Golf Vacations Magazine August 2016

OUR 14th YEAR!

THIS MONTH: My Turn • SweetStuff • ChipShots

GOLF VACATIONS AUGUST 2016

ON THE ROAD TO

MILWAUKEE

MONARCH BEACH SOCAL LEGEND REBRANDED

Plus: TEEING OFF IN FLORIDA’S PALM BEACHES www.golfvacationsmag.com

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GOLF VACATIONS AUGUST 2016

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, WI

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Chip Shots

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Monarch Beach

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Tee Off in Palm Beach

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On The Road To Milwaukee

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Sweet Stuff

by Terry Ross

A familiar golf and vacation destination this time of year along the Southern California coast has a new name and some intriguing new amenities as the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point dropped the St. Regis moniker that it had since 2001 and now, after a $40-million renovation over the past year, has solidified its position even more as one of the top golf destination resorts along the Pacific Coast.

by JD Latorre

Perfect your swing and save on tee times in Florida’s Golf Capital®. Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the official tourism marketing corporation for Palm Beach County, has launched the Discover Golf Pass, the newest addition to its year-round Discover Pass savings program.

by David R. Holland

Sure it was beer that made Milwaukee famous, and rockabilly singer Jerry Lee Lewis a loser, but it has a golf history and its future seems unlimited. Milwaukee area golf is a winner. The 2017 U.S. Open is scheduled at nearby Erin Hills, a brawny 7,800-yard minimalistic beast designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten.

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by Terry Ross www.golfvacationsmag.com

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CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS Tim Cotroneo is a Mineapolis-based freelance writer specializing in Caribbean travel, business, and golf. Tim is a long-time contributor to Tee Times Press and he’s also the Travel Writer for American Business Magazine.

Executive Editor Jeffrey Diaz

JD Latorre is a freelance travel writer currently calling South Florida his home base. He has a knack for finding himself in some of the world’s most exotic locations, including Bangkok, Montego Bay, Bogata, Havana, Tenerife, St. Kitts, Cancun and Marseilles.

His past lives included working for the Miami Herald, Chicago Daily Herald, Boston Globe, Daily News of Los Angles and Southern California Golf Newspaper.

Associate Editor Terry Ross

Features Editor Larry Feldman

Senior Writers Terry Ross has covered sports as both a print and radio journalist for more than 35 years, and also has served as a consultant to the golf industry in a variety of capacities.

He has been a regular columnist for the Long Beach Business Journal and is based in Orange County, California.

JD Latorre Andy Reistetter Fred Robledo

For Editorial:

call (760) 774-2655 e-mail: Info@GolfVacationsMag.com David R. Holland is an award-winning former sportswriter for The Dallas Morning News, football magazine publisher, and author of The Colorado Golf Bible. Holland, whose favorite golf moment was teeing it up with former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, splits home time in Colorado and Texas. He has written for GolfWeek’s Superintendent News, Colorado AvidGolfer, Midwest Golfing Magazine, South Central Golf Magazine, and Fairway to Green (UK). He also worked for the Dallas Cowboys Weekly, United Press International and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Regional Advertising Los Angeles Terry Ross • 949-279-7801 terryr@GolfVacationsMag.com Atlanta Harold Chambliss • 770-239-7500 haroldc@GolfVacationsMag.com

Published by

S

portsMedia publications

President Jeffrey Diaz

455 NE 5th Avenue, Suite D-151 Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (760) 774-2655

and

Destiny Media, LLC President/CEO James A. Diaz

Golf Vacations Magazine is published in digital format monthly and distributed online to over 1,000,000 golfer’s email inboxes each issue.

Entire contents of this publication is copyright 2016 SportsMedia Publications, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher.

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“SCOTTSDALE IS transformative.

IT encourages YOU TO BE OUTDOORS AND play.”

200 Area Courses | 70+ Resorts & Hotels | 600+ Restaurants | 100+ Downtown Nightlife Options | EXPERIENCESCOTTSDALEGOLF.COM www.golfvacationsmag.com Golf Vacations • August 2016 7

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • CHIPSHOTS Oglebay Resort & Conference Center Announces 2016 Summer Golf Packages

WHEELING, W.V. – Oglebay Resort and Conference Center – West Virginia’s most popular golf destination set in Oglebay Park amid the stunning Appalachian foothills – announces a selection of summer stayand-play packages ideal for affordable golf getaways.

Oglebay’s golf amenities feature layouts for all abilities, including two exceptional 18hole championship layouts at The Speidel Golf Club designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Arnold Palmer. The Crispin – the resort’s 5,600-yard original course – is perfect for warm-up rounds, seniors and beginners.

Oglebay also offers two driving ranges and a family-friendly par-3 course.

Emphasizing first-rate golf at reasonable pricing, the summer packages include: • Birdie Weekday Package – Starting at $169 (per person, per night, double occupancy), the offer includes a round on both the Jones and Palmer courses, cart with GPS for each round and lodging. Available through Sept. 30 (Sun.-Thurs.), the getaway also offers play on the par-3 course and daily breakfast buffet.

