Kingdom 27

$20 where sold Issue 27—Winter 2013

PALMER ON PUTTING NEW YORK GAME THE NFL’S ROGER GOODELL GOLF’S MOVIE MOMENTS

Deciding where to go would only slow you down.

The Continental. The luxury of spontaneity.

For more information please call 866 560 8654 or visit www.bentleymotors.com.

The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2013 Bentley Motors, Inc. Model shown: Continental GTC V8

You don’t get to be Scotland’s favorite single malt by being ‘quite’ well made

Please Drink Responsibly. Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% Alc./Vol., ©2013 Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, New York

Unnecessarily Well Made

P7 Mobile Hi-Fi headphones Lose yourself in music with P7. Engineered to raise the bar for mobile sound quality with a Hi-Fi loudspeaker approach to headphone drive units. Listen and you’ll see. bowers-wilkins.com

What do you say after you tee off with GEICO?

geico.com | 1-800-947-AUTO (2886) | Local Office

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Gove

500!

New GEICO customers report average annual savings of $500.

Get your quote today.

ernment Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2013. © 2013 GEICO

READE TILLEY

MATTHEW SQUIRE

editor

publisher

PAUL TROW

LEON HARRIS

contributing editor

art director

designers

special thanks / contributors

Mickey Gibbons Graham Taylor

junior designer Kieron Deen Halnan

founding contributor Arnold Palmer

special contributors Cori Britt, Doc Giffin, Donald Trump

contributing photographers Andrew Crowley, Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com, Getty Images, Howdy Giles, Ian McIlgorm, Leon Harris, Arnold Palmer Picture Library, Meghan Tilley

vp, operations Joe Velotta

head of advertising sales Jon Edwards

advertising sales Andy Fletcher Deric Piper Sam Krume

Mike Akeroyd Richard Connolly Bethan Cutler Daralyn Danns Ray Easler & his great team at Bay Hill Mary FitzHenry Roger Goodell Neil Grant Dan Hubbard Ron Jackson Alastair Johnston Steve Killick Franz Klammer John Nichols Jane Owen Thomas Pagel David Rickman Chris Rodell Major Dan Rooney Jack Ross Ernie Ruiz Ben Steward USGA Joel Ward Cheyenne Woods



C OV E R I M AG E

Neil Leifer Olympic Club, San Francisco 1966 U.S. Open

enquiry addresses Advertising  ms@tmcusallc.com Editorial  jh@tmcusallc.com Subscriptions  joe@tmcusallc.com

Kingdom magazine was first available to friends & associates of Arnold Palmer, members & guests of his designed and managed courses, and is now available to distinguished private clubs and discerning golfers everywhere.

advertising production Sum Nu Blouk

executive assistants Carla Richards Birute Markeviciute

 Printed in Canada.

published by

TMC USA, 60 RAILROAD PLACE, SUITE 501, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY 12866 Founders: John Halnan, Matthew Squire and Steve Richards. Commercial Enquiries  ms@tmcusallc.com  1.866.486.2872 518.691.9231  arnieskingdom.com

TMC

USA

© 2013 TMC USA

LLC

Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. The contents of advertisements and advertorials are entirely the responsibilty of advertisers.

No responsibility is taken for unsolicited submissions and manuscripts.

CONQUER NAPOLEON

the most even baking across all racks* and innovative elements give you the accuracy and control to be in your element. So puff the pastries, pipe the mousseline, pour on the coulis and show that napoleon who reigns supreme. Because when you have the heat that can’t be beat, there’s so much more to make.

Find more information at KitchenAid.com. *Among leading premium brand 30-inch wall ovens.

®/™ ©2013 KitchenAid. All rights reserved. The design of the stand mixer is a trademark in the U.S. and elsewhere.

With our advanced Even-Heat™ Technology, you get the crème de la crème –

BREEZE.

CHILLS.

THE HERTZ PRESTIGE COLLECTION Luxury, at your convenience.

We’re also a proud Sponsor of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard and Exclusive Car Rental Partner of Kingdom Magazine and the Kingdom Cup.

® Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. © 2013 Hertz System, Inc.

hertz.com

ARNOLD

PA L M E R

FOREWORD

Winter Welcome

I

T:11.875”

B:12.125”

S:10.375”

t gives me great pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to all our readers of this winter edition of Kingdom.

It seems like only yesterday that we sat down and looked forward to the 2013 season. And quite a season it has been, with some exceptionally low scores being carded and some great tournament victories, including Tiger’s here at Bay Hill. Perhaps the highlight was Phil Mickelson’s fantastic double of the Scottish and British Opens in the space of a week. His final round at Muirfield this July certainly had every golf fan spellbound.

In general, the game of golf seems to be experiencing a sustained recovery. I am very pleased with how busy my courses at Bay Hill and Latrobe have been.

Perhaps the last area of the golf industry to come back is that of golf course design and construction. At home and abroad, I am beginning to see the green shoots of recovery coming to this area of the game. Our ongoing efforts to adapt golf courses for long-term success have been well received with a number of renovation projects currently underway. Some think courses need to be lengthened to remain relevant, but the key is to implement sound strategic and sustainable design principles to ensure courses remain fun and challenging for all levels of golfers. These time-tested practices have the added benefit of reducing maintenance costs as well as increasing rounds played.

Meanwhile, we are already preparing for the next Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, which will be staged for the 36th time here at Bay Hill Club & Lodge during the week of March 17-23, 2014. The course looks set to be in perfect condition and we are all anticipating an exciting tournament and another glittering field.

As well as looking forward, this edition of Kingdom also provides an opportunity for reminiscing.

I am particularly pleased to revisit my first and last Masters victories (p82), and hope that some of my putting tips from my years of experience on the greens may prove helpful to those readers looking to improve that part of their game (p182).

Finally, as I write this with the holiday season just around the corner, it is my heartfelt wish that we can all enjoy a prosperous and happy 2014—both on and off the course.

Enjoy the read,

Arnold Palmer

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

13

www.rolls-royce.com

A clear reflection of value

with CorporateCare®

Delivering the highest quality engine care and service is our business, and has made

CorporateCare® the world leader of business jet engine maintenance programs. A fact

recognised in more than just words. Aircraft enrolled in CorporateCare have higher asset

values, so while you are enjoying peace of mind today, you are also investing in tomorrow.

For more on CorporateCare, contact Steve Friedrich, Vice President –

Sales & Marketing, at +1 (703) 834-1700, corporate.care@rolls-royce.com.

Trusted to deliver excellence

A Traveling Fan

I

have learned many things and acquired many fond memories during the last 11 years of publishing Kingdom. In addition to my immense pride in what we have collectively built, I’m thankful for the many friends we have made along the way. They include our most senior subscriber, Wendell Hall, who has just turned 101 years young (he credits his longevity to raw steak, oysters and margaritas—a diet I intend to adopt sooner rather than later!). We are also extremely grateful for the support of our many advertisers, contributors and readers, and, of course, for the inspiration provided by Mr. Palmer himself and his outstanding team of colleagues at Arnold Palmer Enterprises.

So as we approach the end to another year, and as I attempt to write this on a cold Sunday afternoon in London whilst nurturing my favorite 18-year-old single malt from Glenmorangie (and desperately trying to resist the temptation to finish it quickly and start on another one), my mind keeps turning to the fact of just how fortunate we are at Kingdom, and indeed as we all are as regular golfers. This year we have been lucky enough to watch some marvelous golf. Like Mr. Palmer, I, too, particularly enjoyed watching Phil Mickelson battle it out in go-for-broke style to take the [British] Open Championship (much like Arnie himself back in the day).

However, even more so than watching golf playing is always a privilege and a pleasure, and we at Kingdom have been particularly fortunate to have been on some fantastic golf trips in 2013, not just several different states across America but also to Scotland, Ireland and France too. We are a great team and we all enjoy our work, but it is these trips – which invariably start with colleagues and clients and always end in the company of lifelong friends – that I truly treasure. As it says on the Bay Hill advertisement, you’ll never look back and say, ‘I wish I had played less golf.’

Of course, as we are off ‘working’ many of us are also blessed with having great families at home to support us through all of the long hours that we put in. Without these folks, I am sure that we would not all be as strong as we are. So I would like to take this opportunity to say a big “thank you” to all of those long-suffering spouses and golf-widowed partners.

Finally, on a sad note, since publication of our last edition we have lost a long-term friend of Kingdom, Bev Norwood. For over 30 years, Bev served IMG and its many golf clients in his own inimitable style. He was a distinguished writer and a bon vivant who was never afraid to offer his opinion. Indeed, when I was starting out in this business, and let’s just say a little wet behind the ears, Bev set me straight on quite a few things. Suitably educated, I can say with utmost certainty all these years later that I have met few people as accomplished or as stimulating to work with. They don’t come any better and he shall remain long in our memories.

Now, looking forward to 2014, I’m raising what’s left of my glass to yet more exciting and companionable golf over the next 12 months.

Matthew Squire—Publisher

kingdom

27

winter

2013

15

On the Road

M

any of our greatest writers and thinkers have endorsed travel as an enriching pursuit, and we agree. The fantastically named (and sainted) theologian Augustine of Hippo opined that “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Robert Louis Stevenson agreed, offering, “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” That attitude stood the author in good stead throughout his life (though it hardly did his Robinson Crusoe character much good!) Perhaps my favorite quote on travel is from Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who put it best—and most directly—when he wrote, “To travel is to live.”

By that measure, in the model of our mentor Arnold Palmer, many of us at Kingdom do quite a bit of living. How pleased are we, then, to discover the same adventurous spirit among many of our readers. I had the great occasion of meeting and befriending one such globetrotter this year in Ron Jackson, a man who could fill a library with tales of his inspiring travel exploits.

Read more about him on p116. Deserts always hint at travel adventures, especially when there’s great golf to discover. A map to our favorite sand traps is on p122. And if you prefer your golf vacations with a little skiing as well, discover places where you can do both in the same day on p76.

Living in New York City, it’s easy to get to an airport—but there are also numerous arguments for staying put (p34). The city really does have it all. That’s important now that I have a daughter, as it’ll be a few years before my wife and I are trekking to far-off places for any serious length of time. For a couple that spent our honeymoon backpacking in Mongolia, it’s going to be tough staying put. But after a few years have passed, the traveling will be that much better because our daughter will most certainly be going with us. If “the road is life,” as Jack Kerouac wrote, then it’s certainly better to travel it with people you love.

Happy holidays to all of you and your families, wherever you happen to be in the world,

Reade Tilley—Editor

kingdom

27

winter

2013

17

Arnold Palmer lines up a practice putt in triplicate more than half a century ago

18

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Kingdom magazine Issue 27—Winter 2013

34 24 34 44 52 62 68 76 82 88 94 98 101 110 116

52

62

94

Arnold Palmer Q&A—Kingdom visits the King at Latrobe to hear his latest news New York City—It’s a golfers’ city, and it always has been Roger Goodell—The NFL commissioner tackles the big issues across his sport 18 No.8s—Another selection of wonderful holes in our ongoing fantasy sequence Cheyenne Woods—Tiger’s niece and Wake Forest graduate starts out on Tour Golf in Film—Our favorite roles played by the game Golf and Ski—Where in the world to spend a day both on course and on piste Winning the 1958 & 1964 Masters—The transformation of a man—and a game Rules Brothers—An audience with the men who tell us what we can and can’t do Second Place—When it comes to Majors, is No.2 a reason to celebrate or to cry?

Donald Trump—Our regular columnist reminds us of the enduring value of loyalty Life in Adverts—Arnold Palmer as fashion icon, with an attractive supporting cast Florida—The Sunshine State is overflowing with fun, golf, fine living... and gators Ron Jackson—A peek inside the home of an inveterate traveler and collector

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

19

Kingdom magazine Issue 27—Winter 2013

122 120 122 128 132 136 140 144 148 158 163 172 176 182 190 194

20

136

148

182

Bags—Luxury luggage for discerning golfers who like to spread their wings Desert Golf—Sand traps that none of us mind visiting again and again Gold—Add some gilt-edged glitter to your investment portfolio Cliveden—Half a century on since the biggest scandal in British politics Jaguar—The editor roars behind the wheel of the latest F-Type Bowers & Wilkins—From ear to eternity, the story of the headphone Dapper & Done—Tools to keep you looking sharp Drinks—A cocktail cabinet filled with winter warmers and spiritual inspiration Health—The latest advice on keeping fit and healthy from Cleveland Clinic Gift Guide—Another array of wonderful presents for deserving golfers Morgan Stanley—Life lessons from leading investor Dick Connolly Golf Car—After decades with little design progress, the buggy is now on the move Instruction—Mr. Palmer passes on some tips that made him a champion putter APDC Update—Exciting plans in the pipeline for new projects in 2014 Last page—Arnold Palmer Golf Management supports Folds of Honor Foundation

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

he design line for single A4 page advertisement and proportional

YOUR TURN. INTRODUCING THE JAGUAR F-TYPE. When you hear it, you want it. When you see it, you want it even more.

But when you drive it, you have to have it. It’s your turn to test drive desire.

Your turn to experience the legend for your lifetime: the F-TYPE, starting at $69,000.* The glorious bloodline continues at your Jaguar Retailer today.

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

Visit your LoCAL JAGuAr rEtAiLEr or jaguarusa.com

©2013 JAGUAR LAND ROVER NORTH AMERICA, LLC. *Price shown is MSRP. Excludes destination/handling, tax, title, license, Retailer fees and optional equipment.

Retailer price, terms and vehicle availability may vary. See your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for details. Vehicle shown with optional equipment.

PERHAPS THEY SHOULD JUST STAMP “NONCONFORMIST” ON EACH BAR.

*Over the 10-year period ending March 31, 2013, gold’s correlation with the S&P 500® has been 0.09 with 0 being uncorrelated and 1 being perfectly correlated (Sources: StyleADVISOR, SSGA, March 31, 2013).

Important Information Relating to SPDR Gold Trust: The SPDR Gold Trust (“GLD”) has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents GLD has filed with the SEC for more complete information about GLD and this offering.

You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or by visiting www.spdrgoldshares.com. Alternatively, the Trust or any authorized participant will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling 1-866-320-4053.

IBG-7283

For many, gold investments break the mold.

That’s because they generally don’t behave like other investments.

The reason gold may act like nothing else is because it’s typically not tied to the ups and downs of traditional equity markets.* With SPDR® Gold Shares, you also have a precise way to add gold to your portfolio since GLD is 100% backed by physical gold.

Learn more about an investment that has diversification written all over it. Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit us at spdrs.com/GLD for details.

ETF’s trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below the ETF’s net asset value. Brokerage commissions and GLD expenses will reduce returns.

Diversification does not assure a profit and may not protect against investment loss.

Investing in commodities entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.

“SPDR” is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) and has been licensed for use by State Street Corporation. No financial product offered by State Street Corporation or its affiliates is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P or its affiliates, and S&P and its affiliates make no representation, warranty or condition regarding the advisability of buying, selling or holding units/shares in such products. Further limitations that could affect investors’ rights may be found in GLD’s prospectus.

For more information: State Street Global Markets, LLC, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA, 02111 • 866.320.4053 • www.spdrgoldshares.com.

Not FDIC Insured – No Bank Guarantee – May Lose Value

Leaves on the trees outside his bustling Latrobe office were turning tartan, and Arnold Palmer’s thoughts were starting to turn toward wintering in Florida at his Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Along with his usual traveling gear, he’d be taking with him fresh, happy memories of another great summer in his native Western Pennsylvania, optimism about the future and recollections of what it was like to be in the company of the world’s top supermodel, budding golfer Kate Upton. Needless to say, he was in an agreeable and cheerful mood when he fielded a host of questions from Kingdom correspondent Chris Rodell

Latrobe Liaison

24

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Mr. Palmer in his Latrobe office

kingdom

27

winter

2013

25

K: You met Kate Upton at the API, then again at Latrobe recently. Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?

AP: I hope so. She’s a lovely young lady, a very articulate young lady. I think all the ingredients means she’s going to be very successful. It was a pleasure meeting her.

K: Also: Did Upton express any real interest in golf?

Do you think she’d be a good golfer?

AP: Yes, I think she’s going to play some golf. Her personal manager is the daughter of a good friend of mine, John Benson, and he is a big golfer so I think the combination will keep her interests alive.

K: Looking back to your first and last Masters victories (1958 and 1964), what are your strongest and fondest memories of each event?

AP: Well, of course, the first one was just great because it was the first and that was always a big thrill. I was determined to win that last one walking up 18 without having to cringe or having to make a birdie [Palmer led the field by six strokes]. I played well enough that I was very comfortable and it was wonderful. I was playing with a great guy by the name of Dave Marr. Dave was playing well and it was great to be with him, so he made it extra special. We were such good friends I felt comfortable asking him on the 18th tee if there was anything I could do for him. He said, “Yeah, make a 12.” Dave was great.

K: Can you remember which dishes you served up at your four champions’ dinners?

AP: I think I stuck pretty much to the routine—strip steak, baked potatoes. Oh, and they do that very well at Augusta National. They always do.

K: In addition to your seven major wins, you came in second 10 times. Can you put into words how you felt on these occasions?

AP: I can think of all kinds of excuses and reasons. I think the thing that bugged me most was the fact I never won the PGA. I had wonderful opportunities to win a couple more Opens and let those slip. I sometimes wonder if I hadn’t won the Open in ’60 if I might have been more fortunate to win more down the road. I guess psychologically I felt that key victory had put me over the hump. I wanted to win, certainly, but maybe that little extra edge, the hunger, wasn’t there after 1960.

K: Why do you think it was you didn’t win any further majors after 1964? After all, you won a further 19 times on the PGA Tour.

AP: I can’t answer that. Maybe the fact that I did win gave me a personal or mental satisfaction of which I wasn’t aware.

K: Do you wish you’d have had a good sports psychologist with you at the time?

AP: Ha! Well, I never used one of them, but it might not have hurt!

26

Palmer with his youngest grandson, Will Wears, in the 2012 PNC Father/Son

“I sometimes wonder if I hadn’t won the Open in 1960 if I might have been more fortunate to win more down the road” K: Your last PGA Tour win was at the then-named 1973 Bob Hope Desert Classic. In all you won six times down in the Coachella Valley. What do you think it is about desert golf that particularly suited you?

AP: I really enjoyed it there. The golf courses were all manicured to perfection and the weather was always nice and comfortable, and I enjoyed the desert very much. It all made it very conducive to my playing well and I often did.

K: Why do you think it is that the vast majority of the golf courses in Florida are in such immaculate condition, often all year round?

AP: The weather, of course, is ideal. Rarely do you have frost or anything to interfere with your playing or course maintenance. So unless there’s a hurricane coming along, the weather conditions are always great.

I love Florida golf.

K: We assume you are looking forward to the PNC Father/Son event this December. What do you particularly like about the tournament?

AP: I think it’s a good tournament and the guys on the Tour are always very eager to play. You get to play with a member of your family which makes it such a great experience.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Your Peace of Mind is Our Priority ®

We Protect the American Dream Homeownership is the American Dream.St.Johns customers are homeowners, who have worked hard to realize their dreams. Our customers entrust us to insure what is dearest to them; their homes, their families and their futures.

We believe every St. Johns customer deserves the peace of mind that comes with achieving the American Dream.

St. Johns Insurance Company offers homeowners insurance in the states of Florida and South Carolina.

Westwood Center Three 6675 Westwood Boulevard • Suite 360 Orlando, Florida 32821 Phone: 866.304.7779 • Fax: 866.216.7749 www.stjohnsinsurance.com

to Tiger, to win as much as he has. I can’t emphasize enough that winning a regular Tour event is every bit as difficult as winning a Major.

Henrik Stenson had the year of his professional life in 2013

K: Do you have any plans to tinker with the presentation of Bay Hill prior to next year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, or are you pretty happy with the way it’s set up these past few years?

AP: I think it’s set right to our liking now, so I don’t anticipate any changes.

K: What do you make of Henrik Stenson’s remarkable run of form during the latter part of this year? After a prolonged period in the doldrums, to perform the way he has over the past few months, given all the problems he’s had fitness-wise and financially, must seem little short of remarkable.

AP: He was very impressive through the year and I was very pleased to see him do as well as he did. He overcame some difficult challenges to come out on top and I was happy for him. He’s inspirational.

K: With Furyk shooting a 59 at the BMW championship there seems to have been a few 59s carded recently and indeed Mickelson nearly shot one in Phoenix this year, but his last putt of the day on the par-4 18th lipped out. You’ve come close as well, shooting a 60 at Latrobe with three eagles, a bogey on the par-5 6th and another bogey on 10. Was this milestone ever a goal of yours or is it just one of those “icing on the cake” types of things: if it happens, it happens?

AP: I played very well and had a great day. I was looking forward to the finish and breaking 60, but it didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. Making two bogeys—one on a par-5—that was tough. Nothing I can do about it, but I still recall those two bogeys very well. It still bugs me.

K: Tiger Woods was named PGA Tour player of the year for the 11th time despite not winning a major or the FedExCup. Do you agree with the system that produced this result or should more emphasis be placed on performances in the Majors?

AP: Winning a regular Tour event is just as difficult as winning a Major. It’s a credit to anyone, particularly

kingdom

27

summer

2013

K: When Wake Forest announced that it was erecting a statue of you at the golf facility (which is named for you and which you designed), you were quoted as saying, “It’s nice that they are doing that; I’m not sure that it is really deserved.” It’s tough to imagine someone more deserving of a statue—and in such an appropriate place! Why do you think accolades like this make you a little uncomfortable?

AP: It’s a great thing to be honored like that. I’m very humbled and appreciative they have done that. I just hope I am worthy. Does it make me uncomfortable? Let’s just say I don’t go out searching for that kind of accolade.

K: Also: Did Wake Forest approach you early in the process or was the statue a surprise?

AP: Russ Meyer is a great guy and a man with whom I enjoy a true personal friendship. He’s the man who made it happen. So to have him spend the time he did to make this a reality is beyond belief. He spent a lot of time doing that and developing that statue. He’s also a Wake Forest trustee and his dedication is another plus.

K: Moving on to another university town… How did you get connected with Penn State for the new Palmer Park project? How does the concept differ from other developments you have been involved with?

AP: It’s for older people who want to continue being active in their lives as they get up in years. They understand they need to do things to get out in some fresh air and exercise and to do things that encourage activities like putting and walking around outside. It’s very beneficial.

K: You appeared as yourself with Bob Hope in the film Call Me Bwana. In the James Bond film Goldfinger, you were referenced when 007 thought Goldfinger was cheating, with the line: “If that’s his original ball, I’m Arnold Palmer!” In what other films were you referenced (that you know of) and did you appear in any other movies or were you asked to appear in any others?

“I played very well and had a great day.

I was looking forward to breaking 60, but it didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped”

29

K: Is there ever going to be a golf car big enough to carry all the golf clubs, several sets, that you carry on a practice round?

AP: (more wry smiles) Me? Who? Not me!

K: As a natural athlete, did you ever play football in high school or just for fun? If so, were you any good?

AP: I enjoyed it very much. I would have played football in high school, but my father was opposed. He didn’t want to see me getting hurt. I enjoy team sports and played a lot of them, but golf is such a demanding individual sport that, to me, it ranks above them all.

K: The Steelers are off to a rough start this year, but Dick LeBeau is working hard with the defense. How closely do you follow their progress? And do you get a chance to speak with Dick at all? I believe you two are friends... Does he give you any inside information on the team?

AP: I follow the Steelers very closely and keep right up with them. I’m good friends with all the Rooneys [the owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers], too. Dick LeBeau’s a good friend and a fine golfer, but he’s never shared any behind-the-scenes information on the team.

Arnold Palmer is still rooting heart and soul for his beloved Steelers

AP: I have occasionally been asked to be in a film or show over the years—even including an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm! I had to turn down most of those but I have been referenced quite a bit, such as that time in Goldfinger. It is always a bit of surprise.

K: Do you get a real charge out of that?

AP: That’s always fun. I’m a big James Bond fan and I get a real kick out of being referenced in one of those films. I love the Bond movies, especially the old ones with Sean Connery.

K: Do you have any specific memories of visiting New York City and golfing in the surrounding area? What are your favorite courses near the city?

AP: I never played an excessive amount of golf there.

I played in the Pepsi Open out in Long Island and I’ve won there. I played at Westchester and won there and I love Winged Foot. It’s a great golf course. I enjoy National Golf Links and Upper Montclair, and Baltusrol—that’s a very good course. Lots of great golf in the metro New York area.

K: Are there changes you’d like to see to current golf cart design? Better ways to hold the bags, maybe, or refrigerators for cold drinks?

AP: (smiles wryly) I’m not too much in favor of all the niceties they put on, but I do think anything they can do to help preserve the golf course is important. By that I mean tires and anything that will reduce the wear and tear on the course and I’d like to see them continue experimenting to find ways to make golf carts less intrusive on the golf courses.

30

K: Are there any lessons that the PGA TOUR could learn from the NFL in terms of managing or developing a sport? Any the NFL could learn from the PGA TOUR? AP: I think the Tour, Tim Finchem, his fine henchman and their predecessors have done a really good job of putting the Tour together and promoting it. At one time I was a very outspoken advocate on behalf of the players and what they should earn, and I still voice my opinions on occasion, but I think professional golf is doing very well right now.

K: How about the reverse: What can the NFL learn from the PGA? AP: They might learn to have their players be more cordial with the fans and appreciate the fans more than they seem to. The really good players seem to give due respect back to the fans, but it should be emphasized.

That’s very important.

K: A number of NFL players who golf have told us that golf is more difficult than football. What do you think of that? And can you understand why they say that?

AP: I think if you’re raised to play professional football you’re used to the bumps and the injuries and the lifelong aches of having played professional football. But the combination of playing football and golf is a great thing. And a lot of people have done them very well.

K: Thank you, Mr. Palmer, for another engaging interview for Kingdom readers.

AP: Thank you. It’s always a pleasure.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

What Inspires You?

At Insperity, we are inspired by the entrepreneurs, the decision makers, the motivators – our clients.

These business owners have the drive to accomplish their dreams, day in and day out – never backing down, never standing idle, never playing it safe.

It’s that kind of commitment that changes things.

That’s why Insperity is committed to helping these leaders achieve success. For more than 26 years, Insperity has helped business owners capitalize on those opportunities with our powerful HR and business performance solutions.

After all, when businesses succeed, communities prosper. And that’s inspiring.

To learn more, visit Insperity.com

Innovation begins with ideas.

And thrives with allies.

The pursuit of new ideas defines Cleveland Clinic’s approach to medicine, a commitment to advancing healthcare through the development of new techniques and technology. And now our mission has allies. As part of the new Healthcare Innovation Alliance, Cleveland Clinic will collaborate with other prominent healthcare organizations and educational institutions to initiate, research and develop new ideas that will change the world of medicine.

clevelandclinic.org/innovations Same-day appointments available.

1.866.668.8571

New York

It’s a jungle, not a fairway. A jagged, stone forest of hard grey and black.

Everything’s paved, built up, built on, built out or on its way to being one of the above. There’s the odd vacant lot, but they’re not vacant for long, and the straggling patches of glass- and wire-strewn weeds are never replaced with putting greens.

It’s not like there’s enough space to golf on any of them.

And yet there are so many golfers here, moving and working among the 8.3 million people that inhabit the 302 square miles that is New York City

CitY Game

34

Despite living in the greatest city in the world (as far as we’re concerned) New York City golfers have less green space in which to hit than any small-town resident; like shoeboxsized apartments, it’s just one of the sacrifices people make to live here. The irony is that New York City has more claim to the game than any other U.S. city—you might even say American golf started here. True: the game had existed in the States for 20 years by the time New York City got its first course. But when it did, it wasn’t just New York’s first course; it was everybody’s first course: Van Cortlandt, the first public course in the United States, opened in 1895. In the years surrounding its debut, New York City was the center of the golf universe, the birthplace of the USGA, the PGA of America, numerous regional clubs, tournaments and pros. Today, Van Cortlandt is still going strong, and still everybody’s golf course. Like the city itself, any changes have been superficial; the spirit of the place is still intact. Whether or not you think NYC is the center of the universe likely depends on if you’re a resident or not, but whatever your opinion it’s worth reevaluating the city as a golfers’ destination. There may not be a lot of green space, but New York golfers have adapted with modern driving ranges and practice facilities, top-ofthe-line training opportunities and a host of city options that keep the game very much alive yearround. Just don’t dawdle too much when you’re playing—otherwise one of the kindly gentlemen in the foursome behind you might have to ask you politely to please increase your pace of play.

Or he’ll just smack a golf ball at your head.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Dr. Ira Warheit waiting for the bus with his clubs, just one of many golfers in New York City

35

Early Days “You don’t need to know how to play golf; you don’t even need to play it to get a lot of fun out of the ancient and honorable game. Just go up to Van Cortlandt Park, where the public links are open almost the year round.” So reported a 1910 New York Times piece entitled “Humors of Golf as Played at Van Cortlandt Park,” which turned a rather unkind eye on the golfers at what was then one of three public courses in the city (Forest Park in Queens and the Bronx’s Pelham Bay were the other two).

Golf had been all the rage for years by the time the Times piece was published, and it had some sort of presence as early as 1796, evidenced in an ad that year in the Royal Gazette of New York City for golf clubs and balls. But it really exploded in the late 19th century with the emergence of proper clubs like the Quogue Field Club, located in the Hamptons on Long Island, and the Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Yonkers, just north of the city, both of which are still in operation. In the city proper, visitors even enjoyed mini-golf on tony hotel rooftops, like that of the Hotel Victoria in Manhattan. In 1894 the game got serious when representatives from the major clubs in the northeast converged on New York City and formed what would eventually become the USGA. Also in 1894 America’s first golf magazine, The Golfer, was published. The following year, hoping to get golf within New York City limits, a group of local businessmen who called themselves The Mosholu Golf Club attempted to get the city to co-fund construction

36

Golf pro Charles Mothersele at the Hotel Victoria’s 18-hole mini-golf roof course, sometime near 1927. Pro Jack Redmond looks on along with Miss Chita Hawking and Mary Lee

van cortlandt was free and had no no rules, which led to large crowds and unruly behavior

of a private club at Van Cortlandt Park, which had been named for the city’s first native-born mayor. The plan backfired somewhat in that the city did help build the course, but refused to close it to the public. Thus, the first public course in the United States opened July 6, 1895. The charming 9-hole (five years later it was an 18) had cost $624.80 to build—but there was no charge to play. This, along with having no set rules, quickly led to mobs and unruly behavior. Local papers bemoaned “the poor playing conditions, the unmanageable crowds, and a general lack of golf etiquette” (and they haven’t stopped since).

Whatever the criticisms, Van Cortlandt—and, as they opened, New York’s other municipal courses— helped to popularize golf among the “everyman,” quickly building the game in the city and in the region as a whole. On the administrative side, on the heels of the USGA’s founding, in January of 1916 a group of pro golfers and leading amateurs met at the Hotel Martinique on Broadway and West

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Air your tunes Zeppelin Air Stunning detail. Deep bass. Room-filling sound. And now Zeppelin Air gives you a new way to enhance your enjoyment of music. Play via the Lightning™ connector dock or

stream music wirelessly using your ® ® ® iPhone , iPad , Mac or PC. Docked or wireless, you’ll be experiencing your music in a whole new light. Listen and you’ll see.

bowers-wilkins.com

iPad, iPhone, AirPlay, Lightning and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc.,registered in the US and other countries.

32nd Street for a lunch organized by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker. With a mind to improving golf equipment sales, Wanamaker proposed the foundation of the professional organization that eventually became The PGA of America. By October the group was hosting its first PGA Championship, and the following year it was entrusted with selection of the site for the 1917 U.S. Open. On the private side, club development was well underway, and here, too, NYC was having an influence. The prestigious New York Athletic Club had formed its Nyackers golf group in 1913, and in 1921 it celebrated the opening of Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamoroneck, NY. While there was no formal affiliation, the club took its name from the NYAC (which has a winged foot logo).

Within a few years the country had its first golf museum (founded by the USGA in 1936), though it didn’t have a dedicated space. Its first donation—Bobby Jones’ “Calamity Jane” putter—was exhibited with other memorabilia in various bits of free space around the USGA offices. In 1950 the group purchased a brownstone at 40 E 38th Street that became the first Golf House and dedicated two floors to the museum, formally creating what the New Yorker called “the Louvre of the golfing world.” (Today, Golf House and the museum are located in Far Hills, New Jersey.)

While the administrative and business sides of the game were being organized, city golf’s social identity was going through an evolution of its own—and it wasn’t pretty.

a Tough CrowD “The woman golfer is not popular on the links. Occasionally a fairly good player commands admiration, but for the most part they are barely tolerated.” The pre-feminist 1910 Times piece about golfers in Van Cortlandt spared no one. In addition to lamenting women golfers, it derided fathers who brought their kids on course (“Take that kid away; this ain’t no daynursery”), ridiculed the overweight (“One woman who

38

Many of the city’s golfers hit at Chelsea Piers driving range and golf center (right); street kids were known for snatching golf balls back in the day (below right)

iN New York, You’re dealiNG with a differeNt meNtalitY, Not a CouNtrY Club meNtalitY. You’re dealiNG with GuYs who Could easilY Get aNGered if someoNe’s plaYiNG slow

could not have weighed less than 210 pounds toiled up the steepest hill on the links one particularly hot day… Another woman, plainly many pounds less in avoirdupois but still chunky enough to need reducing, passed her going in the other direction”) and even took a swipe at the game itself: “Not all fat people go in for the game. There is the dyspeptic, the man who cannot sleep, the man with the sluggish liver, the moribund individual who needs a new outlook on life, the old man who wants to get young again.”

Mean-spirited it was, but it’s also confirmation that the New York game has always been tough. There’s no denying it: golfers here are just different.

“I think so,” says Dr. Ira Warheit, a Brooklyn resident who grew up on Staten Island. “You’re dealing with a different mentality, not a country club mentality. You’re dealing with guys who could easily get angered and get into disagreements if someone’s playing slow.”

