William Powell Honored by Ohio Golf Course Owners Association

(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) - PGA Life Member William Powell of East Canton, Ohio, the only African American to build, own and operate a golf course in the United States, was presented the 2009 Person of the Year Award by the Ohio Golf Course Owners Association.

Powell, 93, who was named the 2009 PGA Distinguished Service Award recipient last August at the 91st PGA Championship, was presented his latest honor Nov. 16, at the OGCOA Annual Meeting in Newark, Ohio.

Powell built Clearview Golf Club in 1946 after first being turned down for a loan due to the color of his skin. Clearview opened for play in 1948 and is today on the National Register of Historic Places.

"Dr. Powell has by his achievements throughout his lifetime, merited his receiving this award," said OGCOA Executive Director Ken Guenther. "This award is presented to those who had significant impact on the Ohio Golf Course Owners Association and or the golf industry in Ohio."

Powell, his daughter, Renee, the 2003 PGA First Lady of Golf and PGA head professional at Clearview, were present for the ceremony.

"I think all awards are special, but when it comes from the state golf course owners, it is truly special," said Renee. "My dad was very touched by the association's award. Most of the golf course owners and association members of my dad's generation have passed on. Now, I represent the second generation, and I join others who believe what he has achieved is pretty significant."

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Hireko Golf Introduces High MOI Acer CB7 Putter

(CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.) - Hireko Golf announced the introduction of the newest member of the Acer CB Putter series; CB7.

The CB series is renowned for having some of the highest moment of inertia (MOI) putters in the entire industry today which accomplishes two important benefits. The extreme perimeter weighting creates an ultra-high MOI keeping the ball traveling on its intended line without losing energy. Secondly, moving the weight rearward helps reduce the skidding of the ball and helps the ball start rolling quicker for better distance control.

The new CB7 putter is engineered no differently except it offers a unique appearance and hosel configuration within the series..

"The beautifully sculpted angular arms of the new Acer CB7 Putter constitute a high percentage of the club's mass allowing increased perimeter weighting and a high moment of inertia," states Technical Director Jeff Summitt. "In addition, the lightweight stainless steel body frees more weight to be distributed to the perimeter wings for a truer roll."

The Acer CB7 Putter series putter was designed for a traditional putter at standard or even shorter assembly lengths, but with the center-shafted design would make and excellent choice for belly putter lengths. The Acer CB7 head is precision cast from stainless steel and features a soft, black milled aluminum insert and vivid multiple alignment guides.

Every Acer CB7 Putter is made to order and is available as a right hand model for $44.95 each online at www.HirekoGolf.com.

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Sweetgrass Golf Club Honored by Golf Digest as "Best-New" Course

Amenity of the Island Resort & Casino Continues to Garner Top Awards from Leading Publications

(HARRIS, MI) - Sweetgrass Golf Club - the rising-star amenity of the Island Resort & Casino -- today announces it earned Golf Digest magazine's esteemed "America's Best New Courses 2009" honor, adding to the impressive roster of awards garnered from high-profile, national publications.

Owned and operated by the Hannahville Band of the Potawatomi Nation, Sweetgrass is an 18-hole, par-72 masterpiece which stretches 7,300 yards from the tips. Offering five sets of tees, the layout subtly pays homage to Native American lore. Historic bridges rescued from the region, intricate rockwork and a liberal sprinkling of the namesake sweetgrass add to the course's unique look and feel.

Defining new courses as ones opened from May 2008 -- April 2009, Golf Digest raters judged each course for shot values, design variety, memorability, resistance to scoring and aesthetics. Averages, from each category, were combined and totaled to determine the winners. Golf Digest's rating system is unique as its nearly 1,000 low-handicap raters play and evaluate nominated courses at their own expense.

Golfweek previously honored Sweetgrass - designed by Paul Albanese and opened in 2008 - with "Best New" and "Best in State" list distinction.

"Sweetgrass, Island Resort & Casino and the Hannahville Band of the Potawatomi Nation are extremely gratified to receive this award," said Island Resort & Casino General Manager Tom McChesney. "We will continue to enhance the course as we strive to provide our guests and visitors with an exceptional experience."

Boasting more than 1,400 slot machines and 24/7 gaming, the Island Resort & Casino offers Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and more. The Island Showroom hosts top musical acts from a variety of musical genres. Dining options include the Firekeeper's Restaurant, Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar, Coral Reef Grille and Bingo Snack Bar. Live music in the lounge, the Club Four One nightclub, a swimming pool and conference center are other popular resort offerings.

Located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Island Resort & Casino and Sweetgrass Golf Club are easily accessible via a pair of regional Michigan airports in Escanaba and Marquette as well as Green Bay, Wisconsin.