• Eagle Weekend Package – Available through Oct. 28 (Fri.-Sun.) and beginning at $299 per person (double occupancy, two-night

stay required), this getaway includes rounds with GPS cart on both the Jones and Palmer courses, as well as daily play on the par-3 and Crispin courses (subject to availability, cart not included). Accommodations in the Wilson Lodge or golf cottages and daily breakfast buffet also are included.

• Championship Unlimited Getaway – Available weekdays through Sept. 30 (Sun.Thurs.), guests enjoy stays in the Wilson Lodge or golf cottages and unlimited golf (with GPS cart) on the Jones and Palmer courses.

Starting at $239 (per person, per night, double occupancy), the package also includes daily breakfast buffet and play on the Crispin Course (based on availability, cart not included). Tee times are required for all golf rounds.

“Our superb packages are just the ticket for long summer days of golf followed by nightly recharging in our comfortable lodging options,” says Rodney Haley, Executive Vice President of Operations. “Few destinations offer as much ‘bang for your golfing buck’ as we do here at Oglebay.”

Oglebay is an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh and easily accessible from Columbus, Charleston (W.V.), Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and numerous Midwest and Northeast metropolitan areas.

For additional information about Oglebay Resort and Conference Center: www.oglebayresort.com, 800.624.6988.

PGA Golf Club, St. Lucie County Offer Area Golfers Great Rates on Golf, Lodging

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – PGA Golf Club, the 54-hole property owned and operated by the PGA of America, is teaming with the St. Lucie County Tourism Department to offer area golfers value-packed rates on golf and lodging from June through October.

Golf rates start at $34 and room rates at $79 for a wide variety of lodging partners including the Residence Inn by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn PGA, Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Perfect Drive Villas. Golfers can book tee times and hotels online at www.GolfStLucie.com; upon check in guests receive a $25 gift card (per room) to the Taplow Pub at PGA Golf Club.

“With a collection of courses designed by golf’s most influential architects, fabulous dining and first-class lodging minutes away, PGA Golf Club is the complete package,” says General Manager Jimmy Terry. “We’re thrilled to extend preferred rates to golfers; there’s never been a better time to tee it up at PGA Golf Club.”

Case in point, the critically-acclaimed Wanamaker Course jumped five spots to No. 16 in Golfweek’s 2016 “Best Courses You Can Play: State-by-State” list following a significant re-grassing project. New turf on fairways and bunker surrounds, and the reframing of holes with several ornamental species, has heighted the overall experience.

Signature 13th Hole on the Palmer Course at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • CHIPSHOTS Golfers are raving about its immaculate playing surfaces and stunning visuals.

Guests can also enjoy rounds on the Tom Fazio designed Ryder Course – featuring rolling hills and tree-lined fairways – and nearby St. Lucie Trail Golf Club (also owned by the PGA of America). The Dye Course is currently closed for a complete renovation of fairways and greens, and is expected to reopen for play in mid-November.

Adding to the energized atmosphere is PGA Golf Club’s renovated 20,000 square-foot clubhouse which includes a modern golf shop, the American-British fusion Taplow Pub and the NINETEEN-SIXTEEN Bar & Grille.

Getting There: PGA Golf Club is less than a two-hour drive from Orlando, Miami and under three hours from Tampa, Fort Myers and other Florida population centers. Ranked among the “75 Best Golf Resorts” by Golf Digest, PGA Golf Club is conveniently located 50 minutes north of Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) off Interstate 95 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. PBI offers nearly 100 non-stop flights to more than 25 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

For more information about the PGA of America, visit www.PGA.org, follow @ PGAofAmerica on Twitter and find them on Facebook.

33rd Annual Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship Nears 3,000 Participants

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – More than 2,900 players from 25 countries have already registered for the 33rd annual Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship, which will be played August 29-September 2, and golfers still have time to sign-up for the “Every Man’s Major.”

The deadline for registration is

August 6. Players can register at www.

MyrtleBeachWorldAm.com.

A 72-hole net stroke play tournament, the World Am is golf’s most inclusive event, welcoming men and women of all ability levels to Myrtle Beach to compete for the right to be crowned World Champion.

The $625 entry fee includes four rounds of golf, a gift bag, and nightly entry into the World’s Largest 19th Hole, which will again feature free food and drinks, live entertainment, a golf expo and more.

Golfers are flighted based on gender, age and handicap, and at the conclusion of four rounds, all flight winners and ties advance to the 18-hole championship playoff where a World Champion is crowned.

Players with handicaps as low as three and as high as 34 have won the event. The game’s most aggressive handicap monitoring system is at the heart of the World Am’s success, ensuring players are competing on a level playing field.

The tournament features five competitive divisions, ranging from men and women 49 years of age and under to the super seniors, who are 70+ years old. The event is played on nearly 60 of Myrtle Beach’s best golf courses.

The competition is only part of the World Am’s appeal. Each night, players gather at the World’s Largest 19th Hole, which encompasses 120,000-square feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, to enjoy free food and drinks, a golf expo, live entertainment, Demo Alley and much more. Among the big names committed to attend the 19th Hole this year are John Maginnes and Brian Katrek, hosts of the Sirius/XM Radio Show Maginnes on Tap, television personality Charlie Rymer, and PGA Tour champion Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey.