A 1955 Sports Illustrated article by Jane Perry confirms that it has always been thus. Writing about Dyker Beach Golf Course in Brooklyn, in a piece entitled “Brooklyn’s Mad Golf Course,” Perry perfectly described Dyker—and, by extension New York golf as a whole: “Once a foursome starts on its way, it is at the mercy of eight people, the foursome immediately in front and the foursome behind. The four in front will hold up the game by searching for balls, by mysteriously acquiring friends and becoming a sixsome; they will accuse the four behind of cutting in and trying to play past them. Sometimes they will charge at offenders with raised clubs—especially the

winter

2013

kingdom

27

females, who are, in this respect, the more deadly of the species Golfer Dykeriens.

“The four behind will snap and snarl at the heels of the foursome ahead. If a player so much as stops to tie a shoelace, they will drive a warning ball whistling past his head.

They are masters of the impatient stance, the sneering look, the ‘Hurry up, willya!’ cries of outrage.”

And there were other problems.

“I used to sleep in the parking lot to get a tee time,” Warheit remembers of Dyker. “In New York, especially on the weekends, that’s what you had to do. But Dyker became a nice course to play—you can reserve a tee time now.”

The course saw as many as 100,000 rounds a year, and employed a “first come, first served” system that often created conflict—not that crowds don’t still line up at six in the morning at some area courses.

Ball ThEfT

wheN aCCused of theft, the boY miGht be staNdiNG oN the ball... but he is all freCkled iNNoCeNCe kingdom

27

winter

2013

Another annoying, if slightly humorous, fact of New York City golf is ball theft, which has been going on so long that it might well be considered a tradition. In 1910 the Times blamed it on “Italian boys [who] lie in wait at convenient places and picking up balls skurry [sic.] away before the player appears in sight. Those who are not familiar with their methods spend much useless time looking for balls they will never see again, unless they happen to buy them from an innocent-faced caddie at some later period.” Perry’s SI piece confirmed the practice was still happening 45 years later: “Golf ball snatching, a problem at all busy courses, has achieved the status of a science at Dyker. Among the most skilled snatchers are the small boys who operated on several fairways adjacent to the city streets. When directly accused, the boy might be standing on the ball or has just slipped it to an accomplice, but he is all snub-nosed, freckled and dirtyfaced innocence. ‘I ain’t got ya ball, mister. Wanna soich me?’”

And finally, another New York Times piece, this one from 1995, warned that “neighborhood children

39

sometimes dart onto the 16th fairway to steal balls”—a reality that’s still reported today in online reviews.

The 1995 article went on to point out that ball theft was hardly the biggest hazard: “Two years ago, a morning threesome arrived at the 14th green to find a dead man dangling from a maple tree. A year or two earlier, a golfer had his cart stolen; he retrieved it a half-mile away and finished the round. Corpses are occasionally found on the opposite side of the lake in front of the clubhouse.”

All of that, plus online anecdotes telling of fights, more stolen balls and behavior that wouldn’t be tolerated almost anywhere else—“[My boyfriend’s] friend was chased by security… I remember being in the rental shop and hearing about him through their walkie talkies about some crazy guy who isn’t stopping in his cart. haha” (from a yelp.com review this year, which gave Van Cortlandt three stars out of five)—all suggest that golfing in the city requires a perspective shift.

aCCEss But for all of the madness, the flip side of the eccentric nature of golf here makes for a lot of great stories—Neil Simon and Woody Allen kind of stories.

“Remember Billy Britton?,” asks Warheit who, like the former PGA TOUR pro, grew up near Silver Lake Golf Course on Staten Island. “Billy Britton used to sneak in the same hole in the fence that I did so we could play golf for free. I played with him occasionally. He became very popular at Silver Lake.”

Britton won the 1989 Centel Classic in Tallahassee, Florida, and had 23 top-10 finishes in 15 years on tour,

40

To get to Van Cortlandt, take the 1 train to 242nd St. in the Bronx, then start walking

billY brittoN used to sNeak iN the same hole iN the feNCe at silver lake that i did so we Could plaY Golf for free

becoming something of a local hero.

He’s now the pro at Trump National Golf Links Colts Neck, New Jersey.

Wareheit, in addition to sneaking on at Silver Lake, played Dyker and other local courses. Like many New Yorkers, he wasn’t exactly born into the game via country club parents, and his relationship with it today has a decidedly urban flavor.

“I started playing golf when I was about 16. I went to Brooklyn Tech [high school] and they had a teacher there who was a rabid golfer, so that was the first time I got any instruction in golf. Within four times I played I broke 100; my lowest handicap was an 8. I didn’t get to a level where I wanted to play in tournaments, but I just love the game, and I love playing alone—like George Bush. George Bush would play an hour, hour 15.

Alone and fast in the late afternoon, just cruise on the course. My only competition is me.”

Today, Warheit says he hits balls once or twice a week at Chelsea Piers, the iconic driving range on the Hudson River near 23rd St. (see sidebar). He still plays the city courses, but he also enjoys traveling to Arizona to golf. If nothing else, he’ll head to a course in Sussex County, a relatively short trip out of town.

“For Chelsea Piers, I’ll take the bus, the train, then I walk. It’s easy.

When I went to Dyker I usually would take a cab; I don’t like carrying a heavier bag on a train or something like that. When I go to Sussex County, it’s bus, train, bus, and cab.”

This accessibility is part of what makes golf in NYC so special. You can reach Van Cortlandt on the 1 train. The city’s online instructions on getting to Mosholu Golf Course, another Bronx track, tell you to take a Bronx-bound 4 train, then exit on the left-hand side and walk upstairs.

“From there you will see construction and a streetlight—walk towards the streetlight in the direction of a park/ woods/cemetery.”

Other courses can be reached using a variety of other trains and buses, and it’s not uncommon to see people hauling their clubs up and down subway steps—not that subway riders are the only ones on course.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

MovErs & shakErs In 2009, the New York Times examined Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s relationship with golf, calling it “a foe with no term limits” for the enthusiastic but talent-challenged mayor. From the article: “He took up the game around 2000, but ‘you probably wouldn’t want to call that golf, what he played,’ said Daniel M. Donovan Jr., the Staten Island district attorney, who has played with Mr. Bloomberg for years. “‘He was confused by it,’ said Morris Offit, a longtime friend and golf buddy of Mr. Bloomberg’s. ‘He felt that if he tried hard, gave it the appropriate attention and got good instruction, that he would improve rapidly.’ He did not.”

Bloomberg reportedly kept clubs in his SUV so he could sneak out and play after appearing at a parade or speech. He was often seen hitting balls at the Randalls Island driving range in Manhattan, and he liked to go to nearby Westchester for a round now and then. With all of the practice his game has reportedly improved, and Bloomberg told Reuters that he’s looking forward to golfing more when he leaves office this December. The game of another city fixture, Donald Trump, has been in good shape for a long time. The developer and notoriously good golfer credits the game as an important part of doing business in the city, and even told us that it might have been responsible for one of his bigger projects.

“It’s happened with me many times, whether it’s in New York City or elsewhere,” Trump said. “A lot of times I’ll be on a course with people I don’t normally do business with, and I’ll end up doing business with them due to golf... You can’t replicate rounds of golf, not with a meeting or with dinner or lunch. There’s no better way to get to know someone better than through golf.”

Specifically, he said it’s led to some big deals.

“Maybe even Trump Tower. The people that owned the land, I got to know them through golf. And through that, through golf, I got to buy maybe the best piece of land in the United States, and that’s 57th and 5th, right there by Tiffany’s.”

kingdom

27

winter

2013

Mayor Bloomberg’s passion for golf has been eclipsed by his lack of talent; reportedly, that’s changed...

Adding another chapter to the city’s golf story, Trump recently took over the Ferry Point project, which began some 25 years ago as a city plan to build a new golf course in the Bronx—the city’s 13th—but stalled due to mismanagement and who-knows-what-else.

“I took it over a year and a half ago and we’re getting ready to open,” Trump said. “Trump Links at Ferry Point is, frankly, going to blow everything away.”

The 18-hole Nicklaus-designed track is sure to be a winner, though just how polite its patrons will be remains to be seen. It’s still a New York course, after all.

finally

the maYor was CoNfused

bY Golf; he thouGht that if he worked hard he’d improve rapidlY. he didN’t

New York City’s municipal courses collectively see more than 600,000 rounds per year. In 1895, the Times wailed about bad language on course, highlighting one player in particular: “It is a rare privilege to hear his expletives, and he seems never to be at a loss for new ones.” In 1955, SI observed that a Brooklyn course was “where the undershirt is a classic costume for hot summer days... and where the insult is the common and formal method of communication.” Nothing’s changed, not really.

Today, you’re still likely to find all manner of characters on course: mayors playing alongside waiters, brokers hitting next to mechanics, mobs and hustlers and even potential pros. And that, really, is the essence of the sport here. Unlike anywhere else, golf in New York City isn’t just a game—it’s everybody’s game. Feel free to bring your clubs, just remember: If you feel like stopping to admire the views of the city while you’re on course, don’t.

41

golf in the five Boroughs brOnX mosholu Golf Course 3700 Jerome Ave. (E. 213th St) & Bainbridge Aves.

Pelham/Split rock Golf Course Pelham Bay Park Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course Van Cortlandt Park

brOOKLYn Dyker beach Golf Course Seventh Ave. & 86th Street marine Park Golf Course 2880 Flatbush Ave., near Belt Parkway

manHaTTan randall’s Island Golf Center (Driving Range) Randall’s Island Park

QUeenS Clearview Park Golf Course 202-12 Willets Point Blvd.

Douglaston Golf Course 6320 Marathon Parkway Forest Park Golf Course 101 Forest Park Drive Kissena Golf Course 164-15 Booth Memorial Avenue

Urban Game Here’s where New Yorkers go to get a quick golf fix: Chelsea Piers: With its multi-tiered, year-round driving range (heated range spots in winter) that faces the Hudson River, computerized auto-tee ball system, teaching academy, singles and other social events, Full Swing Simulators, lounge with waitress service and more, this is the most popular spot in New York to keep your game in shape. A city icon.  Chelseapiers.com Golf & body nYC: Upscale private club in a modern setting that offers as much fitness and socializing as it does golf. Top instructors use HD simulators to handle the golf, while top trainers help with overall and golf-specific fitness.  Golfbodynyc.com

South Shore Golf Course 200 Huguenot Ave.

Drive 495: Top-drawer golf/ fitness training facility offering expert strength coaches and golf instructors, with an intense emphasis on golf-specific fitness.

With high-end simulators and a wide range of fitness and golf experts, the club offers all the elements a PGA TOUR player would have access to.  Driveclubs.com

42

winter

STaTen ISLanD LaTourette Golf Course 1001 Richmond Hill Road Silver Lake Golf Course 915 Victory Blvd. near Forest Ave.

2013

kingdom

27

GOODELL HUNTING

N

obody ever said being commissioner of the $10 billion juggernaut that is the NFL was an easy assignment. And when, prior to the 2006 season, Roger Goodell ascended to what is surely the most turbulent hot seat in sport, he did so with his eyes open and nigh on a quarter of a century of almost unbroken service to the organization behind him.

Since then there’s been quite a lot of firefighting on numerous fronts. To name but a few, these have included a labor dispute with referees, a lockout by franchise owners in 2011, disciplinary face-offs with numerous coaches, and wrangles over players’ off-field transgressions, on-field tackling techniques and, more recently, their attitudes towards performance-enhancing drugs.

Goodell, who has codified his vision of player behavior into the NFL Personal Conduct Policy, is also on a mission to give football a greater global reach, of which the staging of regular season games in London, England is very much a key element.

On the eve of the second NFL game of the 2013 season to be staged in front of nearly 84,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers trounced “host” team Jacksonville Jaguars 42-10, Goodell announced a significant escalation of the “London project” for 2014. “We’re going to have three games during the regular season here next year.

Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons will host the Detroit Lions, and Oakland Raiders will host Miami Dolphins,” he said. “We have an exclusive deal with Wembley that runs till 2016. We’re trying to expose more fans to the NFL. Fans in the United Kingdom want more and I certainly don’t rule out a franchise here eventually.

Initially it was difficult to get teams to play in London, but every team that’s come over has had a great experience and now more want to come than we can accommodate.

44

“The visits are certainly good for the communities that are served by the teams. For instance, far more people over in the UK have now heard of Jacksonville.

“In the future we could also take games to cities like Beijing, Moscow and Frankfurt. We’re trying to globalize our game but we’re not attacking the globe all at once. We need to build markets and stimulate media and sponsor activity.

It’s not played on a global basis like soccer and basketball yet. That’s why our strategy is different to other sports.

“Closer to home, I’d also love [the NFL] to be back in Los Angeles. But it has to be done the right way. I want to have both [franchises in London and LA], but it doesn’t matter which one is first.”

Another of Goodell’s campaigns has been to make the game less brutal. Even before the NFL agreed to pay $765 million in an out-of-court settlement of concussion-related lawsuits by 4,500 former players just before the start of the current season—a serious business and public relations threat if ever there was one—Goodell had introduced stricter penalties for helmet-to-helmet tackles.

“We’re working really hard to eliminate these. We’re continually updating our medical advice and getting back to basics in terms of teaching players—right down to the youth game—how to tackle with the right technique. In that respect there are a few things that we’ve learned from the game of rugby, which is one my favorite sports.

“Of course, we have to pay regard to the fact that people want to see physical contact, but you can take out the dangerous tackle without diminishing physicality. We believe in making our sport safer, and we’re always willing to share [information] with other sports.

“Over the years we’ve looked at our rules and strengthened them. At times players still choose to violate

winter

2013

kingdom

27

There are few positions in world sport more powerful or influential than that of Commissioner of the National Football League. Paul Trow tracks down the man who has run the show for the past seven years and discovers he has no intention of letting loose the reins just yet, especially with so much unfinished business on his plate

Goodell has a firm sense of direction for the NFL

kingdom

27

winter

2013

45

them but nowadays they get caught. Concussions arise when a player is defenseless and can’t protect himself. And we should always remember that the helmet is designed as protection, not as a weapon.

“We’ve done a tremendous amount to reduce concussions, but they happen from time to time in every walk of life. Most sports-related concussions happen away from the football field—in playgrounds and on ski slopes, for instance. Also, soccer has the second highest incidence of concussions in U.S. sport.

“There’s a lot we don’t know medically about head injuries even though we have supporters like General Electric who enable us to create more research. But the physical nature of the game is still incredibly high. You wouldn’t want to be out there. These guys are bigger, stronger and more athletic than average folks.”

By now it’s apparent that Goodell wasn’t seeking a quiet life when he first went to work for the NFL as an administrative intern in the league’s New York City office in 1982. He joined the New York Jets briefly the following year, also as an intern, but within 12 months he was back working for the NFL in the public relations department.

In 1987, he was appointed assistant to American Football Conference president Lamar Hunt. Then, under the tutelage of Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, he filled a variety of football and business operations roles, culminating with his appointment as the NFL’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in December 2001. As COO, he took responsibility for the league’s football operations and officiating, and supervised its business functions.

He headed NFL Ventures, which oversees the league’s business units, including media properties, marketing and sales, stadium development and strategic planning. He was also heavily involved in the launch of the NFL Network TV channel and negotiating the league’s current collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players’ Association.

Goodell’s selection as the NFL’s ninth Commissioner following Tagliabue’s retirement came as no surprise, but it was far from a fait accompli. Tagliabue initiated a wideranging search for his successor, appointing a committee headed by Pittsburgh Steelers’ owner Dan Rooney. Goodell was one of five finalists and it took five ballots of the 32 owners before he secured the number of votes he needed (22) to see off the NFL’s outside counsel, Gregg Levy.

When asked about having to endure such a lengthy and labyrinthine process, he quipped: “They’ll need at least as many ballots to fire me!”

As Commissioner, Goodell believes his role is about protecting the integrity of the game and making it safer— “protecting the shield,” as he once put it, referring to the NFL’s shield logo. But he’s not afraid to tread where his eight predecessors didn’t.

Take, for example, the forthcoming Super Bowl XLVIII (48) on February 2, 2014, the first to be held outdoors (non-domed) in a cold-weather environment, in this case the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., home to both the New York Giants and the New York Jets. “Some of our most exciting games are played in the elements,” Goodell insists. “To date we’ve not seen as much interest in the

46

We’ve done a tremendous amount to reduce concussions, but they happen from time to time in every walk of life Super Bowl as we have this season. We can only get 56,000 spectators into the stadium, so hundreds of thousands of people will be watching it live on screens in Times Square, and the city is closing down 14 boulevards five days in advance. The passion for the occasion transcends the game. The Super Bowl has now moved well beyond a simple event. It’s a week of events. We are continually creating more in order to satisfy the demand.”

Goodell, who will be 55 in February, was born in Jamestown, New York, one of five sons of the late Senator Charles Goodell, a Republican who publicly opposed the Nixon administration’s conduct of the Vietnam War in 1970 and paid for his principled stand with political obliteration.

Roger graduated from Bronxville High School where he captained the football, basketball and baseball teams as a senior and was named the school’s athlete of the year. He then suffered a knee injury at 18 that in effect ended his football career before he had even enrolled at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania, whence he graduated with a degree in economics. “It was the sort of thing that could have been fixed today by keyhole surgery but such techniques didn’t exist back then. It meant I wasn’t able to play college football, something I deeply regret.” Perhaps his concerns about player safety stem largely from this chastening experience.

Goodell, who is married to former Fox News Channel anchor Jane Skinner, is a keen but only occasional golfer. None the less he still plays off a handicap of 8, no mean feat considering he is a member of two exclusive clubs with courses that are among the toughest in the game: Pine Valley and Augusta National. “I started playing in junior high, but then I didn’t play for about seven years. To be honest I don’t play anything like enough, so there’s no chance of me improving. I’ve got 12-year-old twin daughters and a lot of my time at weekends is devoted to them.”

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Growing the game abroad has been a goal of Goodell’s

The pinnacle of Florida living.

Set atop a magnificent ridge overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter Hills Village is a living experience unlike any in Florida. This private enclave of unique estate homes and cottages, two internationally renowned golf courses, first-class tennis facilities and vast residential amenities is masterfully woven into a pristine landscape between the azure blue Intracoastal Waterway and a protected nature preserve.

Whether you play golf, enjoy relaxing poolside, or appreciate the simple beauty of stunning sunrises and sunsets from a serene vantage point, Jupiter Hills Village will elevate your lifestyle.

Homes from $450,000 to $4 Million. For more information, visit www.jupiterhillsvillage.org or call 561-427-6996.

the field and not be in any doubt. We want people to feel there’s no outside influence on the players, that they are playing their best. The only gaming link we have is at a few stadiums where casinos can advertise.”

Goodell was quick to dismiss a suggestion that the NFL Network was subject to any editorial control, and he underlined that every player and coach is obliged to talk to the press. What would he do if someone didn’t fancy that particular task? “I don’t care if he fancies it. I just care that he does it. Going into locker rooms works for us because it’s good for the fans. Players and coaches need to speak to the media because this is how they connect to the fans.

Most of them realize how important it is. The press is free to criticize us and that’s their right. At the end of the day we all respond to criticism one way or another and hope we get better.”

These days, no one can deny that the NFL is the dominant U.S. sport, but why? “Three reasons I believe.

Firstly, the game itself—it’s exciting and full of strategy.

There’s physical contact and also pageantry. Secondly, it’s explosive and excites the passions. And thirdly, it’s bringing

We’ve got to sort out the HGH issue.

We should be testing for it... I’d be naïve to think we don’t have a problem This year’s Super Bowl will be played outdoors in New Jersey

He also has four brothers, one of whom, Michael, who is gay, he fiercely protected from bullies as they were growing up. Michael, who is younger than Roger, is reported as saying: “I was the type who would have been beat up a lot. It would have been humiliating. What would that have meant if I didn’t survive it? Would I have done drugs? There are all sorts of things you can turn to because of self-hatred and loathing. But none of that was even a possibility, because I had this support around me. So, yeah, Roger is very much a hero figure for me.”

No doubt Commissioner Goodell will be similarly supportive when a current NFL player finally comes out as gay.

Other issues, however, will not be handled on such a broad-minded basis. For one, he is determined to clamp down on performance-enhancing drugs, especially of the human-growth-hormone (HGH) variety that are boosting some players’ weight beyond 320lbs. “We’ve been the leaders in testing but we have to upgrade even further.

We’ve got to sort out the HGH issue. We should be testing for it soon and I’d be naïve to think we don’t have a problem. We need a solid program with complete integrity to deter people from taking it. We think it’s important for several reasons: the integrity of the sport, the safety of the players and the message we as a sport are sending to the kids. We certainly don’t want to send the wrong message and players certainly don’t want to be playing against someone who has acquired an unfair advantage.”

Then there’s betting. “We prohibit players, administrators and coaches from being involved in betting on games. We want our fans to see what’s happening on

48

communities together in a way that some sports can’t.

Every team needs its local community’s help and support; after all, hope for success is a great thing. Take the case of Kansas City Chiefs. They clocked up only two wins the whole of last season and then they started this one 7 for 0.

That grabs people’s attention and they want to be part of it, want to make each event bigger and better.

“We’re always looking at devising more ways for fans to follow football and engage with the sport. For instance, female fans are a big part of our fan base, probably 45 percent. It’s the first thing I look at when I go to matches, how many of the fans in the stadiums are female. I love it in Dallas where they’re always screaming, really engaged!”

Looking into the distant future, Goodell doesn’t fear disruption to the NFL season if soccer’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar is staged over the winter months due to the likelihood of extreme heat in the Gulf state during the summer. “I don’t see that being a problem. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi start four days after the next Super Bowl and that isn’t affecting us at all. However, I still worry about everything that might have an adverse effect— there’s nothing I don’t worry about that might undermine the success of our sport.”

So he’s principled, authoritative, efficient… and a bag of nerves. No wonder he’s a golfer! But even though his football career ended at a ludicrously premature stage, it’s clear he had already absorbed the life lessons it had to offer.

“Football is an athletic team game and the things I have learned from playing it I use in my job every day. It was the best training of all.”

winter

2013

kingdom

27

15 Countries

14 Golf Courses One Private Jet Opportunity of a lifetime The 2014 Around the World Open Golf and Jet Tour.

First Class Luxury Accommodations and All First Class Boeing 767

ENV JETOURS Please visit us at www.envjetours.com or 801-804-6808

MAKE A TOUGH

LOOK EASY. With the right skills and equipment, even a challenging business course can be played in championship style. Konica Minolta Business Solutions can help – with award-winning document systems and IT management strategies to help get you down the fairway and onto the green ahead of your competition.

Our bizhub® MFPs move information faster, with high-output printing and scanning, award-winning INFO-Palette design, and an intelligent multi-touch interface that’s as easy to operate as a tablet PC. For high-volume needs, bizhub PRESS equipment creates color documents in-house and on-demand with purpose-build reliability and innovative auto-finishing features.

Konica Minolta also leads the industry in sustainable performance – with superior image quality from our exclusive Simitri® HD toner that uses biomass plant-based materials to reduce environmental impact. And our All Covered IT Services can keep you on par in maintaining your infrastructure, migrating to Cloud services and planning projects that always fly straight for the pin.

For the sixth straight year, Konica Minolta has been voted #1 in the MFP Office Product category in the annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. We’ve also been named “Line of the Year” and “Document Imaging Solutions Line of the Year” by Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) – and Konica Minolta has recently been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index in recognition of our economic, environmental and social performance.

For more on how we can help you master every business course, contact Konica Minolta today.

www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A., INC., 100 Williams Drive. Ramsey, N.J. 07446 © 2013 KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS U.S.A., INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Konica Minolta and Count on Konica Minolta are registered trademarks of KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. bizhub is a trademark of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Simitri is a registered trademark of KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS. All other brands and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

T

he front nine is almost over and the halfway house might be beckoning, but the 8th tee is generally no place to get ahead of oneself. Many designers like to beef up the challenge on their courses from holes 8-13 to ensure no complacency creeps in. Continuing our series of fantasy 18-hole layouts, Kingdom selects the cream of 8th holes from around the globe

52

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

1

#

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS, Monterey Peninsula, California We start with one of golf’s most revered par-4s, the beautiful and dangerous cliff-top 8th at Pebble Beach, with the Pacific Ocean down below to its right, all the way from tee to green. This is a white-knuckle ride from start to finish, so care must be taken with both the drive and second shot, not least because the wind could be blowing in any direction—across, against or with. The tee shot heads uphill to a blind landing area, so a 3-wood or rescue club is often advisable to ensure you don’t run out of fairway and topple over the cliff edge that juts into the fairway. Thus, 240 yards is the ideal distance from the tee to set up what Jack Nicklaus once described as his “favorite second shot in golf,” launched over the siren water hundreds of feet below to a typically small Pebble Beach green that is less than 25 yards deep and slopes sharply from back to front.

kingdom

2

# Par-4, 427 yards

27

winter

2013

Par-4, 467 yards

ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB (Highlands), Johns Creek, Georgia The Highlands Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones and remodeled by his son Rees, opened in 1967 when Atlanta Athletic Club moved from its original, downtown location at East Lake to a site 23 miles north of the city.

The Highlands hosted the 1976 U.S. Open and the PGA Championships of 1981, 2001 and 2011. The 8th, a daunting hole, has a back tee that asks players to carry 280 yards over water with a draw to find the ideal landing area on a fairway that bends left round the lake. Without any drawspin, the ball will likely go through the fairway into one of four deep bunkers on the elbow of the right-to-left dogleg. The approach is uphill to a narrow green bordered on each side by deep bunkers. Going long is no good either as the green slopes from back to front, so chips from over the back invariably slither slickly past the pin and down the lightning-fast surface.

53

3

#

Par-4, 460 yards

BAY HILL CLUB & LODGE, Orlando, Florida Home to the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational presented

by MasterCard each March, Bay Hill has evolved into an outstanding test of golf with each hole presenting a totally different challenge to its predecessor or the one that follows. No.8 is predominantly a dogleg from left to right with a bunker on the left corner positioned to catch any tee shot that is slightly pulled or over-hit. A thick grove of trees on the right elbow of the dogleg, almost directly opposite the bunker, is also to be avoided because anyone tangling with that will be blocked out and have no shot to the green. The ideal landing area is a stretch of ground between the bunker and trees shaped like a saddle. If the center of the fairway has been successfully found, the approach is over a small lake in front of a right-to-left sloping green that requires a longer carry the farther left you aim.

4

#

Par-3, 186 yards

WAIALAE COUNTRY CLUB, Oahu, Hawaii Spectacular views come with the territory in Hawaii and the Championship course at the fiercely private Waialae Country Club, a few miles southeast of the state capital Honolulu on the island of Oahu, is no exception. Home to the Sony Open on the PGA Tour each January, Waialae was designed by Seth Raynor and opened in February 1927. Upgraded by Desmond Muirfield in 1992, it is a classic Pacific playground cooled by gentle trade winds. It has many fine holes framed by coconut, monkey pod and kiawe trees, but its signature offering is unquestionably the short 8th. To the right of the tee are mountains and to the left is the ocean while straight ahead, surrounded by bunkers, is a front-left-to-back-right diagonal green redolent of the famous Redan hole at North Berwick in Scotland. Adding to this idyllic scenery though not really interfering with play, a small mountain stream crosses the hole around 100 yards from the tee.

54

winter

2013

kingdom

27

5

6

#

# Par-4, 320 yards

Par-5, 570 yards

PINE VALLEY, Clementon, New Jersey

AUGUSTA NATIONAL, Augusta, Georgia

Pine Valley’s creation was observed at close quarters by some of the game’s finest course architects. But George Crump, who acquired the property in 1912 and hired Englishman Harry Colt as an advisor, deserves most of the credit for incorporating so many classic design elements. Set on sand dunes, the property was windswept and covered with scrub when Crump first saw it. Given Pine Valley’s formidable reputation, first-time visitors can be surprised to learn they face a short-iron approach into at least four holes (8, 10, 12 and 17). Crump understood that a tricky wedge could be just as problematic as a long-iron shot, so he kept the 8th short in length, but he ensured that golfers would have to pitch off an awkward sidehill or downhill stance.

For further protection, the tiny green—which Crump easily could have positioned 30-40 yards further back but chose not to—features a false front built by Perry Maxwell.

Known as Yellow Jasmine, this is one of the most televised par-5s in golf. At the Masters, it’s nearly always seen by the players as an opportunity to attack, either as a way of regrouping after a sluggish start or of maintaining early momentum. The main job of the drive is to avoid the fairway bunker on the right side on this uphill hole to set up an approach into a long, narrow, though bunkerless green. But the fact that it’s bunkerless does not mean it’s defenseless. Instead, the green is tightly protected by a complex of mounds, the biggest of which is on the left side.

Second shots aimed at the right side have the best chance of finding the putting surface, but even they can kick away into the light rough due to the lie of the land. The greenside mounds were removed in 1956 to improve sight lines for spectators, but were largely restored in 1979 under Byron Nelson’s supervision.

7

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

#

Par-4, 367 yards

SAND HILLS, Mullen, Nebraska The 8th on Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore’s rustic masterpiece is another short par-4, running parallel to the 7th which we featured in the last issue of Kingdom (No.26). Both holes present risk-reward challenges, but their respective green complexes are totally diverse. From the mid-tees, the 8th measures only 293 yards and is eminently reachable across an open stretch of fairway, especially if played downwind. Finding the green, though, is the problem. Slanting from right to left and back to front, it’s surrounded by a semi-circular dune and five bunkers, the trickiest of which is at the front. Pitches to a front pin position that land slightly shy of the target will inevitably roll back into this trap. The best result, both from the tee or fairway, is to finish on the left half of the green, leaving an uphill putt. However, a bump-and-run to the right of the front bunker should feed down into the middle of the green.

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

55

8

#

9

# Par-3, 206 yards

Par-4, 457 yards

LAS VEGAS PAIUTE GOLF RESORT (Wolf), Nevada

ROYAL BIRKDALE, Southport, Lancashire, England

The three courses at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, 25 minutes northwest of the Strip, were designed by Pete Dye. Paiute’s reputation was already established by the Snow Mountain and Sun Mountain layouts when the third course, the 7,604yard Wolf, came along in 2001. All three feature classic Dye elements like railroad tie bunkers and sweeping slope changes, but Wolf, the longest course in Nevada off the tips, is without question the toughest test at Paiute. Typically undulating, the downhill 8th is one of Wolf’s two signature holes. The tee shot is played across a valley and must at all costs avoid the cluster of four bunkers right and short of the green along with the waste area 40 feet below them. The smart play is to target the left part of the green and use the contours of the slope to push the ball back towards the center. And if you make birdie where better to enjoy a Belvedere Martini than in Las Vegas?

As with so many holes on this seasoned [British] Open links, a long, accurate drive is obligatory on the 8th for a decent score to become remotely possible. The fairway, flanked by phalanxes of treacherous mounds, takes a long, slow curve to the left and is tailor-made for a draw. However, it is imperative to avoid the new bunker that was placed on the left side of the elbow of the dogleg for the 2008 Open, not to mention the line of three traps that hug the right side of the fairway. As failure to find the fairway can be a card-wrecker, many players take 3-wood off the tee and settle for a lengthy second shot to a green that is quite large but protected by deep bunkers front right and left.

Despite its length, this is a birdie opportunity if the drive and approach are slotted down the correct line. The breaks on the green are mild, but can be deceptive nonetheless.

10

#

Par-5, 570 yards

MANITOU PASSAGE, Cedar, Michigan

Formerly known as King’s Challenge, this Arnold Palmer-designed course in northwest Michigan opened in 1998. Palmer’s team faced a drainage challenge due to the landscape’s glacial formation, with steep slopes and sandy soils adding to the risks of erosion. Their solution was to tee off in a sprawling meadow at the lowest point, climb several miles to the peak and finish back in the meadow. Forests, fescues, ridges, dunes, beaches and ponds can all be enjoyed along the way. The teeing area on the long 8th is one of the course’s high points and offers sweeping views of Leelanau County and Lake Michigan.

There’s an elevation change of more than 100 feet on this downhill, left-to-right dogleg, a genuine three-shotter, and the tree-lined fairway features several valleys and plateaus. The drive requires a lengthy carry while water threatens both the second and third shots. The kidney-shaped green is guarded by a pond front right and traps to the front, left and back.

56

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

Par-3, 123 yards

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

11

#

kingdom

27

winter

12

#

ROYAL TROON (Old), Ayrshire, Scotland Better known by its name than number, the miniscule Postage Stamp 8th on the Old Course at Royal Troon offers a superb view of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde.

Its nickname was acquired in 1923 when Willie Park, Jr., wrote in Golf Illustrated about a putting surface “skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp.” Another description dubs it “the hardest stamp in the world to lick.” The raised tee looks across a gully to a narrow green set beside a large dune and two bunkers to the left. A crater-shaped bunker shields the approach while the right is guarded by two deep traps with vertical faces. There’s no safe option—the ball either finds the green or plummets into trouble. Aged 71, Gene Sarazen famously holed in one here during the 1973 [British] Open. Troon, where Arnold Palmer won his second Claret Jug in 1962, will stage its ninth Open in 2016.

2013

Par-4, 335 yards

SHENANDOAH COUNTRY CLUB, West Bloomfield, Michigan This beautiful public course, built as a nine-hole layout in 1950 by Bruce Matthews and extended to 18 by his nephew Jerry in 1965, is located in the upscale Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield on rolling terrain that guarantees plenty of uneven lies. With old maple and oak trees lining the fairways, it has its fair share of tough and scenic holes. The short par-4 8th perhaps falls into the latter category, provided a solid tee shot finds the fairway between water on the right—it comes into play at around 180 yards and runs all the way up to the green—and trees and underbrush on the left. The ideal line is down the left of the fairway to set up a short-iron approach to a green that’s protected on both sides by deep bunkers. The putting surface, though, is far from straightforward because it has severe slopes that make three-putting a distinct possibility.

