celebrated by The Views Golf Club in Oro Valley. It was announced that their par 4 hole no. 1 had received a national ranking as #11.
FIFTH ANNUAL ‘DREAM 18’ SHOWCASING FANTASY GOLF COURSES INCLUDES ORO VALLEY VIEWS GOLF CLUB PAR 4 HOLE NO. 1 ABOVE PHOTO: Hole No. 1 at Oro Valley Views Golf Course. Photographer: SteveTaillie BACKGROUND PHOTO: Amazing Catalina Mountain views surround you at ‘The Views’.
Submit local news to: info@GoGolfArizona.com
60 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
Junior Achievement Open – May 4, 2012 @ the Stone Canyon Golf Club Junior Achievement teaches kids the principles of business, economics and free enterprise. As you’ve seen in our challenging economy, our kids need this kind of business education now more than ever! JA volunteers do this in a hands-on, fun learning environment, using proven curricula that engage kids with lots of activities and participation. The JA Open provides a unique opportunity for you to entertain your top clients, recognize your company’s top performers or just get together with friends who love the game of golf and who want to raise money for business education right here in Tucson. To help Junior Achievement reach its goal of teaching more than 14,000 students in Tucson in 2012, we invite your organization to participate in one of Tucson’s premier charity golf events! The JA Open will take place Friday, May 4th at the exclusive and private Stone Canyon Golf Club. This venue is superb, both in location and prestige. For more info call or email: Autumn Bradley-Dinkel, 520-319-2002 or AutumnB@jaaz.org
Tee Times Magazines and Hot Stix Golf Hole-In-One Program Tee Times Magazines and Hot Stix Golf provide each certified Hole-in-One with a personalized bag tag, certificate and free club fitting. Ask your Pro Shop for details or visit www.GoGolfArizona.com. (January 22, 2012 cutoff date)
Arnold Gee Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course 2012-01-22 - 7 Iron Hole No. 13 : 158 yards Greg Sonney Heritage Highlands GC 2012-01-19 - 9 Iron Hole No. 12 : 143 yards Bob Schwartz Age: 78 The Gallery CC North Course 2012-01-18 - 5 Iron Hole No. 7 : 180 yards Gary Scott Heritage Highlands GC 2012-01-14 - 7 Wood Hole No. 17 : 145 yards Lee Lindstrom Heritage Highlands GC 2012-01-14 - 6 Iron Hole No. 12 : 142 yards Michael McConnell Silverbell GC 2012-01-07 - P. Wedge Hole No. 3 : 117 yards
Santa Rita Golf Club Cancels Re-Opening In the December/January issue of Southern Arizona Tee Times, the Santa Rita Golf Club had announced their re- opening coming this winter. However, as stated in the article “We have a great number of golf course issues to address prior to reopening.” Well it appears the new owners ran into too many issues and will not be opening the golf course as scheduled. There are no immediate plans of the Club re-opening any time soon.
Arlen Vanderwez Rio Rico CC 2012-01-11 - P. Wedge Hole No. 8 : 130 yards Larry Wetterschneider La Paloma CC Canyon Course 2012-01-07 - 3 Hybrid Hole No. 8 : 190 yards
Antigua Named Official Apparel for the 2nd Annual RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup
Harold Simmons Age: 69 Dell Urich GC 2011-12-24 - 3 Wood Hole No. 11 : 189 yards
The Antigua Group, Inc. - one of the nation’s leading designers and marketers of genuine golf and sports apparel under the distinguished Antigua brand-has been named the official apparel of the 2nd Annual RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.