The World Am is a Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday event.

Makai Golf Club Adds Introductory Three-hole Golf Instruction on Mondays

PRINCEVILLE, KAUAI, HAWAII – Every Monday at 4 p.m. Makai Golf Club at St. Regis Princeville assembles up to eight new golfers, provides pro instruction and a chance to play on the course’s three signature ocean front holes. The introductory experience finishes with sipping signature wine or tropical juice in a keepsake etched glass. Titled Mahalo Monday Mixer, this introductory program also includes club rental and golf cart at an attractive rate of $60 per single or $99 per couple.

Creating a fun, casual and spectacular golf experience, the Mahalo Monday Mixer is designed to encourage those new to the sport to play golf in a fun, relaxed and friendly way on one of Hawaii’s top five golf courses, as rated by Golf Week and GOLF Magazine. Lessons and golf last from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. with instruction given for the first half hour followed by playing the course’s signature ocean-front holes, #3, #6, and #7. Prosecco wine or tropical fruit juice is served on the Makai course’s most spectacular, hole, #7, which gives way to the jaw-drop scenery of Kaua’i’s Hanalei Bay and Napali Coast.

The Mahalo Monday Mixer is designed and suited for singles, couples, groups of family or friends and youth over eight years of age.

“This is one of my favorite programs here at the Makai Golf Club,” says Heidi Jensen, Director of Marketing. “This is an experience Kauai’s visitors can incorporate into their vacation as something new to do, yet it doesn’t take up an entire day. We hear lots of laughter and see a lot of enjoyment among new golfers participating in the Mahalo Monday Mixer.”

For more information, call (808) 826-1912 or visit www.makaigolf.com/golfinstruction.

Princeville Makai Golf Club

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Mystical Golf’s The Wizard, Man-O-War Courses Celebrate 20th Anniversary

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Mystical Golf – offering “Myrtle Beach’s finest 54 holes of golf” on its acclaimed Witch, Man-O-War and Wizard courses – announces two stay-and-play packages ideal for incredible fall golf getaways.

All three Mystical Golf courses are consistently recognized by Golf Channel to be among Myrtle Beach’s “five best courses” and “best values.” The Witch and Man-O-War courses are ranked in the “Top 15 Courses in South Carolina” in Golf Channel’s Golf Advisor rater reviews for 2015.

From Sept. 8 – Nov. 20, the three-day Gold Package starts at $103 (per person, per day, taxes included). It includes three rounds with cart on each of the much-admired Mystical Golf layouts (plus one complimentary round), three nights’ lodging in well-appointed threebedroom villa (four beds), free iHOP breakfast daily (available 24 hours per day), and a gratis steak dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse (includes non-alcoholic beverages, taxes).

Additional package highlights include two free beers and lunch at the course each day, complimentary daily range balls, instant replay round for cart fee only, and $15 gift card toward a golf shirt. Extra night stays are available at a moderate cost per person.

Offered during the same time span, the

Silver Package starts at $93 (per person, per day, taxes included) and features all the components of the Gold Package except the complimentary round, daily breakfast and steak dinner. Both stay-and-plays offer one complimentary golfer for booked groups of 20 or more players.

“Our great autumn weather here in Myrtle Beach is perfect to enjoy three of the best courses to be found anywhere,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO. “Our comfortable villas and gracious customer service are two more reasons why we offer the best stay-andplay vacations in the U.S.” Mystical Golf’s three layouts are highlighted by wonderfully fun elements including the only back-to-back island greens in the game (Man-O-War), a front nine of dramatic holes weaving through secluded swampland teeming with wildlife (The Witch), and a splendid layout reminiscent of Scotland and Ireland’s classic courses complete with authentic sod-faced bunkering and castle-style clubhouse (The Wizard).

Man-O-War’s 15th hole ranks among GOLF Magazine’s “Five Most Memorable Island Greens” alongside No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass, the “Alcatraz” hole at PGA West’s Stadium Course and Coeur d’Alene Resort’s movable, floating putting surface. The Witch is praised by PGA.com for presenting one of America’s “great ninth holes” and The Wizard has earned 4-1/2 stars from Golf Digest.

For Mystical Golf information: www. mysticalgolf.com, 843.282.2977.

John Jacobs’ Golf Schools To Introduce New Affordable Private Lesson Club

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Golf is a sport that can be played for a lifetime and nowhere does a game capture the imagination of its participants as does golf. Golf instills a sense of addiction that is not often found in other sports. Tinkering with one’s game has become commonplace and fuels a burning desire in so many amateur players.

In keeping pace with that enthusiasm, John Jacob’s Golf Schools and Academies, arguably the world’s finest teaching program is set to unveil the Affordable Private Lesson Club.