57

ACCURACY FROM EVERYWHERE. FIRST TARGET PRIORITY MODE First target priority mode maximizes pin

MAGNIFICATION FOCUSING DIOPTER

readings, even with objects in the background.

Push and release power for 8 seconds of scan.

Ideal magnification for long distance pin acquisition, with a folding eyecup that twists for focus.

WATERPROOF Fully waterproof (except battery chamber) with an ergonomic body

LIGHTWEIGHT

construction ideal for golf.

6.3 ounces (excluding battery) Fits in your pocket.

$100 OFF

PURCHASE A CALLAWAY X HOT RANGEFINDER AND RECEIVE $100 INSTANT SAVINGS.

LIMITED TIME ONLY!

$ 299.95 – $ 100.00 $ 199.95

November 28th December 2nd, 2013

Regular Price Instant Savings Price After Instant Savings

Users should review USGA rule 14-3 and consult with their local golf course(s) to confirm that the use of the X HOT Rangefinder will conform to USGA regulations. The results from the product may not be achieved depending on the target object’s shape, surface texture and nature, and/or weather conditions. ©2013 Callaway Golf Company the Chevron Device and X HOT are trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. ©2013 All Nikon trademarks are the property of Nikon Corporation. Nikon is an official licensee of Callaway Golf Company.

X HOT LASER RANGEFINDER

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

13

#

Par-4, 468 yards

PRAIRIE DUNES COUNTRY CLUB, Hutchinson, Kansas Described as an “inland links jewel set in the heart of America,” Prairie Dunes was laid out in the mid-1930s by Perry Maxwell on a 480-acre site which he claimed had the potential for 118 holes. “All I have to do is eliminate 100,” he is quoted as saying. Using the naturally rugged prairie terrain, he created a course ideally suited to the ever-present Kansas wind. The most famous hole at Prairie Dunes is the 8th, a fairly long, uphill, left-to-right dogleg par-4. The fairway weaves its way through a network of fescue-clad dunes that grow taller the nearer one gets to the green. However, any triumphal presumptions that might accompany successfully avoiding the dunes and then the five bunkers and thick grass that surround the green are immediately punctured by what lies in store on the putting surface. Maxwell was a staunch advocate of two-tier greens and he doesn’t disappoint with this one which is replete with additional undulations.

14

15

#

# Par-4, 406 yards

Par-3, 232 yards

NOORDWIJKSE, Noordwijk, Netherlands

UPLANDS, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Noordwijske Golf Club was founded on Holland’s North Sea coast with nine holes in 1915, but it relocated a few miles to its present location in 1972. Frank Pennink laid out the present 18-hole links and it wasn’t long before Noordwijske came to be regarded as one of the finest courses in the Low Countries. Parts of it wind through the massive dunes that protect the land from the sea while the rest of the course meanders inland through the local forest. Wake Forest alumni Bob Byman won the first Dutch Open to be staged here in 1978 and subsequent championships went the way of, among others, Seve Ballesteros, Payne Stewart, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie. The 8th, which brings players back to the coastal linksland after several holes inland, features a tee shot to a narrow, heather-lined fairway that twists through the undulating dunes. This leaves an awkward approach to a putting surface protected by mounds, deep pot bunkers and stiff sea breezes.

To find a full-length fairway on a par-3 hole is slightly unusual, but to play the 8th at Uplands on the northern outskirts of the city of Toronto it’s absolutely essential.

Ever since the Stanley Thompson design opened in 1922, this has been considered one of the toughest holes in Canadian golf. Surrounded by thick woods and flanked by a stream that runs along the left side, it requires both length and precision. The tee is 60 feet above the fairway while the distant green is perched 15 feet above the end of the valley. The hill leading up to the green is extremely steep and almost impossible to pitch from with any control, so golfers who don’t feel that they have the firepower to reach the putting surface are advised to aim for a slightly wider landing area at the foot of that slope.

Those that can reach the top shelf should aim a long draw at the right side of the green and let the ball funnel down towards the pin.

kingdom

27

winter

2013

59

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

16

#

Par-4, 490 yards

GARY PLAYER COUNTRY CLUB, Sun City, South Africa Sun City, just south of the Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa’s North West Province, is one of the world’s most dazzling tourist destinations. At its heart are two Gary Player-designed courses—Lost City and the Gary Player Country Club. The latter is home to the prestigious annual Nedbank Golf Challenge each December and can be stretched from the back tees to a staggering 8,000 yards.

Obviously that sounds daunting, but at almost 4,000 feet above sea level the ball normally flies 10 percent further.

The 8th is typical of how tough the course can play—from a tee that presents a semi-blind shot to a narrow fairway with a stream running across it all the way up a hill to a well-bunkered, cloverleaf-shaped green which can make a difference of three clubs depending on the pin position.

The right side of the fairway sets up the easier approach because the trees to the left have grown out significantly.

18

17

#

Par-3, 247 yards

SANDPINES GOLF LINKS, Florence, Oregon Routed through windswept sand dunes and a forest of towering pines, Sandpines is a breathtaking location for coastal golf. Designed by Rees Jones and opened in 1993, it has swiftly become one of the ‘must-play’ golf destinations in the northwest United States. The outward nine is sculpted around the ubiquitous pines and majestic crystal-blue lakes reminiscent of those found on the Monterey Peninsula.

Needless to say, the indigenous wildlife at Sandpines is bewilderingly varied—frequent sightings include deer, geese, ducks, sandpipers, blue herons, cranes, bald eagles and ospreys, sometimes even black bears and coyotes. The downhill 8th is a beautiful par-3, the last of the short holes in our fantasy line-up, framed by steep dunes to the right and tall trees to the left. The raised green is guarded by bunkers on both sides but open at the front, enabling it to receive pitch-and-run approaches from those players who can’t quite make the full distance from the tee.

#

Par-5, 505 yards David Cannon/Getty Images

SCIOTO COUNTRY CLUB, Columbus, Ohio

Long before ‘local boy’ Nicklaus made Columbus famous as a fount of golfing excellence, Donald Ross laid down a marker in Ohio’s largest city. In 1916, he unveiled Scioto Country Club and the championships it subsequently staged include the 1926 U.S. Open, 1931 Ryder Cup and 1950 PGA Championship. Scioto is a shining example of Ross’s design philosophy, forever invoking a strategic approach to course management. The majestic par-5 8th, Scioto’s most picturesque hole, is often remembered for reasons other than its beauty. A drive over trees down the left side can find a wide landing area short of a stream that crosses the fairway. An iron to the green is possible from there, but the safe shot is to the peninsula just short.

The reason is that the stream feeds into a lake to the left of the fairway and then runs back again in front of a green that is surrounded by bunkers as well as water. A classic risk-reward challenge to finish our round!

60

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Compare and see.

Take the EverGrain Deck Board Challenge. ®

Compare EverGrain’s beauty side-by-side vs. the appearance of the leading competitor and see the difference it makes.

Challenge 1: Random Look LEADING COMPETITOR

PATTERN REPEATS EVERY 37- 3/8"

EVERGRAIN® ENVISION® PATTERN NEVER REPEATS ACROSS ENTIRE BOARD

Challenge 1: First, notice how the leading competitor’s pattern repeats every 37- 3/8 inches—that’s the same grain pattern repeated five times on a single 16-foot board. But EverGrain creates a pattern that never repeats across the entire board for a more natural wood look.

Challenge 2: Wood Grain Beauty LEADING COMPETITOR

Challenge 3: Limited Warranty*

EVERGRAIN ENVISION

Challenge 2: The competitor’s extruded board features an embossed repeating pattern on the surface of the board. EverGrain’s compression molded process creates a grain with dramatic and lasting beauty.

RESIDENTIAL LIMITED WARRANTY

COMMERCIAL LIMITED WARRANTY

LABOR LIMITED WARRANTY**

LEADING COMPETITOR

25 YEARS

10 YEARS

0 YEARS

EVERGRAIN & EVERGRAIN ENVISION

20 YEARS

20 YEARS

5 YEARS

Challenge 3: Finally, compare limited warranties. EverGrain offers a 20-year commercial Limited Warranty and covers both materials and labor for the first 5 years of the Limited Warranty.**

To learn more about EverGrain, visit EverGrainChallenge.com.

Envision EverGrain

Bonded Composite Decking

©2013 TAMKO Building Products, Inc. TAMKO, EverGrain and Envision are registered trademarks of TAMKO Building Products, Inc. *This comparison is based on the leading competitor’s standard limited warranty compared to TAMKO’s Limited Warranty. To obtain a copy of TAMKO’s Limited Warranty, visit us online at tamko.com or call us at 1-800-641-4691. **Coverage for the reasonable cost of labor does not include the cost of removal or disposal of previously installed decking material.

BEYOND A NAME 62

winter

2013

kingdom

27

A

Cheyenne Woods first picked up a cutdown golf club at the age of three in the garage at Earl Woods, Sr.’s house

Sometimes a name can open every conceivable door to success, sometimes it can be a millstone round the bearer’s neck. Tiger Woods’ delightful niece, now 18 months into her career as a tournament golfer and still grinning from ear to ear, tells Paul Trow how she is taking the positives out of her life in golf’s ultimate goldfish bowl

rguably, Tiger Woods has the frostiest relationship with the media of any sporting icon. And to describe his default reaction to even the politest enquiry about his private life as somewhere between disdain and belligerence is no exaggeration. So when an intrepid young reporter popped her head above the parapet during the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion to ask the world No.1 a vaguely personal question, the more seasoned occupants of the press tent ducked instantly for cover. Buttressed by the cutest of smiles and the insouciance of youth, though, the embryonic journalist ploughed on undeterred: “With it being such a stressful and demanding week, what do you do off the course to relax and get your mind off golf a little bit?”

A harmless enough query on the face of it, if directed at most sports stars that is, but surely a gamble with career oblivion on this occasion. What happened next, though, took everyone pleasantly by surprise, most of all Tiger.

The questioner turned out to be none other than his niece, Cheyenne Woods, who had been given a roving brief that memorable Pennsylvanian week by Back9Network.

After takes by her uncle that were more quintuple than double, Cheyenne got the answer she was hoping for as Tiger dissolved into mirth. “He didn’t know I was going to be there so he was a little taken aback when I poked my head up,” she explains disarmingly, flashing a smile as bright and wide as a neon light strip.

“I was the only female journalist in the room, which was intimidating, having all those men there. I know they’re all real journalists and I was just getting a feel for it for the first time, but I’m a golfer—I know golf—so I

kingdom

27

winter

2013

Photography: Andrew Crowley

had a bit of confidence in my questions. I got to question several other players at Merion, including Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. It sure was a fun week.”

For most trainee reporters fresh out of college with a communications and broadcasting degree, these exchanges would have represented not just a bit of fun but a significant step up the journalistic ladder. For Cheyenne, however, it was a logical staging post on the path she has traveled since picking up a cut-down golf club at the age of three, a path that is leading her from fame by reflection to independence, success and public recognition in her own right.

That first infant encounter with the game took place at the home of her grandfather, Earl Woods, Sr., in Cypress, California, 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Little did she know that the miniature iron had once been wielded by her Uncle Tiger—by then 18 years old, a three-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion and well on his way to becoming the biggest name in golf. Before Tiger celebrated his fourth birthday, he had already shot 48 for nine holes at the Cypress Navy course, where his father played regularly.

By comparison, Cheyenne, who turned professional in May 2012 at the same age (21) that Tiger did, was a late developer.

Judged against normal standards, though, hers has been an alpha success story to date. Her father—Earl Woods, Jr., the oldest of Earl Sr.’s three children by his first marriage—brought her up with her two older brothers in

63

saw him when he came to Scottsdale to play the Phoenix Open. Her clearest memory dates from 1997, a few months before he won the first of his 14 Majors at Augusta National, when he holed in one at the 16th in front of the loudest gallery on Tour. “During the week of that tournament, we would go and see my grandfather and Tiger, say ‘Hi!’ and spend a bit of time with them. I was there for his holein-one and that was huge. I always watched him on TV at weekends. I thought it was really cool that my uncle was famous for playing golf. But I guess I didn’t realize how big the whole thing actually was. I was seven when he won that first Masters, and I remember watching Tiger walk off the green. Tida [Earl Sr.’s second wife, Kultida] and my grandfather were there, giving him a big hug.”

Cheyenne the golfer has never really been out of the public eye. At junior tournaments, TV cameras tracked her every move while photographers delighted in capturing the image of Tiger’s tiny niece proudly dressed in her uncle’s trademark Sunday Red. Now 23, she cannot help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. “I have a picture of me from when I was eight or nine years old. I was doing an interview after my

Cheyenne Woods danced, ran track and played volleyball before deciding golf was the sport for her

“I thought it was really cool my uncle was famous for playing golf, but I didn’t realize how big the whole thing was” Phoenix, Arizona. So as far as golf was concerned, she was restricted to occasional pieces of grandfatherly advice over the phone or on vacation to Orange County.

“I was only on the course with my grandfather maybe a handful of times,” she says. “Neither of my parents played golf, we didn’t know anything about it. At first my mom and I didn’t even know what a driving range was, so we would just go to the local park and hit balls in the grass there. I started playing and taking lessons when I was five or six, which was very young. But I played a lot of sports growing up so golf wasn’t my entire life. I danced competitively, I ran track and I played volleyball. My parents wanted me to be pretty rounded and left me to decide which sport to concentrate on.”

Nevertheless, it is tempting to imagine that, like Tiger, Cheyenne is another product of Earl Sr.’s vicarious pursuit of world domination: Tempting, but completely wrong.

True, he was her mentor, “the one who guided me through junior golf and told me what events I should play in,” but he passed away in May 2006 when she was only 15 and in her junior year at Xavier College Preparatory, a Catholic, all-girls high school in Phoenix.

He did, however, take the trouble to write to International Management Group (IMG) citing her as a future star. “He wouldn’t tell me what he wrote. He just said: ‘One day you’ll get to that point where they’re going to recruit you and then you’ll finally see what I wrote.’” Last year IMG did indeed sign up Cheyenne as a client. “It was a huge moment for me to see that report in his handwriting. They’d kept it on record for me all that time. When they gave it to me, it was surreal. Of course, I had it framed and everything.”

As for Tiger, while she was growing up she mainly

64

event and I had literally six cameras surrounding me,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I’m just this little girl on a chair. It was big, I guess. You know: ‘Tiger Woods’ niece is playing golf.’

“For me now, the media is just like second nature. I’m a normal person. I just happen to have a big last name.

Anyway, it would be stressful to compare myself to Tiger. Not many people can achieve what he’s achieved, at such a young age too. But being a Woods is definitely not a burden. Yes, I do have that added pressure of expectation—I’m always reminded of it. But I realize it comes with the territory. It’s normal to me and I can turn it off when I get on the course.

In any case, the name certainly has its advantages and gives me opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

“It’s an honor to have the last name Woods, but I want to be known for my own golf. I want to be an established player on the LPGA.” Her surname may have helped secure her an endorsement deal with Nike, the company that has never wavered in its support of Tiger, and more recently with Rolex. But it was irrelevant to the golf scholarship she received from Wake Forest University—the prestigious North Carolina seat of learning that includes Arnold Palmer, Lanny Wadkins, Curtis Strange, Webb Simpson, Laura Diaz and the Haas dynasty among its alumni. That honor was entirely due to the quality of her golf game.

She won more than 30 amateur titles, including backto-back Arizona 5A state high school championships in 2006 and 2007, and by the time she sank her last putt for the Demon Deacons in May 2012 she had a lower career scoring average (74.31) than any female player in the school’s history. She was a two-time All American and romped to a

winter

2013

kingdom

27

seven-shot victory at the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship—an achievement she rates as her finest to date, along with qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open. “Receiving a Wake Forest education was definitely a great privilege,” she says. “But it involved a lot of hard work—many 12-hour days.

For four years, I had to fit practice, competitions and gym sessions around my studies. We missed a lot of school because we played so much golf, so we were constantly studying books and preparing for class during our bus rides to and from tournaments.”

She describes her style of play as “very steady—I feel like my personality reflects how I am on the course, very laid back, just go with the flow. I’m never too errant and I like to think my putting is one of my strongest points. For me it always comes down to whether I’m making the putts or not.”

Three months after turning professional, she claimed her maiden winner’s check ($3,000) in a SunCoast Ladies Series tournament over the Champions Course at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida. But Kipling’s truism about those twin imposters, triumph and disaster, hit home less than a week later when she missed the cut at the LPGA Q-School over the same layout.

From the ecstasy of that first victory in the paid ranks to the agony of knowing that she faced 12 months in limbo from her vocation: The journey had lasted just one lousy stop.

But the resilience and resourcefulness that saw her through Xavier and Wake Forest came to her rescue. Her solution was to ply her trade on the Ladies’ European Tour instead, and see the world at the same time. Thus she began an altogether different and much longer journey, one that took in Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa, Morocco and India along the way as well as historic European capital cities like Amsterdam, Madrid, London and Prague.

“It’s been a good experience learning the different courses and adjusting to the weather and jet lag and so on because I haven’t really traveled a lot in my life and I’m not an organized person at all. In college the joke was that I would always get lost or lose something.

“This year I’ve been out on my own, so I’m definitely getting better at keeping things on track. But traveling every week to a different country means I have to be careful when I use my cell phone because it’s so much more expensive than at home. Dating is pretty difficult too!

“Before this year, I’d visited St Andrews in Scotland with a minority golf group once when I was 17 and played the Castle Course. And one May, during the summer term at Wake Forest, we all got invited up to Latrobe and Mr. Palmer hosted us. It was a wonderful experience to meet him, and we were able to thank him for donating the money that paid for our practice facility on campus.”

Dianne Dailey, the long-serving women’s golf coach at Wake Forest, believes a glittering career awaits Cheyenne on the LPGA tour. “She’s a steady player, unflappable. She

66

“The one piece of advice he [Tiger] always gives me is to trust my ability.

That’s been huge for my confidence” stays very even-tempered, calm and under control, and showed a lot of mental toughness and focus [while at Wake Forest],” Dailey says. “She has a good feel on the greens and I think she’s learned how to handle the pressure.

“Back in 2009, she missed the cut by one shot when she played as an amateur in the Wegmans LPGA [at Locust Hill Country Club, Pittsford, New York], but it was what she did off the course that impressed the folks running the tournament. She put on a clinic, visited a hospital and was gracious with her time while she was there. I had one of the organizers call me afterward, and she told me Cheyenne was great to work with and was so cooperative. She should be known for being a good player, not for who her family is.”

For the moment, that won’t happen. She’s had a steady year in Europe, but the intent to forge her own, Tiger-free identity is clearly there. “My whole life I’ve just tried to go about my own path. There’s really no rush for me to get out there and win 14 Majors like Tiger did. I’m happy with my own game’s pace of growth and I’m excited for my future.”

Even though Cheyenne sees little of her uncle, they are still only a text or phone call apart. “The one piece of advice he always gives me is to trust my ability,” she says. “That’s been huge for my confidence on the course. We’re both extremely busy but he keeps up with me playing in Europe.

He’s aware I’m out here and doing my thing on tour. But if I ever need something, I know I can always reach out to him.”

Being articulate, poised, photogenic and uniquely well-connected, Cheyenne could probably earn more from a media career than from life on tour. Her interviews with Tiger alone would surely command seven-digit fees, but at present she has other ambitions and a few points of her own to prove. “For the moment, being a player is my No.1 priority. I want to achieve my goals there first,” she says.

“Sometime after my golf career I can maybe get involved in that [broadcasting].” Tiger should be much mellowed and on the Champions Tour by then.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Cheyenne Woods has enjoyed a steady year on the Ladies’ European Tour but will soon turn her focus to the LPGA

HOME THEATER SYSTEMS IMMERSIVE SOUND. EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE. Since 1949, we’ve been handcrafting audio equipment to uncompromising standards.

Over the decades, McIntosh and our iconic blue watt meters have become known worldwide as the benchmark in audio reproduction.

We’ve powered Presidential inaugurations, The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” and Woodstock.

That’s why the McIntosh Reference Home Theater System doesn’t simply replicate the movie theater experience – it surpasses it. The result is extraordinary: a cinematic experience of breathtaking intensity, emotion and clarity.

www.mcintoshlabs.com /mcintoshlabs © 2013 McIntosh Labs

Gr

lf

G t o a e

Movie MoMents 68

winter

2013

kingdom

27

For all of the movies about golf, we’re as fond of the movies in which golf simply appears, either as a setting or as a plot device, for in these films the game most closely mimics its role in our day-to-day lives—well, sometimes anyway. We hope you never have a karate fight on course, as John Saxon did in Enter the Dragon, but that film and the others on our list all thought enough of the game to give it some screen time, and for that they deserve mention here. Pop some popcorn and enjoy…

 Pat and Mike Directed by George Cukor Katharine Hepburn plays Pat Pemberton, who’s set to win the ladies golf championship until her fiancé shows up. He wants her to forget sports, but she won’t give up that easily. Spencer Tracy is employed to help, and romantic fun ensues.

Written by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, good friends of Hepburn and Tracy, the film showcased Hepburn’s real-life athletic abilities as a golfer and tennis player. She performed all the sports scenes herself, and did so quite brilliantly as far as we’re concerned. Filmed at the Riviera Country Club and at Occidental College, the film also featured cameos by Babe Zaharias, Betty Hicks and Helen

 Call Me Bwana

Dettweiler. Look for a young Charles Bronson as

Directed by Gordon Douglas

well (credited as Charles Buchinsky). Jim Backus—

Produced by Albert R. Broccoli of James Bond

aka “Mr. Howell”—also appears.

fame, this is the only non-Bond film made by Broccoli’s production company. That’s not to say there’s no connection, though: much of the crew for Bwana also worked on Dr. No and, if you look quickly in the “sniper” scene in From Russia With Love, the Russian agent attempts an escape through a window situated on a wall-sized poster for Call Me Bwana. After falsely representing himself as a “great white hunter,” Hope’s character is hired by the U.S. government and sent into the heart of Africa to retrieve a secret space probe before enemy agents find it. Hijinks ensue, with the lovely Anita Ekberg playing a foreign spy opposite Hope’s typically good-hearted bumbler.

Though hardly the stuff of Academy Awards, the film contains a notable cameo in Arnold Palmer, who appears as himself playing a golfer who just happens to be playing a round in the African bush.

Palmer later said that “An invitation from Bob Hope was like an audience with the pope… You said, ‘Yes sir,’ and showed up on time.” Of course the two were already friends by the time Bwana was filmed, which likely made for great times on set.

kingdom

27

winter

2013

69

70

 Sideways

 Lost in Translation

Directed by Alexander Payne

Directed by Sofia Coppola

A superlative film about finding and appreciating

As a scene-setting device, golf is often exploited

beauty in life (among other things), Sideways

for the humorous extremes of its personalities (see

pours a lot of wine as its sometimes hilarious,

Caddyshack’s Judge Smails or Shooter McGavin in

sometimes heartbreaking, plot unfolds. But if

Happy Gilmore), the self-destructive frustrations

the film is remembered by most for the stuff in

it can inspire (as in the “give me another ball”

the glass, golfers will take note of one of the

scene in Tin Cup) or the life lessons it offers (think

funniest golf scenes to appear in recent memory.

Will Smith’s fairway prophet in Bagger Vance).

Characters played by Paul Giamatti and Thomas

Rarely is golf just left alone and celebrated for its

Haden Church are ostensibly away on a golf-

essence: that is, the stark simplicity and mediation

and-wine weekend prior to Church’s character’s

at the heart of the game. Coppola gave us perhaps

impending nuptials. While golfing (at the Alisal

the purest golf moment ever on film with her short

Ranch River Course in California’s Santa Ynez

clip of Bill Murray’s character at the Kawaguchiko

Valley), they have an argument on the fairway.

Country Club course in Japan. With no dialogue

Their delay of play frustrates the trailing foursome,

or music and with Murray’s character filmed in

one of whom hits into them. Giamatti’s character

silhouette, Murray tees up, takes a practice swing

decides to give their ball back—with his iron—and

and simply hits his ball into the Zen landscape,

a new bar is set for acceptable behavior on course.

complete with Mt. Fuji in the background. In a

Church’s battle charge with his driver is worthy of

single moment, a perfect snapshot of golf and the

a medieval epic—hilarious stuff.

levity it offers within our chaotic world.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

 Goldfinger

 Enter the Dragon

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Directed by Robert Clouse

As Sean Connery likes to remind us, he’s Scottish,

In this epic Bruce Lee film, a character named

so it only made sense to include a golf scene in

Roper played by co-star John Saxon is attacked

a Bond film. This one was filmed at Stoke Poges,

on a golf course and beats up a few thugs. Saxon

not far from Pinewood Studios where numerous

choreographed the scene himself the day before, and

Bond films have been shot. In addition to being

told an online fansite that he was quite proud of his

tremendous fun (and a favorite of Arnie’s, who

work in rehearsal, showing off “high scissor-type kicks

told us he loves James Bond movies) the film

and spinning slap type kicks… which I demonstrated

offers the almost amiable scenario of 007 golfing

for more than an hour with foolish exuberance.”

with an über-villain (Goldfinger). Not surprisingly,

When Saxon got home that night, he realized he’d

Goldfinger cheats, with a little help from his

torn his hamstring, so when the scene was filmed the

top-hat-wearing caddy/henchman Oddjob. With

next day (on one of the courses in LA’s Griffith Park),

two holes to go and all square, Goldfinger tries

the fight was much more subdued than it might

to distract Bond by talking in the middle of the

have been. No matter, as the final product is one of

agent’s swing, but it doesn’t work and Bond

the best Kung Fu movies ever made—and certainly

puts his ball on the fairway. Goldfinger, however,

shows a different use for a golf course!

hits into the rough by some trees, where his ball disappears. Oddjob surreptitiously drops another ball in a more favorable location, then claims to

 Johnny English Reborn

have found the missing ball, prompting Bond’s

Directed by Oliver Parker

caddy to exclaim, “If that’s his original ball, I’m

In this spy-thriller spoof, in a scene only faintly

Arnold Palmer.” After a bit of trickery, Bond wins

reminiscent of Connery in Goldfinger, Rowan

the match, culminating in an angry Oddjob hastily

Atkinson is far less suave on the first tee at Brocket

shoving Goldfinger’s clubs into the trunk of the

Hall. When his caddy offers him a glove, Atkinson’s

villain’s car (which Bond identifies as a Rolls Royce

Johnny English chides him: “I may not know much

“Phantom 337,” likely meaning a Phantom 3 from

about golf, Tucker, but I know how to hold the bat.”

’37 as there is no “337” model). Sitting in the back,

Thankfully luck is with him: despite the fact that his

Goldfinger makes out a check to “cash” to settle

driver goes soaring into the air after he swings, it

an agreed-upon $5,000 wager, while Oddjob,

ends up landing in the caddy’s hands and his ball

behind the wheel, crushes a golf ball into dust with

ends up squarely in the middle of the fairway. A nice

one hand before driving off mad.

nod to Bond, then, with a bit of a smile.

kingdom

27

winter

2013

71

 Swingers Directed by Doug Liman The two characters played by John Favreau and Ron Livingston manage to have a nice, long conversation about a career letdown, family and an ex-girlfriend while playing a single hole at the Los Feliz Golf Course in Los Angeles—quite a feat considering that it’s only a par 3. After asking Favreau to tend the pin on a 12-foot putt, Livingston putts to within four feet while yelling “Get there!” It takes two more putts to put it away, which is about as well as Favreau is doing. Upon [finally] putting out, both men need a good 30 seconds or so to calculate their scores on the hole, eventually giving up and settling for 8s.

 The Thomas Crown Affair Directed by Norman Jewison

More and more theater-quality installations are appearing in homes, and with quality audio products from the likes of McIntosh Labs it makes sense. Beloved by sound engineers, musicians and studio pros for over 60 years, McIntosh’s handcrafted gear is available to home audiophiles as well, with the legendary attention to detail, clarity and balance on full display in their home theater systems.

With a number of configurations available, McIntosh systems allow you to participate fully in the cinema experience—and isn’t that what going to the movies is all about? Visit mcintoshlabs.com for more.

Perfectly played by Steve McQueen, Thomas Crown is a bored millionaire who’ll do anything to break the humdrum life of the man who has

 Casino

everything, including trying to inject some spark

Directed by Martin Scorsese

into a Sunday round. In a scene filmed at Belmont

In this film about Vegas and the mob, Robert

Country Club near Boston, Crown hits out of

DeNiro’s low-lying mob pro Frank is frustrated with

the sand to within inches of the cup. His playing

Joe Pesci’s high-profile thug Nicky. While DeNiro

partner’s surprise is doubled when Crown bets

meets with members of the Nevada gaming control

that he can do it again—and that the partner can

board in the back yard of his house on Las Vegas

bury the ball in the sand. Crown’s second attempt

National Golf Club’s course in hopes of renewing

goes past the hole, but he’s not done yet. He offers

his casino operator’s license, Nicky and his pals

double or nothing that he’ll make the putt and still

are enjoying a round. “I got my job on the line and

get down in two. “That’s a sucker bet!” exclaims

this guy’s out havin’ the time of his life,” DeNiro

the partner, remarking that it’ll cost Crown over

says. “He’s got every cop in the state watching

$1,000 if he loses. When Crown misses and

him, and he’s out playing golf!” Suddenly a small

doesn’t care, the partner exclaims: “You’re mad!

plane starts having engine trouble right over the

Absolutely mad!” To which McQueen cooly replies,

course, sputtering and flying low, prompting Pesci

“What else can we do on Sunday?” A 1999 remake

to exclaim, “Where’s this f****n’ guy gonna land at,

had Pierce Brosnan’s Crown betting $100,000 on

the fairway?!” And that’s exactly what happens. It

a shot while offering, “It’s a beautiful Saturday

turns out that Federal agents had been watching

morning… What the hell else have we got to do?”

Nicky for so long, their plane ran out of gas. As

Not bad, but we’ll take McQueen on this one.

embarrassed agents sprint past everyone without a word, leaving their plane parked on the fairway, Pesci steps up to his ball, chomps on his cigar and makes an offer: “$100 t’whoever hits the plane!”

72

winter

2013

kingdom

27

BORN FROM 600 YEARS OF pOliSh VODKA MAKiNG TRADiTiON

Please drink responsibly. Belvedere Vodka 40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF) 100% neutral spirits distilled from rye grain. ©2013 Imported by Moët Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, NY.

U I T - 2 0 13

DO D

E FR

MA

RY - 2010 DO

U

BE

L

AW

GOLD MEDAL

- GOLD MEDA

ER E P I N LVED K

LE

E-

V ED E R E B L B EL OO

Y

BL

AP

UB

GR

ThE SECRET TO BElVEDERE’S SUCCESS STARTS WiTh RYE, WATER, ChARACTER.

AR

DE

C S T. DB Y T H E FITY BE

OM

AW

AR

DE

C S T. DB Y T H E FITY BE

OM

a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l ly ac c l a i m e d p o rt f o l i o

Whistler, BC

76

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Irish coffee. Sea salt and caramel. Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.

There are a number of combinations that, while they might seem odd at first, actually end up being quite nice. Imagine, then, a sport usually drenched in sunshine being played in a season more known for snowballs—and then realize that it’s possible. The following locations allow the luxury of both golfing and skiing in the same day, meaning you’ll have an extra bag to check, but you’ll have plenty of fun as well. Just like mayonaise and French fries or wearing a houndstooth coat with an Argyle tie, we say “indulge”

Whistler Blackcomb, BC Fly into Vancouver in winter and you’ll have a tough time finding your skis among all the others—this is one of the world’s top winter destinations, host to the 2010 Winter Games and the 2014 World Ski & Snowboard Festival. In late April and early May, there’s still plenty of snow at the higher elevations, offering fantastic runs down many of the area’s iconic slopes. Take a lift into the Blackcomb Mountains in the morning, and in the afternoon head to any number of great golf courses in the area. We like the excellent Fairmont Chateau Whistler for its top accommodations as much as for its elegant golf course, which is lovely. But our favorite course here has to be the Palmer-designed Whistler Golf Club, ranked as the No.1 Golf Destination in Canada by Golf Digest ( whistlergolf.com). The hotel can help with ski/ golf questions—and with a massage and a drink at the end of the day.  Fairmont.com/whistler

Palm Springs, California Yes, there’s a mountain here with a gondola to the top.

No, you can’t ski down it (though in the spirit of odd combinations, the chalet-type restaurant at the top of a remote rock in the desert miles from any ocean offered seafood, specifically Dayboat Scallops in Lavender Almond Reduction—let us know how they taste). But with any number of excellent area courses, including the Palmerdesigned Classic Club and Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West, and winter temperatures in the 60s, great golf is a given. We say stay at the La Quinta Resort, wake up, grab your skis and head to Big Bear Mountain ( ski-bigbear.com), just an hour and a half away. It’s no Aspen, but the 18 trails provide plenty of fun—and with late-afternoon golf and an après ski drink at La Quinta to look forward to, why not?  Laquintaresort.com

La Quinta Resort, California

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

kingdom

27

winter

2013

77

Lake Tahoe, Nevada/California A great winter and summer destination, the best of both worlds can be had here in spring when pleasant temperatures, great snow and stunning views of the lake make late-season slopes at Alpine Meadows ( skialpine.com) and Squaw Valley ( squaw.com) appealing even into mid-May. When you’re done with your morning runs, head to Kings Beach and the classic Old Brockway golf course ( oldbrockway.com) with its “postage stamp” greens. Designed and built in 1926 by John Duncan Dunn of Shinnecock Hills fame, the course hosted the first Bing Crosby tourney in 1934 and remains a charming nine-hole round. The Championship Course at Incline Village is a lovely Trent Jones, Sr. mountain course ( golfincline.com), and the course at the Northstar Resort is as convenient as it is enjoyable. We suggest staying at the resort as well; as part of a group that operates top lodging in Vail and other areas, they know a thing or two about golf/ski vacations.  Northstarcalifornia.com Durango, Colorado An in-between region in which you won’t mind staying, southwest Colorado’s Purgatory ski area at the Durango Mountain Resort offers plenty of snow and great golf, thanks to its “four corners” location bordering Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Avid skiers will know about this area, which offers as many Snowcat Skiing and backcountry adventures as it does groomed slopes and family-friendly amenities. When you’re chilled enough, make the 45-minute drive to Farmington, New Mexico and play the Pinon Hills desert course, which is surprisingly beautiful for a smallish-town muni ( pinonhillsgolf.com).

