August 2005

Today’s link goes to the Peach State.

You can have an out of state experience by visiting Georgia and playing some fine golf on some fine courses.

Click HERE to visit a site that will let you explore all the possibilities that warm weather, great food, Southern hospitality and green golf courses will allow.

To quote from their site:

” Whatever your golfing preference, the five distinctly different regions in Georgia will deliver the golf vacation experience of a lifetime. From topography to price, the golf courses within each region are as varied as the landscape.

The Georgia Golf Experience… it’s all about the game of golf, from professional tournament play to amateur golf group camaraderie. You’ll find it all in Georgia! “

Don’t forget to order your copy of the Georgia On My Mind Golf Guide. It’s F-R-E-E !

Visit ‘em today and tell ‘em Mike sent you !

PerryGolf, a leader in luxury golf travel to the British Isles for more than two decades, is expanding. Starting Sept. 1, PerryGolf will offer customized golf tours to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Italy. This makes travelling to some of the world’s most spectacular courses as easy as whipping out your credit card and calling a toll free number.

The new destinations mark the first additions to their travel portfolio since Spain and Portugal were added in 1991 and France was added in 2003. This compliments tours to Scotland, Ireland and England, which have been the benchmark their company since it was established by Scottish brothers Gordon and Colin Dalgleish in 1984.

Gordon Dalgleish, president of PerryGolf, says ” Our goal is to provide consistently superior travel experiences. Relationships with highly respected travel partners and the technology infrastructure built into our systems over the past several years make us confident PerryGolf will continue to set the industry standard for distinctive and innovative golf travel.”

These additions come at a time when international golf travel is starting to gain ground. “After a relatively flat period of limited growth since 2001, golf tourism is once again on the march,” says Peter Walton, chief executive of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

“New Zealand, Australia and South Africa collectively boast 17 of the ‘100 Best Courses Outside the U.S.’ (2005 Golf Digest rankings),” Dalgleish said. “But most Americans know these courses only by reputation. The opportunity to play these great courses while experiencing such desirable destinations makes these tours especially appealing.”

The newest additions to their lines will join PerryGolf’s massive database of courses and hotels from which travellers can choose. The database is easily accessed from a recently enhanced Web site, (www.PerryGolf.com), where golfers can use their Plan Your Own Tour™ online trip calculator and the new MyGolfConcierge™ feature to find information and assistance to arrange a tour to any of the company’s destinations.

Go by today and book a trip to The Old Course…and then email Mike and take him along !

Golf Digest recently tested Rip Tips and they say that their testing shows an average gain of 27.3 yards over wooden tees.

“We are thrilled with the results from the independent testing performed by Golf Ball Laboratories Inc. in San Diego for Golf Digest” states Casey Parks, President of Green Street Innovations.

Here’s how they did it.

First they used a 2 1/8″ wooden tee, which was found to result in a total Yardage of 219.5 yards. Then a Rip Tip was attached to the same 2 1/8″ tee and the result was an amazing 246.8 yards. That’s 27.3 yards longer than the same wooden tee without a Rip Tip.” “Unfortunately they only tested the Rip Tips at 2 1/2″ even though Rip Tips can be teed up to the USGA 4″ limit. We were hoping that they would have tested the Rip Tips at the 4″ limit but the results are undeniable, Rip Tips are significantly longer and straighter than wooden tees regardless of how high you tee them up.”

The problem with wooden tees is that golf balls are designed to compress at impact. The instant contact is made a golf ball changes shape (elongates) and literally drives your tee into the ground. If your tee does not compress with your ball, the ball is deflected up creating unwanted spin and decreasing both length and accuracy. Rip Tips allow your ball to float above the tees concave surface ensuring the least amount of spin possible. It is just simple physics. “We have no doubt that Rip Tips are the longest, straightest tee on the market.” A lot of tees claim zero friction, but the bottom line is if the tee is made from a rigid material (plastic or wood) negative spin is created from the tee. The robotic tests prove that tees do make a difference in both distance and accuracy and in Rip Tips case the difference is huge.

“Every day we get emails from our customers claiming how much longer they are hitting the ball with Rip Tips. Some claims are so long that we find it hard to believe but one thing is for sure you will feel, hear and see the difference Rip Tips make the first time you use them.”

For more information on Rip Tips please visit www.riptips.com.

GREENLAND, NH. - Recently, Palmer Course Design unveiled its first golf course in New Hampshire, The Golf Club of New England. It’s a private golf course situated on approximately 450 acres of lush woodlands and natural terrain.