Unlike other golf learning programs and their respective pricing, the new Affordable Private Lesson Club is all about instruction, practice, improving your game and taking it out on to the golf course. For a small monthly fee of $50, a golfer will receive the following amenities at Orange Tree Golf Course: • Two, Free 1 hour clinics each month • Free slot on a stand-by basis in a one-day John Jacobs’ Golf School ($199 value) • One private half-hour lesson each week for only $20 ($45 off the normal rate) • Free, unlimited range balls after each clinic • Free rental clubs for instruction, time on

Man-O-War Islands Greens

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • CHIPSHOTS

the range or playing the golf course • 15% off non-sale merchandise in the Golf Shop • 15% off food and beverage at the golf course • Enrollment fee of $100 includes one Free 30 minute lesson • 3-month contract – June 1 – September 1 • Add your spouse or child for only $20 more per month “All of us at John Jacobs Golf Schools realize that most players have a passion for the game of golf and strive to improve their performance,” said Shelby Futch, Arizona Hall of Fame member. “Our new Affordable Private Lesson Club is without question the finest teaching program available in the Valley of the Sun. We are providing our golfers with an unequaled level of opportunity to hone their skills whether it be in a private lesson, clinics, golf schools or out on the range and at a price that is very hard to beat. Our world-class instructors will work with them every step of the way and will undoubtedly improve the quality of

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their game.”

More than any other sport, golf cherishes its traditions. One great legacy of the game is the ability to play with family members. For those interested in signing up for the John Jacobs’ Affordable Private Lesson Club, you can add a spouse or a child for just $20 each per month.

“What better way to spend a family outing than learning the great game of golf together,” added Futch who started the Golf Schools and Academies in 1971 with former European Ryder Cup Captain John Jacobs.

For more information on the John Jacobs’ Golf Schools Affordable Private Lesson Club, call (800) 472-5007 or visit www.jacobsgolf.com.

25 Percent Savings on Autumn Stays at Marriott Vacation Club

ORLANDO, Fla. – Families looking to stretch their fall vacation travel dollars can now save an astounding 25 percent off daily room rates when they book a stay at a Marriott Vacation Club resort.

It’s simple: Book now, get big savings. Then, enjoy an even bigger fall vacation!

The special, limited-time offer is available at more than 50 spectacular Marriott Vacation Club properties in the world’s most soughtafter destinations during select time periods this fall. Destinations include New York City, Hawaii, Utah, Spain, Orlando and many more.

Accommodations range from guestrooms — perfect for weekend getaways — to spacious multi-bedroom villas that can host that longdelayed family reunion.

Imagine the bright lights of the Big Apple, or the balmy, tropical breezes of Hawaii. Enjoy the spectacular mountains in Park City, Utah, the golden sands of Marbella’s sun-soaked beaches, or the family fun of Orlando. No matter the location, a Marriott Vacation Club stay will be a family’s best-ever autumn vacation.

For a complete list of participating resorts and to book a stay with Marriott Vacation Club this autumn and save 25 perfect off daily room rates, go to Marriott.com/MVCadvance or call 1.800.VILLAS.9 and use promo code V61.

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Monarch B 12 Golf Vacations • August 2016

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By Terry Ross

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A

familiar golf and vacation destination this time of year along the Southern California coast has a new name and some intriguing new amenities as the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point dropped the St. Regis moniker that it had since 2001 and now, after a $40-million renovation over the past year, has solidified its position even more as one of the top golf destination resorts along the Pacific Coast.

With its new name there is even more luxury in this five-star resort that features panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, 400 exquisitely appointed guest rooms and suites and of course the 6,600-yard Par 72 Monarch Beach Golf Links that sits on the bluffs overlooking the ocean next to the hotel. Designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Monarch Beach Golf Links was designed much like a Scottish links course with tight fairways and rolling greens that meander along the California Coast in one of the most picturesque settings in this part of the world.

The adjoining resort, which is now being operated by Denver-based KSL Resorts, has a re-designed lobby, five new dinning concepts, a more expansive pool area and bar, renovated public spaces and an exclusive spa partnership with Miraval, a global leader in spa and wellness.

Each recently restyled guest room is awash with natural light through expansive glass doors that lead out to a private open-air balcony. Plush bedding, lounge seating and a quiet worktable complete a setting to be truly at ease. The master bathroom is elegantly designed to provide spa-like comforts: deep soaking bathtub, which enjoys daylight through plantation shutters; rainfall shower and a spacious amenity-rich vanity.

KSL, which took over operation of the resort in June, has a long history of running top high-end resorts in the region such as the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage, the La Quinta Resort in La Quinta and the La Costa Resort and Hotel del Coronado in the San Diego area.

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The Monarch Beach Resort is located in Dana Point along the Orange County Coast line and with its location, the many activities along the beach next to this resort offer an array of entertaining activities.

The private beach that the resort enjoys is a great place to get the morning started with the Rise and Shine Yoga classes that are taught on the sand with the soothing sound of the waves as a background. There is also the “guests-only” Monarch Bay Club on the sand where breakfast overlooking the ocean is a great way to end a yoga session.

The Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Monarch Beach Resort offers more than 70 of the signature treatments developed at the company’s flagship Miraval Resort & Spa near Tucson, Arizona, each designed to “awaken the senses, create balance and promote a sense of well-being.”