Gary Strinste The Gallery GC South Course 2012-01-05 - Club: 6 Iron Hole No. 16 : 140 yards
Antigua apparel and headwear will be used in all aspects of the 72hole tournament, whose field of players will compete March 12-18 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. Players in the Founders Cup will be competing for a $1.5 million dollar purse as well as a promise of $500,000 to be donated to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program. "We are excited and honored by the chance to be an official supplier for the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup," says Ron McPherson, President and CEO of Antigua. "The inaugural event was great; the new 72-hole event for 2012 will be fantastic!" CONTINUED ON PG. 66 >>
Bob Smith The Gallery GC North Course 2012-01-04 - 5 Hybrid Hole No. 15 : 157 yards
James Horton San Ignacio GC 2011-12-27 - 8 iron Hole No. 7 : 112 yards
Jerry Belser Heritage Highlands GC 2011-11-29 - Unknown Hole No. 7 : 128 yards
Chris Meyers Age: 14 Silverbell GC 2011-12-26 - 21o Hybrid Hole No. 16 : 238 yards
Bob Winefer Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course 2011-11-28 - P. Wedge Hole No. 10 : 103 yards
June Meek BlanchardDavis Monthan 2011-12-21 - 8 iron Hole No. 9 : 116 yards Barbara Maack BlanchardDavis Monthan 2011-10-17 - 3 wood Hole No. 11 : 144 yards Mike Miller Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course 2011-12-30 - 9 iron Hole No. 13 : 136 yards James Horton San Ignacio GC 2011-12-27 - 8 iron Hole No. 7 : 112 yards Barbara Maack BlanchardDavis Monthan 2011-10-17 - 3 wood Hole No. 11 : 144 yards Kevin Kammerer Age: 64 The Gallery GC North Course 2011-12-28 - 6 iron Hole No. 7 : 183 yards Mary Brownlee Age: 57 The Gallery GC North Course 2011-12-27 - 7 iron Hole No. 15 : 131 yards Robert Werner Skyline CC 2011-12-17 - Club: 8 Iron Hole No. 13 : 145 yards Robert Gilcrest Heritage Highlands GC 2011-12-17 - 7 Iron Hole No. 4 : 149 yards
Lynn Magnuson Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course 2011-11-24 - 7 iron Hole No. 13 : 119 yards Madeline Andrukow San Ignacio GC 2011-11-21 - 7 iron Hole No. 15 : 133 yards Garrett Shin Age: 61 Dell Urich GC 2011-11-19 - 5 iron Hole No. 2 : 168 yards Alex Rosas Age: 46 Dell Urich GC 2011-11-15 - 6 iron Hole No. 2 : 170 yards Judith Baumbach Age: 63 Rio Rico CC 2011-11-22 - 6 iron Hole No. 12 : 97 yards Larry Hubka Heritage Highlands GC 2011-11-19- Unknown Hole No. 12 : 135 yards Marv Quirt The Gallery GC South Course 2011-11-20- 5 Wood Hole No. 8 : 162 yards Mr. Quirt's first Hole in One!!
Ann Nellen The Gallery GC North Course 2011-11-18- 6 Hybrid Hole No. 7 : 140 yards
COMMUNITY
tee to green Local News and Reports
Southwest Section PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year The Award went to local professional Scott Shapin of Tucson Country Club. Shapin graduated from the Professional Golf Management program at Penn State University and went to work at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland where he spent 4 ½ years working in the private club environment. A move to a warmer climate brought him to Tucson Country Club where he has worked for the past two years. Scott handles a variety of duties at the Club in addition to sharping his skills on his game as well.
Local Professional Reaches Final Stage of the PGA Tours Qualifying School Local professional golfer Brian Prouty, former Salpointe Catholic and University of Arizona standout, came up short in his efforts to gain his 2012 PGA Tour card. Prouty reached the six-day final stage of the PGA Tours Qualifying School in La Quinta, California after working his way through the pre-qualifying, first and second stage qualifying tournament before participating in the final stage. Since graduating from the University of Arizona, Prouty has been gaining professional tour experience through playing the Gateway Tour and the Canadian Tour. Congratulations to Prouty, it’s quite an accomplishment to reach the final stage of Tour school. Here is a list of other notables that did not qualify; major winners David Duval, Lee Janzen, and Rich Beem, and ex-Wildcat PGA Tour winners Robert Gamez and Jason Gore. Rookie on the LPGA Tour last year Sara Brown, had to attend Tour Qualifying School again for her 2012 card, in Daytona Beach, Fla.. The Salpointe graduate Brown, fell victim to an off week and did not qualify to retain her LPGA Tour status for the upcoming season. However, Brown finished t-12th with Michelle Wie in the Ladies European Tours Omega Dubai Ladies Masters year end event qualifying her to keep her full time status on the Ladies European Tour for 2012. 62 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
Share Your Local Golf news Send Your ‘Tee to Green’ Information to: Rick Price, PGA - Operations Coordinator Southwest Section PGA, Southern Chapter Rick@GoGolfArizona.com (520) 290-1742
Arizona Women’s Golf Association Ambassador Program AWGA's Ambassador Program is designed to introduce new women golfers to the game and keep them in the game. Key relationships are established between the women who play regularly at a specific golf course and the PGA or LPGA Professional at that same course. Since 2006 the program has graduated over 1200 students.