“We were able to work with the native topography and some exciting natural elements to create a pure golf experience,” said Erik Larsen, one of the architects of the Golf Club of New England. “The Golf Club of New England is simply about golf. Our design offers multiple playing strategies, providing players a unique golf experience at every hole.”

The Golf Club of New England is a 7,122-yard, par-72 course located along the seacoast of New Hampshire. It has nice roll from tee to green, vertical elevation changes, open fields, wetlands, running streams and mature trees.

“Designing a stand-alone course gives you the freedom to have fun with the layout,” Larsen added. “The Golf Club of New England was a pleasure to design, but seeing the finished product after 18 months and having it come out even more beautiful than we envisioned, is really rewarding.”

Quoted from their website:

Challenging…

But Not Discouraging…

Golf Club of New England is designed to appeal to individuals who would enjoy playing a tournament-caliber course where there are no tee times, and partaking of the amenities of a distinctive but unpretentious clubhouse catering only to golfers.

The Palmer Course Design Company, which has developed or redesigned more than 250 fine courses worldwide, designed Golf Club of New England’s stellar course, which is nearly 7,200 yards long. Situated on rolling woodlands near scenic Great Bay, the course is an imaginative blend of ample fairways and greens and natural waterways.

It will challenge but not discourage average players, while giving low-handicap or scratch golfers the chance to test their distance and accuracy in hitting from intimidating back tees to tight landing areas. There are no homes lining the fairways to detract from the beauty and serenity of the setting. True to its name, Golf Club of New England is dedicated strictly to golf, at the convenience of the members.

If anyone in that area has played it, let me know what you think about it. Having played one of Arnold’s designs on a regular basis Lost Key, in Perdido Key, FL, I will bet it is no pushover.

Go visit their website and if you go play, tell ‘em Mike sent you.

If you want to relax and enjoy the ultimate vacation, have a look at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort. It’s located in the beautiful Litchfield Beach/Pawleys Island section of the Grand Strand. This gives you easy access to all the sights and sounds of Myrtle Beach, yet you still have that secluded, “away from it all” feeling a vacation should have.

The Litchfield / Pawleys Island area has been a favorite family vacation destination for decades. It’s where visitors come to enjoy the warm waters and cool breezes of the Atlantic. The area has retained its historic Lowcountry charm, and today offers a superb selection of recreational amenities, including golf, tennis, shopping and dining, along with the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast. Experience your dream vacation at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort.

Browse through their website for more details or call them at 1-888-766-4633, and tell ‘em you saw it here.

Here’s a link to what must be a golfer’s paradise.

Sea Trail, in Sunset Beach, NC looks to be as close as you and I might get to golfing paradise.

They have 3 championship golf courses, over 70,000 square feet of meeting and function space, a variety of fully appointed rooms, suites, and golf villas, 2 on site restaurants, Village activity center and they are close to both Myrtle Beach SC & Wilmington NC.

What more can we ask for ?

How about having the courses designed by Rees Jones, Willard Byrd and Dan Maples. You got it.

How about a golf school ? They got one.

How about a Planetarium ? Next door.

How about being named a ” Resort Course of Distinction ” by Golfweek for 2005 ? Done.

Want to know more ? Click now on the link and/or call ‘em and tell ‘em Mike sent you !

I had the good fortune to own a GREAT golf umbrella this weekend.

I was playing in a charity golf scramble and we had quite a storm.

If you don’t have one, here’s the link to their site:

GustBuster

I hope you don’t need one, but if you do, make sure you have a GREAT one.

Located an hour northeast of Atlanta and 80 miles southwest of Greenville, SC, The Orchard Golf & Country Club is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If the photos on their website are any indication of just how gorgeous this land is, there cannot be a more beautiful place within 100 miles. The 1,100-acre property is connected to the Chattahoochee National Forest and has an endless variety of colorful trees, meandering streams and sparkling lakes stocked for fishing.

They say a remarkably beautiful 18-hole championship golf course winds through the community, providing breathtaking vistas for golfers and for the homes overlooking its emerald fairways. I hope somebody who has seen this place gives us more info, since I won’t be in Georgia for some time to come.

If you go, tell ‘em Mike sent you.

Mesquite is more than a great wood to grill over. It’s great place to play golf.

It’s an hour from Las Vegas.

It’s where they hold the ReMax Long Drive Championships.