The new facility that opened in April encompasses 24 treatment rooms, spa suites, boutique, Drybar, Deborah Lippmann Nail Salon and relaxation and tranquility zones. The Miraval expansion program includes development of full-service Miraval resorts that offer immersive wellness experiences in key destination markets like Monarch Beach and Miraval Life in Balance Spas that offer many of the brand’s signature wellness programs, such as Miraval Tucson’s NÂGA and Shamana-Karma treatments; Ayurvedic, energy and body renewal rituals; and new treatments that incorporate coastalinspired ingredients, including sea salt, crystal salt stones, algae and marine muds.

Other selected Miraval Tucson signature wellness programs are offered, including Mindful Stress Mastery, Mindful Eating and Mindfulness at Miraval. Custom yoga and body movement studios in the spa’s new Body Mindfulness Center feature the brand’s Cardio Drumming, Mindful Spinning, Aerial Yoga and Floating Mediation programs.

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Miraval-inspired healthy menu items are also available at Monarch Beach Resort’s restaurants, including the new Miraval Spa Café that is among the restaurant offerings—six of them with ocean views, including the Stonehill Tavern, Club 19 and the Aveo Terrace.

The golf experience at Monarch Beach equals the luxury experience of the hotel. Under the expert direction of General Manager Eric Lohman, PGA, the Links at Monarch Beach is an excellent test of golf that requires players to use all of the clubs in the bag.

Not only are the shifting winds constantly making club selection critical, but the undulating greens really separate good from great putters. The Par 4 third is the signature hole and measures only 315 yards from the back tees, but this dog-leg that runs along the beach requires some exact shot-making to make a good score on this hole.

The Par-5 seventh is the most unique hole on the course with accuracy required more than length—even for a hole that can stretch to 612 yards. Two shots are required over hazards on this hole that dog legs left—and the ways to play it are endless. Par is a good score here— and most players will attest to that after finishing the hole.

Available throughout 2016, the package includes: • Private limousine service (to and from airport, club-fitting) • A luxurious suite for two nights at the Monarch Beach Resort (double occupancy) • Personal Butler Service throughout the stay • Club-fitting at world headquarters of Callaway (cost of new equipment is additional) • Unlimited golf daily on the Monarch Beach Golf Links • “FlexSet” golf club rental (while the new set is being built) • Golf car and Monarch Beach “Waterman” personal forecaddie service for each round • Access to the resort’s private beach and “guests-only” Monarch Bay Club • Breakfast daily Lohman notes that guests will be guided throughout the experience by a PGA golf professional from the Monarch Beach Golf Links staff.

“About the only thing missing is an actual castle – but our renovated resort is even better,” said Lohman, who is personally coordinating each “Fit Fore VIPs” golf experience.

In addition to the club’s forecaddie program, the service all around is exceptional. This is taken to another level with the “Fit Fore a King” experience that the resort is offering through the remainder of 2016 as a golf package for those interested in the experience of a lifetime.

Guests will be chauffeured to and from Callaway Golf’s elite fullservice facility – exactly where the tour pros go for their club testing.

After a personalized club-fitting using the latest technology, the golfer can order custom-made clubs that will be shipped to their home.

“The “Fit Fore a King” golf package is an ultimate guys’ golf getaway, as well as an ideal vacation for avid golfing couples,” noted Lohman, “either for a weekend trip or an extended stay.”

At Monarch Beach Resort—a great destination has just gotten better.

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For more information: www.monarchbeachresort.com

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TEE OFF IN PALM

Florida’s Golf Capital Offers New Dis 16 Golf Vacations • August 2016

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M BEACH

W

EST PALM BEACH, FL – Perfect your swing and save on tee times in Florida’s Golf Capital®. Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the official tourism marketing corporation for Palm Beach County, has launched the Discover Golf Pass, the newest addition to its year-round Discover Pass savings program.

Featuring two exclusive passport options – Palm Beach Central Golf Passport and Palm Beaches South Golf Passport – the Discover Golf Pass provides access to two golf courses and three rounds of play (a round at each course plus a bonus round), and driving range balls for $88 per person. This equates to nearly a 20-percent savings and is available for purchase only at http://www.palmbeachfl.com/discover-pass-options.

The Palm Beach Central Golf Passport gives new meaning to the term “golf green,” providing access to two Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries – Okeeheelee Golf Course and Park Ridge Golf Course. Okeeheelee, which means “quiet waters” in the Seminole Indian language, lives up to its name with vistas of Clear Lake in its natural park setting. Park Ridge reaches an elevation of 85 feet and features panoramic views of the surrounding area offered at no other golf course in South Florida.

The Palm Beaches South Golf Passport includes the award-winning Osprey Point Golf Course, known for its lush Platinum Paspalum turf and award recognitions from Golf Digest, GolfAdvisor, and Golf Range, and Southwinds Golf Course, a par-70 course with a serene setting featuring a variety of wildlife.

“The Palm Beaches are home to Florida’s first 18-hole golf course, two major golf tournaments and more than 60 resident professional golfers, which made it an obvious decision to launch the Discover Golf Pass as the next installment in the Discover Pass savings program,” said Rich Basen, senior vice president of marketing and leisure sales at DTPB. “The Discover Golf Pass provides an exclusive opportunity to save on golf experiences throughout Florida’s Golf Capital®, and extends visitors’ travel budgets to expose them to the broad range of unique offerings available off the course, many of which are destination favorites of our new professional golf ambassadors.”