For more information on the Island Showroom, the casino or Sweetgrass Golf Club, please visit www.islandresortandcasino.com, www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com or call 800-682-6040, ext. 2252.

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Lake of Isles Ranked in Golfweek's Best Casino Courses

(NORTH STONINGTON, Conn.) - Lake of Isles' North Course, a Rees Jones design, was ranked No. 12 in Golfweek's 2009 Best Casino Course List. This is Lake of Isles fourth appearance on the list.

"It is an honor to once again be named one of the top casino courses in the country," said Archie Cart, Lake of Isles General Manager. "The Mashantucket Pequot Nation's commitment to quality and excellence has paved the way for Lake of Isles to be one of the premier golf facilities in the country. To be recognized by the national golf media means a lot to the tribe, Foxwoods as well as the entire Troon Golf team at Lake of Isles."

Golfweek's Best Casino Courses appeared in the magazine's Dec 12, 2009 issue.

The North Course is a par-72 layout that stretches more than 7,300 yards from the championship tees. The course features rolling fairways, island tees and greens and extraordinary views, which blend nicely with the incredible natural landscape. The North is open to guests of Foxwoods Resort Casino and daily-fee golfers. Green fees range from $145 to $195.
Lake of Isles North Course is scheduled to open for the 2010 season April 1. Lake of Isles offers golf packages with lodging at one of four fine hotels at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Lake of Isles, a 36-hole Rees Jones-designed golf club located in North Stonington, Connecticut, opened in May 2005. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and located across the street from Foxwoods Resort Casino, the two courses wind their way through 900 acres of wooded Connecticut countryside and around a 90-acre lake.

For information on Lake of Isles call 888.475.3746 or visit www.lakeofisles.com.

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The Territory Named 'Top Residential Golf Course’ in America

Latest ‘Best-of’ Acclaim Garnered by Southwest Oklahoma Golf and Residential Community for Third Consecutive Year

(Southwest Oklahoma) – The Territory Golf & Country Club, an award-winning course and residential community near the quaint, progressive town of Duncan, today announces it has been named to Golfweek’s “Top 100 Residential Golf Courses” in America list.

Honored by the publication for the third consecutive year, The Territory joins renowned properties such as Kiawah Island, Pronghorn and Isleworth – Tiger Woods’ home course. This continued recognition further enhances The Territory’s reputation as a top-of-the-bell-curve course and community.

Working side-by-side with noted architect Randy Heckenkemper, owners Rick and Barbara Braught developed The Territory to introduce a casual, yet elegant golf residential community with a family friendly focus to the unspoiled beauty of the region.

“Our vision from Day 1 was to ensure The Territory would be a place for our children’s children to call home – this is golf and community as it should be,” says Rick Braught. “While the accolades are very rewarding, our greatest feeling is knowing our members, guests and friends who’ve laid down roots here are enjoying all there is to experience at The Territory.”

A modified target-style design that unfolds over rolling hills and through fields of native vegetation, The Territory stretches to 7,100 yards from the tips and features five sets of tees to accommodate all levels of play. A state-of-the-art training facility and a three-hole short course add to the golf-related amenities, while fine culinary dishes by Chef Keith Zinke are the norm at the Prairie House. The swimming pool and activity courts are often venues for planned events or a break from the day-to-day grind.

An unmatched golf experience remains the focus at The Territory from the first tee shot to the final putt. Setting this property apart from a vast majority of residential courses across the country – many of which also are honored with Top 100 praise – the Heckenkemper design feels like a golf course first, and a residential development second.

Golfweek Magazine sends hundreds of course rating panelists around the country annually to identify the best courses in their respective categories.

For more information on The Territory, call 580-475-0075 or visit www.territorygolf.com.

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Omni Bedford Springs Resort Receives High Honors from Golfweek

(BEDFORD SPRINGS, Pa.) - The Old Course at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa has earned distinction as one of Golfweek's top 100 resort courses in America. The "American Classic" course ranked No. 45 on the magazine's annual list of the "Best Resort Courses" for 2010, out-shooting the only other Pennsylvania address to make the cut. Renovated in 2007, the Old Course provides an interesting history, with some holes thought to be among the first installed in America.

"We're delighted to see the Old Course included among the top American resort courses," said Head Golf Professional Ron Leporati, Jr. "The course offers all the modern accoutrements professional golfers require, featuring the perfect blend of historical significance and state-of-the-art amenities."