Only slightly closer, the Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez, CO, is fine ( fourcornersgolf.com) while Hillcrest Golf Club is right in Durango itself ( golfhillcrest.com) but may not be open as often as the others. The resort can help sort all details, including finding you a cowboy hat.  Durangomountainresort.com

The Big Island, Hawaii Not for the faint of heart, but possible if you’re in excellent shape and have a pair of skis you don’t mind trashing, you can, in fact, ski in Hawaii in winter. The summit of Mauna Kea volcano on The Big Island of Hawaii is at 13,796 feet, and gets unpredictable levels of snow in January and February. When it’s good it’s great, but Lord knows when it’ll come. You’ll need to find a driver with a 4WD vehicle to haul you to the top and wait for you at the bottom as there are no lifts, and don’t expect your skis to last more than three runs (lava rocks aren’t kind to skis). The high winds can be dangerous, there’s no grooming, potential environmental impacts, little to no help up there and violently changing weather conditions, but if you’re looking for a novel ski experience, you’ve found it. The Hawaii Ski Club might answer your questions ( hawaiisnowskiclub.com) about why you should or shouldn’t go, but don’t look for them to help; the liability is too great, they say. After the adrenalin rush, throw out your broken skis and head to the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel with its beautiful Palmer/Ed Seay-designed course. There you’ll also find calm ocean views, a large relaxing pool and plenty of Mai Tais. Just the thing for a winter’s day.  Princeresortshawaii.com Sun Valley, Idaho It doesn’t always happen, but in years with great snowfall and lovely weather, Idaho’s Sun Valley offers golf and skiing in the same day—and it’s marvelous. One of the more dramatic resorts in the United States, as much for it not being as much of a household name as, say, Vail or Tahoe, Sun Valley’s abundance of snow, mountains and blue sky offer the perfect setting for a rich spring holiday. The ski areas at Sun Valley have been referred to as a skier’s “Shangri-La” for more than 75 years, and it’s no wonder.

Mt. Baldy alone offers consistent vertical pitch from its 9,150 ft peak to its 5,750 base—all downhill, all the way.

Plenty of lifts, backcountry heliskiing opportunities and lots

Durango, Colorado

78

winter

2013

kingdom

27

of area options make it a snowsports paradise. When the boots come off, there are three stunning courses on-site, including the spectacular Trail Creek Championship Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.  Sunvalley.com Bellaire, Michigan Michigan? Absolutely. The three villages at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire offer a great base from which to explore 55 runs on two mountains, including the steep runs down the face of Schuss Mountain, otherwise known as “Kingdom Come”—a name we find quite catchy. In early spring, with the skiing still in full effect, the weather might open up some golfing possibilities on the resort’s four courses, including its excellent Arnold Palmer-designed “The Legend” course. Lauded by Condé Nast Traveler, Golf Digest and OnTheSnow.com, Shanty Creek Resort is a fantastic place to enjoy the best of late winter/early spring— or any time, really.  Shantycreek.com Mt. Hood, Oregon Mt. Hood won’t give you the techno-infused après ski nightclubs of Austria or the Lamborghinis-in-the-snow sightings of Aspen, but if you’re after thrilling skiing in a rustic setting and expansive golf with dramatic views, this is the place to be. Things here are straightforward, evidenced in the names of the mountain’s resort (“The Resort At The Mountain”) and the on-site golf courses (“The Courses”). The resort will sort all details, from often discounted lift tickets at Skibowl, Timberline, Mt. Hood Meadows and Summit ski areas to tee times at The Courses, which offers 27 holes of golf in the lush Salmon River Valley.

Great views, crazy-beautiful wilderness and top skiing and golf with reasonable prices and friendly locals, this place has it all—including one of the best web addresses:  Theresort.com

LuGGAGE FoRWARD A golf and ski vacation adds plenty of fun to the menu, but it also creates the hassle of checking not only your luggage, but your ski gear and golf clubs as well—an awful pile of gear to manage and to fit in a rental car.

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution: Luggage Forward.

Luggage Forward offers door-to-door luggage shipping with all-inclusive rates up to 50% less than shipping directly with FedEx or UPS. Furthermore, their on-time guarantee promises full money back plus $500 reimbursement for expenses due to any delay—per bag. Here’s the process: Booking: By calling or using any web-enabled device, including a tablet or smartphone, you can easily book a

Snowbird, Utah We have a love/hate relationship with this place: It’s overpriced, the last martini Kingdom’s editor ordered here consisted of a half shot of well vodka and a whole shot of unpleasant vermouth (hack hack, sputter) and thanks to the Mormon church’s political influence you won’t be getting large steins of beer or doing double shots of tequila at the hotel bar anytime soon (legally, anyway).

Stage all of that in an architectural setting we’d describe as “Mid-Century Soviet Depressive” and Snowbird seems more of a pigeon than a parrot. But oh the mountain, the glorious mountain! Fantastic snow and fantastic skiing.

Ski as late as Memorial Day, golf almost any time. The gondolas and lifts are quick and the runs are great into spring, and when you’re done it’s only 12 miles west to a handful of courses on the east side of Salt Lake City, including Old Mill Golf Course, Mountain View, Meadow Brook and others ( slcountygolf.slco.org). If you’d rather avoid the “big” city, drive 40 miles east to the Park City Golf Club ( parkcitygolfclub.org), consistently ranked among the state’s best, or talk your way onto the private Nicklaus-

kingdom

27

winter

2013

luggage shipment. Tell them how many bags you have and where they’re going, and Luggage Forward can quote you a price and book the shipment.

Packing: Pack your soft or hard-sided bags just as you would for a trip. Pack clubs, skis and other sports equipment to your satisfaction.

Pickup: Tell Luggage Forward where and when you want your luggage picked up and they’ll come get it—from nearly any location.

Transit: While in transit, your gear is monitored by Luggage Forward’s shipping experts and the company’s predictive tracking technology, meaning it’s secure and safe.

Delivery: Your luggage can be delivered to virtually any address worldwide. Upon delivery, Luggage Forward notifies you via email, text or phone so you can travel with peace of mind knowing your bags are already there waiting.

 Luggageforward.com

79

designed course at Park Meadows Country Club nearby ( parkmeadowscc.com). At the end of the day, head back to the bunker-esque resort where you can rest assured you’re safe from late-season storms—if not Cold War-style missile attacks. Just don’t order a martini.  Snowbird.com Ludlow, Vermont Who says the East Coast doesn’t have world-class skiing?

Well, anyone who’s skied the Alps or the Rockies, we suppose. Still, Vermont’s Okemo Mountain Resort is pretty darn great, and it has the added benefit of being close to some fantastic golf as well, including 36 holes on-site.

The mountain offers the largest vertical drop in southern Vermont (2,200 feet) and 119 trails over 632 acres. SKI magazine ranked the grooming among the top in the nation, and there’s plenty of snow into spring. When you’re off the slopes, both the Okemo Valley Golf Club (Vermont’s first Heathland-style course) and the Tater Hill Golf Club offer beautiful tracks with waterfalls, forests, sweeping elevation changes and great views. Easily accessible from most major East Coast cities, the area makes for a great spring getaway. The resort can sort all details.  Okemo.com

EuRopE Salzburg, Austria Mozart was born here, The Sound of Music was filmed here, and in addition to great beer and food you can golf and ski in the same day here. Who doesn’t like Salzburg? Stay in one of the Edelweiss suites at the Hotel Latini an hour south of the city in Zell am See and you’ll be all set. Bring your skis any time as the cold stuff happens year-round thanks to a glacier at Kitzsteinhorn mountain, which holds snow longer than almost any other area in Austria. Down in the stunning Salzachtal Valley, the Golf Club Zell am See has 36 holes to keep you busy, while the Urslautal Golf Club in nearby Saalfeiden offers 18 plus a covered driving range for days when it might be raining. For a proper challenge, check out the course at Mittersill-Stuhlfelden (also close) for tough greens and a charming setting. The hotel will sort you out for same-day golf/ski adventures.  Latini.at

St. Moritz, Switzerland

80

Cairngorms, Scotland

Cairngorms, Scotland After you’ve skied Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano and Afghanistan’s Taliban-rich Bamiyan region and are thinking “that’s it, I’m out of new places to ski,” grab your kilt and head to Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park. Shortbread, wind-baggy pipey instruments and snow skiing—who knew? There are five Scottish ski centers, believe it or not, and three of them are in this park, which boasts “the best snow-holding records in Scotland,” along with some great golf as well. Cairngorm Mountain, Glenshee and Lecht 2090 all offer services and amenities common to any ski resort (plus, we’re guessing, a better selection of bottled wonders for après ski). And when you’re off the white stuff and in need of a little trip round a course in the country that started it all, there are no fewer than 12 golf courses in the park. It’s impossible to choose a favorite among them, so we suggest you opt for the available Cairngorms Golf Pass, which knocks 30 percent off the fees at all 12 courses.

Discounted rounds in the home of golf and great skiing to boot? We’ll take it.  Visitcairngorms.com St. Moritz, Switzerland Located at the upper end of the Engadin Valley, this jet set favorite is famous as a luxury playground, as much for its setting as for the top-drawer distractions it offers. When the white stuff’s on the ground, there are nearly 217 miles of ski runs for schussing on your way to clink Champagne glasses and shop for tomorrow’s new ski jacket. The “chillout” skiing available on the Paradiso runs on Piz Nair at Corviglia allow you to enjoy the sun shining down on the 10,030-foot peak ( stmoritz.ch), while the dramatic views from 10,837 feet at Corvatsch are only a prelude to an exhilirating and demanding 5.5-mile descent. Wherever you spend your days in St. Moritz, nights should absolutely take you back to the exceptional Kulm Hotel. In addition to superlative accommodations and dining, it features the charming and beautiful 9-hole Kulm Golf Course, which is occasionally playable even in ski season. Furthermore, the hotel can sort trips to other area courses and help with ski arrangements as well—top service in one of the Engadin Valley’s best locations.  kulm.com

winter

2013

kingdom

27

KIDS ARE AMAZING. no one’s better at keeping them that way.

From stitches to brain surgery, moms prefer us 4 to 1. arnoldpalmerhospital.com

Healthier Kids, Stronger Families.

MASTERS Arnold Palmer chalked up his seven Major victories between 1958 and 1964.

Both his first and his last Major triumphs took place at the Masters, but they were very different wins: One was a dogfight by a relative unknown, the other a beloved champion’s afternoon stroll through destiny. Today, looking back, it seems they encapsulate the King’s entire career

82

A

s the stage that hosted both his breakout Masters performance and his last Major victory, Augusta National rightly holds a special place in Arnold Palmer’s heart. In total, he donned four Green Jackets there between 1958 and 1964, and he probably would have pulled on a few more if fate had really played into his hands. If his first Masters launched a kind of transformation for Palmer from everyman golfer to global hero—and presaged a huge leap for the game itself—then his final win at Augusta was a reassuring reminder that he would forever be King, whatever happened next.

On the afternoon before the start of the 1958 Masters, a ceremony took place at the farthest reach of Augusta National, down in Amen Corner where Rae’s Creek

winter

2013

kingdom

27

C L A S S crosses the 13th fairway near the tee, runs in front of the green on the short 12th and pans out to the left of the 11th green. Bobby Jones, the man who, with Alister MacKenzie, had built the club in 1934, was officially dedicating two new bridges across the creek: one (leading to the 12th green) to Ben Hogan and the other (leading back to the fairway from the 13th tee) to Byron Nelson.

Ironically, a few days later that exact part of the course was to play a seminal role, not only in the outcome of that year’s tournament but also in the shaping of golf’s future.

Nobody knew this when the 1958 Masters began, least of all the journalists. Most of them had picked Ken Venturi to win, a man many felt was due a jacket after a near victory in 1956. Palmer was relegated to the bottom of the golf columns if he was mentioned at all, with only the New York Times’ Lincoln A. Werden listing him among possible contenders. Palmer’s Masters debut had come in 1955, the year after he won the U.S. Amateur Championship, and he finished in a respectable tie for tenth. At the time, this was a mere footnote to a tournament in which Cary Middlecoff

winter

2013

kingdom

27

triumphed by seven shots from Ben Hogan with Sam Snead third. Palmer fell further down the sports pages at the 1956 Masters, when he slipped to 21st. But 12 months later, he tied for seventh at Augusta and the signs were there for all to see—if only the great and the good had known where to look. Over the first two days of the 1958 tournament, mentions of Palmer were buried beneath exaltations of Venturi’s “brilliant” play, despite the fact that Arnie was only three shots off the lead. But on the third day, the writers woke up. Third round 68s by both Palmer and Sam Snead had them tied for the lead and sharing a headline in the New York Times’ sports page. In the article that followed, Palmer’s age was incorrectly listed as 26 years old when he was actually 28, but it didn’t matter; he was entering the spotlight.

For day four, Palmer, at 211, was paired with Venturi, who trailed him by three shots. The two young men were the first contenders to go out and—even though a dozen players were grouped between 211 and 215—by the time they reached the 12th hole it seemed likely that the winner

83

Palmer changing his destiny—and golf—in 1958

After winning the 1958 Masters, “I was so tense and focused, I don’t even remember the walk up 18,” Palmer said of their duel would win the tournament. Palmer led Venturi by a solitary shot as they prepared to play the hole, which measured 155 yards from the back tee. The pin was placed dangerously in the far right corner of the green, and the wind, as is invariably the case on the final day of the Masters, was puffing and gusting unpredictably.

Venturi and Palmer both hit their tee shots over the shallow putting surface and into the soft turf between the green and the trap at the back. It had rained heavily during the night and conditions were far from ideal. Venturi’s ball kicked down onto the far side of the green, from where he two-putted. However, Palmer’s ball landed on the turf and embedded itself. Following an animated discussion with a rules official Palmer was refused a drop, so he played the plugged ball and shifted it 18 inches. He then chipped near the cup only to miss the short putt he’d left himself. Now the drama began: Believing he was entitled to a drop due to the weather, Palmer returned to the spot where his ball had been plugged and dropped over his shoulder. It rolled down the slope a little, so he placed it near the pitch-mark.

He chipped stone-dead and then holed it for a three. The question now was, had Palmer scored three or five? If three, he still led by one; if five, he trailed Venturi by one.

This question was still hanging in the air when Palmer struck a 3-wood second shot to the back of the green on the par-5 13th and holed the 20-foot putt for an eagle three. Two holes later he received word that his three at 12 would be allowed to stand, and history was all but written. Seemingly unsteadied, Venturi ended up tying for fourth. Palmer, on the other hand, rode the good news to an eventual one-shot victory over defending champ Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins. Helping him were the many fans who’d grown to love his fighting style over the four-day tourney, including a group of local soldiers from Camp Gordon who’d been given free admission and had come to support Arnie (marking the first assemblage of “Arnie’s Army”).

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Following the victory, the same newspapers and magazines that had all but ignored Palmer before the tourney suddenly were trumpeting his name as “a steel-nerved Master.”

The win garnered pages and pages of positive coverage for him, and opened doors that led to a lifelong partnership with manager, friend and agent Mark McCormack (who eventually marketed Arnie’s image to the world), a meeting with President Eisenhower (with whom Palmer developed a lifelong friendship) and superstar status as the working man’s golf hero and the man who would change the game forever.

“I was so tense and focused, I don’t even remember the walk up 18,” Palmer confessed in his autobiography, A Golfer’s Life. In contrast, he found the same walk in 1964 unforgettable. By then Palmer was a different entity entirely, even if, at his core, he was the same man who’d teed it up in 1958. He’d won the Masters again in 1960, when suburban America’s newfound love affair with the television (and with televised sports) was in full bloom. That victory and the illuminated coverage being piped into households from sea to shining sea helped make Palmer golf’s first superstar, and from then on he was riding the crest of a wave. He took the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills as well, followed by a hard-fought success in the 1961 [British] Open at Birkdale. A few months earlier he had blown the chance of a third Green Jacket when, needing a four for victory up the last, he contrived to take six and hand the title to Player. But a year later, in 1962, he exacted sweet revenge by beating his South African rival and Dow Finsterwald in an 18-hole playoff to don his third Green Jacket. By now Palmer’s celebrity was in full effect, evident in the frenzied crowd that attended his late summer appearance at Troon to witness a second [British] Open victory—this one by six shots! For once in his gilded life, Palmer had won a Major whilst barely breaking sweat. It was a dream he had talked about after each of his previous Major wins: how much he wanted to smell the roses and wave to his fans down the stretch in the certainty that victory was secure. Alas, with the unruly crowd at Troon, that was not possible. His level of enjoyment was blighted because, rather than striding serenely up the final hole acknowledging the spectators’ plaudits, he felt he was fighting his way through a raging mob in a scramble to catch the last bus out of town.

Palmer drew a blank in the Majors of 1963, the year that young upstart Nicklaus confirmed he was the real deal, but the King bounced back with a vengeance in the early part of 1964. This time his dearest wish came true, and where better than at Augusta.

Certainly, Palmer felt the 1964 Masters was his greatest victory. It had been months since he’d won on

85

Tour, and there had been a few rumbles about his star starting to fade. Undaunted, Palmer silenced the critics with a poised, masterful performance at Augusta. From the first tee shot to the last putt—a birdie, no less—he commanded the field, firmly establishing his place in Masters history and reaffirming to all that he was indeed the King. This time, his name was atop the sports pages from the start; he came out swinging and never let up.

Palmer won by six strokes and his 276 total was the second-best score to date in the tournament’s history. He also became the first man to win the Masters four times, further cementing his legend. His attack on the course was beautifully planned and perfectly executed on a day-by-day basis, and it more than met expectations—though it might have disappointed some who’d been looking for more of a brawl. The stage had certainly been set: Weeks of rain meant there’d be little bounce and roll on the fairways, and there were Palmer and Nicklaus ready to slug it out. The 24-year-old defending champion and favorite to repeat, and the three-time Masters champ with the crushing drive.

With all eyes on these two, the first day’s results were surprising, with five men sharing the lead on 69: Palmer, Player, Kel Nagle, Bob Goalby and Davis Love, Jr. On the Friday, Palmer’s 68 was near flawless, one of the finest rounds of his competitive career. Partnered by Chi Chi Rodriguez who hammed up to the galleries, Palmer remained undistracted, not least at 13 where he followed Rodriguez’s 3-wood approach into the green with a 1-iron to five feet. The Puerto Rican three-putted and, even though Palmer failed to hole his eagle, it seemed that he’d reached the point where he was in control of the tournament.

He led by four at the halfway stage from Player, whose 72 included six one-putt pars, and by seven from Nicklaus who was struggling on the greens.

Saturday, everyone chased Palmer. Eschewing his customary tendency to throw a few shots away early on to make things interesting, Arnie ground out a “take every shot as it comes” third round 69 that as good as slammed the door on his rivals. He stood 10-under for the tournament after 54 holes and his nearest challenger, five strokes back, was young Australian Bruce Devlin.

Twenty-four hours later, at precisely 5:26pm, Palmer was sinking the 25-foot putt that made him the first four-time winner of the Masters. He signed for a closing 70 having seen off dynamic last-round charges from Nicklaus, featuring an eagle-three at 13, and Dave Marr, Palmer’s playing partner who seemingly holed every putt he looked at on the front nine. On the 18th tee, Palmer asked Marr, who at that point was third, trailing Nicklaus by one: “What can I do to help you?” “Shoot a 12!” Marr quipped, though in the end he needed no help from Palmer as he sank a downhill 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to tie the Golden Bear for second place.

“At the start of the tournament,” Palmer said afterwards, “I told all the reporters what score I thought would win, somewhere between 276 and 278, and I tried to set that as my point of aim. So when I began today’s round I figured I could win if I shot a 72, which would put me at 278. Since Bruce Devlin was five strokes behind me,

86

he would have had to shoot 66 to win, and that’s a pretty tough assignment on the final day of the Masters.

“When I got here I felt as great as I have in years. I was hitting the ball solidly, and I felt that from tee to green I was okay. But on the green I wasn’t so sure. When you go from one tournament to another, no matter how well you’re hitting the ball you’re never too sure about your putting. It’s like checking out a plane with new sparkplugs. You’re not sure whether they will all work.”

For once, during that memorable week at Augusta, there was none of the spluttering down the stretch that traditionally injected excess nervous tension into Palmer’s annual tilts at the Masters. This time, the flight took off smoothly and soared majestically and inexorably to the highest echelons of professional golf.

Strangely, that was it for Palmer in terms of Major wins. He claimed a further 19 PGA Tour titles after that 1964 Masters success, not to mention numerous other wins beyond American shores, but his Majors’ tally parked itself at seven and went no further. True, there were many subsequent near misses, but, as parlance would have it, a miss by an inch might as well have been by a mile.

Whilst one, slightly uncharitable interpretation would encapsulate Palmer’s career within the six years that spanned April 1958 and April 1964—a period he entered as a contender and from which he emerged a King—the other, more reasonable view is that his reign is 60 years young and still spreading its legacy wherever the game is played and loved.

On the 18th hole Palmer asked Dave Marr, “What can I do to help you?”

Marr replied: “Shoot a 12!”

Arnie becoming the first four-time winner of the Masters

winter

2013

kingdom

27

A Drive For Innovation.

High Performance— On And Off The Green.

Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey PGA Tour Winner, Former A. O. Smith Employee

A. O. Smith Is The Ultimate Source For Hot Water Solutions When it comes to designing water heaters, we’re always on top of our game.

Whether it’s tankless, hybrid or solar water heating systems, A. O. Smith has a water heater to fit the needs of any lifestyle.

To get one of these water heaters installed, visit hotwater.com and check out our new contractor locator tool.

www.hotwater.com

88

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Two organizations have presided over the Rules of Golf for well over a century: the Royal & Ancient and the United States Golf Association. This Scottish-American axis controls the game’s regulations, but no one can deny there have been a few bumps along the way. Paul Trow finds out from two of the top legislators how the whole system works, and continues to hold sway

D

avid Rickman and Thomas Pagel are men on a mission. A global, but never-ending mission. In their home towns, let alone the game’s farthest-flung outposts, most golfers haven’t the faintest idea who they are. But nothing that happens on any of the planet’s 30,000 or so golf courses happens without their say so.

And if it does, woe betide the perpetrator(s).

Their titles certainly reflect the grandeur and gravitas of their positions and influence. Rickman, St Andrews born and bred, is the R&A’s director of rules and equipment standards while Pagel, a scion of Colorado via Utah, is the USGA’s senior director, rules of golf & amateur status.

The ampersand gives it away, for Pagel’s job description could, in a minimalist environment, be compressed into R&A. And there’s no irony here.

The hearts of the R&A and USGA still beat as one even though there have been myriad divisions of opinion since the 1890s, when responsibility for codifying and administering the game’s bewilderingly complex rubric was initially conferred on these two august bodies.

But Rickman and Pagel are still “flesh and bones” human beings who sleep easily at night despite the anguish their strictures sometimes inflict. How so? Well, someone has to be the custodian of the game, a largely self-regulated game, and men/women with no side, no axe to grind nor angle to work, are perfectly qualified.

Photos courtesy of USGA and Ian McIlgorm

The first question I asked of these (obviously) upright, law-abiding citizens met, eerily, with a strikingly similar reply. Why the complexity?

Rickman was first up. “Not surprisingly, the rules constantly evolve. I can sympathize with golfers who find the rules too complicated. We’re trying to make them more explicit and clear, but it should be remembered that golf is a vastly complex game played on a huge playing field. It is diverse in all its elements and nothing is uniform. It never ceases to surprise me, the things that can happen when people play golf. Lots of incidents crop up on a golf course that don’t happen anywhere else. The dilemma is to strike a balance between simplicity and fairness.

But there’s always a danger of people getting too theoretical and hypothetical.”

Pagel: “The rules of our game are unlike any other. We have a code that requires the player to be the responsible party for knowing and playing by the rules; the majority of golf is played without a referee. In how many other sports do you see that? A point that is often lost is that no two golf courses are alike and

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

89

yet the rules have been constructed to deal with the majority of what can (and does) happen in the playing of the game. Again, you look at other sports and there are set dimensions for the playing field. With golf, the playing fields can be widely different depending on where in the world you are playing. And the rules are the one thing that holds it all together and ensures that we are playing the same game.”

So what holds the R&A and USGA together on this? “Our two jobs don’t fit exactly,” Rickman, clearly senior in the overall pecking order and with a staff of 20 in his ambit, opines. “Thomas is their rules and amateur status man while John Spitzer specializes in equipment issues.

I work closely with them and also their boss, John Bodenhamer, who is senior managing director of rules, competitions and equipment standards.” Actually, there’s another boss at USGA called Jeff Hall—managing director, rules & competitions—and, strictly speaking, Thomas has to report to him.

“It’s clearly an important relationship,” Rickman says, “and we’re all in regular communication. We have a Joint Rules of Golf Committee [JRC] which meets home and away. It’s not a decision-making organization but an important part of the sifting process. We try to coincide our meetings with an event all the relevant people would be at. It first tended to be during Masters week and we’ve met regularly there since 1996.”

Pagel confirms: “The JRC, which has five representatives from both the USGA and the R&A, meets twice a year. There are always a number of topics under discussion, which I would say is a great example of how a rule is created or revised. Both the USGA and R&A have consulting members that represent certain constituencies and all bring a different perspective to the table. On our side we have consulting members that represent the PGA Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, Mexican Golf Federation and our state and regional golf associations. Certainly a talented group that brings a great deal of knowledge to the table.

“It can be extremely satisfying to stand back and ask the question ‘why is that?’ In fact, when someone complains about a specific rule, I explain that the Rules of Golf are like a jigsaw puzzle, if you change one rule it will likely affect several others. It is not always as easy as it seems—and that is what is interesting about the rules.”

Unsurprisingly, Rickman agrees. “Everything is fine until people get an answer they don’t like. We have had layers of revision since 1984 which is when we had the last fundamental review. The main project is starting where we are taking another fundamental look at everything. This happens every 30 years. Before 1984, the last major review was in 1952 when stymies were outlawed. Perhaps the main revision in 1984 was to do with the dropping rules.

“The decisions on the rules of golf are like our case law, if you like, and are directed at those who are running competitions. It’s the bible for committees, referees, rules

90

officials, etc. The decisions are published every two years and so the interpretation of the rules is kept current. Some people think there should be a four-year process for rules and two years for decisions. Indeed, those people tend to think we should be more reactive and change the rules quicker. I’m much more concerned about actual incidents—everything from Mr. and Mrs. Smith playing in a local event to the guys playing in a high-profile tournament like the Dunhill Links Championship—as they might highlight some sort of flaw in the rules. Golf is a self-regulating game, but there are 50 million golfers worldwide.

“It’s difficult to say what the main issue is at the current time. Whether it’s talk about the use of television evidence for professional events, or the use of electronic devices by a club player, technology is part of the game and something that we must continue to monitor and discuss.

“I suppose my most important three areas of activity are [1] to interpret and implement decisions on the current rules; [2] educate every golfer around the world by various methods; and [3] to look forward to the rules from January 1st 2016 and start planning for January 1st 2020. We will have to monitor the anchoring position but we also have to have discussions about the pace of play. TV evidence will be important with this.”

No discussion on the rules would be complete without raising the question of anchored putters, but our rules officials’ response is, again, in unison. “We have concentrated on the tradition of the free swinging of the entire club,” Rickman says. “We have given people two and a half years—plenty of time to adjust to the change—but as time ticks down it will be interesting to see how various players adapt.” All Pagel will say is... “The rule has been approved by both the USGA and the R&A and will become effective on January 1, 2016.”

Never mind, we all know what’s going to happen.

Moving on, Rickman highlights equipment standards as an area worthy of scrutiny. “This is subject to high and close vigilance. We do a lot of background work on this so we would be ready to react should it be necessary to intervene.

Over the last ten years the hitting distance on the pro tours has plateaued. The average driving distance on the PGA

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Please Drink Responsibly. Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% Alc./Vol., Š2013 MoÍt Hennessy USA, Inc., New York, New York

Why is it so important that we have the tallest stills in Scotland?

Taste our whisky and the question becomes rhetorical. www.glenmorangie.com

Unnecessarily Well Made

The Rules BRoTheRs David Rickman, aged 49, was born and raised in St Andrews. Married with three daughters, he attended Madras College high school in the Auld Grey Toun before reading business studies and accounting for four years at Edinburgh University.

“I joined the R&A in 1987. I spent a year out in Australia after graduating because I hadn’t a clue what I wanted to do. My only connection with the R&A back then was when I worked at the Open during the summer holidays from university. Coming from St Andrews, I knew one or two people in the organization, including David Hills who was in charge of championships at the time. After my year in Australia, I’d got some interviews lined up with potential employers in London when David suggested I talk to Sir Michael Bonallack [then secretary of the R&A]. After our meeting, Sir Michael very kindly offered me a position. At the time I thought it would be valuable experience for a couple of years before moving

Tour this year is two yards down on last year. We hear about the ball going too far but it’s very difficult to tell that in isolation. If you decide to rein the ball back then it would fly in the face of having one rule for everyone. The average man hits the ball 210 yards and the average woman 150 yards. We need to bear in mind that any intervention has to be thought through, but the top tours are not in crisis.

“There have been times since 2000 when it comes to potential equipment innovations when you have needed to be Nostradamus, but sometimes the most difficult thing is to do nothing. But the search for that magical set of clubs that will transform a player’s game will continue as long as the game evolves. We have to be careful about intervening too often. We’re fortunate there’s not a culture of producing non-conforming equipment. Certainly, the impression we get is that people play golf mainly for the challenge—no matter how deep your pocket is and what you can buy.”

Pagel expands the discussion: “I view the biggest issue for the Rules as being education. The Rules are often accused of being complex and intimidating and we need to change that. We hear from golfers that they respect the Rules and want to play by the Rules, so we need to provide opportunities for golfers to learn the basic Rules in an engaging and informative format. An example of this is the Rules of Golf Explained video series that is on the USGA website. The series features twelve short videos (typically three-four minutes) that each focus on a basic Rule or concept. The feedback on the videos has been terrific so we are now expanding that series to develop other similar platforms for the web and tablets. We are also in the process of redesigning our Rules of Golf app for smartphones that literally puts the complete Rules of Golf and Decisions on the Rules of Golf publications at your fingertips. The redesigned app will be available in January of 2014 (to coincide with the release of the 20142015 Decisions book); the basic version (Rules of Golf only) will be free of charge. The world and how people consume information has changed and the educational efforts of the USGA are going to evolve in stride.”

As they say, watch this space.

92

on. That was 26 years ago!

“I then found myself working with John Glover, who was then in charge of the rules. He was the best boss you could have—my mentor if you like. I became his full-time deputy in 1990, ‘assistant secretary rules’ was my title, I think.

When John retired in 1996 as rules secretary, I succeeded him as head of governance but the job was adapted to combine both the rules and equipment standards.

“I’ve never been a particularly good player—my lowest handicap was 5. I am a member of the New Golf Club at St Andrews, but to be honest I don’t get too many opportunities to venture on to a course with clubs in my hands.”

Thomas Pagel, aged 34, was raised just outside Denver. Married with two children, he studied business administration at Colorado State University and received an MBA from the University of Utah.

“There was a par-3 course just over the fence of my backyard when I was growing up. My stepfather introduced me to the game at a young age and I was immediately hooked. From that point forward I spent endless hours playing or hitting balls on the driving range.

There was also a private club near my house, and I started as a caddie there when I was 14. I then worked in the bag room during summers through college. After graduating, I worked for the Colorado Golf Association (CGA) on a grant that was provided by the USGA’s P.J. Boatwright Internship Program. Following the internship I stayed on staff with the CGA, where I served in various roles for seven years. In 2009, I became executive director of the Utah Golf Association. My wife, Courtney, and I had a terrific time in Salt Lake City and had planned to make the area ‘home’ when my current position with the USGA became available in late 2010.

“It was difficult to leave the UGA and the wonderful friends we’d made in Salt Lake City, but the opportunity to work for the USGA and to be involved with the Rules of Golf on a daily basis was something I couldn’t pass up.

Fortunately I have an extremely supportive wife, so after only a couple of years in Utah I became the USGA’s senior director, Rules of Golf & Amateur Status, in January 2011.”

winter

2013

kingdom

27

BUCKET LIST PAC K AGE

from $179*

Sometimes, finishing runner-up at a Major championship is almost a cause for celebration. After all, only one player beat you out of an elite field, perhaps in excess of 150. Usually, though, it’s a trigger for recrimination—if only I’d sunk that three-foot putt, if only I’d listened to my caddie and taken 6-iron not 7-iron! Paul Trow takes a look at golf’s ‘if only’ men and makes some surprising discoveries

ANYON E FO F OR DS S? SE COND WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Q

uiz question, folks: Who has finished second more times than any other player in the Majors? Bear in mind, we’re going back a long way here—to 1860 when the first [British] Open took place, to 1895 and 1916 when the U.S. Open and PGA Championships respectively came into being, and to 1934 when Bobby Jones introduced the Masters.

To statistically-minded students of the game, his identity will come as no surprise, but to the casual observer it will seem, at best, improbable. The answer, of course, is Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 Majors between 1962 and 1986.

Believe it or not, he finished second 19 times in golf’s blueribbon events. And imagine how he’d have felt if he’d never actually won one! The next most prolific runner-up in Majors, with 10 second places, is Arnold Palmer, who also breasted the tape seven times between 1958 and 1964. It surely isn’t a coincidence that the two greatest players of their generation managed to chalk up 29 runners-up spots between them.