Newly launched in partnership with several resident professional golfers, such as Ernie Els, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, Camilo Villegas and Tiger Woods, the new DTPB Golf Ambassador Program highlights the reasons why these world- renowned golfers have chosen to call The Palm Beaches “home”. Aside from access to more than 160 public, private and resort golf courses, each of the golfers’ sentiments tout the destination’s unique abundance of attributes, including its 47-miles of beaches, countless culinary options and unique wildlife and watersport offerings through a series of video interviews. The videos are now available for viewing on the Discover The Palm Beaches’ golf landing page or its YouTube channel.

scover Golf Pass www.golfvacationsmag.com

Originally developed for summer visitors, specifically families seeking affordable summer offerings, the Discover Pass became a permanent offering in September 2015, now providing visitors a variety of options to choose from. The Discover Golf Pass joins the Discover Brew Pass and the Discover Family Pass as the third track in DTPB’s year-round Discover Pass savings program. The Discover Brew Pass offers a glass or pint of beer at five of the destination’s nationally-known and up-and-coming breweries – Accomplice Brewery & Ciderworks, Barrel of Monks, Due South Brewing Co., Tequesta Brewing Company and Twisted Trunk Brewing – from $15 per person. The family-focused Discover Pass bundles admission for up to three of the destination’s leading attractions – Fun Depot, Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society and South Florida Science Center and Aquarium.

For more information on the Discover Pass program, visit www.PalmBeachFL.com or follow @palmbeachesfl on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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On The Road T

Erin Hills No. 18 during 2011 U.S. Amateur Holy Hill Cathedral in backgroud

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U.S.

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By David R. Holland

To Milwaukee M

ILWAUKEE, WI. – Sure it was beer that made Milwaukee famous, and rockabilly singer Jerry Lee Lewis a loser, but it has a golf history and its future seems unlimited. Milwaukee area golf is a winner.

The 2017 U.S. Open is scheduled at nearby Erin Hills, a brawny 7,800-yard minimalistic beast designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten.

Make the 55-mile drive to Grand Geneva Resort & Spa for The Brute and The Highlands, 36 holes of beautiful golf, and relive the days of Hugh Hefner when in 1968 this resort opened as the Lake Geneva Playboy Club Hotel.

Daily-fee beauty The Bog is in nearby Saukville, a 7,221-yard, par-72 that is home to the Marquette University golf team.

Tee it up at Brown Deer Golf Course, home of the Greater Milwaukee Open from 1994-2009. Tiger Woods aced No. 14 and made his PGA Tour debut here in 1996 as a 21-year-old. He finished 60th and won $2,544.

And sometime next year Wisconsin will open another much-anticipated golf experience named Sand Valley Golf Resort – certain to be another awardwinner. The minimalist Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw course is set on 1,700 acres of tumbling sand dunes, 167 miles from Milwaukee near Nekoosa, Wisconsin. A second 18 is planned to be designed by David Kidd of Bandon Dunes fame.

So, a travel golf trip to Milwaukee? You bet.

Combine it with a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game, a visit to the worldfamous Harley Davidson museum, a tour of the Lakefront Brewery and countless superb dining options and you have a great Midwest vacation.

Here’s a capsule look at the golf options: Erin Hills Rich Tock, Erin Hills’ Ambassador to PGA professionals, remembers the day when he stood on the No. 4 tee box and could count 13 flag sticks.

“During the U.S. Open you will be able to see and hear the crowds,” Tock said of this minimalistic gem that’s No. 1 vision from the beginning was to host the U.S. Open.

Purists of the game love Erin Hills – a walking only experience with lots of fescue. Caddies are knowledgeable and the walk is a landscape of tall grasses waving on a wild prairie that was formed by glaciers colliding. The bunkers are blow-out natural looking, rugged and ragged. And some are tiny making escape downright flabbergasting.

The par-3 ninth is a downhill 165-yard precision shot that is near impossible.

The green heaves up like a volcano with jagged bunkers cascading down from the putting surface in all directions. Someone joked it is the shortest par-5 hole in the golf.

Dining here is distinctive and four guest cottages enable travel golfers to stay on site, 35 miles from downtown Milwaukee.

. Open site, history and future www.golfvacationsmag.com

Golf Vacations • August 2016 19

18th Hole at Brown Deer Golf Course

Brown Deer Golf Course Brown Deer Golf Course, rolling out to 6,759 yards at par 71, is a historic, classically designed parkland 18 with bent grass fairways, tees and greens that has hosted countless important tournaments.

The Bog When you see the sandhill cranes walking on the green you are about to fire at you know The Bog, an Arnold Palmer Signature Design golf course founded in 1995, is nature at its best.

A river runs through it, but dissecting the narrow corridor of huge trees is you major challenge. Originally designed by George Hansen and founded in 1929, it was redesigned by Andy North and Roger Packard. The clubhouse is the perfect place before or after to grab some food or host your next big event; it is also a designated historic building.