Robin Lane Elected New AWGA President The Arizona Women's Golf Association hosted their Annual meeting and awards banquet at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. It is the kick off to the new year with elections for the new board of Directors. One of our own local lady amateurs and member of The Gallery Golf Club, Robin Lane was elected as the new President of the association. Lane will serve a one-year term with an option of two years. She has been an integral part of the AWGA as Vice President and has been serving on the advisory board of the Southern Arizona Tee Times magazine.
Through this relationship, the golf teaching professional and the experienced women golfers (Ambassadors) work together to create an environment where women with little or no experience can come out and learn everything from how the game is played, to swing and playing basics, to establishing relationships within the golf community that will help them feel comfortable navigating the golf course on their own. The Ambassador Program fee is $195 for the full sessions. All you need is a starter set of clubs and your enthusiasm to learn the game of golf! The Ambassador Program includes: • 1 hour sessions each week for 6 weeks • Lessons taught by an LPGA/PGA Teaching Professional • Learning how to chip, putt, pitch, full swing, and hit bunker shots • AWGA Ambassador support to teach the rules and etiquette of golf • Practice time and on course instruction and play • 1 year Recreational Membership to the AWGA
2012 Spring Ambassador Program Schedule Haven Golf Course 110 North Abrego Drive Green Valley, AZ 85614 (520) 625-4281
SARA BROWN FINISHES T-12th WITH MICHELLE WIE AT OMEGA DUBAI LADIES MASTERS EVENT ... KEEPS FULLTIME STATUS ON 2012 LADIES EUOPEAN TOUR
Teaching Professional Marvol Barnard is a golf professional, coach and motivator in her 11th year of teaching at Haven Golf Course. She is the Director of Instruction at Haven, and teaches golfers of all ages and skill levels, in a variety of formats. Marvol is member of both the PGA of America and the LPGA, and one of only 180 women nationwide to be registered in both organizations. One of her most prestigious awards is being named 2010 LPGA Section Teacher of the Year. Friday, February 17@ 2:00pm Friday, February 24 @ 2:00pm Friday, March 2 @ 2:00pm
Friday, March 9 @ 2:00pm Friday, March 16 @ 2:00pm Friday, March 23 @ 2:00pm
Omni Tucson National Resort 2727 West Club Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85742 (520) 877-2315 Danny Medina is the Head Golf Professional at the Omni Tucson National Resort. A native Tucsonan, Danny has been working in the golf business for over 13 years and has been a PGA Member since 2009. Danny has worked extensively with golfers of all calibers, members, junior players, initiating clinics and workshops. Danny instructed golf classes for Pima Community College for 8 years and really has developed a passion for growing the game of golf. Friday, February 3 @ 12:30pm Friday, February 10 @ 12:30pm Friday, February 17 @ 12:30pm
Friday, February 24 @ 12:30pm Friday, March 2 @ 12:30pm Friday, March 9 @ 12:30pm
Register on-line @ www.awga.org www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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CASINO DEL SOL RESORT IS CHANGING PERCEPTION OF BUFFET-STYLE DINING p. 65
EL CON CLUB AT RANDOLPH OFFERS NEW MENU, JAZZ + WEDDING PACKAGES p. 66
Festa International Buffet, now Open Festa International Buffet provides guests with a distinctive, affordable experience. Open daily, Festa will also host specialty meals including Seafood Thursday and Sunday Brunch
Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center are changing southern Arizona’s perception of buffet-style dining with the recent opening of Festa International Buffet. Festa features everything from international cuisine like dim sum to American comfort food like macaroni and cheese. Unlike other buffets, Festa’s offerings are cooked to order for each guest with made-from-scratch food prepared by people who love to cook. Festa International Buffet provides guests with a distinctive, affordable experience. Open daily, Festa will also host specialty meals including Seafood Thursday, Sunday Brunch, and much, much more! Don’t let the ultimate in feasting pass you by; be a guest in their kitchen and let the attentive staff and culinary experts tantalize your taste buds and take you on a world dining tour. Per person pricing varies depending on the meal, with lunch ranging from $14-17, dinner ranging from $19-23 and specialty offerings—Seafood Buffet, for