August 2005

Phil Mickelson has captured another Major title and our hat ( or visor ) is off to him.

I lost a lunch bet with a friend. I took Tiger and gave him the field. Who’d have thought Phil would play that smart and not do the dumb stuff that has kept him from winning more BIG golf events. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs to keep it in play by hitting that cut shot and fairways. Length is nice, fairways are better.

Who’s the next golfer for us to climb all over because of his record in Majors ?

How about Sergio ? He’s talked the talk, especially during the Ryder Cup, now let’s see him back it up with a big win.

Bayside Resort Golf Club has officially opened and has ushered in a time of new golf in Southern Delaware.

Golf course architect Jack Nicklaus addresses the challenge to create a course on a pristine piece of property that would reflect the natural setting of nearby Assawoman Bay. The finished course, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, is a waterfront links layout that stays true to the natural salt marshes, meadows and woodlands to present strategic and aesthetic shot values. ( Read this as a hard course to play for the average golfer, if it in any way mirrors what he did to a beautiful piece of land in Crossville, TN. ) It is the focalpoint of a resort golf community on over 850 acres that have been enhanced by four resort villages and private residences, along with markets, restaurants, boutiques and plaza.

“Today we see the fruit of the work,” said Nicklaus, who was on hand for the grand opening celebration and to play a special 18-hole exhibition, which attracted a gathering of nearly 1,000 — made up of members, guests and dignitaries that included Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.).

Bayside’s challenging scale (7,545 from the Signature Tees) may be deceptive. The golf course was never intended to be intimidating, or to overwhelm even average players. The par-72 layout has five sets of tees, tapered to as little as 5,168 yards, without losing of its aesthetic or strategic value.

I’ve found Nicklaus courses to be very hard to play, as Jack’s team has no concept that we, as average golfers, cannot hit it from point A to point B, everytime. Jack uses way too many bunkers in fairways and surrounds greeens with more problems than a good missle defense system.

“What you will find here,” Nicklaus said, “is that you will walk off the golf course and say, ‘I enjoyed that today. What time can I get on tomorrow.” Well Jack, let’s let someone besides you, the namesake designer, make that call. Anybody played it yet ? Would you please send us a review.

The resort/semi-private course is accessible to members and guests of Bayside Resort. Opening green fee is $160 per player in season, which includes a mandatory cart. Public play also is available, starting in September.

“We are so excited and honored to have Jack Nicklaus with us,” said Joshua M. Freeman, president and CEO of The Carl M. Freeman Companies. “His focus and determination to create excellence is why we are so honored to have him. By having Jack sign his name to this course, we partly are being a caretaker for his legacy. Hopefully we will be great caretakers of that legacy, as well as this being something we are proud of in our organization.”

For more details about Invitational Memberships and pre-opening membership promotions, call (877) 436-9998, visit www.golfbayside.com, or e-mail membership@golfbayside.com.

The rules of golf, with breathtaking photos. Sounds like a Christmas gift, if I ever heard of one.

I’d love to have one of these, even though I wouldn’t read the rules. Rules are for the others. Not me.

They have discounted these to $10. $25 for a software version. They also have Custom Prints.

The 17th Hole at the Indian Wells Resort print or the 6th Hole at Troon North ( Pinnacle ) would be two of my favorites, in case you wanted to buy me one

If you’d like more info, click THIS LINK.

Would you like to golf at one of the finest places to live on the face of the earth ?

If so, drive or fly down to a spot in Monroe County that’s close to Macon, McDonough and Forsyth, Georgia and head out to Johnstonville Road.

Located along the Little Towaliga River, it has to be one of the most special places in the US of A.

“The Club at River Forest” features an eighteen-hole golf course designed by Rocky Roquemore, architect of many nationally and internationally acclaimed courses.

If you find yourself about 45 minutes south of Atlanta, go by and see them.

If you can’t get there, you can click HERE.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you.

I’ve always wanted, but never gotten the chance to go to Idaho. To play golf there would be even better.

Coeur d’Alene is on my list of places I’ll visit after I win a Powerball jackpot. Or if you win one and take me with you.

All of Idaho, not just Coeur d’Alene, has golf courses. I’ll try to list a few here and you can visit your favorite search engine for even more info on golf in Idaho.

Hidden Lakes Golf Course - Recently lengthened, the course was redesigned to a par 71 for men and par 72 for women. The new clubhouse, restaurant, lounge and golf shop with complete locker facilities has 17,000 square feet and sits beside the Pack River. The “Moose Tees” now cover 6,923 yards of play, and water comes into play on 17 of the 18 holes. The Pacific Northwest Golf Association re-rated Hidden Lakes Golf Resort in 2001 and the golf course now enjoys one of the highest ratings in the state of Idaho and all of the Inland Northwest with a back-tee rating of 72.9 and a slope of 136. The strategically placed bunkers, bluegrass manicured fairways and bentgrass greens for true putting, abundant wildlife and scenery makes your golf experience evermore memorable.