The Old Course is the work of three Grand Masters of American golf course design, as well as one notable contemporary:
• Spencer Oldham, who laid out the original 18-hole course in 1895 with select holes that are believed among the first on U.S. soil.
• A.W. Tillinghast, who reduced the number of holes on the course to 9 as part of his 1912 redesign.
• Donald Ross, who added the back 9 holes and completed his redesign during the 1920s.
• And Ron Forse of Forse Design, Inc., who led a restoration of the Old Course for the reopening of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa in 2007.

The Old Course has also been recognized by discerning observers of the game with several other accolades including #1 "Playable Classic Course" (50 years-plus) in Pennsylvania by Golfweek; "Renovation of the Year" by Golf Inc.; "Best of the Best" in the 20th anniversary edition of The Robb Report; and One of the Top Golf Courses in the United States 2009/2010 by Zagat.

The Old Course has also earned recognition and praise on a local level. The resort hosted the Western Pennsylvania Amateur Championship in 2008, as well as the Tri-State PGA's "Omni Bedford Springs Open" in 2008 and 2009.

Seasonal rates for an overnight stay at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort start at $179 per night on weekdays, $229 per night on weekends. For more information, visit www.omnibedfordsprings.com.

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Golf Digest's "Best New Course" Honors go to French Lick Course

New Pete Dye course earns top public course honor

(French Lick, IN) - French Lick Resort, the award winning resort destination located in southern Indiana, has earned its most accomplished golf honor to date. The new Pete Dye course has been selected "Best New Public Course" in the country by Golf Digest.

The leading golf publication's annual review of America's Best New Courses appears in the January 2010 issue and covers the best new courses in the public, private, Canadian, and remodeled categories. A panel of 950 male and female golfers conducts the annual best new survey by rating the courses based on a shot values, design variety, resistance to scoring, memorability, and aesthetics.

The Pete Dye course edged out some of America's best new golf courses including, Palouse Ridge at Washington State University; Tetherow Golf Club, Bend, Ore.; Pound Ridge Golf Club, New York; and Blue Top Ridge Golf Club in Iowa; which rounded out the top five.

"As we began the journey some four and a half years ago, we never imagined that golf at French Lick would become so highly acclaimed, and recognized both regionally and nationally, in such a short timeframe," said Dave Harner, French Lick Resort's director of golf. "Great things happen when you combine the efforts of three visionaries ─ Bill Cook, Steve Ferguson, and Pete Dye."
Ron Whitten, the magazine's senior editor of architecture, described the Dye course as, "a stark, treeless, wind-swept concoction by octogenarian Pete Dye, the Gandolf wizard of course design."

The course, regarded as one of the most breathtaking and exciting 18 holes of golf in the country, was carefully carved on a dramatic hilltop offering a variety of elevation changes, rugged and dramatic terrain, narrow fairways and vintage Pete Dye characteristics. There are spectacular views from every hole, some that stretch for over 40 miles.

Dye said he was tickled to hear of the award; the fifth time one of his designs to win that prestigious honor. He said designing the course on such a severe, hilly landscape was challenging but a lot of fun.

"I made more than 140 trips there and I walked that course 40 to 50 times," he said. "As I built the golf course I tried to get the tees, the fairways, and the greens in position that they have these long views over the valleys and hills. A lot of southern Indiana is natural forest, a lot of it is state owned, so you can see for miles. The ambience of the course is the look, the vistas from all the different tees, greens, and fairways."

Complementing the Dye design is the property's historic Taggart mansion, dramatically restored, to serve as the clubhouse offering sweeping views of the course from its hilltop location. From the mansion the course spreads out 50 feet below, "routed like a four-pointed star, with squiggly fairways dotted by typical Pete Dye bunkers," Whitten said in his review.

Although the course stretches out to a whopping 8,102 yards from the championship tees, it is designed for all levels of play with the forward tees set at 5,100 yards. Whitten said he was also impressed by how easy it was to walk the layout, especially from the regular tees at 6,115 yards. Each tee is located next to the preceding green.

The course is already on the national golf radar. In 2010 it will be the site of the PGA of America's Professional National Championship. The resort predicts this will be the first of several high-profile professional events it will host on the Dye layout in the future.

For more information or to book a stay, visit http://www.frenchlick.com/ or call our reservation specialists at (888) 936-9360.

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Monsoon Protects Against Changing Weather

(Missoula, Montana) - When the winds of change bring rain into your game, look no further than Sun Mountain's 2010 Monsoon Jacket and Pant. Monsoon offers guaranteed waterproof protection in comfortable, lined, microfiber for only $85 for the full-zip jacket and $65 for the pants. For the retailer nearest you, visit http://www.sunmountain.com/ or call 800-227-9224.