Twenty-five wins and 29 seconds! Who says that coming up just short is such a bum rap? In the case of Nicklaus and Palmer, they did at least have the consolation of netting a few baubles along the way, though it was still a shame about some of the ones that slipped through the net. Water under the bridge now? Yes, without question. But what about the runners-up that never made it to the pantheon? As they dwell on successful but strangely unfulfilled careers in their dotage, spare a thought for the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Bruce Crampton and Doug Sanders, not to mention the longdeparted ‘Lighthorse’ Harry Cooper.

Montgomerie, five times a bridesmaid, only really messed up at the last time of asking when, requiring a par-4 on the 18th at Winged Foot to win the 2006 U.S. Open, he contrived to take six from the middle of the Montgomerie was a runner-up five times in Majors but he really only had himself to blame at the 2006 U.S. Open

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

fairway. “What’s that?” he exclaimed forlornly as he watched his mid-iron to the green balloon off into thick rough short and right. The Scot, eight times European No.1 and a perpetual thorn in America’s side from 1991 to 2006 in the Ryder Cup, can reproach himself for that lapse but his other near misses were really all dictated by what his rivals achieved in the heat of battle.

At Oakmont in 1994 and Congressional in 1997, he was eclipsed by Ernie Els in his pursuit of the U.S. Open—a title, ironically, that Nicklaus had prematurely and erroneously conceded to him during the sportscast in 1992 after his brilliant closing 70 in the teeth of a fierce storm at Pebble Beach. On that occasion the wind died late in the day and Tom Kite and Jeff Sluman breezed past him.

In the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera, Montgomerie, now 50, found himself in a playoff against Australia’s Steve Elkington. At the first extra hole, he was putting for a birdie from 10 feet while Elkington had left his approach more than twice that distance away. No prizes, then, for guessing who holed out to lift the Wanamaker Trophy? Meanwhile, Montgomerie’s other dress rehearsal with greatness, finishing a distant runner-up to Tiger Woods by five strokes at the 2005 [British] Open at St Andrews, never really amounted to a contest.

Most people—players and non-players alike—agree that Major victories are the yardstick for greatness. But equally, winning a Major, or any tournament for that matter, requires not just great skill but a large dollop of luck at the right time. If skill and luck don’t come together, as they invariably don’t, then the win slithers away into other hands.

Perhaps contending regularly, which, to be fair, multiple second-place finishes usually entail, is the next best yardstick, a sign of consistency. It may also go some way

95

to answering that eternal, dreaded question: “Who is the best player never to have won a Major?” By this particular measurement, it has to be Montgomerie, but only just.

Cooper, Sanders and Crampton run him close. All three were runners-up in Majors four times and must have felt hard done-by, especially with the names of so many lesser players burnishing each of golf’s four most cherished trophies.

The earliest candidate for the Major-less crown was the English-born Cooper. Despite winning 31 tournaments on what passed for the PGA Tour before the Second World War, he twice came second in the U.S. Open and the Masters. In the 1927 U.S. Open at Oakmont, he lost a playoff to Tommy Armour and in the 1938 Masters he pulled up just short of Henry Picard. But it was his two defeats in 1936 that were truly galling as he blew three- and five-shot leads down the stretch at Augusta National and Baltusrol.

Certainly, no golfer can fail to sympathize with Sanders. A winner of 20 PGA Tour titles between 1956 and 1972, he first tasted the bitterness of narrow defeat in the 1959 PGA Championship at Minneapolis GC. Aged 26, he went into the final round one shot adrift but with hopes sky-high. Yet despite catching the 54-hole leader Jerry Barber, the pair of them could only watch helplessly as Bob Rosburg unfurled a superb closing 66 to slipstream them both by a single stroke. Still, the flamboyant Sanders was young at the time and would surely learn from the experience. Or would he? Less than two years later, in the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, he held the lead after three rounds. Again he played a little conservatively on the final day, and again he tied second, a shot shy of a playoff. This time the poacher was Gene Littler who ‘stole’ victory with an immaculate 68. By 1966, Sanders was in his prime, a true star of the game. In the [British] Open at Muirfield, he was once more poised to pounce with just 18 holes remaining. He ground out a 70 which at many Opens would have been more than enough, but Nicklaus, who started the day a stroke ahead of him, also carded 70 and Sanders was again thwarted by the slimmest of margins.

All this, though, was nothing compared to Sanders’ fourth and final ‘failure.’ The word ‘tragic’ is nearly always inappropriately used in relation to sports events, but in this case it might just suffice. Again Nicklaus was his nemesis and again the scene was the [British] Open, this time at St Andrews. From 74 yards short of the 18th green on the Old Course, all Sanders needed to do was hit the green and two-putt. He would then be crowned Champion Golfer at long last, and deservedly so. It seemed he’d done the hard part when his approach cleared the Valley of Sin and settled about 20 feet past the pin. But his first putt was tentative and halted two and a half feet short of the hole.

Sanders, now 80, takes up the story: “The problem was I didn’t get set. I was playing with Trevino and had lagged it up inside Lee and couldn’t decide whether to finish or let him putt. I decided to putt, but I have Lee’s putt in the back of my mind. Then, standing over the ball, I see what looks like a speck of dirt on my line. I bend over for a closer look, and it’s only a piece of burned-out grass. So now I’m distracted. I didn’t step away like I should have.”

The result was a dribbled apology for a putt that slid

96

past the right edge of the cup. Sanders tapped the next in from a few inches but was consigned to an 18-hole playoff the following day. In the end, the margin was only one shot, Nicklaus shooting a 72 to Sanders’ 73 with the deadlock broken when Nicklaus holed out from eight feet on the home green. Almost adding injury to insult, the Golden Bear hurled his putter into the air and watched in horror as it fell to earth, missing Sanders by a whisker.

Sanders took it in good part but admits the experience left indelible scars. “It feels like it happened yesterday,” he said many years later. “Missing that putt cost me $200 million, maybe more. I could have had the biggest clothing line in the world. I could have designed golf courses. I think about it every day. Sometimes five times a day. If it had gone in, I’d have been set for life instead of still trying to make a living.”

Nicklaus also loomed large on Crampton’s radar.

The Australian, now 78, won 14 times on the PGA Tour between 1961 and 1975 and 20 times on the Champions Tour between 1986 and 1997, but never a Major in either division. His four second places all came in Nicklaus’s wake—in the 1972 Masters and U.S. Open, and the 1973 and 1975 PGA Championships. Curiously, he never really had a chance to win any of these titles because each time the Golden Bear merely consolidated a 54-hole lead, leaving the rest of the supporting cast to scrap it out for second.

However, Crampton did have one gilt-edged chance to claim a Major and again it was Nicklaus who denied him. The event was the 1963 PGA Championship at Dallas Athletic Club and he led by two shots going into the last round. On that occasion he slumped to a closing 74 and was overtaken at the death by Nicklaus (68) and Dave Ragan (69).

Sanders couldn’t decide whether to hole out or mark his short putt on the 18th green at St Andrews

“I think about it every day. Sometimes five times a day. If it had gone in, I’d have been set for life”

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Despite these disappointments, Crampton remains a philosophical soul, prepared to accept his lot. In one of the more thoughtful personal career assessments any golfer has made, he once opined: “Life is a compromise of what your ego wants to do, what your experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.”

Ego, experience and nerves! A heady and potentially calamitous cocktail! Just ask Greg Norman, twice a Major champion and eight times a runner-up. The only man to lose all four Majors in a playoff, Norman had an almost unerring capacity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

He led every Major after 54 holes in 1986—the infamous Saturday Slam—and won just one of them. His most spectacular implosion came at the 1996 Masters when, leading by six shots going into the final round, he wound

Greg Norman won the [British] Open twice, but he also has eight second places to his name

Snead never won the U.S. Open and Mickelson’s sixth second place in the national championship came at Merion up five shots behind Nick Faldo. To be fair, there was bad luck along the way too. Like when Larry Mize chipped in from 140 feet on the second extra hole at the 1987 Masters or when he (Norman) hit the longest drive of the week on the final hole of the playoff for the 1989 [British] Open at Royal Troon only to find his ball unplayable in a pot bunker no one else could reach. There was also Nicklaus’s astonishing charge through the field at the 1986 Masters and Bob Tway’s holed bunker shot on the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship four months later.

Equally improbable was the performance of Tom Watson, a few weeks away from his 60th birthday, in the 2009 [British] Open at Turnberry. Thirty-two years after triumphing over Nicklaus in the historic Duel in the Sun on western Scotland’s most beguiling links, it seemed as though he was going to pen the greatest sports story ever told. In the end it was not to be. A lame three-putt on the home green put him into a playoff with Stewart Cink and he had nothing left to give. It was his eighth second place in the Majors, but at least he’d won eight of them as well.

Two other eight-time runners-up are Sam Snead, winner of seven Majors, and Phil Mickelson, who claimed his fifth in the 2013 [British] Open at Muirfield last summer.

Intriguingly, neither has won the U.S. Open. Snead was edged out four times while Mickelson’s sixth second-place came in 2013 at Merion. But multiple Major winners, far better players than most of their rivals, are bound to come second more times than most. The roll call of ‘near missers’ also includes J.H. Taylor (7), Ernie Els, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Harry Vardon, Tiger Woods (all 6), Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd, Billy Casper and Tom Weiskopf (all 5).

One intriguing footnote in this study of the fine line between ultimate success and eternal failure is the case of Craig Wood, who was also a runner-up in five Majors. Not only did he demonstrate his resilience by eventually winning the Masters and U.S. Open in 1941, but prior to that he set the template for Norman’s surrender of all four titles

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

in a playoff. Apart from succumbing in the 1933 Masters to Denny Shute, the 1935 [British] Open to Gene Sarazen and the 1939 U.S. Open to Nelson (Shute was also in that three-man playoff), he also lost to Paul Runyan in the final of the 1934 PGA Championship when it was a match-play event.

The Majors throw up as many ‘hard luck’ stories as fairytales. Many relatively unheard-of players have had just one shot at immortality, but it was not to be. Al Watrous, Harry Bradshaw, Costantino Rocca and Jean van de Velde at the [British] Opens of 1926, 1949, 1985 and 1999 spring to mind, as do Jim Ferrier and Ed Sneed at the 1950 and 1979 Masters, and Mike Reid at the 1999 PGA Championship.

Many have bounced back from initial failure to claim their Holy Grail: Think of Adam Scott at the 2013 Masters and the late Ken Venturi at the 1964 U.S. Open. Then there are people who are simply famous for finishing second, whether by design or accident, regardless of their other feats. Seve Ballesteros and Sergio Garcia were both aged 19 when chasing Johnny Miller and Tiger Woods home in the 1976 [British] Open at Royal Birkdale and the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah. Then there was Chip Beck controversially ceding the 1993 Masters to Bernhard Langer after eschewing a reachable tilt at the 15th green, apparently to protect his position in that year’s U.S. Ryder Cup points table. And what about the well of emotion that overflowed for Roberto de Vicenzo at the 1968 Masters after he had signed for the wrong score at the 17th and denied himself a place in a playoff with Bob Goalby?

All were memorable and heart-rending in their own ways. But the story of finishing second and the pain it can inflict is best summed up by three-time Major winner Nick Price. When the Zimbabwean finally lifted the Claret Jug at Turnberry in 1994, his champion’s summation was classically poignant. “Back in 1982, I had my left hand on this trophy. In 1988, I had my right hand on this trophy.

Now at last I’ve got both hands on it—and boy does it feel good.”

97

Loyalty

L

oyalty will always be a highly prized characteristic of any individual. It connotes strength as well as integrity. It’s a quality that can make champions of ordinary people.

In fact, it can make them extraordinary.

For example, in the world of golf, loyalty to the game can result in some incredible players. Arnold Palmer comes to mind, not only because of his amazing game, but because of his lifelong loyalty to his profession and to his peers. I can’t think of anyone who is more respected and more loved than Arnold is in the golf world, and I’m sure most people would agree with me on that.

When it comes to business, I’m the CEO of the Trump Organization and we’ve been going strong for a long time. I’ve had employees who have been with me for 35 years, and a significant number have been with me for over 25 years. That makes for a strong core. That kind of loyalty works both ways, and any boss will tell you how important it is to have people they can trust and count on. During up times and down times, loyal people will prevail. I am thankful for the many people who have supported me through the years, and I’m more than happy to support them. As Samuel Goldwyn said, “I’ll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty”—and fortunately for me, my people are very efficient.

What’s interesting is to take the subject of loyalty and apply it to a sport. I remember Michael Jordan’s comment, “The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.”

By personalizing his game, it suddenly took on a new dimension. Most people have a fierce loyalty to their family, and his game received the same devotion. That kind of dedication can take you places—and fast.

People in power are often accused of having minions at their beck and call, those who will be blindly loyal. I don’t expect nor do I want that kind of loyalty, which can leave you with a blind spot that can become the target of detractors and enemies. I often ask my employees for their opinions and I will listen, even if I don’t agree. I appreciate receiving honest replies, which to me is another form of loyalty. It’s true that I sometimes ask people what they think to see if they are paying attention, but it’s usually because I sincerely want to hear their insight on the subject or situation. Dictators come into power when they don’t mind the checks or listen to the people who have a different perspective. “Groupies” should never be considered a support group—oddly enough, they can prove to be the opposite of what loyalty represents. Looking out for someone’s best interest often means going against the common denominator—and that’s a risk that truly loyal people will take.

Donald J. Trump

98

winter

2013

kingdom

27

kingdom

27

winter

2013

99

Life In Adverts Showcased on the front cover of GQ, among other places, Arnold Palmer is regarded as one of the most stylish men of all time. Here, thanks to Alastair Johnston, we take a look back at some of the ads that built Palmer’s look

LIFE IN PICTURES For an in-depth look, visit arnieskingdom.com

Harry Frye shot more than 300 Sports Illustrated covers and took innumerable pictures of Arnold Palmer over the yeaXXXXX xXXX are just a few of them, from the book The Classic Palmer

PART XXV

Given [Palmer’s] handsome demeanor, it was entirely appropriate that his role as a mannequin promoting his own brand be complemented by a supporting cast of other attractive models. —Alastair Johnston

kingdom

27

winter

2013

103

“I loved these clothes, but in retrospect… posing with fashion models for hours at a time was a hell of a lot harder than I imagined it would be.”

—A Golfer’s Life

104

winter

2013

kingdom

27

“Many of the models were gorgeous, young women or celebrities in their own right, and we did have more than a few laughs before and after the productions were over… with Mrs. Palmer’s complete and amused consent, of course.”

—A Golfer’s Life

kingdom

27

winter

2013

105

106

winter

2013

kingdom

27

“The man did for the cardigan what James Dean did for the leather jacket.”

—Golf Magazine

kingdom

27

winter

2013

107

The photo shoots traditionally took place in Southern California where the female models vied to be selected for the annual Palmer campaigns—inspired by the contemporary culture of the “James Bond” girls.

—Alastair Johnston

108

winter

2013

kingdom

27

in Place the

A

Welcome to The Sunshine State, America’s very own Magic Kingdom where the living is spectacularly easy. For good food, endless fun and spectacular golf, nowhere does it better

T

Sun

he Spacecoast, the Everglades, Cigar City and Gator Country can all be found here, along with some of the best fishing in the world (and the best seafood as well). The sun shines nearly all the time—and when it doesn’t, storms from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico take turns cooling things down and watering the oranges for which the state is also known.

With pirate treasures sunk just offshore, race cars roaring near the beach, the Magic Kingdom and enough golf to last a lifetime, it’s tough to imagine a better place to live than Florida—which is why the options of retiring here or owning a second home in the state are so attractive.

Like many others born in places that know a real winter, Arnold Palmer spends the cooler months in The Sunshine State. With average winter daytime temperatures in the low 70s, it just makes sense. Likewise, there are a number of benefits to owning a home down here in “North Bahamas,” as some die-hard Southerners call it, including tax breaks, a reasonable cost of living, and the healthy and comfortable lifestyle that’s attracted millions over the years. There are a few things to consider, of course, among them location, financial planning and lifestyle expectations.

Despite the somewhat singular portrait painted by postcards featuring the likes of orange groves, alligators and Disney characters, the state is an incredibly diverse mix of various ethnicities and cultures, each of which contributes to carving out a number of distinctly different communities as one moves from relatively conservative farm towns along

110

the Georgia border to the “anything goes” lifestyle of the Florida Keys.

Whether you’re inland or along the coast, one should be aware of the state’s various weather challenges, including occasional severe storms or even hurricanes.

Here, a quality home will stand you in good stead, as will a comprehensive and solid insurance policy. St. Johns Insurance Company, for example, specializes in the “difficult” States of Florida and South Carolina, as they put it, so they understand a thing or two about the needs of residents there ( stjohnsinsurance.com). Additionally, their 1,800 insurance agents in Florida operate from a place of solid integrity and personal relationships, meaning St. Johns Insurance Company is a good firm to seek-out should you be considering a home purchase in the state.

Lastly, with so many different communities in Florida, it makes sense to identify your expectations first.

Frequent travelers should locate themselves near a city with a major airport. Art lovers might consider cities like Sarasota or Naples, both of which feature good museums and arts communities. Those in search of the quiet life might look at Gulf Coast’s numerous options, while people who want a little spice in their evenings might want to be within quick reach of Miami. Golfers are fortunate as the game can be found nearly everywhere.

In fact, as long as you enjoy the sun, Florida really does have something for everyone. Here are a few of our favorite places in the state. Who knows: Perhaps you’ll like one of them enough to call it home.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Disney is one of the principal reasons for orlando’s growth into one of the world’s great entertainment cities

CENTRAL

ORLANDO For some people, Orlando IS Florida; they never visit any other part of the state—and why would you? Arnold Palmer has been living in the area at his Bay Hill Club & Lodge for more than 40 years and loving the inland weather, local landscape and great golf. Add to those the obvious attractions and entertainment, and the city is a great place to live (even if the traffic can be annoying at times). Naturally, as one of the state’s premiere cities— offering numerous dining and entertainment options, along with top hospitals, an international airport and plenty of other amenities—you’ll pay more for good real estate here than you might in a smaller, more remote community. But you get what you pay for, and in Orlando you get a lot. As for communities, there are numerous options, but we’ll opt for Bay Hill, with its iconic lodge, courses—and residents.

Anyway, it never hurts to live near the boss.

Golf In addition to its more famous attractions, Disney owns a few golf courses—five in the area, in fact, including Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course and Magnolia Golf Course ( disneyworld.disney.go.com). Those, Bay Hill and many other area courses mean that Orlando is a golf-strong city.

DininG With so many visitors, it’s no surprise that there’s something for everyone. Thai, Mexican, Indian,

kingdom

27

winter

2013

Italian and most other culinary traditions are well represented in the city. For solid American fare we like The Ravenous Pig ( theravenouspig.com), in the flourishing Winter Park neighborhood. Enjoy rich dishes like “Lamb Shank with black olive-honey caramel, moussaka, balsamic tomato and pine mushrooms” from chef-owners James and Julie Petrakis before finishing with a specialty dessert like “Zellwood Corn Crepes with Florida Blueberry Compote” or “Plant City Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp.” Plenty of great craft beers available as well. For lighter fare, deep blu seafood grille ( deepbluorlando.com) at the Wyndham Grand Resort Orlando serves up top sustainable and local seafood, including Atlantic Mahi Mahi and Ponce Inlet Black Grouper. Close to Bay Hill, health-conscious Seasons 52 ( seasons52.com) offers great food with no guilt, while Cask & Larder ( caskandlarder.com), back in Winter Park, encourages you to indulge with formidable Southern-sourced seasonal dishes, beers brewed on-site and fresh-shucked oysters.

EntErtainmEnt Orlando has opera, theater, music of all sorts and plenty of visiting talent from New York and Europe. There’s nearly always something on at one of the area theaters, not to mention the shows brought in

by Disney. If you can’t find something to occupy your time here, you’re impossible.

ShoppinG Saks, Barney’s, Bloomingdales and the best of the best can all be found here—along with their heavily discounted outlets.

111

ATLANTIC COAST

JUPITER HILLS The stretch of Atlantic Coast between Miami and Vero Beach holds some of the most attractive cities in the state, including Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Just north of the latter, the fantastic community of Jupiter Hills Village occupies a picturesque spot just 20 miles from Palm Beach International Airport (jupiterhillsvillage.org).

Bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway to the east and by a state park to the north, the property occupies the highest natural point in the state—no sand was pushed around to make the hills and contours on the grounds, they’re the real deal. The property was discovered and developed in the late 1960s by the team of Bob Hope, William Clay Ford, Sr., and George Fazio, who designed both of the property’s courses. Today, it’s considered to be one of the finest golf experiences anywhere, and the neighborhood is among the region’s most desirable. There are only 200 homes in the gated community, which puts a strong emphasis on golf and quality living.

Golf One of the best golf experiences anywhere. There are only 400 members for the community’s 36 holes, and a laid-back atmosphere all around. No tee times, beautiful practice facilities, a great clubhouse with a new fitness and wellness center currently under development, and a fantastic group of fellow golfers with which to enjoy the game. What more could you want?

DininG There’s a host of well-known (and easily findable) fine dining options in Palm Beach and in the other nearby communities, but for a meal close to Jupiter we’ll drop by Guanabanas ( guanabanas.com), a laid-back tiki-hut type of place that a couple of surfers opened in 2004 as a sandwich shop. Following a $2.5 million renovation in 2008, the restaurant emerged as a top option with “Fresh From Florida” unpretentious offerings of local seafood, open-air dining and live music from the likes of reggae legend Pato Banton. Good fun.

EntErtainmEnt Local live music at area restaurants, area food and wine festivals and a smattering of top artists who come through Palm Beach make this a vibrant area, even if it doesn’t have the draw of Miami or Orlando in terms of consistent big-name headliners.

the two 18-hole golf courses at Jupiter hills Village were designed by George fazio

ShoppinG There are plenty of ways to spend money in the area; the fastest lie to the south in Palm Beach, where the world’s biggest brands maintain a strong presence.

112

winter

2013

kingdom

27

kingdom

27

winter

2013

113

SOUTH

MIAMI TV shows, movies, countless songs and a billion or so postcards over the years still don’t quite do justice to the southernmost major metropolitan city in the mainland U.S. Those who love Miami love it dearly; those who don’t know what to think are often overwhelmed by the energy, the traffic, the somewhat convoluted road system and the foreign-ness of the city, which bridges the cultural divide between Latin America and the United States. Parts of Miami resemble a city you might find in Central or South America, with vibrant, beautiful locals chatting in Spanish soothed by soft Cuban or Puerto Rican accents over strong coffee and Caribbean street food. Other parts alternately resemble Beverly Hills, Wall Street, parts of Europe and even historic, small Florida towns. International, alive and beautiful, Miami is one of America’s cultural treasures and contributes as much to our country’s overall personality as New York City and Los Angeles.

Golf Seemingly endless opportunities abound here, most of them well-known: The Blue Monster at Trump National at The Doral Resort and Spa is set to re-open in December as, essentially, a completely new course and venue ( trumphotelcollection.com). The Donald Ross design at the Biltmore Hotel Golf & Spa in Coral Gables has been charming celebs since 1925 ( biltmorehotel.com). And the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club is benefitting from a $150 million renovation ( fairmont.com/turnberryisle.com). These are only three of many, many area courses.

DininG Where do we begin? Pick up fried plantains, sushi, burgers or anything else you want along the pedestrian mall on Lincoln Road ( lincolnroadmall.com); spend your money in Hakkasan at the South Beach Fontainebleu Resort ( hakkasan.com); explore modern Spanish cuisine at The Bazaar

by José Andrés ( thebazaar.com); or dive into new Cuban at De Rodriguez Cuba ( drodriguezcuba.com). We could eat three meals a day in Miami for the rest of our lives and there’d still be more fantastic options to try—this city is a feast.

EntErtainmEnt Too much to itemize. A-list entertainers from all over the world regularly stop by, and there are a million local clubs featuring every type of music, theater and dance you could ever hope to see.

ShoppinG The shopping in Miami is on par with any great city in the world.

GULF COAST

FT. MYERS Florida’s Gulf Coast showcases broad beaches with powdered-sugar sand, lazy palms blowing in soft breezes and a relaxed lifestyle that harkens to a slower-paced world. Gulf Coast residents get the beautiful sunsets while East Coasters get the sunrise, perhaps that’s why people on the Gulf usually stop to smell the gardenias while their fellow Floridians to the East wake up early to go surfing and running.

Accordingly, the Gulf waters are usually warm and calm in contrast to the chilly, choppy Atlantic. Ft. Myers has recently been establishing itself as a move-to destination. Always popular, the city has worked hard to reinvigorate its historic district, harbor and beach areas. The city likes its history and showcases it in a host of museums and a well-preserved part of town that contains the former estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The fishing and beachcombing opportunities on nearby Sanibel Island are mouth-watering, while fans of the Boston Red Sox will enjoy watching them train each spring at the local Lee County Sports Complex. Think laid-back lifestyle with a bit of modern-vintage flair.

114

Golf The near century-old Donald Ross-designed Ft. Myers Country Club is a standout, as are offerings from Arnold Palmer (Wildcat Run), Tom Fazio (Gateway Golf and Country Club), Jack Nicklaus (Old Corkscrew), Raymond Floyd (Raptor Bay) and others. There’s enough golf here to keep you near home for a long, long time.

DininG You’re near the beach, so seafood is the obvious choice. Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill does it well ( mainstreetventuresinc.com). We’d opt for the fresh-caught Black Grouper or Yellowfin Tuna. If you feel like stepping it up a bit, head for great fusion at Il Cielo on Sanibel Island ( ilcielosanibel.com) for Wagyu Beef Sliders, Lobster Ravioli with Oven-dried Tomato Sage Butter or Furikake Seared Tuna.

EntErtainmEnt Big acts from Miami and Orlando trek here on occasion, but mostly you’ll find local theater and music.

ShoppinG Like Palm Beach, the big brands are well represented. Like Orlando, they also have quite a few outlets in town. Ft. Myers is also a great place to find antiques.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Biltmore hotel Golf & Spa opened back in 1925

Operated by

116

At Home in the World There are those who read stories of adventures in far-off lands, and there are those who pursue such stories. No question: Ron Jackson is among the latter. He and his lovely wife Sylvia have traveled through mountains, deserts and high seas all over the globe, garnering enough stories to fill several cinema-worthy epic novels along the way

Unlike travelers who return home with only pictures as evidence of their exploits—photos that might be kept in albums and only seen in times of reflection—the Jackson home is a living testament to the family’s adventures (in 77 countries at last count), a dynamic display of art and curiosities from around the globe. By extension, the home is an open love letter to the many cultures and individuals Ron and Sylvia have met, one which allows them to stay connected to the world beyond their walls and to share it with visitors. Like all great journeys theirs started with a small step, one that just happened to come at a business conference.

“One of the speakers, a man named Mike Wheeler, he said, ‘All of you guys, once a year you need to take your family somewhere in the world that nobody in the family has been,’” Jackson remembers. “‘There’ll be some good things that happen and some not-so-good things that happen… But adventure will create a dimension in your family, in your family relationships, that you can’t create in any other way I’ve ever found. Take your family to other parts of the world.’

kingdom

27

winter

2013

“And so we started with our girls when they were 7 and 9, and we’ve taken them all over the world once a year.

We’ve had some wonderful adventures and some ones that, at times, were a little bit challenging, but we’ve lived by that.”

Among the benefits, Jackson’s daughters—Gantry and Jada Jo—speak Spanish, a skill that no doubt helps them in their respective successful careers. And the Jackson family has established a network of friends and contacts all over the world, an incalculably valuable asset in life. Less obvious are the innumerable benefits to perspective that travel brings, the effects on decision-making and on success in business. In Jackson’s case that success has been substantial, with any perspective gained from travel added to his instinctive drive.

Before working as President and CEO of Resort Condominiums International (RCI), Jackson was Hilton Hotels’ largest franchisee in the United States, in addition to captaining numerous other ventures. Today, he’s President and CEO of Meadowbrook Golf, IGM and Golf Ventures, one of the largest U.S. dealers of Jacobsen turf maintenance equipment.

He’s also a heck of a golfer. He learned the game during his enterprising college years at Utah’s Brigham Young University, which he attended for its business program—of which he apparently took immediate advantage.

After spotting a closed pizza restaurant near campus, Jackson approached the owner and proposed reopening.

“He asked me, ‘Do you have any money?’,” Jackson remembers. “I told him, ‘No, I don’t have any money—and I don’t know how to make pizza, but you can show me!’ I opened that restaurant and it became the college hangout for BYU. We’d have a line out the door a block long.”

Among the restaurant’s fans were members of the BYU golf team, including Jack Chapman and [top PGA pro and current broadcaster] Johnny Miller.

“They said, ‘C’mon, we’re going to show you how to play golf,’ and so I’d go golfing with them. They’re shooting 68 and I’m trying to break 100, but within two summers I was about a five or six handicap.”

Jackson’s love of the game persisted, and today he’s a member of both Bay Hill Club & Lodge near his home in Orlando and the exclusive Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles. In addition to playing most of the world’s topranked courses, for six years Jackson hosted the Father/Son Challenge on NBC at Orlando’s ChampionsGate Golf Club (which eventually reconnected him with Miller).

Post-college, Jackson and Sylvia (both from Calgary, Alberta, Canada) went to Houston, where he started his hotel business “with a bookkeeper, a secretary and 200 square feet,” he says. During the months and years of long hours as he built the company, Jackson always made time for travel with family. With a recent addition to the Jackson

117

clan in grandson Jackson Mateo, no doubt the adventures will continue.

“Once we started, the adventures got more exciting, they got more cutting-edge,” he explains. “We tried things, everything from living in the Sahara Desert on a camel for three weeks, eating goat meat and rice, to climbing the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu in Peru.”

Jackson’s tales are peppered with exotic place names like Ubud (in Bali) and Ghadames (Libya). His family photos show Ron and Silvia in completely different guise to their usual elegant attire—in photos of Ron during his time with the nomadic Tuareg in the Sahara, he’s completely unrecognizable. Clad in loose-fitting garments and sitting atop a camel (which he rode for weeks on end), Ron also wore the traditional Tuareg “tagelmust,” a cloth wrap that functions as both protection from the desert and as a veil that shields all but the eyes, thus concealing the wearer’s facial expressions and, by extension, his thoughts.

But it is their home that truly displays the breadth and wealth of their travels. Not a museum, Jackson explains, the lovely home and its eclectic array of sometimes lavish, sometimes rustic, always captivating holdings is an active collection that’s enjoyed daily.

“There’s a story behind each piece of art,” Jackson explains. “They aren’t from some designer’s color board or something. Now and then you look at something and you have a flashback. It just gives you a great memory. Each carpet in this house, for example, we got those in Fez. The souk [market] there is spectacular.”

Indeed, the carpets—some of which are intricate antiques—are sourced from Ron’s good friends Allal and Khadija Khalifi, who trade with Berbers in the Rif and Atlas Mountains of Morocco and bring the best finds back to their shop in Fez. As beautiful as they are, the rugs aren’t the most immediately noticed pieces in the house.

Those might be the massive 300-year-old front doors from Marrakesh, which are framed by columns of Cantera Stone imported from Mexico. Another standout is the incredible “Diana and Coursing Cheetahs,” a bronze by top sculptor Richard MacDonald, who’s done work for the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the 1996 Summer Games and London’s Royal Ballet School, among many others.

That piece is joined by another MacDonald, a bust of a cheetah, which itself sits in front of an oil painting of a cheetah cub by Tony Karpinski, who’s known for his nearly photo-realistic nature paintings.

A bejeweled wood-and-gold-paint elephant from India, a Buddha of superlative Burmese jade, a stunning Venezuelan funerary mask, intricately decorated camel-bone boxes, a bold painting from Hanoi and a jaw-dropping sculpture of Ganesha carved from a solid piece of Lapis sourced from Northern Afghanistan all astound and transport visitors— and that’s just one corner of the front room.

“We’ve shipped things home from probably 50 countries,” says Jackson. Staring at ceramics from Mexican artist Ernesto Cruz that could be at least seven feet tall and looking at an immense Tibetan Buddhist dorje (also called a “vajra”), which takes two men to lift, he adds, “and we’ve never had a problem.”

118

Ron and Sylvia Jackson, in front of their Orlando home

Pass the garage, where examples of another of Jackson’s passions are parked—including a beautiful Bentley and a Maserati—and one can end up in the chef-worthy kitchen staring up at a wall of tequila. In fact, Jackson has one of the finest private collections anywhere, more than 300 bottles of top-quality Añejo tequila (from which he makes margaritas that have to be tasted to be believed).

Upstairs there’s a room dedicated to the Jacksons’ time in Africa, which holds a stunning array of Tuareg pieces, among finely carved furniture and works from some of North Africa’s top artists. There’s even a colorful pair of traditional shoes from Gaddames, Libya, from the same maker who created shoes for Muammar al-Gaddafi.

There’s a second home in Mexico also filled with art and artifacts—a restored hacienda called “Casa Marisol,” which is on Mexico’s historic registry. It and the Orlando home hold tremendous value, both monetary and personal. But talking to Ron it’s obvious that it’s the experiences he and Sylvia have shared that have the greatest worth to him. His excitement is genuine as he describes how the two roared over sand dunes in Libya in a Land Rover or attended a camel auction with the Tuareg or climbed among cliffs with the Dogon people in Mali.

And there’s more to come, as Ron and Sylvia are planning a Silk Road journey for next year. We can’t wait to hear their tales and to see what they bring back. No doubt this trip will prove amazing—just another adventure in an inspirational life lived to the fullest.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Be Among the First to Experience the New Standard in Beachfront Living Quietly removed though hardly remote, the newest affiliate to the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World collection opens its doors on December 7, 2013. Nestled in a private enclave between the scenic Riviera Maya and bustling Cancun, this exclusive hideaway sets a new standard in beachfront living.