example— starting at $25. Festa International Buffet is open Sunday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Casino Del Sol is southern Arizona’s premier place to play and win and the Club Sol rewards program is one of the most generous in the industry. The casino offers players 1,300 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines, 22 tables for Blackjack and Poker and a 600-player bingo hall. Casino Del Sol Resort officially opened its doors on 11-11-11. Future plans to round out the amazing resort amenities include an 18-hole golf course designed by the only fullblooded Native American player on the PGA tour and four time tournament winner, Notah Begay III. The new course, scheduled to begin construction this year, will feature a Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf, which would be the first such school in Arizona, and only the fifth one in the nation. Proudly owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson, Ariz., Casino Del Sol and its sister casino, Casino of the Sun, have been in operation for the past 20 years. For more information about the resort, visit www.CasinoDelSolResort.com.
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Improving the Golfing Experience at Tucson City Golf partnership for us, as we can provide a wide variety of foods, services and resources to help Tucson City Golf maximize the golfing experience. Their management team helped us learn The family-owned company has been some important nuances about what in business for more than 90 years, the golfer wants and expects from a and today it operates four food and beverage perspective. We complimentary divisions; Tucson are constantly striving to improve Fruit and both our food Produce offerings and the (wholesale dining The courses at Randolph provide beautiful vistas produce and and backdrops for special events and weddings. experience, as groceries), The well as develop 17th Street entertainment Farmers Market and recreational (retail grocery, fun for our organic produce golfers and and specialty clubhouse guests. foods store), It’s all about Tucson Party exceeding Rentals (party expectations.” supplies, rentals As part of and event creating more planning), and a entertainment large catering offerings, Tucson division serving Food Service has a wide variety developed a of business and Shows are performed Tuesday Happy private Hour for Golfers, functions. by Tucson's premiere and a Big Band jazz big band, In June 2011, Music Series on the company Saturday “Tucson Swings!” began managing evenings at the El featuring female Tucson City Con Club, Golf’s vocalist and local jazz featuring the concessions and great music of sensation, Julie Anne. food and Benny Goodman, beverage Artie Shaw, Glenn operations and continues to grow Miller, Woody Herman and other jazz the catering business, special event greats from the big band era. The and facility rentals at the City’s five shows are performed by Tucson's golf courses (Randolph, Del Urich, El premiere jazz big band, “Tucson Rio, Silverbell, and Fred Enke). The Swings!” featuring female vocalist company re-branded the Randolph and local jazz sensation, Julie Anne. Clubhouse, and created a new menu, The first show will be held on which provides a wider selection of Saturday, February 4th, with foods, snacks and beverages. The additional shows scheduled for clubhouse is now called The El Con Saturday, March 10th and Saturday, Club at Randolph. April 14th. Recently, Tucson Food Service and its Cost for each show is $15 per Tucson Party Rentals division created person, general admission, or $25 a unique golf course wedding per person, which includes package called “Wedding on the admission, preferred seating and a Green,” which takes advantage of the delicious dinner buffet. Advance open spaces, beautiful mountain tickets are available at 17th Street vistas and amenities of the El Con Music. Club facilities, which has a seating capacity for 250 guests. More Call to reserve tickets: information on wedding packages 624-1415, ext 7147. may be found at www.WeddingOnTheGreen.com When Tucson City Golf was looking for a partner to manage its food and beverage operations, it found an ideal partner in Tucson Food Service Group.
According to Tucson Food Service Group’s CEO, Tom Kusian, “Working with the City has been an ideal
More information may be found at www.ElConClub.com
66 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
The spacious new El Con Club and Grill at Randolph provides the ideal place to have a wedding or special event, with a seating capacity for 250 guests.
