September 2005

A friend of mine just got back from a great golf vacation in New York. He went for business and turned it into golfing memories that will endure forever.

He played a round at The Sagamore, on an island in Lake George, in New York.

The Sagamore also happens to be one of the courses listed in Fifty Places To Play Golf Before You Die, by Chris Santella. I’m sure you can find it on Amazon.com, by clicking that link.

Quoting Chris Santella, from his book:

” This is a classic Donald Ross designed course adjacent to a resort on Lake George. Routed through a thick pine forest and accented with occasional plots of heather ( a nod to Ross’ youth in Scotland ), the routing offers glimpses of the lake and the Adirondack foothills, plus Ross’ trademark small and subtly contoured greens. “

Golf Digest rated this course as the “5th Best Public Course in New York State.” In addition, Corporate and Incentive Travel gave it a “Greens of Distinction” award and Condé Nast named it a top U.S. resort course.

Golf Magazine said ” A splendid mountainside links designed by Donald Ross in New York’s forested Adirondacks coupled with a Victorian-style hotel on an island in Lake George make The Sagamore a perennial delight. Twilight golf is a special pleasure, though the subtle breaks on the muffin-top greens are no more discernible at this magical hour than any other. ”

Their website is well done, informative and even has a helicopter tour for your enjoyment. I took it, enjoyed it and you will too.

The photo’s of the surrounding scenery make me want to hop a plane and play this weekend !

Go visit ‘em and let me know what you think.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you.

If you make lists, here’s a great place to add to your must list.

You must go to Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada.

” Situated a mile high in the Canadian Rockies, Banff Springs is one of the most spectacular golf courses in the world. ” - Chris Santella, author of Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die.

He also says in his book that legendary golf course architect Stanley Thompson sculpted the course on a broad scale to maximize the impact of the vistas.

As quoted from their website:

” The course offers just two simple things. First, a breathtaking view in every direction and second, a magnificent layout that thrills every golfer fortunate enough to spend a day here. Amateurs and professionals alike are constantly amazed by its panoramic challenge. From the actual hole design to the optical illusions created by the surrounding mountains, this course will delight and tempt you.

Stanley Thompson, Canada’s master golf course architect, used his expert talent when he designed the original 18 holes in 1928. The course winds along the Bow River under the snow-capped peaks of Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle. In 1989, 9 holes were added, resulting in 27 holes of championship layout. ”

Just looking at their website makes me want to go…tomorrow. But I guess I’d better wait for a week or two.

The Stanley Thompson 18 is in my future plans. Go check out their website and if you go, send me some pictures.

Oh, and tell ‘em Mike sent you.

Robert Gamez won the Valero Texas Open. Along the way, between his last Tour victory, as a rookie in 1990, he’s been around the world looking for his game.

He looks like he’s got the game, let’s hope he’s got the mind to go with it.

Even though it had been over 15 years ( and 394 events ) since Gamez won the Bay Hill Invitational ( in 1990 ), he did not play the Resort Course at LaCantera Golf Club like someone desperate for a win. He carded six birdies without a bogey on his way to a six-under-par 64 and winning total of 18-under 262.

The span between Gamez’s victories is a PGA Tour record.

“I was ready for it and started really quick,” Gamez said. “I hit it good all day and it’s a great feeling.”

After a tap-in par at the 18th, he could celebrate winning and a two-year tour exemption.

David Duval, once the number one golfer in the world, made his first cut of the season and finished tied for 60th at one over after a final-round 74. Duval withdrew from his first event in January and had missed 16 consecutive cuts before

Congratulations to the team from the U.S. of A. for winning the Presidents Cup competition over a very talented, very determined group of golfers representing the International team.

Captain Jack Nicklaus deserved to be a winner, after the year he’s had.

Now’s a great time for hime not to captain another team. Going out on top beats just going out, in my book.

They were anchored, in my mind, by Chris DiMarco and Jim Furyk.

Without those two very talented, very gritty, tough players, they would have been toast.

Let’s hope the good putting carries over to the Ryder Cup next year.