It’s an hour from Las Vegas.

They have great weather.

Did I mention it’s an hour from Las Vegas ?

Go check out Golf Mesquite Nevada.

With one little click from your mouse, you can be cruising seven Championship golf courses, 4 luxurious golf resorts and 2 world class spas, all within an hour of Las Vegas.

You can also call them at 866-720-7111 and tell ‘em Mike sent you.

Phil Mickelson joins Tiger Woods, winner of The Masters & The Open ( British ) Championship, Michael Campbell winner of The U.S. Open and Retief Goosen, chosen as the highest average finisher in the 4 Majors, at The Grand Slam of Golf to be held Nov. 22-23 in Kauai, Hawaii.

By qualifying, these golfers get to compete in the 36-hole event at Poipu Bay Golf Course on spectacular Kaua’i, a world-class golf destination.

Poipu Bay Golf Course is a member of the island’s golf destination group “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green”, which includes Princeville, Kaua’i Lagoons, Kiahuna and Puakea. Boasting dramatic, elevated holes overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Poipu Bay promises to provide yet another compelling chapter in its 12th year hosting the lustrous event.

Mickelson holds the Poipu Bay course record at 13-under-par 59, which he scored in last year’s PGA Grand Slam of Golf event.

“We are excited at the prospect of welcoming back Mr. Mickelson, Mr. Woods and Mr. Goosen, and we are thrilled to introduce Mr. Campbell to the island of Kaua’i and Poipu Bay,” says Sue Kanoho, Executive Director of the Kaua’I Visitors Bureau. “Having the world’s best golfers at one or our world-class golf resorts helps us showcase Kaua’i to prospective visitors.”

About Poipu Bay Poipu Bay is an 18-hole championship golf course situated on 210 oceanfront acres on Kauai’s southern coast, adjacent to its sister property, the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. A Robert Trent Jones Jr. design, Poipu Bay has won numerous awards and has been consistently rated among the top golf courses in Hawaii and the United States. For more information or to book tee times, call the Poipu Bay golf shop at toll free 1-800-858-6300 or direct (808) 742-8711.

About Kauai: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green Five acclaimed resorts and golf properties - Princeville, Poipu Bay, Kaua’i Lagoons, Kiahuna and Puakea - offering 135 holes of golf on Hawaii’s spectacular Kaua’i Island, work with the Kaua’I Visitors Bureau to offer players convenient quality and a world-class collection under the golf destination “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Utlimate Island Green.”

Kaua’i’s resorts and golf courses offer tremendous rates and experiences when considering the golf quality and the island’s many other options and allure. Many Kaua’i courses are so close together and its daylight hours are long enough that golfers can easily play 36 in a day and still have time for family and other activities.

The critical acclaim and unique attributes of the five golf members of the destination - “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green” - include:

1. Princeville Resort ,800.826.4400, Home to Golf Digest’s No. 12 rated course in “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses/2005-06″ (Prince Course) 45 holes of golf - the 27-hole Makai nines and the 18-hole Prince - all designed by Robert Trent Jones II Overlooks exquisitely beautiful Hanalei Bay

2. Poipu Bay Golf Course , 800.858.6300, Home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf Its Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa rated No. 32 in Golf Digest’s “Sublime 75: America’s Greatest Golf Resorts/2004-05″ Four closing holes rise 150-feet to a red sea cliff

3. Kaua’i Lagoons Golf Club , 800.634.6400, Home to Golf Digest’s No. 63 rated course in “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses/2005-06″ (Kiele Course) 36 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus (Kiele and Mokihana courses) Features numerous awe-inspiring ocean holes

4. Kiahuna Golf Club, 808.742.9595, Designed by Robert Trent Jones II Features meandering creek, lava formations, rock gardens, ocean views Steeped in Hawaii history via its preserved ancient village

5. Puakea Golf Club , 866.773.5554, Kauai’s newest 18-hole course, unveiled in 2003 Owned by AOL Founder Steve Case Adjacent to lush site where Steven Spielberg filmed “Jurassic Park”

After-golf options delve into Kaua’i’s history, heritage and culture, along with boat tours, beaches, zip lines, ATV Tours, botanical gardens, helicopter tours, snorkeling and scuba-diving, kayaking, hiking and much more.

For more information about “Kaua’i: Discover Golf’s Ultimate Island Green,” visit kauaidiscovery.com/activities/golfing/ or call 800-262-1400.