Golf course weddings have become very popular and the El Con Club offers special packaging through their "Wedding on the Green" program.
@KËJ PFLI ;@8DFE;# G@:B PFLI J<KK@E>% Play the way you want at Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment. Choose from any of our locations packed with all the latest games and your favorites too. Add in delicious dining, exciting night life and live entertainment for a total package of fun. We also have a luxurious hotel when it’s time to relax and kick back .
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Tucson | Sahuarita | Why | Amenities vary per location. (520) 294-7777 | DDCAZ.COM | An Enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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February In Tucson - Truly Something for Everyone Rodeo boasts an entry list that could be mistaken for the ‘Who’s Who’ of the pro rodeo circuit.
There’s no place like Tucson in February. While the rest of the country is still shaking off winter’s chill, Southern Arizona is basking in sunlight. Where else can you see a PGA tournament, a professional soccer match, a top rated rodeo and live musical performances by legendary artists all on one bright and sunny day?
Headlining this year’s Rodeo, thanks to entertainment sponsor Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, is country icon Clay Walker. But the great acts don’t stop there. The Casino’s Diamond Center is hosting three renowned and notorious musical acts this season: country legend Willie Nelson, epic classic rock group Foreigner and Mr. Bad to the Bone himself George Thorogood.
Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, Southern Arizona’s premiere gaming facility, is working to make this February even bigger and better than ever before. Just take a look at this lineup of events supported by Desert Diamond Casinos! Leading off, professional sports spring training returns to Tucson with the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup. North America’s top Major League Soccer teams will duke it out on the field and the winner will be crowned the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup champions. The Accenture Match Play Championship returns to Dove Mountain for its sixth year in Southern Arizona, showcasing the
world’s top 64 ranked golfers competing in a head-to-head tournament. La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, the 87-year tradition of Arizona’s Celebration of the Cowboy, begins on February 18th and is hailed as one of the top 25 professional rodeos in North America. The Tucson
Whether it’s helping to bring professional sports back to the region, drawing the greatest musical artists to town or supporting 87 years of tradition in the Tucson Rodeo, Desert Diamond Casinos works hard to ensure our community is the February hot spot. To find out more about Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment and get information on the best deals in town, visit www.ddcaz.com.
2012 Desert Diamond Cup Schedule WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2012 6:00 PM – New England Revolution vs. LA Galaxy 8:00 PM – New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2012 6:00 PM – LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake 8:00 PM – New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012
2012 Accenture Match Play Schedule
6:00 PM – Real Salt Lake vs. New England Revolution 8:00 PM – LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2012 FOUR QUARTERFINAL MATCHES
SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012
First two matches: 10:05 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. MT Second two matches: 12:05 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. MT
6:00 PM – MLS 3rd Place vs. MLS 4th Place 8:00 PM – MLS 1st Place vs. MLS 2nd Place
Tickets are available online at www.ticketreturn.com
2012 Tucson Rodeo Schedule Saturday, February 18, 2012 – Tucson Rodeo Opening Day Thursday, February 23, 2012 – Tucson Rodeo Parade and Third Performance Sunday, February 26, 2012 – Final Performance
Tickets are available online at www.tucsonrodeo.com PhOtO: ‘Laid Back’ Courtesy of Photographer francisco Medina and the tucson Rodeo
68 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012 Two Semifinal Matches, 7:15 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. MT Consolation Match, 12:02 p.m. MT Championship Match, 12:17 p.m. MT
Tickets at www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r470/
Diamond Center Show Schedule Thursday, March 1, 2012 – Foreigner Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – Willie Nelson & Family Sunday, March 11, 2012 – George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Tickets are available online at www.ddcaz.com/event.