Twelve championship golf courses, designed by legends of the game make this a golfer’s dream destination. Each course will test your skills no matter what your ability with a mix of playability and challenge.

Special Grand Opening Rates starting at $289 with $100 Resort Credit per day.

For reservations and information Call 1-888-387-4798 Mention code: Kingdom

Being a dedicated golf traveler isn’t easy: More than just making sure you have a quality bag for your clubs, you need to own a vehicle that can hold that bag (or two bags, even) along with shoes and other gear.

Following that, you need to ensure your golf bag has a bag so it can remain protected on plane trips or long-distance journeys. And lastly, you need to have bags of your own to hold all of your personal kit. It all adds up to a lot of bags. Here, Kingdom presents our perfect assortment of bags to keep you and your clubs covered:

Travel Bag

Trakdot Never worry about lost luggage again with Trakdot, a simple solution that allows you to track your luggage anywhere in the world. Simply slip the Trakdot device into your bag when you travel by air, and you’ll receive a text or email when you land, reassuring you that your luggage has arrived with you. Check to see which city your luggage is in via an iOS or Android app, and be notified when you’re within 30 feet of your bags. FCC Certified and FAA Compliant, Trakdot is small, lightweight and effective—we love it.  trakdot.com

120

It’s a personal preference whether to go with a hardshell case for your clubs or a soft-sided bag. Once you’ve settled that, there are myriad choices among both types, ranging from relatively simple affairs to massive, refrigeratorsized hold-alls. Many people prefer a bit more room in their travel bags, but Kingdom’s editor likes to keep things lean. For him, Ogio’s Straight Jacket is as good as it gets: Just enough room for your golf clubs, a pair of shoes, and perhaps a few towels or jackets— even better if they’re wrapped around the clubheads for extra protection. A couple of internal straps keep things tight, while durable exterior wheels and a reinforced base make for easy rolling through airports and over curbs.

Add to that Ogio’s reputation for great design and durability, and we think this is one of the most straightforward and best travel bags available.  ogio.com

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Golf Bag Vessel Custom Golf Bags are “Filled With Purpose,” as the company has it, and we hope you feel as positively about your clubs. Vessel offers top bags that are completely customizable via an easy-to-use design process on their website (below). Choose from four excellent models, then select colors, materials and even personalized logos and text, and Vessel will ship your bag to you in near two weeks. For travel we’ll take the Vessel Original, a pro-worthy bag available in a number of configurations, and the company’s lightest. With all kinds of design innovations, the extreme personalization, and the top-tier materials, Vessel bags will travel well and last as many rounds as you can handle.  vesselbags.com

Your Bag It’s no good your clubs having all the fun when it comes to golf travel— you should make a statement of your own with the new series of officially licensed PGA TOUR bags from Kaybull.

This top maker of hardside luggage builds its bags from premium ABS and Polycarbonate materials, meaning your luggage will be strong, durable and lightweight. Embossed with a bold PGA TOUR logo and golfer image, there’ll be no issues finding your bag on the airport carousel—and no question where your travel interests lie. Featuring zipper pulls that call to mind 1-iron faces, TSA locks for quick trips through checkpoints, custom-set bag locks for protection and four heavy-duty spinner wheels to facilitate easy rolling anywhere, these bags are the top in travel. Choose from a variety of sizes and colors, and don’t forget to pack the sunscreen.  kaybull.com

kingdom

27

winter

2013

121

Oasis Game When golfers think of the desert, their visions are more Bob Hope and Arnold Palmer than Lawrence of Arabia and Rommel—and we certainly hope the reality is similar. Martinis, palms and cool green grass in oasis-like settings are far preferable to long treks through the hot, dry sand, especially when one is on course. The following sampling of courses is by no means comprehensive, but we feel the courses here all offer great examples of desert play. Rest easy: it’s the Bob Hope and Arnold Palmer kind

122

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Patrick Drickey / stonehousegolf.com

arizOna Troon norTh Golf Club scottsdale Like California, Arizona contains part of all four of North America’s major deserts. Accordingly, the state offers some fantastic desert golf opportunities. Among them, the oft-lauded Troon North in Scottsdale is entitled to all of the numerous compliments it’s earned over the years, especially following the 2007 design update from Tom Weiskopf.

Its two courses offer enough cacti, scrub brush and granite boulders to satisfy any Western fantasy. Hit around the giant rock “monument” for which Troon’s Monument Course is named (which sits in the middle of the third fairway), stay as precise as possible as you thread the needle along Troon’s Pinnacle Course, and enjoy a drink at the resort’s Dynamite Grill as the desert sun sets.  Troonnorthgolf.com

kingdom

27

winter

2013

Troon North, Ariz.

The boulders Golf Club

TPC sCoTTsdale

Carefree If you came upon it on a trail ride, you’d swear it was the hidden outpost of a gang of renegade golfers. Parts of The Boulders Golf Club resemble the smugglers’ hideouts in the old Western films, and that character makes it all the more exciting to play. Hidden in the Sonoran Desert foothills, the club’s two courses are defined by sometimes immense 12 million-year-old granite boulder formations, which give the whole place a Hollywood soundstage feeling.

The views are incredible, both the North and South Courses offer great desert challenges and the on-site spa and dining opportunities make The Boulders a complete experience for golfers who like a little adventure with their luxury—or is it luxury with their adventure...  bouldersclub.com

scottsdale Home to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which has been described as “the best attended and rowdiest stop on the PGA Tour,” the challenging Stadium Course here has plenty of what you want in a wild ride: an island green on 15 and a drivable par-4 17th that both offer crazy water-infused risk/reward gems, along with an overall experience that is as satisfying as it is intense. Even the history here is dynamic: the only ace on a par-4 in PGA Tour history was scored in 2001 by Andrew Magee on No.17, while Tiger’s hole-in-one on 16 in 1997 cemented the hole’s moniker as “the loudest hole in golf.” More memorably, perhaps, there’s a one-ton boulder on 13 that fans helped move for Tiger in 1999—probably the heaviest loose impediment in golf history. Be sure to bring a few friends if you’re planning on getting stuck in its shadow.  Tpc.com/scottsdale

123

Classic Club, Calif.

CaLifOrnia ClassiC Club

PGa WesT

TahquiTz Creek

Palm Desert It’s hosted the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (now the Humana Challenge) and seen as many celebrities on its fairways as any of the Palm Springs-area clubs and restaurants, but somehow the Classic Club in Palm Desert always manages to feel as friendly and down-to-earth as your favorite local course. A true oasis in the Mojave Desert, there are nearly 30 acres of water features on this Palmer design, plus pine and olive trees. There’s plenty of sand as well, with more than enough bunkers to satisfy beach lovers. Old-school class abounds at this property, from the excellently maintained course to the 63,000-square-foot Tuscanstyle clubhouse with its Bellatrix restaurant. With fantastic golf and top-shelf service all around, it’s tough to find a more enjoyable option than the Classic Club.  Classicclubgolf.com

La Quinta There are six courses at this epic desert club, and each one of them is an absolute gem. Framed by the Santa Rosa Mountains and site of the Humana Challenge (formerly the Bob Hope), the club has hosted Presidents, celebrities, pros and golf enthusiasts for decades, and it’s no wonder. The 109 holes of golf are kept in top condition year round, the Health & Racquet Club is as good as it gets and the numerous dining and other recreational opportunities make PGA West a must-visit location for anyone who loves the best desert living has to offer. We like the Arnold Palmer Private Course, of course, but no matter where you play here you’ll have a tremendous desert vacation.  Pgawest.com

Palm springs We love the sky, we love the mountains, we love the restaurants and the nightlife and the Mid-Century Modern architecture, but most of all we love the golf in Palm Springs.

One of the valley’s better examples is Tahquitz Creek Resort, managed

by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, which offers two courses along with top service and stunning views.

The Legend course is a traditional country club-style course, perfect for an easygoing afternoon, while The Resort course showcases the best the desert links style has to offer. Play both for a full day experience, work out your kinks on the driving range or just stop in to watch the sunset with a cool drink at Traditions Café. Time at Tahquitz Creek is well spent.  Tahquitzgolfresort.com

124

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Doorstep to destination golf club and luggage delivery.

If you travel halfway around the globe to play a legendary course, you want your clubs to be waiting for you - not the other way around. Luggage Forward will collect your golf clubs at your home, office, or club and send them directly to virtually any golf course or resort worldwide. Our decade of global luggage and golf club shipping experience allows us to offer the lowest door-to-door rates and a full money back plus $500 on-time guarantee. Book your shipment online or by phone today and eliminate the most inconvenient part of every golf trip - hauling your clubs to and from the airport.

Think of us as your door-to-door caddy.

For an exclusive offer, please visit:

www.luggageforward.com/kingdom

COLOraDO

new mexiCO

texas

four Mile ranCh Golf Club

Paa-ko ridGe Golf Club

lajiTas Golf resorT

Cañon City This course, set amidst the high desert region of Colorado, is proud to see itself described by Golf.com as “a quirky hodgepodge that resembles nothing you’ve ever seen in golf.” With crazy-beautiful views of brushed-gold mountains and rugged valleys in all directions, this course layout has been called “adventure golf at its finest.” Preferring natural white shale ridges called “hogbacks” to formal bunkers, offering all kinds of dramatic drop-offs and obscured-view holes, and dropping players’ jaws with other design choices, Four Mile Ranch is a refreshing departure from the ordinary. Adding to the course’s attractive peculiarities: Four Mile Ranch claims that eight players shot holes-in-one here in 2011. Absolutely worth a stop.  fourmileranch.com

albuquerque Albuquerque sits in the northern upper edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, and the nearby Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club benefits from its high desert status. Lush vegetation frames this hilly course on the east side of the Sandia Mountains and does as much to cool conditions as the altitude.

Many of the holes play downhill, making the most of the views, and most of your challenges will be dry (though water appears in a couple of spots). There are 27 holes of golf here, just 20 minutes from Albuquerque and 45 minutes from Santa Fe, and with plenty of top area lodging (and even available homes on site), Paa-Ko Ridge makes an interesting desert getaway for short trips or seasonal stays.  Paakoridge.com

Lajitas Formerly Apache territory, the area around Big Bend National Park in Texas is rough country. It’s also beautiful.

Tucked into a rustic corner of the region, the Lajitas Golf Resort offers wild fun along with great golf. Shoot guns, go rafting on the Rio Grande or ride horses to get your Old West fix, then change out of your jeans and head to Black Jack’s Crossing. Named for U.S. Army General “Black Jack” Pershing, who fought Pancho Villa, the Lanny Wadkins design serves up cowboy-sized portions of great views along with its game. Emerald fairways cut among bold rock and desert scrub, while a practice facility and pro shop (located in the old Lajitas Trading Post building, ca.1800s) handle warm-up and equipment needs.  lajitasgolfresort.com

Lajitas Golf Resort, Texas

126

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Shooting Range Industries LLC offers the READY RANGE, a complete, 100% ballistic enclosed modular shooting range including all range equipment, electrical, lighting, and HVAC. Each module has two complete shooting lanes. These units are shipped to your location and set into place. Once power is connected, you are ready to shoot.

FEATURES

OPTIONS

• • • •

• • • •

•

• • •

Modular, can be moved and relocated Expandable in width and length Includes bullet traps, shooting stalls, and target retrieval system All electrical including outside disconnect, electrical panel, receptacles and lighting (dimmable and programmable lighting scenarios available) Complete air filtration system including air supply, heating, cooling exhaust fans, HEPA filters, pressure monitoring gauges, and temperature controls. OSHA compliance for indoor range air quality Rifle or pistol rated Complete weather proof with all roofing, insulation and outside finishes Can be placed outside, or inside a building or garage

• • • •

Safe entry door Doubles as a panic room and hurricane shelter Surveillance cameras and alarm connections Simulations systems (live fire video games, targeting, and training scenarios) Build in gun cases and displays Additional gun rooms Master control rooms Weapons cleaning rooms

Systems starting at $128,000

Contact Michael Halverson or Jake Cook

www.shootingrangeindustries.com 702-362-3623

128

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Solid Gold Whether you like it for its luster, its beauty, its history or its value as a long-term investment, gold makes a worthy and glittering addition to any portfolio Among things that stand the test of time, gold is one of the most enduring as much for its aesthetic qualities as for its inherent value. Ever desirable, the precious metal has long weathered market changes and economic upheavals to emerge as one of the most stable long-term investments around. If you haven’t already, it might be a good time to consider adding a little sparkle to your investment portfolio.

Over the last few years, nearly every financial writer in the world has seen fit to quote the supposed old Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times,” and it’s no wonder. To call the collective market upheavals of the last half-decade and global governmental reactions to them “unprecedented” borders on understatement. But as with any period of history, alarm is often a matter of perspective. And just as the supposedly old Chinese saying is actually the creation of an American diplomat and not Chinese at all, so is the notion of unprecedented market volatility somewhat inaccurate.

Taken in the context of a longer timeline, market fluctuations are rather a course of history. Within this perspective, as is often the case, cooler heads prevail, and that means holding onto longer-term, stable assets. Among these none, perhaps, has the pedigree of proven worth like gold.

To find the origins of gold’s valuation, we have to return to a time before 3,000 BC. The metal has been found in Mayan ruins, Egyptian tombs, English courts and Tibetan temples. Its continued use in jewelry and in decorative arts only underlines that attraction, making it no wonder that gold is held as an asset by individuals at all income levels.

Beyond personal holdings, governments have long used gold as a means for storing and stabilizing wealth. As governments moved away from the gold standard, which

kingdom

27

winter

2013

backed many world currencies before 1972, countries including the United States, France, Italy and Germany continued to hold large quantities of gold. In contrast, while many emerging economies, such as those of China, Mexico, India and Russia, historically held little to no gold, more recently they began investing in it rather heavily. Among their reasons, certainly, is the volatility of the last few years, which has driven central banks around the world to back off investment in the U.S. dollar and the Euro. Seeking to stabilize their own currencies and to hold wealth with integrity, many of these banks have turned to gold, which, like U.S. Treasuries, Euro bonds and Japanese Yen, is typically one of their allowed asset purchases.

Valuation But how does one assess the actual value of gold, especially when the markets seem awry at every turn? Indeed, it isn’t easy. In fact, tying the price of any precious metal to any live piece of economic data is nearly impossible as, unlike stock in a company, there’s no obvious way to guess at earnings then estimate a share price. In gold there is no immediate cash flow, no immediate earnings, and no dividends from the metal itself. Still, there are attempts at ways to make approximations at gold’s value, and though they’re hardly perfect, they’re sometimes well-received in the U.S. market. The inflation-adjusted price of gold, the value of the total gold stock relative to the U.S. monetary base and the value of the total gold stock relative to the U.S. equity market cap have all been used in attempts to gauge gold’s value.

In terms of the inflation model for valuation, gold is regarded as a “defensive” asset. Unlike paper money, which loses value every day on some level, gold cannot be

129

created, diluted or conjured. As a limited, relatively fixedquantity asset, its value is certain in that it will “lose less” than paper assets, thus its position as “defensive.” As the people who purchase gold can be presumed to be earning money in a way that at least keeps pace with inflation, the premium items they enjoy purchasing should also keep pace. This includes jewelry, for example. Likewise, mining operations also deal with inflation, rising labor costs and the costs of equipment, for example, and thus it makes sense that they wouldn’t continue to mine gold if it did not continue to prove profitable for them. Obviously, the inflation model only allows for the overall conclusion that as long as gold is desired, its value will continue to rise along with inflation. This is hardly precise, and other attempts at establishing values are as problematic. At the end of the day what is known is that, over the long term, gold’s value has, in fact, continued to rise and it continues to appeal to investors at all levels.

Personal inVestment In terms of stabilizing currencies and holding wealth, governmental investment in gold is all well and good, and its continued growth supports the stability of gold as an asset worth holding. But how might an individual add gold to his or her personal portfolio?

The most obvious way to hold gold is in the form of jewelry, watches, artwork or other tangible and decorative arts. Additionally, gold bars and coins can be purchased from companies that specialize in precious metals and stored in safes or at banks, which is a rather straightforward way to hold the asset.

Beyond these, there are a number of investment opportunities that might prove more practical or certainly easier, especially in terms of liquidity and scale. Among these, Gold Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), are one option. They allow gold to be traded on exchanges much like any other investment.

Gold ETFs first really came to fruition in 2004 with the launch of SPDR Gold Shares (GLD). GLD allows investors to purchase gold shares on a regulated stock

130

exchange, just like a share of a company’s stock. The value of the shares reflects the price of gold bullion, less the expenses of the ETF. Some ETFs, like GLD, are backed 100 percent by corresponding representations of the physical metal. So, when an investor buys a share of GLD they are actually buying 1/10th of an ounce of gold. This is one of the advantages to an ETF—the ability to own gold without the concerns of having to physically store any gold, eliminating the cost (and potential concerns) of storage and, eventually, selling and evaluation.

Purchasing shares in a gold-mining company offers another way to invest in gold. In this, there are income possibilities with potential dividends, depending on the firm.

Additional opportunities within this type of investment are also possible due to a set of variables that operate beyond the obvious worth of the metal. For example, while the value of stocks in gold-mining firms has been historically tied to the value of gold itself, factors such as firm efficiency, transport, and expertise also affect share value. More than 300 such companies are listed and publicly traded in the United States, making investment in gold-mining firms an interesting possibility.

Additionally, Gold Accumulation Plans (GAPs) offer a long-term and hassle-free way to invest in gold. In these, investors set aside a fixed amount of money every month for the purpose of purchasing gold. The cost averaging process cushions investors from short-term fluctuations in the price of gold, while the essentially automatic nature of purchasing ensures that investors continue to amass gold assets at a rate that fits with their overall investment goals.

All of these are worth considering, perhaps especially in times of market volatility. If one thing is certain, it’s change, so fluctuations in the price of gold or any other holding shouldn’t come as a surprise. But in a world of assets with widely varying risk profiles, gold provides a time-tested opportunity with a historical record of growth and appreciation. While past performance is no certain guarantee of future results, gold is certainly worth considering as part of a diversified portfolio. If it’s not part of yours today, maybe it’s time to add a little shine to your investments.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Manor of scandal

fifty years ago, the Profumo affair erupted onto the British political landscape, leading to a Prime Minister’s resignation and to his government’s defeat at the ballot box. This chain of events was triggered at cliveden House, a sumptuous stately home a few miles west of london. cliveden remains filled with antiquities and surrounded by state-of-the-art landscaping, but its bedrooms are now open to us all, not just the aristocracy. Daralyn Danns charts its peaks and troughs

132

summer

2013

kingdom

27

It was one of history’s juiciest juxtapositions: The concurrence of the cold War at its grimmest with the swinging sixties, a time for fun, frivolity, fashion and frolics.

Political intrigue and espionage had long gone hand in glove with romantic indiscretions as the favorite topics of contemporary newspaper columns. But the spotlight of infamy was now swiveling onto the British establishment. a senior cabinet minister had been caught up in a honey-trap involving a good-time girl and a soviet naval attaché.

Unraveling just over 50 years ago was a salacious affair that rocked the world and eventually brought down the country’s strait-laced government.

The epicenter of this “sex and politics” scandal was cliveden (pronounced cliv-den), an exquisite, quintessentially English country-house estate renowned at the time for extravagant parties that were attended by the social elite. The Profumo affair, as the intrigue became known, propelled this rural idyll, some 20 miles west of london in the county of Berkshire, into the world’s headlines and blighted forever the astor family, its longstanding occupants though no longer its owners.

It all started when William “Bill” Waldorf, the 3rd Viscount astor and a member of one of the United states’ most eminent families, hosted a party along with his wife, Bronwen, at cliveden in July 1961. The guests included the secretary of state for War, John Profumo, and his wife, the celebrated actress Valerie Hobson.

By a twist of fate, stephen Ward, cliveden’s resident osteopath who treated the rich and famous, was throwing his own party at spring cottage, elsewhere on the mansion’s estate. on his guest list were 19-year-old beauty christine Keeler and Yevgeny Ivanov, a handsome soviet naval attaché. swimming in the newly-installed pool that night, Keeler’s nubile form caught the eye of Profumo and triggered a catastrophic sequence of events. during the brief affair with the minister that followed, she was, allegedly, also sleeping with Ivanov.

Pillow talk was viewed as a potential security risk and when details about Keeler’s sexual history were leaked to the press almost two years later, Profumo at first denied the relationship to the House of commons. admitting later that he had lied, he was forced to relinquish his post in disgrace. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan could not repair the damage done to his government and resigned himself shortly afterwards. The conservative party, tarnished indelibly with sleaze, duly lost power at a general election a year later.

The Profumo affair was hardly the only episode of historical significance to occur at cliveden—and far from the only scandal. Indeed, the affair’s profile was made all the more tantalizing by the estate’s rich and colorful past. It has been the home of three dukes, an earl, three viscounts and frederick, Prince of Wales, son of George II. additionally, it has welcomed almost every British monarch since George I through its doors, including the present Queen—and has hosted almost as many infamies. In fact, you might say the estate was built just for that purpose.

kingdom

27

summer

2013

133

George Villiers, second duke of Buckingham, bought cliveden in 1666. renowned for his rakish, often scandalous behavior, he wanted to have a residence and hunting lodge close to london where he could lavishly entertain his friends and, in particular, his mistress, the countess of shrewsbury, whose husband, the Earl of shrewsbury, he had mortally wounded in a duel two years later.

If the behavior of some cliveden’s residents has been suspect since the start, at least the setting has been unassailable. standing on chalk banks on the north side of the river Thames, the mansion is as elegant as it is bold, and the 376 acres of gardens and parklands are the stuff of country dreams.

The mansion proper has seen a few renovations over the years, twice due to fires, which have left the gardens and rear terrace as the only surviving parts of the actual first estate. The second fire occurred in 1849 shortly after the duke and duchess of sutherland had moved in after adding cliveden to the portfolio of other estates they owned. The house had to be completely rebuilt, and sir charles Barry (who also designed the Houses of Parliament) was commissioned for the task. The resulting threestorey Italianate villa stands today looking over the parterre, the jaw-dropping formal garden originally laid out in 1830 by comte alfred d’orsay, which remains the jewel in cliveden’s crown. one of its biggest fans was Queen Victoria, an intimate friend of the duchess who frequently traveled up the Thames from Windsor to take tea at the spring cottage—a haven of tranquility on the estate. as today’s guests can, she would have wandered around and enjoyed some of the numerous wonders from the Mediterranean that dot the grounds. among others, there are the balustrade from the Villa Borghese in rome, numerous sarcophagi and two ancient Egyptian granite statues of baboons that are approximately 2,000 years old. The ornate fountain of love, carved by Thomas Waldo story out of marble and volcanic rock, is possibly the highlight and greets visitors as they arrive at the end of cliveden’s long, tree-lined entrance drive.

134

Golf cliveden House offers a Monday-to-friday golf package for a minimum of two guests that consists of luxury overnight accommodation, full English breakfast, three-course dinner in the Terrace dining room, green fees and golf club hire on either the East or Edinburgh courses at Wentworth, and transfers both ways. rates are from around $1,550 per room per night, based on two adults sharing a club room.

Wentworth is approximately a 30-minute drive away.

This prestigious golf club has been hosting professional tournaments for nearly 90 years, and is still home to the annual BMW PGa championship on the European Tour each May. In addition, it staged the ryder cup in 1926 and 1953, and the World Matchplay championship from 1964 to 2007.

It has three 18-hole courses: The West, which has hosted all these championships, the East and the Edinburgh. There is also a 9-hole, par-3 course. Wentworthclub.com. sunningdale, home to two 18-hole courses, is open to guests from Monday to Thursday with a recognized golf club handicap certificate of 18 for men and 24 for ladies.

This quintessential English establishment is as close to augusta national in design and ethos as any club in the British Isles. The old course, designed by Willie Park, Jr., was established in 1901 while the new was laid out by Harry colt, for many years the club’s secretary, in 1923.

Sunningdale-golfclub.co.uk. stoke Park, home to 27 holes of championship golf on a 300-acre Buckinghamshire parkland estate, staged the first PGa Matchplay tournament in 1910 and was the venue for James Bond’s infamous golfing duel with Goldfinger in the eponymous 1964 “007” film. Visitors are welcome here seven days a week. created in 1908 by colt, the stoke Park course has been the inspiration for many of the world’s most famous holes, including the short 16th at augusta national. Stokepark.com

winter

2013

kingdom

27

This iconic shot of Christine Keeler, taken by lewis Morley in 1963, was meant to promote a film about the Profumo Affair, but the movie was ultimately canceled. The chair in which Keeler is sitting is a cheap copy of the No.7 chair designed by Arne Jacobsen. Sales of the real thing skyrocketed after this picture was released

Imagine Her Majesty’s displeasure in 1893 when she heard that all of these treasures and cliveden itself had been sold to William Waldorf astor, reputedly america’s richest citizen at the time. astor, after serving as the U.s. ambassador to Italy, paid $1.25 million for cliveden and made England his home, but the estate would hardly provide the rural bliss for which he’d hoped.

Unhappiness came almost immediately with the death, aged 36, of his wife Marnie, lady astor. following that, the grieving husband became a recluse and concentrated most of his efforts into putting his stamp on the house. living under a portrait of lady astor (which still hangs on the wall, flanked by a great stone medieval fireplace), he revamped many of the rooms, enlarging the Great Hall and installing a rather grand wooden staircase. additionally, astor bought the gilded paneling from Madame de Pompadour’s 18th century dining room at the château d’asnières, on the outskirts of Paris, and installed it in the french dining room, where it can be seen today. one of his more contemplative contributions to cliveden is the garden maze, which he himself designed and which still provides guests the opportunity for recreation or meditation.

In 1906, the maze, the house and all of it was given by astor to his son Waldorf as a wedding present, and the scene was set for yet more celebrity controversy. Waldorf’s wife, nancy, was not only a legendary hostess but also the first woman to become an MP (Member of the House of commons in the British Parliament).

Her guests, as diverse as her own personal achievements, included Winston churchill, franklin d. roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, charlie chaplin and George Bernard shaw. at that time, cliveden’s weekend parties were the hottest ticket in town. lady astor had an “open-door” policy, allowing all her visitors to air their views regardless of the company present.

kingdom

27

winter

2013

In the 1930s, the parties were rumored to have a distinct political agenda, and commentators accused the cliveden set of holding pro-nazi sympathies and trying to cajole British foreign policy towards appeasement. clearly, long before the Profumo affair, scandal, power and political intrigue were no strangers to this house.

Tabloid-worthy for a different reason, cliveden played host to The Beatles when they filmed their movie Help!, and images from the lads’ time there are among the most charming and collectible of all the photographic records of John, Paul, George and ringo.

Movie set, place of great joys and sorrows, hider of secrets and stage for infamies, at one point cliveden even functioned as an overseas campus for stanford University. finally like many great former estates, cliveden became a hotel in 1985. Upon hearing the news, former Prime Minister Macmillan supposedly remarked: “But it always has been.” (The former PM remained a regular cliveden visitor well into old age despite the earlier difficulties the place had caused him.)

Today, half a century on from the Profumo affair, the estate is owned by the British people under the auspices of the national Trust and operated on a long-term lease arrangement by the owners of chewton Glen, a luxurious 5-star country house hotel and spa in the nearby county of Hampshire. as cliveden House Hotel, the estate continues its legacy of elegance, tradition and impeccable service—though with a bit more discretion these days. not that it’s lacking in scandalous settings: There are 38 bedrooms and suites, all named for someone who made his or her mark at cliveden. noticeably, none is named after Keeler, Profumo or Ward.

But the swimming pool that brought down a government is still there and open to guests. no harm in taking an innocent little dip, is there?

135

Ston e Fr ee

136

winter

2013

kingdom

27

The new F-Type won’t be carrying a generation through a sexual revolution, but no one’s asking it to. Modern in every sense, Jag’s new two-seater is scary-fast and beautiful. Moreover, it’s fun—and hasn’t that always been the point?

I

n case you didn’t know it, the 60s are over.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can talk about Jaguar’s new F-Type, the company’s first proper two-seat sports car in 40 years.

Beautiful, powerful, rich with technology and well priced (we believe), the car is an absolute blast to drive. No matter who you are, it makes you feel like a celebrity. “But wait,” you say. “You must be talking about the E-Type, the Goldfinger car, the one used in Austin Powers, the car that no other Jaguar will ever come close to replacing!”

Sigh. It seems we need to revisit the 60s after all.

For those who would compare Fs and Es—which many are doing recently, including Jaguar itself—know that there will never be another E-Type. The car that Enzo Ferrari called “the most beautiful car ever made” wasn’t just a vehicle, it was part of a movement. It debuted in 1961, one week before The Beatles played their first gig at the Cavern Club. That same year saw John F. Kennedy move into the White House, the first

winter

2013

kingdom

27

man launched into space and the United States land in Vietnam. Things were happening, baby, and the E-Type was the vehicle that carried the day’s sexually charged heroes from their movie sets to the Playboy Mansion and then out to dinner with royalty. The car made a rock star out of anyone who drove one, and many did.

But then the 60s ended. Jimi Hendrix died. The Beatles broke up. Fashion—which the E-Type certainly was, as much as it was a car—changed. And in 1974, with the Swinging 60s just a speck in the rearview mirror, the last E-Type rolled out of the factory at Browns Lane.

Since then the E has become a sacred cat, if you will, something much larger than four wheels and an engine. It is the sports car—the Jaguar, anyway—by which others are judged, including the new F-Type. But smartphones are the new generational icons, we’re not on the cusp of a social revolution, and comparisons to the past almost always come up short. And so it was practically inevitable that the F-Type wouldn’t measure up to its predecessor. Except that it does.

137

First off, it’s a car. And that’s important to remember. It probably won’t appear in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection (like its older sibling), but that’s not its purpose. Next, the F-Type is more than sufficiently powered at all trims, and the E was as well.

They’re both great fun to drive, with the obvious differences you’d expect after nearly half a century of improved engineering. There are a few styling cues as well: the F’s rear end, for one, evokes the E-Type, and there are the covered headlamps (which, sadly, lasted only until 1967 on the E due to U.S. safety regulations).

But if you strip away the gloss and Austin Powers and all the rest of it, there’s a more substantial comparison to be made between old and new, and it sits at the essence of Jaguar itself.

In 1961, gasoline cost 27 cents per gallon and the minimum wage was $1.15 an hour. Though it was a premium car, the E-Type went on sale in the States for $5,595, just $200 more than the average American’s yearly income.

This meant that, for the first time, the middle class could go 150mph—and look good doing it. This point, for many, is what Jaguar is all about: speed, performance and sex appeal at a not-impossible price.

As far as we’re concerned, in this regard the F-Type is absolutely a return to form for the brand.

Zero-to-60 in 4.2 seconds. A top speed of 186mph.

A Supercharged V8 that makes 495hp. These are big numbers, and yet the top-of-the-line F-Type V8S comes in at $92,000—hardly chump change, but quite a bit less than cars we’d consider comparable. The base trim gets you into an F-Type for a reasonable $69,000, while a mid-trim F-Type S is slightly more and slightly faster.

Both of those use a Supercharged V6 that comes highly recommended from top reviewers, including Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, who said it was more than enough engine: “At no point while I’ve been driving this have I thought, ‘yeah but I wish it was a bit more exciting,’” he opined while screaming through the English countryside in an F-Type S. We tested the V8S heavily optioned at $104,620, and found it to be positively exhilarating—an experience that began when we first saw the car.

136

Skin Deep It might not make it into a museum, but only a jealous German designer would call the F-Type anything but “stunning.” The aforementioned E-Type nods are tastefully drawn into a body shaped by two distinct “heartlines.” One begins at the bold “shark grill” openings of the front bumper and runs through the headlights and over the front fenders before disappearing into the doors.

The second begins at the rear edges of the doors, then sweeps upwards to create ready-to-pounce haunches over the rear fenders. This simplicity is mirrored in the driving experience: despite being a technology-laden feat of modern engineering, it never feels anything other than a superb racer with a big engine at the front. It has seemingly flawless transmission that puts power to the rear, precise steering and an accelerator pedal that begs to be pressed down. It’s brilliantly straightforward, if not exactly simple.

The interior is clearly race-inspired: tightly fitted leather seating that’s as comfortable or supportive as you like. We had the 14-way adjustable seats, which were nice but nothing we were too bothered about (though the incredibly quick bolstering was useful, quickly firming up side support for performance driving). Likewise: being able to adjust the interior ambient lighting to any number of shades and colors; automatic dual-function climate control; door handles, a rear spoiler and air vents that all remain hidden until needed, then automatically pop up; a convertible top that raises and lowers quickly—and can do its thing even while you’re traveling at speeds up to 30mph; a superb navigation system; easy-to-manage Bluetooth phone hookup; a trunk that will hold two overnight bags (or a set of clubs and one small bag); an innovative stereo from Meridian that makes the cabin seem bigger… All of these are great touches and functioned flawlessly for us, but they’re not really the point of the F-Type. The car’s purpose is found once you’re settled in. You press the ignition button, fold your hands around the firm steering wheel and hit the gas— and the exhaust note cracks the sky like a sonic boom.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Boom!

GooD BellS

“Rude.” That’s the word my mother would have used.

But as far as we’re concerned, the exhaust note of Jaguar’s new F-Type is sublime: Thick and throaty, it’s like devilish laughter erupting over a chorus of screams.

The sound can actually be made louder by pressing a valve-opening console button that features an almost cartoonish illustration of twin exhaust pipes.

Ridiculous? It made us giddy—and so did everything else about driving this car. We think the best sports cars feel just a touch scary (maybe a better word is “intimidating”), like they could suddenly rocket you over the horizon without warning. Jumping onto California’s Hwy1 just north of Los Angeles, we underestimated the F-Type’s power and almost lost the back end—but the tremendously precise steering allowed us to flick things back into shape immediately. Fantastic!