Measured out at 7,221 yards at par 72, this excellent daily-fee course was constructed on 297 acres of woods with the Cedarburg Bog flowing through wetlands, rolling hills, and wildlife habitat. The Bog features 118 bunkers and bent grass greens that are as smooth as any in Wisconsin.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired hotel is an easy drive from Milwaukee or Chicago and even includes a ski area chalet that Hefner designed in the shape of two interlocking snowflakes. Two prominent lakes on the golf courses were built in the shape of a heart and a bunny head.

The Brute Golf Course lives up to its name with 7,085 yards, par 72 and huge greens (they average 8,000 square feet) and 68 bunkers. The rolling woodlands of southern Wisconsin are beautifully displayed on this 1968 Robert Bruce Harris design with elevation changes and lots of water and woods. The finale, 17 and 18, are tough with demanding tee shots. Even par on these holes should be celebrated.

The Highlands Golf Course, a 6,659-yard, par 71, was originally designed

by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. This Scottish style Wisconsin golf course was transformed in 1996 by Bob Cupp and was recently updated in 2006

by Bob Lohmann, with major renovations completed on holes 9, 12, and 15. It is beautiful and more playable than The Brute.

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Where to stay: Potawatomi Hotel & Casino A mile from the Harley-Davidson Museum, this contemporary casino hotel is 2.4 miles from the Milwaukee Art Museum and five miles from the North Point Light House.

Sleek, sophisticated rooms feature flat-screens, pillow-top mattresses, minifridges, microwaves and complimentary Wi-Fi. Some rooms add whirlpool tubs, separate lounge areas and panoramic views of the city.

Where to Dine Here’s a list of favorites: RuYi is Potawatomi’s new sushi restaurant; also at the hotel try Dream Dance Steak, Locavore and Wild Earth Cucina Italiana.

Around Milwaukee don’t miss Sobelman’s Pub & Grill known for the best burgers in town.

Collectivo Lakefront is a unique cafe/deli serving sandwiches, soups and salads, plus freshly brewed coffee, espresso, tea, and bakery items made daily from scratch. It located in the historic Milwaukee River Flushing Station built in 1888.

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The Highlands Golf Course at Lake Geneva

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa The Brute Number 17, 420 yards

The Bog Golf Course

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Golf Vacations • August 2016 21

SWEETSTUFF W

hile the golf industry has exploded over the past few years with various initiatives to grow the game and get young people started in the sport, few have taken the steps of introducing youngsters to equipment that is made and fitted specifically for them.

TGA Premier Junior Golf has positioned itself as the first company in the golf industry fully dedicated to growing the game through programming initiatives and providing its own properly fit golf clubs to juniors.

As one of the nation’s leading introductory and recreational golf programs, TGA Premier Junior Golf has expanded its program lineup to offer its own line of custom fit golf clubs for boys and girls.

“Since 2003 TGA has become a leading expert on introductory and recreational junior golf instruction,” said TGA’s founder and CEO, Joshua Jacobs. “By experiencing first-hand how juniors learn, swing and react to equipment, we have developed junior clubs that kids will find esthetically pleasing and well performing, which will further expand our expertise and credibility among our golf consumers.”

To bring the new clubs to market, Jacobs called on 30-year golf industry manufacturing veteran Ross Kvinge of Plus One Sports, who has worked with high profile manufacturers like Nicklaus Golf and Spalding and has most recently produced the successful Air Force One brand of clubs. Kvinge has witnessed first-

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hand the impact that TGA has on the industry and believes adding equipment to its model will only increase its market presence and exposure.

“As a long time veteran in sourcing, manufacturing and distributing golf equipment, I am proud to be part of TGA’s grassroots model and develop the TGA Premier Junior Golf line of equipment,” said Kvinge. “In addition, as a TGA franchise owner myself and seeing the rapid success of the model, providing properly fit golf equipment and creating a pathway from enrichment to equipment was only natural.”

TGA’s equipment is designed with technology that makes it easier for beginning and experienced junior golfers to excel. This is especially true with the driver, which is one of the largest driver heads on the market for juniors featuring a lightweight hot forged design.

Not to be outdone is the technology in the TGA junior irons. In its continued efforts to provide a fun golf experience for kids, TGA distributed weight from the hosel out along the top-line of the club, creating a well-positioned sweet spot in the center of the clubface creating easier and more consistent shots.

“Our TGA equipment was created and designed with the ultimate focus group; junior golfers themselves along with junior golf instructors and PGA Professionals through enrichment programs at schools, camps and leagues nationwide,” explained Kvinge.

“Through our equipment, junior golfers will have a fun experience, improve quicker, and become vested in the sport long-term.”

The variations in this lineup of junior clubs is impressive both visually with its array of colors and the customization available for both right and left handed players.

TGA Premier Junior Golf boxed sets are

available in seven color-coded sizes based on height with right and left handed options for both boys and girls-- making it convenient and affordable for parents to fit their junior golfer.

Yellow for boys/girls under 3’, Orange for 3’-3’8, Red and Pink for 3’8-4’4, Blue and Lavender 4’4-5’ and Black for 5’-5’6. Sets will range from $89.99 - $149.99 depending on size and include 3-6 clubs, a stand bag and head-covers.