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LOCKER ROOM
Antigua’s Spring 2012 Apparel The Antigua brand of genuine performance golf apparel, with a strong reputation as a golf industry standard for high quality performance fabrics and fashion golf styling in both men's and women's apparel has received a genuinely overwhelming response to the direction of its recently launched Spring 2012 performance collections. In a bold 360 degree change in direction which incorporates an innovative updated bright color palette and compliments it with contemporary golf apparel styling the collection's achieved success denoted by increased seasonal sales with deeper market penetration along with further establishing brand recognition as was the intent of the direction update. Antigua has continued its R&D to bring further innovations in fabric technology expanding on the D2XL (Desert Dry XtraLite) fabrics with newness in construction, a softer hand (feel) while maintaining focus on the drape of the fabric and how it correlates to the fit of the garment says Sean Gregg, Director of Product Development at Antigua. Add to that some simple but elegant style detailing in the way of pop color piping or contrast stitching and the finished garment appeals to each (golf) sense Gregg adds.
new product are Turq, Mellon and Azalea and are available for delivery in the Northern territories as green grass shops open their doors for Spring 2012. These fresh bright colors are represented as all over solid tonals, engineered chest stripes, tippings on rib treatments, pop accents on argyles and as filament cover stitching details on innovative outerwear pieces from base layers to water resistant wind garments.
Keylime
This is being followed up by an additional 3rd delivery that
The philosophy during the development cycle is that each garment be built to stand alone - as though you were creating someone's 'favorite' piece and build those pieces out to assemble a full collection of favorites. The response to the collection has been received as it was intended and as the collections focus for its initial delivery has been the sun-belt the sell in and sell through has already proven phenomenal. The pop colors as they represent the collections divisive groupings and introduced first are Keylime, Berry and Wedgewood... and the colors that are following and added to the first offering as
Wedgewood
becomes available to ship prior to Fathers Day and will embellish what has been created for the prior two deliveries of the collection. It's an opportunity to offer fresh product designed to coordinate with reordered best selling favorites. So far the success and acceptance of the collection(s) has been a win-win... win for us as well as the retailer as well as the consumer. A simple example is the newly added argyle sweater vest style Range with asymmetrically placed pop color argyles placed into a neutral color ground and when worn with a functionally wicking Desert Dry Xtra-Lite shirt like Eclipse or Trophy (shown here in color Berry) which have deliberate sleeve and collar accents it's a simple way to look cool and feel comfortable Gregg says.
SHAFT ALIGnMEnT: Most golfers probably don’t realize that every shaft regardless of quality has an ideal orientation for best performance. There are a variety of methods for identifying the “Spine” of a shaft, but regardless of the method used once it has been identified and installed properly you will feel and see more consistency from that club.
70 Phoenix Valley Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
PInG Brings new ‘Skins Game’ Feature to iPInG App for iPhone & iPod touch PING has announced a major update to its popular iPING™ App for iPhone and iPod touch that adds a gaming feature. The iPING App now includes the iPING Skins Game that allows users to test the consistency of their putting stroke against friends. iPING Skins Game utilizes Game Center’s turn-based technology and alerts users to their next turn via the new Notification Center in iOS 5. The update is available now for current users, and new users can download the iPING App from the App Store on iPhone or iPod touch. “With every feature we add, the iPING App becomes more valuable for the user,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman and CEO. “The new iPING Skins Game feature is exciting because it promotes friendly competition, which will grow and strengthen our global PING community. Of course, the real benefit of winning is that your putting stroke is consistent, which is the key to making more putts on the golf course.” The iPING Skins Game feature allows players to compete from anywhere in the world or side-by-side. To initiate a game, a player chooses a three-, six-, or nine-hole match and can invite up to three friends to join, or let the Auto-Match feature locate playing partners. The game format follows a traditional skins competition where holes have point values, which increase throughout the match, and ties on a hole carry over until someone wins a hole (and the skins) outright. The person with the most points at the end of the match wins. On each hole, a competitor rolls five 10-foot putts to establish his or her Consistency Score, reflected in a number similar to a golf handicap. The player with the best Consistency Score wins that hole and plays first on the next hole. iPING Skins Game also has a Party Mode for contestants in the same location. Party Mode uses AirPlay to show a live leader board on your HD television using your existing wireless network and an Apple TV. iPING Skins Game is a new feature of the iPING App, available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. Both the iPING App and iPING Skins Game work in conjunction with a PING Cradle, which holds the mobile device and clips onto the putter shaft just below the grip. Cradles are available at Apple Retail Stores in the United States, via the Apple Online Store, and from PING authorized golf shops. PING Cradles are available for the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPod touch (4th generation).
free Subject to change or discontinue without notice, Not valid with other offers, Dine in only. One per person per visit.