In fact, the 14.6:1 steering ratio is the quickest on a modern Jaguar and it’s just one more reason this is the best sports car we’ve driven in some time. It’s beyond refreshing to drive a 495hp car that feels like a 495hp car. So many of today’s rides tend to have more bark than bite, tying their power down with an array of experience-softening and corner-killing computer algorithms that, while they no doubt save a lot of money on body work, dull the thrill—and isn’t “thrill” rather the point of a sports car? Wind in the hair, passenger hanging on for dear life, slammed back in the seat laughing like a maniac as you roar down the highway? There are no thrills lost in this Jag; it’s a blast, especially in Dynamic mode, which allows for “a more spirited drive,” as Jaguar understates.

The F-Type’s bulletproof ZF 8-speed “QuickShift” automatic transmission (with manual mode) deserves a round of applause for its straightforward power delivery and blink-quick shifts, and another goes to the epic all-aluminum chassis and low center of gravity, which help with the car’s cat-like handling despite a curb weight just over 3,600lbs. The large and effective brakes, too, deserve a pat on the back. Way down under the hood, an adaptive damping system makes the most of the suspension and controls pitch and roll, while a host of stability and brake-control systems do their jobs without getting in the way.

While we’re not gadget-mad, there are a few innovations on the F-Type we enjoy. What Jaguar calls “Intelligent Stop/Start” is basically a system that shuts the engine down when the car is at a complete stop, like at a red light, but which maintains power to all electrical systems. Upon releasing the brake, the engine is re-started in as little as 300 milliseconds by a dedicated starter motor, meaning the car is ready to go by the time your foot’s back on the gas. It took a few blocks in city traffic to get used to this—the car goes nearly silent at red lights and it feels strange to sense the car shutting down—but we ended up liking it and the improved fuel economy it offers.

Additionally, if we actually owned one of these and lived with it every day, we would have a blast diving into the “Configurable Dynamic Mode,” which allows you to manually customize engine, steering, gearshift and suspension settings via the touch screen (if you can’t find a setting you like among the numerous pre-programmed modes). This all sounds like a lot of blinking lights and computers, but in fact most of the geek bits are quite well hidden and only come out if you need them.

At it’s heart, the F-Type is a beautiful sports car with a big engine and race-worthy performance.

Put the top down, keep your eyes on the road ahead, press down on the gas and prepare to have your world rocked. Jimi Hendrix CD optional.

Jaguar F-Type V8S Base MSRP: As tested: Engine: 0-60: Top Speed:

winter

2013

$92,000 $104,620 495hp 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 4.2 seconds 186mph

kingdom

27

139

140

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

I

n 1881, the first example of what would eventually become headphones was produced, and parents everywhere rejoiced. If they began as communications tools for phone operators and military personnel, headphones eventually saved countless relationships by piping screaming guitars and thunderous drums directly into the listener’s ears, rather than into the family living room. Today, more than being simply tools of containment, headphones have revolutionized the way we experience our everyday lives. Get on the subway in New York or London, visit a gym or take a flight to anywhere and you’ll see people wrapped up in their own worlds, miles away in whatever landscape is being painted by the music, speech or audiobook to which they’re listening.

That level of emotional transportation is largely possible due to technological improvements that have allowed headphones to deliver audio content to listeners in the highest possible quality, just as the artists intended. One of the companies at the forefront of this technology is Bowers & Wilkins, a firm known for top-end audio equipment and speakers, which offers a range of headphones infused with a long history of audio expertise. Building on the past, Bowers & Wilkins today produces some of the best headphones on the market, useful both for listening

and, in the case of their iPhone-specific designs, for speaking as well; microphones and volume controls are built in to facilitate phone use. It’s a long way from what the users of the first headphones could have imagined.

The first headphones of modern-ish design were manufactured by Nathaniel Baldwin in 1910. He hand-made each pair in his kitchen and sold them to the U.S. Navy. In 1937 Beyerdynamic created the first dynamic headphones for market, initiating a design that’s still popular, and in 1958 Koss weighed in with the first stereo headphones.

In 1966, Bowers & Wilkins was founded in Sussex, England as a small manufacturing company, with John Bowers and his friend Roy Wilkins dedicating themselves to building the perfect loudspeaker. By the 1980s, the famed Abbey Road Studios had adopted Bowers & Wilkins speakers as their monitors of choice (the relationship is still going strong) and today, in addition to building audio equipment for pro studio applications, the likes of Maserati and others, the company makes a range of top home audio products. Fortunately for audiophiles, that includes headphones. Whether you’re looking for a private at-home listening experience, a pair for the plane or in-ear headphones for walking around town, Bowers & Wilkins has you covered. And as Kingdom’s audiophile editor can personally attest, each set in their full range of offerings delivers absolutely incredible sound.  bowers-wilkins.com

P7 The latest headphone from Bowers & Wilkins, the circumaural (that is, over-the-ear) P7s are a tremendous addition to the company’s lineup. The driver in the headphone is designed to work like a drive unit in a hi-fi speaker, with a more precise, controlled movement that keeps the diaphragm focused on doing its job of generating sound. Bass is rich and tight, mids and vocals are well-defined and clear, highs are brilliant without ever becoming harsh and the overall balance across the frequency range is exceptional. Even the ear pads contribute to the sound, with dual-cavity cushions that help the pads mould to the contours of the listener’s head. This maintains a consistent volume of air between the drive unit and the surface of each ear, meaning the stereo imaging has room to breathe and the experience is essentially customized for each listener. As you’d expect from Bowers & Wilkins, the materials are of the highest quality.

Moving parts and back plates are made from brushed and stainless steel, and the headband and ear pads are encased in luxuriously soft leather, which makes them perfect for long listening sessions. Lastly, thanks to an ingenious folding design, the P7s are perfectly portable.

Complete with a remote/microphone attachment, they’ll greatly enhance the enjoyment of listening to music on your iPhone (or any other music source). All in all, an absolutely amazing way to experience music from Bowers & Wilkins.

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

141

P5 Bowers & Wilkins says the headphones in their collection provide a “Concert for One,” and that’s exactly what the noise-isolating P5s deliver. Like the P7s, these are made from the finest materials and covered in soft leather. Unlike the P7s they’re a bit smaller, thanks to a supra-aural (on the ear) design that, while it doesn’t encapsulate the entire ear, sits just atop the ears, communicating top audio quality without completely cutting the listener off from the outside world. Sound quality here is straightforward and clean, without any gimmicky enhancements. The music comes to you exactly as it was intended to arrive: rich, balanced and effective. The closed-back design ensures all detail remains intact; the supra-aural design ensures you get just enough ambient noise to give you a sense of place, which can be important in certain situations.

P3 The P3s are similar to the P5s in terms of appearance, but they have an innovative folding design and the materials used in their construction are a bit more rugged, meaning they can get knocked around in a flight bag or case without worry. That said, they do come with a hardshell case for protection, which should be used. Like all Bowers & Wilkins products, the P3s deliver fantastic audio, thanks in part to a bespoke engineered fabric covering the ear pads, which provides acoustic transparency in the center while forming a perfect seal around the edge for better bass and noise isolation. Made from heatsensitive memory foam, the pads also adjust to fit your ears. These are Kingdom’s travel headphones of choice, most often used in flight by the editor.

C5 Editor’s Review: “When I first saw the C5s, I was intrigued but not necessarily excited. As a self-confessed audiophile who’s spent far too much money on audio products, I’d had my share of intra-aural (in-ear) headphones and had yet to be truly satisfied. The box and presentation were nice, which is good because it shows the manufacturer cares about their product, and the ‘Secure Loop’ design, which utilizes the headphone cable as an adjustable stabilizing element in the outer ear, was interesting. It took me a minute to get used to this but now, after years of wearing the C5s, I don’t notice it at all. The most impressive aspect of the C5 beyond comfort and looks (I find it attractive) is the sound quality. In a word: sublime. No one has any right to expect sound quality this good from an in-ear headphone. Bass, often lacking with ‘ear buds,’ is rich and full. And the balanced definition—another casualty typical to this type of headphone— genuinely surprised me. If I lost or destroyed my C5s, I would not hesitate to replace them with another pair of the same. Absolutely brilliant headphone at a price point well below a few other offerings targeted at people like me—but far better sounding. They’re always on the road with me or in my pocket when I’m traveling around New York and London. Highly recommended.”

142

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Acumen Series Travel with class, no matter where your travels take you. The new Acumen Series hardside luggage is brought to you by Kaybull, the proud producer of officially licensed PGA TOUR速 luggage and travel goods.

kaybull.com

Your grandfather told your father, and your father told you: take pride in your appearance.

They were right, and these products can help

Indulge Aesop makes a range of superlative products for the skin, hair and body, a nice assortment of which are included in their Boston travel kit. Travel-sized shampoo, conditioner, hydrating skin cream, body balm, toner and more all come in an elegant travel case. There’s even a mouthwash, in case someone’s waiting to meet you after the flight  aesop.com

Smooth Dramatically precise examples of German craftsmanship, Solingen shaving tools are among the best in the world. Their elegant inlaid straight razor and strop are top examples  dovo.com

Wash Bubble & Bee offer certified organic body products made from the heart, including soaps in scents like Black Licorice and Coconut/Lime  bubbleandbee.com

Maintain Baxter of California sorts your needs with products like Protein Shampoo, Atlantic & Pacific Soaps, and Swiss Combs  baxterofcalifornia.com, Klhip makes the finest and bestdesigned nail clippers in the world  klhip.com, Bubble & Bee’s organic lip balm protects your purse  bubbleandbee.com, Hyd Razor Shield extends the life of your blades  hydformen.com, Yumaki bring style and a subscription service to toothbrushes  yumaki.com, Henckels’ nose-hair trimmer keeps you breathing  zwilling.com, and Grant’s Golden Brand Pomade will sort what’s under your hat  Grantsgoldenbrand.com

Sharpen In the finest English tradition, Edwin Jagger create shaving pieces of the highest standard. Their safety razors, Parabens-free soaps and synthetic fill brush are among the many tools they offer to men in search of the best  edwinjagger.co.uk

148

winter

2013

kingdom

27

In the purest expression, unadorned, true quality is revealed. And so it is with fine spirits. Cocktails are nice, but they conceal more than they reveal. This was the point during Prohibition, when illegal, foul-tasting gins were all that was available. But today, with finely crafted expressions from the likes of Glenmorangie and Belvedere, we can put the mixers aside and enjoy spirits as they truly are. Neat is as good as it gets, with all flavors at full intensity. A drop of water will soften the alcohol and reveal new layers, while a cube of ice will pull the base flavors from the spirit. Whether you splash them or not, the following spirits are best served naked, if you will, as pure pours

GLENMORANGIE SIGNEt

This rich, dark expression of genius bottles a lifetime of distilling expertise from the craftsmen at Glenmorangie along with an artistry, creativity and love that can’t be learned from a book. A blend of Glemnorangie’s oldest whisky—distilled more than 30 years ago at a time when malting still occurred at the distillery proper—and various spirits matured in an array of the world’s finest casks (charred, sherry and otherwise). No need for a celebratory excuse to open the impeccably packaged and remarkably singular Signet: pouring a measure is its own special event.

Aroma: Full-bodied espresso and plum pudding, rich with sherry and candied orange peel Taste: Lush chocolate and tiramisu illuminated by brilliant fireworks colored with ginger, spice and bitter mocha Finish: Cool, smooth mint and creamy vanilla citrus

winter

2013

kingdom

27

149

LOS AMANtES MEZCAL

One of the oldest spirits produced in North America, mezcal in its pure form pre-dates its more famous offspring, tequila. (All liquors distilled from any agave plant are technically mezcal.) Its production method is a testament to its heritage: over three days or so the piña, or “heart” of the agave, gets roasted in a pit in the ground, usually filled with hot stones and covered with earth. This roasting period is what gives mezcal the smoky flavor beloved by its fans. Following the roasting, it’s fermented naturally in wooden vats then distilled in copper or clay stills. Los Amantes, “The Lovers,” is an excellent example: 100 percent agave, its triple distillation makes for a smooth mezcal (losamantes.com) that drinks fine by itself or pairs nicely with a variety of foods. We like it with chocolate, especially from Vosges Chocolates’ Aztec collection, which offers the dark stuff dusted with ancho chile powder, among other treats. Los Amantes is available as a joven and as a reposado, with the latter offering a darker flavor profile and richer nose.

Nose: Steam off a sun-warmed metal roof in a clean jungle following a heavy rain; fresh-cut wood and rustic butterscotch Taste: Sweetened mesquite smoke, new leather, rich butterscotch, a breath of gunpowder Finish: Butterscotch musk, a library of leather-bound classics, the memory of pistols at dawn

150

winter

2013

kingdom

27

BELVEDERE

INtENSE UNFILtERED 80 VODKA The first written mention of the word “vodka” appeared in 1405, in a Polish court document, but the spirit had been produced in the country since the early Middle Ages (in contrast, it didn’t come to Russia until the 14th century).

Forget hiding it in a cocktail; in its purest form, vodka is meant to be enjoyed neat, and that goes doubly for sublime examples like Belvedere’s Intense Unfiltered 80 Vodka, made from single-estate Polish rye. Distilled four times but left unfiltered, its character and taste are in full effect. Chill it to a temperature that would scare the Russian army, then chill it some more. From the ice-crusted bottle, pour some in your favorite glass, and alternate between sips of vodka and bites of what the Russians call zakuski—small snacks traditionally enjoyed with vodka. Pickled mushrooms, sourcream-heavy salads, herring, salumi or, if you’re feeling really old school, raw raddish, which we recommend.

Nose: Fresh-baked bread on a blonde-wood table in a cottage on the brisk seaside Taste: The best country bread you ever tasted with a kiss of salted caramel and honey, evolving into touches of sea salt and white pepper pestled with cold stone and flint Finish: Lightly salted vanilla cream and visions of a cold sea in daylight

winter

2013

kingdom

27

151

Of the many blessings offered by the church, some of our favorites are bottled. For centuries, monastic traditions have created beers, wines and elixirs in which anyone can find divine inspiration, no matter his or her beliefs. Here, a small sampling of their humble works:

152

winter

2013

kingdom

27

ChARtREUSE

ChIMAy

In the early 2000s it was the vodka craze; in the 16th century it was all about elixirs, most of which were thought to cure ills and to prolong life—even indefinitely. If a tonic made of one ingredient could cure indigestion, imagine what a secret concoction of 130 herbs and plants could do! And so we have Chartreuse. First prepared in 1737 after a complex 1605 recipe contained in an obscure manuscript was unraveled by an order of monks at La Grande Chartreuse monastery in the mountains near Grenoble, France, the “Elixir of Long Life” is still prepared by the order’s monks. The recipe is fiercely guarded and the actual method of creation is known to only a select few. Its secrets were boldly denied to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who demanded the recipe in 1810 and was refused, and they’ve not been offered to anyone since.

Available in both green and yellow varieties, the herbal and slightly sweet Chartreuse is the real deal. Its sale allows the Chartreuse Monks to survive in a commercial world and to continue their remote lives of prayer and meditation.  Chartreuse.fr

A well-known brand with a rich history, Chimay is one of only eight beers worldwide authentically produced

by Trappist monks. It’s brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery under the supervision and control of the community of monks who create it, and their portion of the revenue from sales goes to social service.

The Cistercian Trappist Monks of Chimay have been in the beer business since 1862, producing a number of well-received brews including the Christmas beer that eventually became Chimay Blue (pictured), which appeared in 1948. Heady, full-bodied and not for the faint of palate, Chimay’s distinctive little bottles pack a whole lot of flavor.

Pour slowly and enjoy with big foods or alone. Perhaps in silence, in front of a roaring wood fire in the great hall of a large, cold, stone medieval building.  Chimay.com

hERBAL LIqUEUR

winter

2013

kingdom

BEER

27

153

DOM péRIGNON ChAMpAGNE

It’s not made by monks, but it’s named for one of the more important monastic wine figures ever to have walked a vineyard. Pérignon himself (full name Dom Pierre Pérignon) is often credited with having invented sparkling Champagne, though there’s more than a little bit of myth in that. What is known is that he served as the cellar master of the Abbey of Hautvillers and that, while there, he more than doubled the size of the vineyard’s holdings and improved the quality of its wines. He’s responsible for a set of wine-making rules that greatly influenced French wine production overall, introduced the idea of blending

154

grape varietals prior to sending them to press, and strongly advocated for production free of outside substances, which today might be known as “organic” wine-making.

Champagne was likely invented by an English scientist named Christopher Merret, but Dom Pérignon will forever be associated with improving the region’s wines and helping to establish a culture of fine wine-making in France, which is why he is honored as the namesake of what is perhaps the world’s most recognizable and revered bubbly. Incidentally, the grounds of the abbey in which he served are now owned by the house of Moët & Chandon, makers of Dom Pérignon, among other fine Champagnes.  domperignon.com

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Arnold Palmer’s Guide to the 2014

themajorsofgolf Relaunching March 2014

The Putting Mixture

By Steve Killick

G

iven the Bacchanalian history of golf and golf clubs, it should come as no surprise that the trophy for the oldest of the sport’s “Major” championships is a claret jug. The very foundation of British golf clubs and societies was based on the pleasures of the table alongside the vast quantities of claret consumed by the gentlemen players in those early days.

One unusual liqueur that quickly struck a popular chord appeared on the scene during Victorian times, arriving first from Russia of all places. Kümmel, a clear, aniseed-based liquor flavored with caraway, cumin and fennel, is to be found today at most traditional golf clubs, such as Muirfield, Prestwick and Royal St. George’s, to name but a few. It is also often referred to as “putting mixture.”

Kümmel’s history is a murky business. It is thought to have originated in the Low Countries and certainly the Dutch claim it as theirs (but then they also claim to have invented golf). Lucas Bols is said to have created it around 1570 at the same time he was producing his gin, by adding cumin to a distilled spirit.

What is certain is that Kümmel, kummel and kimmel are generic words in German, Dutch and Yiddish meaning both caraway and cumin. The Dutch also maintain that it was Peter the Great, the expansionist Tsar of Russia, who first tasted Kümmel when in Holland during the 17th century and enjoyed it so much he took the recipe back to St Petersburg with him. We also know that the first recognized commercial distillation of the drink was in the village of Allsach some 25 miles outside the port of Riga, then part of the Russian Empire. This took place at the house of Dutch aristocrat, Baron von Blanckenhagen, in 1823, the year that Ludwig Mentzendorff was born in Prussia.

When he was old enough, Ludwig joined his family’s shipping firm of J.A. Mentzendorff & Co in Riga where he was approached by Baron von Blanckenhagen to market and export his liqueur to Great Britain. Mentzendorff agreed and on June 1st, 1850 he began the long sea journey to London on the SS Caledonia.

He married Harriette Folks, an English veterinary surgeon’s daughter, and opened his first office in London at 37 Crutched Friars in the City of London. By then he had a rival in Riga with A. Wolfschmidt, suppliers of vodka and table wine to the Russian Tsars, producing its own version

156

of von Blankenhagen’s spirit, which, like Mentzendorff’s, is still sold today.

Ludwig Mentzendorff became a naturalized Englishman in 1860, by which time he had tied up a deal with the French Champagne house of Bollinger. Kümmel was by now being consumed in the smart gentlemen’s clubs of London, where it was much valued as an afterdinner drink because of its perceived aid to digestion.

But what first took the drink into golf clubs? In his wine column for the Wall Street Journal, journalist Will Lyons suggests that the popularity of Kümmel as a nerve steadier for golfers may have occurred after a Scottish regiment was fighting in the Low Countries during the latter stages of World War II. He writes, “Having developed a taste for the liqueur, they took the habit home to their golf clubs.”

winter

2013

kingdom

27

However, post World War II is far too late as we have evidence of it being served at golf clubs long before that.

In his book Fair Ways in Ashdown Forest, a history of 125 years of Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club in East Sussex, historian and archivist, Colin Strachan, writes of a golfing milestone held on September 6th, 1890: namely an Open mixed foursomes competition held at the Club where two Mentzendorffs from Cobham in Surrey participated. It is inconceivable that Ludwig’s commercial relationship with the London clubs would not extend into the increasingly popular and determinedly upmarket pastime of golf. And Royal Ashdown Forest certainly stocked Mentzendorff’s liqueur long before World War II, although today the members are served the rival Wolfschmidt.

Members of Prestwick, where the first Open Championship was held in 1860, consume, on average, three-dozen bottles a week or just over five bottles a day.

According to the marketing department at Mentzendorff, which is now owned by Bollinger and produced at a small but historic distillery in the French region of Saumur, Prestwick is the company’s biggest single global client with the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield a very close second.

The method of distillation has changed little along the way. Caraway seed is laced into vats with natural alcohol derived from sugar beet and the still heated until boiling point. The vapor is passed through cooling pipes and collected as a clear liquid in tubs, when a second distillation takes place. It is then mixed with sugar and placed into vats for two months before bottling.

The finished liqueur should immediately taste sweet with aromas of aniseed, licorice and cumin, leaving a long, dry finish. It is most popularly served either ice cold or over ice, although in order to compete with the huge array of spirits available today, the marketing folk are always trying to come up with new ways of enjoying Kümmel.

Silver Bullet, a mixture of gin and Kümmel, and a Wummel, containing whisky, can both be found in the more creative cocktail bars although these should certainly not be consumed in quantity.

And the caraway liqueur’s range is spreading. Last August, the Fourth Kummel Cup was held over the Links Course at Lawsonia, Green Lake, Wisconsin where a group of dedicated hickory golf enthusiasts battled it out for three days with their wooden shafted clubs. At stake was one of the Midwest’s most coveted amateur golf trophies, but more to the point, surely, was the collective opportunity to enjoy a few glasses of golf’s foremost putting mixture at the appropriate moment.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

157

ge t

i nto

your

gam e by

overcoming

your

pain

Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center Offers a Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Ease Arthritis Pain and Empower Your Golf Game

158

winter

2013

kingdom

27

I

t’s an ailment that knows no boundaries. Whether it’s a professional golfer or someone who simply enjoys the sport, the impact arthritis makes on both is undeniable—and is often the primary reason many are prevented from teeing off the first hole. Fortunately, Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center offers a unique combination of highly diversified expert care that addresses not only the immediate aches of arthritis, but also the life-long impact joint pain can have on your game. At Cleveland Clinic Florida, we bring together our specialties of rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery, podiatry and sports medicine to manage all aspects of arthritis throughout the spectrum of your care.

Whether it’s a slight ache in your knee or a severely painful shoulder that’s stopping your swing, Cleveland Clinic Florida’s team of professionals collaborate to help manage the impact of arthritis—a condition that has affected legendary golfers like Jack Nicklaus, and more recently, Phil Mickelson. Yet, what these Hall of Fame players know is that proper treatment can relieve the physical limitations of arthritis while enhancing their overall game. As one of U.S. News & World Report’s highest ranking hospitals in Broward County and one of the top five hospitals in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro areas, Cleveland Clinic Florida is committed to managing your joint pain and helping you get back in the game.

“By bringing our wide-range of specialists together in one center, we provide convenient, accessible care to address the multiple medical needs arthritis often presents,” says Dr. Gregory Gilot, chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center. “Whether it’s through providing physical therapy, pain management services or advanced total joint replacement, we offer the full spectrum of care for each patient’s condition.”

encouraging the athlete Within For many, a daily round of golf enhances one’s overall well-being—and Donald Riccardi of Sunrise, Florida is one who lives by this rationale. A native of New Jersey, Riccardi moved south in 2007 with the goal of playing 18 holes five days a week, but his left knee altered his plans.

“I was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in my knee that developed into osteoarthritis. Cleveland Clinic Florida was already managing my primary care needs because it’s

kingdom

24 7

wwi n i ntteerr 22001 3 12

convenient to my home, but I was surprised by the solutions they could offer for my arthritis pain,” says Riccardi.

To help him get back on the course, Riccardi began consulting with the orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists at Cleveland Clinic Florida. After a comprehensive evaluation and full treatment, Riccardi credits not only his partial knee replacement for restoring the athlete within, but also a full staff of experts including physical therapists and athletic trainers who provided him comprehensive and personalized care.

“The thorough rehabilitation Cleveland Clinic Florida provided after surgery made my recovery unbelievably quick. The appointments were easy to attend and the staff always ensured I was in and out each day on time,” Riccardi says. “Less than a year later, I’m back on the golf course four to five times a week.”

As South Florida’s premier destination for the treatment of sports-related conditions, Cleveland Clinic Florida views everyone who is active as an athlete. Whether it’s a game of golf or a daily bike ride they pursue, the goal is to get the athlete back in their game, says orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Brian Leo. “While we treat both the professional and amateur athlete at Cleveland Clinic Florida, we are committed to helping the recreational athlete overcome arthritic pain and keep them active in the sport they enjoy,” says Dr. Leo, who performed Riccardi’s surgery. “Arthritis is common in those age 60 and beyond, particularly in our active south Florida population due to chronic changes that most experience with aging. By offering proactive guidance and treatment, we can help athletes of all types and ages overcome joint pain while also offering reassurance that they’re not causing any more damage by playing the sport.”

enhancing technique through Stretching and Strength Just as the best golf players start every round with a plan for how they’re going to approach the course, those with arthritis should focus on preparing their body for the best game. To help them prepare before hitting the green, it’s important to stretch and engage muscle groups that are used when playing the sport, explains sports medicine specialist Dr. Daniel Grobman.

“Warming up with brisk walks and stretching the back muscles, hamstrings and hip flexors can not only

159 00

oFFering SolutionS For Joint pain help improve performance, but may also help reduce the risk of injury by improving blood flow and flexibility,” says Dr. Grobman. “Golfers who have shoulder, hip or lower back osteoarthritis can decrease risk of acute flares by utilizing a proper swing and good posture, which can be addressed through a good core strengthening program for the back and abdominal muscles. Using the proper lifting technique and strength of the hip, back and shoulder girdle musculature can also decrease risk of injury for those who carry their own equipment.”

If chronic arthritis pain is an issue, Cleveland Clinic Florida’s physical therapists offer instruction on how to perform the best preventative exercises for your physical condition. “Working with physical therapy short term not only ensures you are performing the exercises correctly, but also enforces the routine stretching and aerobic conditioning, which along with a proper golf swing and correct form can decrease risk of injury,” Dr. Grobman says.

playing through Without pain As a world-class academic medical center, Cleveland Clinic Florida also offers advanced arthritis pain relief through viscosupplementation injections. Viscosupplementation is a process in which a thick fluid called hyaluronate—a naturally occurring substance present in the synovial fluid of your joints—is injected into the knee joint. Viscosupplementation injections can provide six to 12 months of pain relief, and are typically given to those who have tried oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, and physical therapy to first alleviate the pain.

“Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee have lower levels of hyaluronic acid in their synovial fluid—the thick gel-like liquid that helps cushion their joints and absorb the shock of walking, running, twisting and turning.

Viscosupplementation helps keep the mild to moderately arthritic joint healthy, and the select severely arthritic joint mobile,” explains Dr. Gilot. “Whether it’s through the many non-invasive treatments or advanced surgical options we offer, it’s our goal for each of our patients to overcome their pain so that they can play the sport they enjoy.”

160

Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center is dedicated to helping you overcome joint pain and enjoy the game of golf.

While science hasn’t offered a way to prevent the development of the condition, there are many ways to prevent the pain arthritis causes, according to orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Brian Leo. “Our goal is to educate athletes on the benefits of exercise and physical therapy as well as provide them with the most advanced surgical care to help athletes both young and old overcome joint pain and keep them healthy and active,” says Dr. Leo. Patients who seek care from our Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center can take advantage of one or a combination of a full spectrum of services, including:

SportS health SpecialiZed treatment • Injection therapy, including corticosteroid and viscosupplementation • Injury prevention and rehabilitation • Knee and shoulder joint arthroscopy • Hip arthroscopy • Meniscal injury surgery • Ligament reconstruction

orthopaedic Surgery • Complex primary and revision joint replacement • Minimally invasive joint replacement • Advanced arthroscopic techniques

phySical therapy • Sports injury rehabilitation • Orthopaedic rehabilitation • Outpatient rehabilitation To learn more about the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Center at Cleveland Clinic Florida, call toll-free 877-463-2010 or visit clevelandclinicflorida.org.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

A PREMIER GOLF EXPERIENCE

GOLF • DINING • MEETING FACILITIES • PGA GOLF INSTRUCTION

CHRIS MILLER

To Book Your Tee Times Online

For reservations please call: 1-760-601-3690

Scan This Code Now!

Conveniently located off I-10 in Palm Desert

|

www.PlayClassicClub.com Classic Club is managed by Troon Golf,® the leader in upscale golf course management.

1-760-601-3600

Golfer’s Treats Kingdom samples luxury gifts for the winter season BAR SET With its exquisitely detailed image of a dashing, well-dressed golfer, this handsome bar set takes a nostalgic look back at a golden age of golf. Each glass is hand-engraved and centered against an elegant background of intersecting lines. Makes a stunning gift for the golf enthusiast in your life. This bar set and other elegant items can be purchased online from L.V. Harkness, the official provider of trophies to the annual Kingdom Cup.  lvharkness.com

ROYAL GOLD CIGARS —KISMET Produced by the Augusto Reyes Family at Corporacion Cigar Export in Santiago, DR, Kismet is a true labor of love. It is a Dominican PURO (all Dominican tobacco) using six different tobaccos grown by the Reyes family at various locations in the Dominican Republic. The blend takes full advantage of the varied climates and rich soils of this beautiful country. Kismet is an Urdu word meaning “fate” or “destiny.”

When the principals of Royal Gold visited the CCE factory and smoked this wonderful puro, it was as if everything lined up perfectly, as if it was destined to be theirs!

And hence Kismet was born. Whatever your destiny, Kismet cigars are there to enjoy the moment with you.  royalgoldcigars.com

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

163

GRAPPA

VALERI BALSAMIC

Produced by Montalbera, the winery responsible for the fabulous Ruche wines, Grappa of Ruche Montalbera is produced exclusively from vines of more than 20 years in age. Production is extremely limited as are the grapes used to make it. The Grappa is distilled slowly and skillfully, and then aged in oak casks to gently soften over time, giving the final distillate elegance and distinctive softness. Traditionally sipped as an aftermeal digestif, this Grappa’s exquisite flavor has lately seen it used in the preparation of modern dishes by celebrated Italian chefs.

We just like to drink it—a lot.  montalbera.it

Passion and tradition run deep in the Giacobazzi family and the fine balsamic vinegar they produce under the Valeri name. Known to some as “Black Gold,” this is as good as it gets. We feature the amazing Extra Vecchio Traditional DOP Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which qualified for its regulated moniker by being aged for a minimum of 25 years and presented in the elegant bottle designed by legendary designer Giorgetto Giugaro.  acetaiavaleri.it

KITCHENAID MIXER A perennial design classic that adds style and glamour to any kitchen, this Pro Line Stand Mixer from KitchenAid comes with a motor with a mechanical power of 1.3 horsepower. This highly robust motor— the backbone of any mixer—delivers consistent performance and power to both small and large loads in the bowl but with less heat build-up, resulting in years of dependable mixing. Looks, power, performance and time-tested durability— what’s not to like.  kitchenaid.com

164

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

THE 18 GREATEST IRISH GOLF HOLES This stunning book, a collectible work of art, was printed in large format and hand-fi nished by one of the world’s fi nest print houses. Each copy is individually numbered and comes in a slipcase.

Many celebrated golfers and architects contributed interviews, Mr. Palmer amongst them. Two of his best-loved courses, Tralee and The K Club, are featured. Other courses include Portrush, County Down, Doonbeg and Old Head.  18greatestgolf.com

HUMAN TOUCH MASSAGE CHAIR Continual stress is enough to cause and exacerbate serious health issues. So, after a stressful day there is nothing like having the revolutionary new ZeroG Immersion Seating massage chair from Human Touch transport you from the strain of work to the greatest depths of relaxation and wellness, and in the process resetting your mind and body and empowering you to perform your best.

The ZeroG 4.0 takes the stress out of stress relief; sit, recline to zero-gravity, and just let go. If a particular muscle or point of your body is overly strained simply point to where it hurts using the revolutionary BodyMap PRO Immersion Director. This chair, with it’s smart 3D massage engine leaves you relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to live life to its fullest. Immerse yourself in wellness.  humantouch.com

CURTIS PENS Let your imagination soar when writing with the new Signature Pen from Australian luxury brand Curtis.

Substantial and richly decorated, Signature has an opulence rarely seen in a writing instrument and is handcrafted by Curtis craftsmen over hundreds of hours using timehonored techniques. In solid Sterling Silver or, for true luxury, solid gold, this beautifully crafted pen has a detailed baluster stem supporting the majestic eagle‚“a symbol of action and decisiveness”—qualities surely needed when putting pen to paper in such a noteworthy way. With a heritage of craftsmanship since the 1890s, the jewellers at Curtis apply skills handed down across five generations, exemplified in their exciting range of fine jewellery, too.  curtisaustralia.com

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

165

ORION GOLF What every golfer really wants on the greens is to oneputt. Breakthrough improvement putters, the Black Swan and the Black Hawk (right) are designed with just that thought in mind. Named Golf Digest’s Top Equipment Story of 2012, the putters are custom-built and fitted to the player. Treat yourself.  one-putts.com

BIONIC GLOVES Conforming to USGA guidelines, the PerformanceGrip is the most feature-rich Bionic glove yet. Pads in the fi ngers and palm even out the surface of your hand for a lighter, more relaxed grip while enhancing durability overall, especially in areas most prone to wear. Pre-rotated fi nger design complements natural closure of the hand to reduce fatigue, while Lycra motion and web zones provide a better range of motion and a more comfortable fit. Wear them.  bionicgloves.com

BOBBY JONES Bobby Jones was America’s first golf icon and to this day remains the only player to have conquered the impregnable quadrilateral, winning all four Majors in one year. Stylish in everything he did, Bobby Jones apparel reflects the legend with classic clothing.