It all comes down to “ drive for show, putt for dough. ”

Think I’m gonna get a new putter.

Chicago’s golf scene has been blessed with some Arthur Hills magic. The Ivanhoe Club has recently completed a 60 month project that was done by Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates.

These people are in for some long lasting golf nirvana, now that Hills has waved his wand over their land.

Raymond Kondziela, Ivanhoe’s general manager and chief operating officer, say’s:

“The club has positioned itself to host a PGA Tour event. We hired Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates because we wanted the same architects who were called upon to tighten up Oakland Hills, Oakmont, Inverness, Congressional and Country Club of North Carolina, among others. Our members wanted a club that, with time, would rival Medinah, Shoreacres and Olympia Fields. I think we have achieved the first step.”

“One of the central issues addressed by our renovation work was the lack of variety inherent to the three nines at Ivanhoe,” says Drew Rogers, the partner who directed the project for Hills/Forrest. “Many 27-hole clubs have an 18-hole course designed in one style, and a third nine, perhaps in a different style. The members felt that all three nines at Ivanhoe were too similar and needed their own stylistic identities. That was our mission and I think it’s safe to say we met that challenge in creating the Forest, Marsh and Prairie nines.”

“Ivanhoe has many avid golfers and while their goal was to bring Ivanhoe up to a playing standard on par with the famous courses of Chicago, it was also very important to keep 18 holes open for golf,” Rogers says. “We agreed on a three-phase master plan approach laid out to the membership in 1998 that tackled each nine separately while keeping the other 18 in tact.”

“I am very proud and pleased with the renovation efforts at Ivanhoe,” says Arthur Hills, founder and principal of Hills/Forrest. “This is a strong club with strong leadership, and now they have 27 holes of strong, strategically sound golf. Ivanhoe is a fine example of how a once well regarded club can be reborn and be considered one of the best.”

Quotes are from The Golf Press Association’s publication The Wire.

As the summer months have slowly faded away, fall starts tomorrow, I have started to look for ” The Next Big Thing “. My search for a 3-wood is heating up.

There’s still a lot of buzz about Sonartec and their fairway woods.

Sonartec’s updated SS-series fairway woods are always plentiful on eBay, otherwise known as Golf Club Heaven. So I started my search there for the 3-wood of my dreams. I noticed a lot of different one’s, so I went to Sonartec’s site to see if I could narrow down my wish list. I noticed a Press Release about their SS-2.5 and their SS-3.5 being an ” Overwhelming #1 Choice in Product Test “. So I sought out the article.

From their Press release, I found that in the July issue of Pub Links Golfer Magazine, Sonartec’s newest line of high-performance fairway woods received the “Player’s Choice Award”, awarded to the product chosen by readers as the best in its category.

Pub Links Golfer readers tested a total of fifteen fairway woods under the supervision of PGA professionals. The readers were then asked to rate the clubs on a scale of 1-to-9 while taking into account feel, distance, consistency and value. The SS-series was the overwhelming top choice, scoring an impressive 8.3. The SS-Series was the only fairway wood to score higher than an 8.3 in any category, racking up 8.5’s in both feel and performance.

The SS-2.5 mid-faced model is the updated version of the Tour proven SS-02. It features a hotter, denser face metal designed to increase ball velocity at impact and is powered by the ultra-premium Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 shaft. The SS-2.5’s mid face depth helps to produce a mid-high launch angle with reduced spin, making it ideal for golfers of all skill levels.

The SS-3.5 deep-faced model is the new version of the SS-03 model. It features the same ST-385 face metal and is also powered by the Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 shaft. The deep face depth produces a mid-low launch angle with reduced spin, making it ideal for low handicappers with high swing speeds. Both models feature Sonartec’s Driving Cavity technology, which produces a deep, penetrating ball flight by raising the center of gravity and shifting it toward the rear of the head.

Sonartec is a Carlsbad, California-based fairway wood and hybrid specialist. Since opening for business in December of 1999, Sonartec has earned PGA Tour victories with 11 different models, including wins in four Majors. In 2004, Sonartec was the third most-played fairway wood brand on the PGA Tour with 1231 total pieces in play; all without endorsement money of tee-up compensation.