Hooters of Tucson 6335 E. Tanque Verde Tucson, AZ 85715
520-722-8500
Hooters Marana 4385 W. Ina Road Marana, AZ 85741
520-572-8145
The 19 Hole! Th
www.HOOTERSAZ.com www.FACEBOOK.com/HOOTERSARIZONA www.GoGolfArizona.com l Phoenix Valley Tee Times Magazine
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Golf is a fit for you, but are you fit for golf? BY DR. JON PARSONS One simple, yet effective exercise to enhance your game. Modern conveniences have eked their way into nearly every facet of life, and golf is no exception. Pull carts are virtually a thing of the past for the modern golfer and in its place is the ever convenient electric cart. While the golf cart may save golfer’s valuable energy for the game winning birdie on 18, the reality is that those saved calories may have turned into stored fat or poor balance which forced an unwanted slice on 14 and then led to a series of bogeys that cut into a generous lead. A few extra pounds or a few extra inches are guaranteed ways to result in a poor posture, a limited range of motion, and poor balance, all of which will show up as bogeys rather than birdies. Here is a basic exercise you can employ today to ensure that you are fit for golf. The golfer’s foot foundation must be stable yet dynamic at the same time. A solid foundation allows for smooth rotation of the hips and the lower trunk. When a golfer is “jerky” in any motion, the integrity of the swing is compromised. One technique I employ with my golfers to improve balance and improve fitness is to get them moving on the Bosu Ball® or a balance disc.
THE GOLFER’S FOOT FOUNDATION MUST BE STABLE YET DYNAMIC AT THE SAME TIME. Start with standing on the Bosu Ball® to engage your stabilizer muscles [Top image at left]. Stabilizers in this exercise are those muscles that stabilize the ankle, the knee, the hips, and the lower trunk. One major downside of constantly riding in the golf cart or any extended sitting is that those muscles do not have to do any work. As a result the dynamic stabilizers become weak, and when called on they do a poor job of maintaining our dynamic or moving stability. Once stable perform the body squat, also known as a deep knee bend [Lower image at left]. This is an extremely important exercise for the golfer. Unlike sports where there is powerful and repetitive flexion and extension at the knee and hip joint, the golfer should have very little flexion and extension at the knee and hip joints. But that does not excuse the golfer from needing to have strong quadriceps and hip strength. The average golfer will get into his or her golf stance 90 times in a round of golf, not including practice swings. The squat on the Bosu Ball® is an excellent way to enhance the training effect. By squatting on the ball we are effectively strengthening our knee-hip muscle complex while at the same time improving our balance. I recommend this exercise 3-4 days a week, with 10-20 repetitions, 2 times. This is one of the many techniques I use to help my clients improve their golf game. I highly recommend strong upper back strength, flexible latisimus dorsi or “Lat” muscles, and a well conditioned heart muscle. If you are unsure of how to strengthen the back, improve flexibility, and develop an effective cardio vascular routine contact a fitness professional today. Dr. Jon Parsons' professional experience includes services as: Assistant Professor in Health & Exercise Sciences at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS (www.mnu.edu) (2004-2009), Collegiate Track & Field Coach (2005-2009), Founder of ParsonsTraining in 2004, Elementary Physical Education Teacher (2000-2004), United States Marine Corp Veteran (1993-1997), 18+ Years of Leadership, Coaching, and Training Experience. PHOTO: Model Christa Hoover (left & top), is one of the certified trainers at Dr. Jon Parson’s (top) Personal Training and Wellness. Christa also enjoys playing golf.
www.GoGolfArizona.com l Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine
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AMATEUR SPOTLIGHT
BY ROBIN LANE
Jim Trapp Jim Trapp is a great person for our game of golf! Jim was born and raised in St Paul, MN. His first love is hockey followed by baseball, so he did not even come to golf until after graduation at St Thomas College in MN. Jim served his country after college with the Army and National Guard. He went to work for Lisa preferred playing golf over ‘hitting the books’ during college.