Featured here is a grey heather Argyle patterned V-neck sweater, navy flat front cotton pants, and polo shirts: pin stripe in double mercerized cotton and solid green in luxury pima cotton.  bobbyjones.com

166

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

GOLFER’S HUMIDOR This beautiful mahogany-finish, cedar-lined humidor is large enough to hold 20 of your favorite cigars at just the right humidity setting, either in the home or the office. The lid can display a panoramic picture of any Stonehouse Collection course—you can choose from more than 500 world-famous images. The courses available are from the USA, Scotland, Ireland, England, the Caribbean and Mexico. If nothing else we say visit the website to enjoy Patrick Drickey’s stunning images. Golf photography of the very highest order.  stonehousegolf.com

SHEAFFER STYLUS Need a quality pen that works on both paper and tablet? Then move up to a new level of fi ne writing expertise with the Sheaffer Stylus Collection—pens that provide a seamless transition between touchscreens and paper.

Available in 3 contemporary fi nishes, the pens feature a comfortable slim profi le, a textured resin grip, and are refi llable with blue or black ink refi lls.

Obviously nothing compares with the feel and class of ink on paper, but now you can also embrace new technology without sacrificing style or quality.  sheaffer.com

PART TIME GOLF Part Time Golf Company is a brand for the player. Designed and manufactured in California, hats are their current flagship product and appeal to all types that have a passion for the game—from construction workers to Wall Street executives, as well as celebrities and athletes. All are connected by their love of golf and how they intertwine their part-time golf game in their everyday lifestyle.  parttimegolf.com

FROGGER Frogger’s Amphibian Towel is the next best thing to having a caddie on your bag. It cleans clubs for stronger shots but without the mess that comes with a typical caddy towel half-dipped in water. With the Amphibian Towel, simply wet the interior towel to clean clubs and the waterproof membrane keeps the exterior towel dry. In rain the Amphibian Towel works like an umbrella, just keep the inside dry for hands and grips.  froggergolf.com

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

167

BUCCELLATI CUFFLINKS These beautiful Italian Sterling Silver and 18k Gold Cuffl inks are designed for the most discerning of tastes. Made from a centuries-old tradition of handcrafted silver and gold jewelry, each piece is designed by a member of the Buccellati family and passes through the skilled hands of numerous specialist artisans to become a reality. Makes a great gift for the well-appointed man. To see more fabulous men’s accessories, visit the site of the official provider of trophies to the annual Kingdom Cup.  lvharkness.com

MARTIN DINGMAN Celebrated for his timeless leather goods, footwear, and insatiable pursuit of the very best, Martin Dingman has expanded his collection to include Countrywear (sportcoats, trousers, shirtings, hosiery, and neckwear). While classic in feel, Dingman has brought a “new” approach that expresses a refi ned country lifestyle.

Martin Dingman Countrywear is rooted in centuries of tradition and created with the fi nest materials and handcraftsmanship. Every piece is redolent with heritage, quality and style for refi ned country living in any location.  martindingman.com

168

RAG & BONE MAN Not be confused with the shirt-makers of the same name, Rag & Bone Man out of the UK remaster disused metal parts, scraps of vintage engineered machinery and automobilia to create distinctive furniture, lighting and accessories. They also transform unwanted golf clubs into clothes hangers. The details of the clubs used, a serial number and date are stamped on to each hanger. You can even send in clubs to be so rendered. A fate that I have already threatened my current set of Callaways with should they continue to so wildly misbehave on the golf course.  theragandboneman.co.uk

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

*offer ends Jan 31 2012. Calendar ships seperately.

SUBSCRIBE TO

Kingdom

Kingdom magazine has always been available on a complimentary basis, as a gift from the King himself, to the private members of Arnold Palmer designed and managed courses. Now the magazine is also available, on a subscription basis, to all Arnold Palmer fans and golfers with a taste for fine living. If you would like to subscribe, or are a member and would like to gift a subscription to a friend, then simply tear out and fill in one of the below forms.

25% of all subscription revenue will be donated equally between the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando.

For faster service, visit arnieskingdom.com/subscribe or call 888.335.3288

✁ FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS

✘

2 YEARS (6 ISSUES) FOR $88—SAVE $32 1 YEAR (3 ISSUES) FOR $48—SAVE $12

COVER PRICE:

$120

name

2 YEAR SPECIAL OFFER:

$88

address city

state

zip

email

VISA

ISSUE 27

phone

PAYMENT ENCLOSED

MASTERCARD

credit card #

exp. date

Please make checks payable to Kingdom magazine.

✁

GIVE THE GIFT OF KINGDOM

✘ $120

GIFT TO:

GIFT FROM:

name

name

address

address

city

city

state

zip

VISA

✁

COVER PRICE:

MASTERCARD

credit card # Please make checks payable to Kingdom magazine.

state

2 YEAR SPECIAL OFFER:

$88

zip

PAYMENT ENCLOSED exp. date

ISSUE 27

2 YEARS (6 ISSUES) FOR $88—SAVE $32 1 YEAR (3 ISSUES) FOR $48—SAVE $12

magazine

Subscribe Now! Affix PostAge Here

magazine

Affix PostAge Here

magazine

TMC USA llc Subscription Dept.

60 Railroad Place Suite 501 Saratoga Springs NY 12866

magazine

TMC USA llc Subscription Dept.

60 Railroad Place Suite 501 Saratoga Springs NY 12866

www.OceanCityGolf.com (800) 4-OC-GOLF

At OceanCityGolf.com, you can plan and book your next golf getaway to Ocean City, Maryland 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With 17 championship courses designed by the legends of the game, great golf is just the beginning. Add miles of beach and boardwalk, exciting nightlife and excellent dining, Ocean City, MD is the ultimate golf getaway. Book your golf trip today by visiting OceanCityGolf.com or call (800) 4-OC-GOLF.

“Great Golf is Just the Beginning” Ocean City, Maryland

120

summer

2013 kingdom

26

Morgan Stanley’s Dick Connolly isn’t just one of the country’s top financial advisors, he’s a great golfer and a neighborhood guy—and he can outwork you, any day of the week

L i f e Lessons from the goLf course

By DICk COnnOllY

T

he love of golf is in my family’s genes. Seven of my nine uncles had handicaps of three or less, and I started caddying when I was eight years old at Woburn Country Club’s nine-hole public golf course.

Caddying taught me a lot about the game—and even more about people.

Woburn was a true home-town course. Regional legends like Bill Ezinicki and John Thoren played there, along with my uncle Ernie Doherty—the premier amateur of his time—who won a number of regional titles, including the 1953 Massachusetts Amateur. Alongside these highly accomplished players were a number of blue-collar WWII veterans who came to the links regularly. I listened to what they said about the war and about their post-war lives, and their stories had a dramatic influence on me.

Working as a caddy is a great experience for any young person. You quickly identify the players you want to emulate. My parents gave me a strong moral compass and solid work ethic. Golf built on that foundation, teaching me persistence, integrity, character, the ability to build relationships and a good sense of when to offer advice and when to keep quiet.

Thanks largely to my uncle Ernie, I developed a strong game and had the privilege of serving as captain of the golf team at Malden Catholic High School, and later at The College of the Holy Cross. A scholarship from the Ouimet Fund helped with college tuition. The Fund is named for Frances Ouimet, considered to be America’s first golf hero. Ouimet scholarships are given to students who have worked at golf courses in Massachusetts for at least two years and have a financial need. So here again, my work as a caddy expanded the opportunities available to me.

Connolly’s job as a caddy at Woburn Country Club helped him with his work ethic; his uncle Ernie helped him with his game

kingdom

27 winter

2013

173

Dick and Ann Marie Connolly

While I continued to play competitively after college, it was clear to me that I wasn’t going to earn my living as a professional golfer. In 1968 I entered the investment business. I was delighted when Arnold Palmer became the spokesman for Paine Webber—clients admired Arnold—he was the perfect representative for the company.

Once Arnold signed on, we needed to approach him about opening a Paine Webber account, and I got the assignment. On my way to meet him, I felt both exhilarated and petrified. As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Arnold put me at ease from the moment I walked into the room, and both our friendship and our business relationship have flourished ever since.

Over the years, Arnold and I have spoken often about our upbringing, our families and the lessons we learned early on. We both remain connected to the people and places that made us who we are. And while I’ve worked hard to help Arnold achieve his financial goals, he has been incredibly supportive of my business and my family. In fact, when he heard that my son was graduating from high school, he asked if my son’s school might like him to speak at graduation.

I consider myself very fortunate to have landed in a profession that I enjoy. At this point in my career, I can see that my passion for golf is woven into my professional success in so many ways. Golf taught me how to read

people and how to build relationships with them. I have remained very active in personally supporting and raising money for the Ouimet Fund as a way of giving back to a sport that has given so much to me. And of course, golf also connected me with Arnold—someone I consider to be the greatest sports figure of all time. Having Arnold as a client and close friend has been a wonderful part of my life.

Throughout, golf has been the common thread.

in my career, i can see that my passion for golf is woven into my professional success in many ways

174

Dick connolly is a morgan stanley managing Director and financial Advisor who oversees nearly $4 billion in assets. his office is in Boston, mA. the views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of morgan stanley smith Barney LLc, member siPc, or its affiliates.

winter

2013 kingdom

27

fulfill your desire for something new.

Because you deserve a vacation unlike the rest‌ Here at the moorings we make sure our yacht charters are solely about you. It’s a lifestyle where experiences are filled with unrivaled service at sea leaving you with the freedom to do what you enjoy most.

on the water

u n f o r g e t ta b l e m o m e n t s

Call: 866.757.9242 or visit: www.moorings.com

Future Cart With a design that’s largely remained unchanged since it first appeared in the early 20th century, the golf car has mostly been left well enough alone—until now

W

e take them for granted. We book our tee times, drop the clubs at the pro shop, head off to grab a cup of coffee or an extra bottle of water, then return, climb in and shoot off without ever thinking about what we’re driving—and why should we? Golf carts are all basically the same: roughly eight feet long, four feet wide, six feet high, with seating for two, a 48 volt electric motor and cup holders if you’re lucky. Some are tricked out to look like Rolls-Royces or ’57 Chevys or whathaveyou, but the base vehicle is fairly staid. We can’t even be bothered to get the name right: technically they’re golf cars, as “carts” aren’t self-propelled. But just like the white-and-khaki trim in which most of them are offered, we’re basically content to leave everything about the golf car alone. Well, most of us anyway.

“If you look at golf cars and you take the big three manufacturers [EZ-Go, Club Car and Yamaha], most of the cars look pretty similar and they drive very similar; they’re basically the same car,” says Anders Lynge, Designer and Creative Director of Garia, a company that’s aiming to change golf cars as we know them. “This is an area that’s seen really slow innovation.”

But so many people use golf carts—or cars, rather—so why is that?

“We asked ourselves the same question, and that’s the entire idea behind Garia,” says Lynge. “There are so many high-end products, from clubs to clothing to bags to entire golf course communities, multimillion dollar homes to play golf, and yet the one thing in this entire community, the only product of which there is no luxury version or high-end version is the golf car.”

176

It’s not as if the golf car has lacked for manufacturers; even Harley Davidson was in on the act (from 1963 to 1969, when it was sold to AMF). And it’s not as if a better golf car is a new idea: The March 5, 1961 Chicago Tribune published an editorial cartoon called “Closer Than We Think,” in which futurist illustrator Arthur Radebaugh played with the idea of the “Grasshopper Golf Cart,” expanding on a Japanese concept of the time.

“Once our golfer arrived at the edge of a green or bad rough, he would walk to the ball, take his shot, and then summon his cart by voice or button as he moved along toward the nineteenth hole,” Radebaugh imagined, illustrating a solar-powered cart with manual and remote controls, and adding what he called a “‘ground effect machine’ principle, through which the cart could float on a cushion of air instead of riding on the turf. No more fairway flattening in the future!”

That would suit Arnold Palmer just fine.

“I’m not too much in favor of all the niceties they put on [cars today], but I do think anything they can do to help preserve the golf play is important. By that I mean tires and anything that will reduce the wear and tear on the golf course, and I’d like to see them continue experimenting to find ways to make golf carts less intrusive on the golf courses.”

One firm might have found a way. Partnering with Oakley for a marketing campaign last year, hovercraft builders Neoteric created “Bubba’s Hover.” In an online ad that quickly went viral, 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson was seen driving a hovercraft “golf cart” around a golf course, navigating water hazards and keeping fairways basically wheel-track free (though certainly not noise-free). While it was only meant as a publicity stunt,

winter

2013

kingdom

27

Neoteric received so much interest following the video that they now offer a Bubba’s Hover BW1 hovercraft model available in limited quantity (hovercraft lessons included with purchase). The BW1 is available directly from the company or through the lauded Hammacher Schlemmer catalog, and lest you think it’s a joke know that Windy Knoll Golf Club in Springfield, Ohio, has already purchased two for members’ use.

While it’ll likely be some time before hovercraft are common on course, a few innovations are starting to appear, including the solar power Radebaugh envisioned. Purpose-built solar golf cars are being produced, as are kits to convert a standard car to solar power. These kits use the car’s roof to hold a series of solar panels that keep batteries charged and extend batteries’ lives, meaning more value and efficiency for car owners.

kingdom

27

winter

2013

Garia builds custom luxury golf cars for a host of top clients, including Glenmorangie

177

Arthur Radebaugh’s 1961 vision for the golf car of the future (left); Bubba’s Hover (below)

This, more efficient batteries and improved tire tech are all well and good, but designers like Lynge are thinking big, trying to push golf cars ahead and to re-imagine their potential. Most recently, Lynge ideas were evident in a winning “Vision Golf Cart” design for Mercedes-Benz, which hosted a competition of sorts for future golf car ideas. Some of his ideas seem obvious, as in “Why didn’t I think of that?”—for example: a joystick located between the two passengers for steering, so either passenger can drive—while others are closer to Radebaugh’s sketch than to common thinking, like the inclusion of Mercedes’ “air scarf” technology, which blows hot air on golfer’s necks for more comfort on chilly mornings.

While ideas like this excite Lynge, he says that it will be some time before we see them in production. The cost of development would outpace reasonable pricing. Still, some ideas are quickly coming to golf cars, though they have less to do with on-course activities and more to do with how owners are re-purposing their golf cars.

A TIME magazine article last year suggested that “maybe the perfect car for you isn’t a car at all, but a golf cart.”

In addition to great mileage (or miles per charge) and relatively low operating cost, the article pointed out that the cars are increasingly being accepted—not just in retirement and resort communities, but in municipalities. Other reports had similar findings, as exemplified

178

in a 2012 feature on FoxNews.com for which a golf car salesman, Bob Miller of Graham Golf Carts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was interviewed. Standing in a showroom full of carts, Miller reportedly said, “These will probably never see a golf course.” Last year South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley approved a bill that allows golf cars to be driven on public roads up to four miles from an owner’s home. In fact, all but four states allow golf cars to be driven on some public roads, with Texas and Alaska even allowing them on roads with 45mph speed limits. With golf car sales expected to hit 76,685 cars per year by 2016 (according to market research firm IBIS World) and millions of examples already in existence, this means a number of people will be enjoying low-cost, low-maintenance transportation. But it doesn’t come without issues, some of which are of great concern to designers like Lynge.

“If you look at the golf car, it’s being used for much more than just golf,” he says. “Visit the neighbors, drive around the community… But it’s just that they took what the car was used for on the course, 10mph use, and converted it into 25mph on the street. They weren’t necessarily designed for that. For example, you have cars which have no brakes on the front, and suddenly you’re out in traffic with your kids…

The Garia cars are fundamentally different; they can properly brake and steer. In Europe it must be street legal, and so it can properly handle the street.”

winter

2013

kingdom

27

stay dry with SOU S OU T H ER NM A RS H . C O M RAIN RESISTANT TREATMENT

Part of the muchimproved handling comes from a longer wheelbase, says Lynge, explaining that while courses require the overall car dimensions to be standardized, Garia was able to move the wheels fore and aft a bit, improving stability and handling.

“It can’t be longer or wider, but it has a longer wheelbase, a nicer look, a safe, nicer cabin—the nicest cabin in class—and a more relaxed position for the operator,” he explains. “Then we moved the engine to the back and rotated it so it’s flat, which creates a space for bags or accessories. Also with this we utilized the space in the front of the car, which is not used in any other car. You can put your shoe bag there, for example, or anything.”

Another factor impacting handling and overall ride is battery technology, which Garia is pushing as well.

“The next leap forward comes with lithium ion batteries, which we’re launching this fall. It reduces the weight of the car by around 100 kilos [220lbs], depending on how many you choose. If you wanted a similar output with current lead acid batteries, it would have a tremendous impact on handling. You can either go very far or very fast.

In the U.S. we’re currently limited to 25mph and so we

use the power to help with accelerating very fast.

There’s a sport and an eco button [performance vs. efficiency]. On the Euro version, the lithium batteries will allow 60 kph [37mph] and it has the brakes and other components to handle it. I wouldn’t do that in a standard golf car... Some people don’t play golf, they want to have this in a holiday area to use to drive to the beach or a restaurant.”

There’s glass in the window, not plastic, options including a roof that can be opened, a refrigerator, a waste bin and other customizations that put the Garia golf car at the front of the pack in terms of design and innovation.

“The Garia, I can tell you, is pushed to the limit as much as advanced technology is possible,” Lynge says, explaining that even the charger is built right into the car so owners only need to plug it into a standard electrical outlet. “We make sure the car takes care of that,” he says.

To paraphrase the TIME article, perhaps your next car doesn’t need to be a car, after all. As Lynge has it, “Real leather and carbon fiber, great steering and handling…

Why would you need a car if your golf car rides like a car and is totally customized to your every need?”

Mercedes’ concept Vision Golf Car (above); Paula Creamer and her Garia golf car (left)

180

winter

2013

kingdom

27

PUTTING THE WORL WO R D TO RIGHTS RI T TS

Arnold Palmer had a distinctive style on the greens, hunching over his putts with a knock-kneed stance and delivering a firm, wristy rap that often sent the ball some way past the cup. Early in his professional career, purists tuttutted at this unusual method, but seven Major titles and a further 85 tournament victories suggest it was more successful than most on tour at the time. Unlike most critics, his on-course mentor George Low told him: “Listen, Arnie. There’s not a damn thing wrong with the way you putt. Don’t ever let anyone fool with your putting stroke.”

And he never did!

As testament to the effectiveness and the endurance of Palmer’s putting (and his charm), supermodel Kate Upton spent some time with him this fall learning to master the greens.

Recently, the King was kind enough to share his knowledge with the far-less-attractive (and male) members of Kingdom’s editorial staff, outlining the unique elements of his personal approach to golf’s “game within a game” and offering his thoughts about how fellow golfers might improve their own performance with the flat stick.

“I think the average intelligent person can learn to fly an airplane, but not necessarily become an exceptional putter. Being a good putter demands more attention than any other part of the game. And if you are really persistent about becoming a good putter, it takes a lot of concentration and hard work.

“In fact, the best putters are people who have developed a sound method, worked at it, and stuck with it for all of their lives. They have clearly-defined objectives and they pursue those objectives with the utmost determination. Here are some tips on how you can become a better putter.”

182

winter

2013

kingdom

27

THe PuTTing mindSeT

THe STance

“Is it better to be cautious or aggressive? That’s a bad question to ask someone like me because I’ve always been aggressive and I’ve putted aggressively my whole life.

“Everybody said I was a great putter, but I was only a great putter because I made a lot of long comebackers after being aggressive and missing the cup on the first-time attempt. That said, I never wanted to knock the ball any further past the hole than three feet.

“The important thing is to be able to visualize clearly how your ball might roll before you execute any putt.”

“A stance that maintains good balance is very important in putting. I used the knock-kneed version, standing very close to the ball so I could stay still throughout the stroke while keeping the putter head square and the face on target. This would allow my wrists to ‘hinge’ back and forth without going off line.

“That, to me, was one of my major achievements in being a good putter. I developed a stance that helped prevent me from moving over a putt, one that enabled me to be very still. The proper stance will help any golfer sink more putts.

“Also, when I addressed the ball I always liked to feel as if the center or even the toe of the putter rested on the ground.”

THe griP “I’ve always felt that the grip is crucial since this is your only connection to the golf club. Without a grip that satisfies you, one that makes you feel like your hands are comfortable and fit right, you will never succeed at putting consistently well.

“The pressure on the grip is a matter of feel. You don’t want to strangle it, but you also don’t want to hold it so loosely that it might get away from you.

“The putting grip I used throughout my career, with the left index figure locking over the last two fingers of the lower right hand, is known today as the double-reverse overlap. I’m proud of that grip because, as far as I know, I was the first to use it regularly for putting. From the time I started using it, in the mid-1950s, it has always seemed to knit my hands together just right.”

kingdom

27

winter

2013

ancHored PuTTerS “If a good friend came to me and said he was going to start using an anchored putter I’d say the same thing I’d say to him if he said he was going to start smoking cigarettes...

I’m very opposed to anchored putters.”

deTermining THe Break “The break is determined by many factors. Being able to read the grain is essential. The grain is the direction in which the blades of grass are growing, so it is important to read it accurately in order to impart the correct roll on the ball.

“If the grain is running in the same direction as the

183

break then the ball will tend to break even more whereas if it runs against it the ball will break less. Similarly if it runs toward the hole the putt will be quicker and it will be slower if it’s against.

“Elements like the setting sun and the way the water runs off the green need to be factored into this calculation.

“One tip for reading the grain accurately is to look at the cup. One side will be smooth while the other will have the grass growing over the edge. That should tell you the direction in which the grass is growing.

“So in determining the break you need to calculate the roll, the slope, the wind and even the sun. All of these are key to where the ball rolls and being aware of them should lead to good putting.

“Having read the break, I then generally used to pick a point on my line about a foot past the cup and aimed at that to ensure the putt got up to the hole.”

Looking aT THe HoLe “The practice of looking at the hole instead of the ball when executing a putt is becoming quite fashionable. I think there’s something to it and I’ve tried it, too. It shouldn’t hurt to experiment with it during practice to give you another perspective.

“But the bottom line for me, still, is the importance of watching the ball. You have to watch the ball with a very still head.

“Also, I always liked to use a putter where I could feel the weight of the head. I liked to see the face of the putter

184

when I addressed the ball, so I preferred approximately two degrees of loft, perhaps with the face a little off-set.”

THe STroke “A firm stroke is very important. The best putters in the world always hit the ball solidly. Whether they were aggressive or not they always had a consistent roll and that’s the name of the game. You want to develop a stroke that works for you. That is something any golfer can do with time and determination.

“One fundamental is to keep both hands moving toward the target through impact while maintaining a firm left wrist. Whether the wrist is cupped or square with the left forearm is not important. What is important is that the left wrist mustn’t collapse through impact.

“The greens we played on tour during the 1950s and ’60s were often slow and inconsistent, and you often had to whack the ball to get it to the hole. That’s why I, along with many other players, developed a wristy stroke.

“When my touch was good, that handsy method worked great. But as greens got progressively faster, it just didn’t work as well and I found myself putting not so much to win as not to lose.

“When I take the putter back prior to execution, I definitely like to feel that I’m taking it back slowly and not jerking at the ball.”

Lag PuTTS “Knowing when to lag a longer putt is all part of the strategy

winter

2013

kingdom

27

of the game. Knowing how to do it has to do with the roll of the green and the nature of the putt you face. Length, speed and break are all factors.

“Hitting a putt firmly, but with a good touch is part of being a good putter. The goal is to coax a 40- or 50-foot putt to within three or four feet of the cup, so the most important objective is to get the distance right.

“On undulating greens, a putt may break in as many as three different directions before it gets to the hole.

“I’d advise lag putters to be sure they hit the highest point in the break and then let the ball settle in towards the hole from there.

“If you’re having trouble doing that, try imagining

a circle around the cup six feet in diameter. If the ball finishes inside that, you will usually be left with a makeable second putt.”

HoLing 3-FooTerS “This is all about concentration. Staying still over those shorter putts is going to make you more successful as a putter. I think, too, it helps to take the break out and be more aggressive on the shorter ones. That’s what I always did. I certainly didn’t baby them. I just knocked them home.

“The exception to that approach comes whenever I face a short downhill putt. Then I try to ease the ball into the cup rather than run the risk of letting it get away down the hill. A good technique to use on slick downhill putts is to address the ball toward the toe of the blade and away from the sweet spot.

“In general, I’ve always been in favor of trying to eliminate the break on most putts. Finesse helps on the longer ones, but I believe very strongly that when you’re nearer to the hole it’s not bad to go ahead and give it a good, firm hit, even if you run it by the hole a little bit.

“That goes even for putts of 20 feet or so. I always prefer to give it a good run at the hole because if it doesn’t go in I at least get a good look at the break it takes as it goes past. That way I can see how it should roll on its way back to the cup. Hit it with some authority at the hole – that should minimize the break.

“Nothing builds confidence better than holing the first two four-footers you face in your round, but don’t get too hard on yourself if you miss one. We all do it from time to time.”

THe YiPS “The yips, you say? What are those? I’ve never heard of them!

kingdom

27

winter

2013

185

That’s something golfers never talk about. The yips can be devastating and are partly due to lack of concentration. If you can concentrate and practice concentrating, you can get over the yips. Good luck with that.”

Courtesy USGA Museum

HoLing ouT To Win “For me, making that final putt to win the 1960 U.S. Open was very satisfying. Heck, making the final putt to win any tournament is the greatest feeling in the world.

“When do you decide to throw the visor in the air?

Whenever you are overcome with elation! That’s the time to let it fly.”

186

winter

2013

kingdom

27

There is so much ThaT can

be aTTached To The name

arnold Palmer Designers of Arnold Palmer Signature courses and architects of Palmer Refresh www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com | (407) 876–1068

An easy smile and a wicked swing A true sportsman’s style and sophistication A genuine approachability A trendsetter and a traditionalist A man of his word The gentleman athlete The father and the friend Host of the API presented by MasterCard The pilot and the businessman The Icon

The King.

Award worthy The excellent team at the Arnold Palmer Design Company (APDC) is known for a great work ethic and extreme focus on the job at hand.

Working so hard, they likely haven’t had time to notice how much their recently completed projects are being enjoyed—but others certainly have

190

WINTER

2013

KINGDOM

27

Dakota Dunes Country Club —one of APDC’s and America’s best

B

razil—or “Brasil,” in Portuguese—is setting the table for some exciting courses of sport over the next few years. In 2014, South America’s largest country is hosting soccer’s World Cup, an event that has the entire planet on the edge of its collective seat ready to explode with excitement (well, we in the U.S. are more on the edge of a collective yawn, ready to tune-in if our team does anything of note— though soccer’s popularity is certainly growing). Following that, they’ll barely have time to clean the streets before the 2016 Olympics come to town in Rio where, among other

KINGDOM

27

WINTER

2013

sports, golf will be featured for the first time since 1904. In readying themselves, Brazilian golfers don’t have to wait to celebrate their sport, thanks to the APDC-designed Fazenda Boa Vista golf course, which gives Brazilian golfers a reason to celebrate immediately. The stunning property, an hour or so outside of São Paolo, sits on former farmland (the name roughly translates as “farm with beautiful views”), part of which hugs the Sorocaba River. Senior Golf Course Architect Thad Layton explained that the landscape is somewhat reminiscent of the kind of lush, rolling hills that might be found in U.S. states like Kentucky, perhaps. “It’s beautiful, and the natural surroundings lent themselves well to shaping this course,” he said. “We didn’t compete with the natural landscape here. Instead, [the course] really complements the surroundings.”

Layton explained that the topography is a mix of sand and clay soils, resulting in a course that rolls and meanders through wetlands and lakes and which features rich views of nearby farms and mountains. The course will certainly prove a wonder for the area and for golf in South America, which seems to be growing at a fine pace. Quite recently, and working with much of the same team on the Fazenda Boa Vista job, APDC finished up work at Las Piedras in Uruguay, another forward-thinking project that’s already receiving rave reviews. Following the Olympics, we’re guessing there will be lots more golf to come in this part of the world.

Nearer golf’s ancestral homeland, the Palmerdesigned Tralee, in Ireland, is benefitting from a continued relationship with APDC. The site is already amazing. As Palmer himself put it when the club first opened, “I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine.” If there’s a bit of awe in the King’s statement, there’s good reason. Tralee’s vibrant green rolling hills and dramatic seascapes are stunning—and following an expansion, the site is only getting better. As Senior Golf Course Architect Brandon Johnson told us last year, “We’ve been talking to them and working with them, and they asked us to look at everything. It’s really exciting.”

“Everything” includes a new practice facility, relocating and re-designing the current setup, which, as Johnson puts it, suffered design-wise from land constraints, and more.

“We’re looking at how we can make some improvements there, inject some more life into the front nine. It’s already good—the views are incredible—but there are some opportunities there. We’ll see.”

191

Tralee—one of Euope’s great golf locations

As testament to APDC’s constantly evolving creativity and innovation, this year Palmer himself unveiled the plans for a “Palmer Park” to be built at The Village at Penn State retirement community. The project will be a multi-purpose outdoor park for residents, which will allow them to enjoy active lifestyles in a setting conducive to their fitness and wellness goals. The plan includes an outdoor terrace, putting green, chipping green and multi-purpose area for residents’ outdoor activities. As a way to promote an active, vibrant lifestyle across the age spectrum, Palmer Park is a fantastic innovation, and the facility at The Village will be the first of its kind—but not the last.

While the best individuals work hard with no thought of reward save the satisfaction of a job well done, it is nice to have one’s best efforts noticed. The humble team at APDC know a thing or two about hard work—their chief and mentor exemplifies and expects nothing less—but, deservedly, they’ve also come to learn about garnering attention. As such incredibly beautiful and playable creations, APDC golf courses are hardly going to be wallflowers among the planet’s offerings, after all. Following a long trail of distinguished awards and acknowledgements already on the firm’s office shelves, two APDC works have recently added to the collection. Last year, APDC finished a substantial seven-month renovation of Old Tabby Links at the beautiful and private 3,000-acre Spring Island in South Carolina. At the time, Johnson said, “The renovated Old Tabby Links has

192

renewed strategic value. Width off the tee now incorporates alternative angles of attack as a way to navigate towards the variety of new pin locations. As a result, the majestic oaks and pines that surround the course may come into play should you be on the wrong side of the widened fairways.”

On the right side of design decisions, it turns out that APDC’s work was as majestic as the oaks and pines themselves: Spring Island received the coveted 2013 Bliss Award for Best South Carolina Community of the Year, due in part to the community’s excellent golf course.

In a completely different climate, in the woods of South Dakota, the beloved Dakota Dunes Country Club with its Palmer-designed course is celebrating its latest accolade.

Nestled in the dunes along the Missouri River, the forested track opened in 1991 and has been lauded as the best in the state by both Golf Digest and Golfweek. Most recently, it made the list of Golfweek’s prominent list of “Best Residential Courses” for 2014, adding to its—and to APDC’s—long list of distinctions. Ratings for the list are based on a host of factors, including ease and intimacy of routing, variety and memorability of each hole, overall landscaping and overall course quality. No doubt Brandon and Thad will have to add another trophy case to the office soon as APDC is showing no signs of slowing down. We can’t wait to see—and to play— the next Palmer designs to emerge on the golfing landscape, all of which we’re predicting will continue APDC’s long tradition of exceptional (and awarded) work.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

est.1920

nestled at the foothills of the allegheny mountains in western pennsylvania lies one of golf’s genuine american treasures.

Latrobe Country Club is much more than 18 wonderful holes of golf...

This is where Arnold Palmer and his love of golf was born.

Stay in one of our guest houses for an experience unlike any other in golf...

Arnold Palmer plays here and you can, too.

(724) 539-8585 | LatrobeCountryClub.com © 2012 Latrobe Country Club All rights reserved. Arnold Palmer® and the “Umbrella” Logo® are registered trademarks owned by Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Inc.

An Honorable Cause Folds of Honor Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides post-secondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women disabled or killed while serving the United States, held its seventh Patriot Golf Day flagship fundraiser in 2013.

On Labor Day weekend, several million golfers across the country added an extra dollar to their greens fees to help fund Folds of Honor scholarships.

The Patriot Golf Day campaign is jointly supported by the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association.

Arnold Palmer Golf Management was particularly supportive this year with all of their ‘daily fee’ courses participating.

However, Mike Akeroyd, VP private club operations, encouraged the company’s private clubs to go much further. For example, clubs ran special Folds of

194

Honor tournaments and organized nearest-to-the-pin competitions while PGA professionals provided free lessons with the fee being donated to the Foundation with in some cases clubs matching the players’ contributions. As a result, in total, Arnold Palmer Golf Management raised in excess of $77,000 for this most patriotic and deserving of causes. Ernie Ruiz, director of golf at Weston Hills Country Club in Weston, Florida, said: “Everyone at all the Arnold Palmer managed clubs is very supportive of the military and came up with an impressive variety of different ways people could get involved in raising funds for such a great cause.”

The inaugural Patriot Golf Day, which took place on Labor Day 2007, was the brainchild of Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation, F-16 pilot, PGA

professional and USGA member. From that single event, donations worth more than $1.1 million were received from over 3,200 golf facilities.

Since then, the foundation, which also stages the annual Patriot Cup on Memorial Day at its headquarters near Tulsa, Oklahoma, has raised more than $25 million and thus been able to award more than 5,000 educational scholarships to the families of fallen or wounded soldiers.

There are more than one million dependents of fallen or wounded military service men and women from the recent Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts alone and more than eighty percent of them do not qualify for federal scholarship assistance.

Folds of Honor aims to ensure that sacrifices on the field of battle receive due recognition and that family and dependents receive an education.

winter

2013

kingdom

27

t h e c u r r e n c y o f f r e e d o m i s s ac r i f i c e . pat r i ot i s m i s m o r e n e G ot i a b l e .

The Folds of Honor Foundation provides educational scholarships to the military families of our fallen and disabled.

Your ongoing support returns a life-changing difference in the children and families who’ve paid the brutal price of freedom.

We need patriots. Join us.

foldsofhonor.orG