I’ve found my dream girl, now all I have to do is find a winnable auction. Quickly.

The 2006 Wendy’s Champions Skins Game is scheduled for Monday, February 6, on the Championship Wailea Gold Course at Wailea Resort, Maui, Hawaii.

It will be on ESPN, like just about everything else. It will feature 4 of the greatest pro’s in the history of golf, playing $600,000. Past players include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Craig Stadler, Lee Trevino, Fuzzy Zoeller and Hale Irwin.

The tournament will be broadcast nationally on ESPN on February 6, 2006.

In 2005, Jack Nicklaus earned the largest tournament paycheck of his life when he captured the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game title with $340,000 and 11 skins, beating out Palmer, Watson and Stadler. Nicklaus is expected to return to defend his title. The rest of the field is expected to be announced the latter part of 2005.

The Wendy’s Champions Skins Game, formerly called the Senior Skins Game and Champions Skins Game, has been home-based at Wailea Resort since 2001. In addition to title sponsor Wendy’s International, Inc., other major sponsors include Destination Resorts Hawaii, Diamond Resort Hawaii, The Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, Four Seasons Resort Maui, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Maui Visitors Bureau, Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, The Shops at Wailea, Wailea Golf LLC and Wailea Marriott Resort.

For more information, visit Champions Skins Wailea or call the Wailea Golf Club at 1-888-328-MAUI.

I recently replaced my Ram Wedges, 50, 55 & 60 degrees, with a set made by Adams Golf. They are 52, 56 & 60 degrees. I looked at them because my old wedges were designed by Tom and I liked the way he has his wedges set up. Heads not too large, nice bounce, great feel.

I had used those old Ram - Tom Watson - Wedges for a long, long time.

I wasn’t happy about having to replace them, but the grooves were worn beyond usefulness. The heads were worn around the sweet spot from all the practice balls I have hit over the years.

I tried them on a golf vacation to Tennessee. I didn’t commit to them at first and it showed. I couldn’t hit a green from 20 yards.

I kept going back to my old wedges when the round was a ” money ” round.

Finally, in a last ditch effort to force myself to commit, I broke my 50 degree gap wedge and threw it in the woods. Talk about desperate, I was.

I got those Adams wedges out of the trunk, put ‘em in the bag and headed to the practice range. I had to weaken my grip a bit and had to get used to the new distances, but now I’m truly hooked on them.

If you need a set of wedges, give the Adams set a try. You can get them at your local golf shop or on eBay. Probably around $75 to $100, so they are not expensive, but are every bit as good as any I’ve hit.

Good luck and hit ‘em straight.

Today’s version of ” Let’s Look At An Arthur Hills Designed Golf Course” takes us to the great state of California. Temecula that is. Golf courses. Putting stars.

Sorry for the Beverly Hillbillies rendition.

Cross Creek Golf Club is ” Golf the Way it Was Meant to be Played at a Pristine Arthur Hills Course “, according to their website.

By the looks of it, I’d say they were right on the money.

This looks like the kind of place that you’d want to go to for a 3 day golf vacation and I’m sure they would be able to set you up with a dynamite golf pacakge that includes everything you might need.

They say that they have firm, hard to hold fairways, rough edged bunkers that are difficult to escape, and firm, fast greens that slope away for tricky putts.

The par 71 layout runs 6,833 from the championship tees, combining length with the array of natural hazards.

Their website is well done, informative and includes all the contact info you could possibly need.

Go by and check it out and if you’re in the area, go play a round and come back and let us know how it plays.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you.

Here’s another Arthur Hills designed course.

Fox Hills has the Golden Fox as part of their 63 holes of glorious golf.

They have 3 courses and are located in Plymouth, Michigan.

They are available for outings for 12 to 500 people. They also have some very reasonable golf packages and it will be a great spot for a golf vacation this fall when the leaves start to turn.

Their website has some awesome photos and you can find their contact info there.

Go by and visit them and if you can tell us anything about this wondeful layout, drop me a line or leave a comment.