The golf course is located amidst the splendor of the Selkirk Mountains in Sandpoint, Idaho, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. Stay at their on-site Presidential Suites or nearby Idaho Country Resorts and enjoy the excitement and relaxation of fishing, boating, swimming, kayaking, horseback riding and all the other activities the Idaho Panhandle has to offer.

The Coeur d’Alene - is this not one of the best looking websites, especially for a golf course, of all time. Click the link and check it out.

“Coeur d’Alene is what every resort should be. It’s not just upscale, it’s posh. You aren’t just pampered here, you’re spoiled. It’s not just an escape, it’s an experience.”
- Golf Digest

I hope I get to go here someday, SOON !

Indian Canyon Gold Course - Looks like it has a distinguished past and is well worth a look if you’re in the area. Any course that has hosted the U.S.G.A. three times; the United States Amateur Public Links Championship in 1941 and 1984; and the United States Womens Amateur Public Links Championship in 1989, has to be a MUST PLAY !

If you’ve been to any of these and can add a comment, please do. If you have other Idaho golf courses you’d like to add, email me.

Every Sunday, I read the New York Times Online Edition. If you’d didn’t have to live there, I’d love to live there.

A young fellow named Jeff Z. Klein has written an article about golf in Norway. From May 23 through July 24, the sun doesn’t set at all, and it is light all night till the beginning of August.

You have to join to be able to read the online edition. It’s free and it’s painless. If you’re a reader of The Times, you can find the article pretty easily and it has an audio slide-show that goes along with it.

The article has more info on Lofoten Golf Links.

You need to keep in mind that this course is about 90 plus miles ABOVE the Arctic Circle.

Go join the NYTimes and read the whole article and dream about going where not many golfers have gone before.

Troon Golf has announced that Golf For Women magazine has included four of their courses in their Top 50 Courses for Women.

Their contributions to this list are:

15. The Lodge at Ventana Canyon – Mountain Course; Tucson, AZ
24. Troon North Golf Club – Pinnacle Course; Scottsdale, AZ
30. Monarch Beach Golf Links; Dana Point, CA
40. The Westin La Cantera – Resort Course; San Antonio, TX

According to Troon’s Press Release, Golf for Women has a stringent set of criteria, which includes, in order to be recognized as a Top 50 course, the facility must have at least one set of tees under 5,500 yards and should have at least two tees under 6,000 yards, and at least two tees rated for women. The course should be fair from all tees and should have few forced carries from the forward tees. It must be in top condition and visually pleasing. The magazine gives extra credit for strong women’s programs, well-stocked pro shops and options such as walking and child-care. GFW’s course-raters provide comments on their experience at the nominated courses and assign point values for playability, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning, ambience and women-friendliness. Judging begins with a large group of nominated courses that include past GFW Top 50 courses, eligible courses from Golf Digest’s Top 100 Pulbic Courses and courses nominated by GFW’s course raters.

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Troon Golf manages operations at more than 160 courses located in 27 states and 18 countries. Additionally, 31 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. Troon Golf properties include The Peninsula Golf & Country Club, Millsboro, Del.; The Westin Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland; Monarch Beach Golf Links, Dana Point, Calif.; Lake of Isles, North Stonington, Conn.; The Ridge at Castle Pines North, Castle Rock, Colo.; Palmilla Golf Club, Los Cabos, Mexico; and Bearwood Lakes Golf Club, Berkshire, England.

If you’re a golfer male or female, these 4 courses, along with the other 46 on the list, are MUST PLAYS.

I recently visited, on July 29th, River Islands Golf Club. It was, at least, the 10th time I’ve been there.

It’s an Arthur Hills design, and if you’ve ever played on one of his, you’ll look for more of them, as I do.

I took Rick Forman, Todd Hart and Todd Waldrip. All of them are from Metro Louisville, KY or one of the surrounding cities.

We got there around 11:30AM and were going to eat lunch, hit some range ball and putt before our tee time at 2PM.

For our lunch choices we were given a choice of a ham sandwich or a ham sandwich. No hamburgers were on the grill, no hot dogs, no chili. Nothing but ham sandwiches and the chioces of chips to go with it consisted of one bag of flavored chips and one bag of plain chips. It would have been the most disappointed I’ve ever been with a Pro Shop lunch, except the ham sandwich was pretty good.

The sack of range balls was less than a third of the amount I get at my local driving range and was twice as expensive. Again, it would have been the most disappointed I’d ever been with this, but the hitting area at the range was in great shape and there were multiple targets to hit to.

The round starts with an easy par 4 1st hole. About 356 from the White tee’s some of my partners wanted to play. 3 wood, pitching wedge, 2 or 3 putts and you’re done.