Lisa O’Donnell Lisa O’Donnell is a bright light in the world of golf! When you play golf with her, when you talk with her or when you share stories with her…she just shines. Lisa describes herself as a casual and normal golfer. She is refreshing in the land where golf egos live. Lisa was born in Austin, Texas and she traveled with her family all over as her Dad and his work moved them around a lot. She started golfing in New Jersey when she was 13. Her family took her to the local golf pro so she could learn how to play the right way. She established her first handicap at Linwood CC in Atlantic City. Lisa played golf for the college team at Mary Baldwin in Stanton, Virginia where it was more fun to play golf than to study while she was there. Once Lisa grew up and got married, she describes herself as a really great swim Mom who said yes to establishing and coaching girl’s golf at the high school in Colorado. Lisa taught the girls and her daughter, Laura the rules and she enlisted the help of the golf professional to teach them the fundamentals of the game. She also taught them her love of the game. Lisa moved to Southern Arizona in 2003. She lives at Skyline and plays as a member at La Paloma CC. She joined the ladies group and plays all over the state in events. Lisa says everyone wants her and since she is single and mobile, she is willing to join in the fun whenever she is invited. Lisa insists that ladies associations around the area are Social Organizations and a handicap makes everyone even. She does not understand the mentality that some golfers have about refusing to play with a higher handicap player. She feels you are denying yourself the pleasure of getting to know each other as human beings and good people. Lisa is currently an 11.4 index and willing to bring her game to any event that offers fun and maybe lunch?! If you ask Lisa she will tell all new or wanna be golfers the same thing, “Do not let your husband teach you…go to a Pro! Do not get clubs that are hand me downs, get fitted for your own body and your own swing”. Shine on, Lisa!
Whirlpool. His first real handicap came from the Whirlpool Golf League in Indiana.
Jim has an affinity for adventure, all types of sports and especially UofA golf !
While living in La Porte, IN with his wife Alclaire and two daughters, Jim played golf as part of the corporate world. He has been a good stick for many years and has lots of crystal and silver to prove it. Among his many accomplishments, he has two trips to the US Senior Amateur, the Senior Masters, La Porte City Championship, the Western Senior Amateur and his personal favorite…winning the World Senior Amateur at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Jim moved to Tucson Arizona from New Mexico in 2003. He feels very fortunate to live here in the desert and play golf at the Gallery Golf courses in Marana. He claims that of all the wonderful places he has played, these two courses are among the finest for him. He was also good enough to shoot his age for the first time ever 7 years ago, a 68! Jim continues to accomplish that feat on a regular basis. Jim still participates in the North/South Senior challenge golf tournament in Arizona. This event features the best of the best players from the North and from the South of Arizona teaming up in a Ryder cup format. Jim also gives back to the game he loves. He became involved with the University of Arizona girls team a few years ago. His dream was to host a fund raiser for the team at the Gallery and serve dinner at his home. Jim and Alclaire continue to host the team each year and manage to raise money to help defray team expenses. Folks get a chance to play with the U of A players and help them out. You can find Jim out there on the course 5 days a week enjoying his retirement and his way of life.
About The
AUTHOR
ROBIn LAnE, AWGA
Arizona Women’s Golf Assoc. - President
800.442.2942
robinlane@comcast.net www.AWGA.org
Currently President, a member of the Executive Committee and for the AwGA, Robin was elected to the AwGA Board of Directors in 2008. Accountable for all forms of communication to 25,000+ members with a primary goal of community outreach, Robin is an avid golfer who continues to serve our golf community on a daily basis. Robin hails from Tennessee, relocated to Tucson with her husband Tommy in 2003, and resides at The Gallery. She is a member of the Southern Arizona Tee Times Advisory Board and the "voice" of AZ golf for women on the AZgolf Radio, NBC1260am and 96.1FM and active in the Regional Affairs Committee of the USGA. Amateur Spotlight is brought to you by the Arizona Women’s Golf Association (AWGA). The AWGA is dedicated to supporting amateur golf. If you are considering taking up the game of golf, the AWGA can be a strong resource for those who are looking to make a few connections to get them headed in the right direction.
74 Southern Arizona Tee Times Magazine l www.GoGolfArizona.com
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