A percentage of each purchase will be donated to the TGA Sports Foundation.

TGA will offer its junior golf equipment through national retail outlets, golf facilities and online club sales through its website. TGA will also offer a trade up program for families to keep their kids fitted properly.

The new TGA club lineup is just part of the overall program that has taught 500,000 juniors and involved 1.5 million families in the sports in more than a decade. It is one of the leading industry models bringing new players into the game. The franchise business model, the only one of its kind and recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a “Top 10 Franchise Value,” empowers entrepreneurs, PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and Golf Management Companies to activate youth (ages 3-13) and their parents (ages 25-45) through introductory programs at elementary and middle schools, childcare centers and community centers.

TGA’s curriculum focuses on instilling a passion and skills development of golf while incorporating character development, STEM core academics and physical activity.

Introductory programs feed into recreational programs at golf courses that include camps and leagues.

For more information about TGA Premier Junior Golf—including its new club lineup-visit www.playtga.com

M

ost players are familiar with a membership at golf clubs or in organizations, but probably not that as many know there is a high-end golf ball brand that also requires a membership—much like a country club—and are produced on a limited basis and offered at an invitation.

Clear golf balls are not clear (they are white like the majority of balls) and sports “the most sophisticated technology and the finest materials” for two types of balls: A Red Clear, which is a 3-piece ball and a Black Clear, a 4-piece ball.

This is an exclusive ball for sure. They are manufactured on a limited basis and undergo

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SWEETSTUFF

by Terry Ross

a strenuous inspection process to ensure consistency that even the finest mass produced ball do not have.

Clear golf balls are not available in stores or green-grass pro shops, but only through the Clear Sports invitation-only membership program, so they are exclusive and marketed to players looking for the best performance. The annual membership fee is $950 and includes 12 dozen golf balls.

When you look under the hood of these balls, you can see and feel that they are special.

They have a great, soft feel around the greens with excellent spin off the wedges. The Clear Red is a softer-feeling ball while the Clear Black is firmer and designed for those who want distance above all else. Both balls deliver excellent distance, but feel around the greens is the key to scoring. The company believes in fitting the balls to an individual’s game.

Clear’s proprietary core is the engine of the golf ball, producing the highest C.O.R. (coefficient of restitution) of any performance golf ball on the market, according to the company. The higher C.O.R. translates to greater speed of the ball at impact. Greater speed generates longer distance. These balls are manufactured with a cast thermoset Urethane process, a superior process that is selectively used by the market leaders in performance golf balls. Clear‘s proprietary core technology combined with a premium cast thermoset Urethane cover provides a winning combination of distance, spin, control and feel.

Clear was founded in 2014 with a mission to create the world’s best performing sports equipment. The Clear inspiration began with golf and after years of research, development and testing, one of the finest USGA conforming golf balls was created.

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The Clear team carried the same principles of peak performance and competitive advantage forward with the design of the Clear 260 and Clear 300 tennis racquets. Clear racquets are designed with the most advanced technology and materials available to create frames using a proprietary Dual Resonance Technology (DRT) that offer more power and precision, with less effort for an exceptionally arm-friendly racquet.

Clear golf balls are available through an invitation-only membership program designed for golfers seeking peak performance and the maximum competitive advantage through the company website: www.clear-sports.com

M

ost golf instructional books come from so-called experts and involve a ball, club and at least a practice facility to actually work on the skills detailed on the pages.

But one of the more interesting new books on golf that we have found comes from the United Kingdom—this being the Open Championship month—it is a good time to look at this bit of instruction about parts of the game that rarely get much attention and always seemed to be taken for granted by people who have played for a while.

“How to Play Golf Without Actually Hitting a Ball” is a must-have addition to any golf bag or clubhouse and shares with its readers the many unwritten nuances of playing the sport— not the “here is how you grip the club” kind of advice.

When author Frankie Tute played his first round of golf, he instantly knew it was “the” sport for him. There was plenty to learn, but Tute quickly grasped the game’s appeal and grew to become a successful social player.

But Tute credits much of his success, and the fact that others enjoyed playing with him, to knowing the non-playing rules that govern what is a complex and tradition-rich game. In his unique book, these very rules are laid out to help any golfer discover new ways to both enjoy and improve their time on the course.

“A golf course is a golf course no matter where in the world we play it, the same etiquette and rules apply to us all as does our behaviour on the golf course, which, to me, is so important. It is not all about how well you hit your ball but what goes on around you in that simple matter. Decorum,” he notes in the book.

“I take the things most golfers have to learn about through trial-and-error, and explain them in a simple fashion anyone can understand,” explains the author in talking about his new book. “From what to do when you first show up at the golf course and how to prepare your scorecard, all the way to the importance of not holding up play and how to show courtesy to beginners.

“Many people are commenting that my book is the only place they’ve found particular bits of information they’ve been wondering about for so long. Believe me, the book has been decades of work in the making and I’m so proud to be helping my fellow golfers become well-rounded players away from their actual hall-hitting techniques.”

‘How to Play Golf Without Actually Hitting a Ball’ is available now: http://amzn. to/1UPyBfS

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