The second hole is a down and around, over a deep valley type of 353 yard par 4. 200 yard tee ball, 150 yard approach and be very careful you don’t go long or come up short.

Now’s where the fun begins. It is now officially on.

The third is a par 3, 175 yard ALL CARRY over the French Broad River. No room short, no room right, very little room left and long. Good luck. I LOVE this hole.

#4 is a 547 yard par 5, bordered every yard on the left by the most picturesque river and bluff views you will ever come across. I caught Todd Waldrip staring at the river and the bluffs at least 3 times on this hole alone. If there is a more beautiful hole in golf, I haven’t played it, YET.

5 is a 150 yard par 3, all carry, again over the French Broad River. No room anywhere. Be good or lucky, or you’ll be wet. This is a great hole.

6 is a par 5, again with the river, bluffs and pasture land all along the left. Again, I had to snap Todd Waldrip back to reality, several times. He said he couldn’t wait to bring his ” special someone ” down to see this hole. It might be the most tranquil spot on earth.

7 and 8 are fine holes with no special or outstanding features, other than they are part of the wonderful landscape. 8 is a 190 yard par 3. I hit a smooth 5 iron to about 8-10 feet. The bad part is I don’t remember if I made the putt. The place does that to you. You don’t really care about the score. It really is that scenic, quiet, beautiful, serene, etc.

9 is a 527 yard par 5. I hit driver, then 3 wood from 250. On the green in two and 2 putts for birdie.

Next is the Turn Shack. Yessss ! It’s about 100 degrees with heat index, we’ve been out here for about 2 1/2 hours, it’s Friday at 4:30PM and the Turn Shack is CLOSED. CLOSED ? CLOSED !

Seems to be a common thread. They really don’t like people so they don’t feed them. Must be something about being owned by LinksCorp. You get this same attitude at Stonhenge at Fairfield Glade. Not very people friendly, but at least River Islands is so dang pretty that you don’t care.

I’ve been going to River Islands, and taking people with me since ‘98. That’s about when LinksCorp bought them. Never been treated rudely, but never had anyone go out of their way to see if I could have a better time.

I’ve asked the Pro Shop employee every time if they had a nice discount for us on some shirts, since we drove 4 hours from Louisville and brought 3 people with me. Never got a discount over and above the one’s that were already in place. Wouldn’t hurt to say, here’s a rack we can give you and extra discount on. Maybe we’d come back sooner than we would usually do. Which is once in spring, once in summer and once in fall.

The back 9 starts with an easy par 4, about 385 yards. I hit driver and 9 iron and made the birdie putt.

11 thru 13 are nice par 4’s of medium length, nicely laid out and wondeful holes, just not outstanding for any reason.

14 is a really fine par 5. Uphill tee ball, then downhill on the second shot, to a well guarded green with your approach. Hit 2 easy balls and leave yourself your favorite length approach shot and you’ll get out with a well deserved par.

15 takes you back across the French Broad River to an 180 yard par 3. Be short. No room for error here. Hit about 5-10 yards short, pitch it back and take a chance with your putt for par. What a par 3 this is. Stay out of the gunge/weeds. Right, Todd ?

16 is a birdie hole. Short par 5. All you have to do is split a fairway that is only about 20-25 yards wide, between some towering trees. I mean HUGE. I hit a skanky tee ball, but still got to the green in two. I believe I 2 putted for birdie. Don’t really remember. Too beautiful to care. I love this river.

17 is a par 3 over a deep ravine, downhill to about 142 yards. I knocked down a 9 iron and 2 putted for par.

18 is a gorgeous par 4, 400 yards downhill. Bunkers on the right calling your name. I hit driver over them, but long and right is not a good place to be. Next time it’s a 3 wood or utility club down about 250 and a 9 iron in. I will remember.

Never one time did a Ranger come by and say anything about hurrying. Not once did they bother us or question our pace of play. This is a good thing. For what we paid, we should have been allowed to enjoy our round and we did.

Thanks to the grounds crew for good greens, fabulous fairway and rough that was not out of control. In fact, I’ve never had River Islands be in bad condition. Zoysia fairways should be a requirement for every course. These were outstanding.

There’s a part of their website that say’s -

” The service at River Islands exceeds even the highest of expectations. From the golf shop professionals and course hosts to the food and beverage staff–all are focused on making your day of golf enjoyable from start to finish. ”

Well guys, you were a little lacking in the food and beverage part, but your course was a MUST PLAY.

Next time people come from 4 or more hours away, make ‘em feel special, offer ‘em a discount on a shirt and maybe, just maybe, they’ll come back.

Either way, when the leaves start to change, you need to see this place. It’s even more beautiful in the fall.

I’ll see you then. Be ready. I know the course will.