The Monsoon Jacket is constructed with a windproof and waterproof microfiber shell with taped seams and Teflon coating for guaranteed waterproof protection and taffeta lining for comfort. Additional features include shoulder gussets for ease of movement, adjustable cuffs, zippered side pockets, an external chest pocket, shock-cord waist, and locking zipper pulls that stay securely out of the way. Monsoon Jacket is in golf shops now with a full-suggested retail price of $85. Monsoon Jacket is available in sizes M - XXL in Black, Red/Black, Sport Navy/Black, White/Black and Port/Black and in size Small in Black, only.

Monsoon Pants are fully lined, coated microfiber offering guaranteed protection from wind and rain. Monsoon Pants come with a zippered fly with snap closure, elastic waist, zippered side pockets and lower legs, and a unique leg snap system that allows the pants to be shortened by 2-½ inches. Monsoon Pants are available now with a full-suggested retail of $65 in sizes M - XXL in Black only.

Sun Mountain President, Ed Kowachek said, "With Sun Mountain's top-of-the-line stretchable, breathable, waterproof RainFlex at one end, and our emergency packable Provisional rainsuit at the other - the Monsoon fills a nice spot right in the middle."

In addition to outerwear, for over 25 years, Sun Mountain has been designing and manufacturing functional, high-quality, lightweight golf bags for the serious golfer. Sun Mountain is responsible for many industry firsts, including being the first to use backpacking technology to produce a lightweight nylon golf bag, and being the first to develop a stand bag with integral legs. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart and the new ClubGlider travel bag are leaders in their respective categories.

Sun Mountain is dedicated to finding the most innovative fabrics, the latest manufacturing processes, and the best designs to create a line of performance outerwear that includes rainsuits, windshirts, fleece and the RainFlex collection. Sun Mountain is an officially licensed supplier of outerwear to the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Duramed Futures Tour, Nationwide Tour and was the official outerwear of the winning 2009 USA Presidents Cup Team.

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Island Resort & Casino (Upper Peninsula) Unveils 2010 Entertainment

Resort Boasts Major Musical Acts; Home to World-Class Amenities Including Acclaimed Sweetgrass Golf Club

(HARRIS, Michigan) – The Island Resort & Casino today announces its 2010 entertainment schedule showcasing a variety of musical sensations including Rick Springfield, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Loretta Lynn, Darius Rucker and other chart-toppers.
Acts perform in the recently constructed Island Showroom – situated immediately off the gaming floor – seating 1,300 people with unobstructed stage views, for an intimate atmosphere. Ticket prices are $32 unless otherwise noted.

The Island Showroom reverts back to the 70’s as Grand Funk Railroad and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder each take the stage for performances January 15 and 16. Felder, one of the five original Eagles members, wrote the Grammy-winning “Hotel California.” Fellow 70’s group REO Speedwagon visits January 29 and 30, hits include “Keep on Loving You,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Roll with the Changes.”

Darius Rucker – former lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish – comes to the Island Showroom February 12 and 13. Winner of this year's Country Music Awards’ New Artist of the Year, his album produced three No. 1 songs. Tickets $37.

Foreigner – revered for “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” and “I Want to Know What Love is” – heats up the Island Showroom on February 26 and 27. Rick Springfield – famous for the smash hit “Jessie’s Girl” – visits on March 26 and 27.

Closing out the spring season, country music icon Loretta Lynn celebrates 50 years of wowing audiences with appearances April 9 and 10. Dating back to the 1960’s, Lynn’s chart-toppers include like “Coal Miner’s Daugther,” "Don't Come Home A'Drinkin (With Lovin' on Your Mind)," "Fist City," and "Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone)." Tickets $27.

Shows start at 8 p.m. EST, tickets can be purchased by calling 877-ISL-SHOW or 906-466-2941, ext. 5001, or online at http://www.islandresortandcasino.com/. All major credit cards accepted.

“The Island Showroom’s repertoire shows we are listening to our guests by providing the best talent possible from a variety of genres,” says General Manager Tom McChesney. “Between our musical acts, enhanced gaming floor and award-winning Sweetgrass Golf Club, the Island Resort & Casino is truly an entertainment destination appealing to all ages.”

The expanded gaming floor features table games, a poker room and more than 1,400 slot machines. Meanwhile, Sweetgrass Golf Club – designed by Paul Albanese – was named to Golfweek’s “Top 20 in Michigan” list, besting nearly 700 other courses and was also honored as one of “America’s Best New Courses.”

For more information on the Island Showroom, the casino or Sweetgrass Golf Club, please visit http://www.islandresortandcasino.com/ or call 800-682-6040, ext. 2125.

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