Bionic Gloves Launches New PerformanceGrip Pro Golf Glove

Designed by a leading hand specialist for the competitive golfer

(LOUISVILLE, KY) – Bionic Gloves, a division of Hillerich & Bradsby Co., has launched a new PerformanceGrip Pro Golf Glove designed for the competitive golfer looking for superior feel and improved grip in a light weight glove. Designed by a leading hand specialist, the Cabretta leather gloves include terry cloth pads strategically placed to promote a light grip while absorbing perspiration to keep hands cool and dry. The gloves also feature dual expansion zones that accommodate for thumb length and width allowing for better comfort and fit for a variety of hand sizes.

“In listening to our consumers, we heard them say how much they love our PerformanceGrip gloves but needed more room and flexibility in the fit, especially in the thumbs,” said John Ballback, National Sales Manager for Bionic Gloves. “With this newest glove, we’ve incorporated their feedback along with improving on the durability, moisture control and comfort – all key factors for the competitive golfer. Our goal is to always be improving our gloves and we’re excited to hear what golfers have to say, especially in terms of how it improves their game, about this latest model.”

The newest Bionic PerformanceGrip Pro gloves feature enhanced 3D wrap-around pad technology for a more secure grip while patented pre-rotated finger design complements the natural closure of the hand and helps reduce fatigue. The gloves are proven to be two times more durable, retaining their “new glove” feel longer than a standard leather golf glove.

Bionic Gloves has also included an easy grab tab making removal simple and quick. All the updated features were created with the competitive golfer in mind, aiming to improve their game while maintaining grip, comfort and fit.

PerformanceGrip Pro Golf Glove will be available in late Spring for $29.99 each in white at BionicGloves.com as well as select retailers and pro shops.

Yahoo Founder Jerry Yang Headlines Speakers List at 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium

Two-Day Gathering Draws Golf’s Leaders to Vancouver March 6-7

(RELEASE) – Entrepreneur and technology investor Jerry Yang will headline a noteworthy lineup of speakers at the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium, which will be hosted by the USGA in conjunction with Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation on March 6-7, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo! and the founding partner of AME Cloud Ventures, Yang exemplifies the focus on data, innovative thinking and transformative technology that are keystones of the symposium and bedrocks of the USGA’s work in advancing the game toward a stronger, more sustainable future.

“Golf facilities have reduced water consumption, solved problems that cause bottlenecks on the golf course, and introduced programs to welcome more people into our game – simply by learning and sharing best practices discussed at these forums,” said Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA. “It is a significant priority for the USGA to bring these leaders together each year, and foster this kind of innovative thinking.”

The symposium will be composed of three half-day sessions. The first of these, “Elevating the Golfer Experience,” will feature forward-thinking speakers such as Bruce Charlton, a former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and the co-designer of 2015 U.S. Open host Chambers Bay, and Jeehae Lee, the director of business strategy for Topgolf, the fast-growing entertainment company that uses data to provide a superior experience for its customers.

Directly addressing some of the pressing issues challenging golf facilities, “Improving Facility Productivity” will examine the future of course maintenance while also introducing the USGA’s Resource Management tool. This new map-based software tool will enable facilities to visualize and measure the financial impact of potential changes in course features and maintenance levels.

The “Serving the Game” session will include panel discussions about the strength of the diverse British Columbia Golf leadership and the coexistence of regulation and innovation in golf equipment. John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director for Championships & Governance, will be joined by Roland Deveau, president of Golf Canada, and Federico Valdez Adame, director of the Mexican Golf Federation, for a session on governing and administering the game through innovation and international cooperation.

The 2017 Golf Innovation Symposium reflects the latest effort by the USGA to serve the game of golf as a knowledge center and information-exchange platform for golf facility operators and owners, and to spark and share innovative thinking that promotes a healthy future for the game.

Live broadcasts of the presentations will be available at usga.org/NAGIS or the USGA’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/TheUSGA.

Yang’s fireside chat will begin at approximately 8:15 p.m. PST on Monday, March 6, and will be broadcast live on the USGA’s Facebook page.

Antigua Taps Spandex in its Spring 2017 Men's Collection

From left, Antigua Styles Survey and Streak

(PEORIA, AZ) - Emphasizing an updated fabric story, the Antigua Group, Inc. - one of the nation's leading designers and marketers of lifestyle and golf apparel under the distinguished Antigua brand - announced it's using spandex in its Spring 2017 Men's Collection.

"Almost every style has incorporated this fiber into the construction of fashion fabrics for both function and form, eliminating any garment resistance throughout the golf swing and offering an enhanced supple hand, smooth drape and renewed recovery with every use," says Sean Gregg, Antigua's Vice President of Product Development and Marketing Support.

Sustain

The self collar style Sustain takes a solid piece-dyed jersey/spandex top shoulder detail and contrasts it against a heather over-dyed pointelle mesh -- the latter of which offers breathability while wicking. The main body fabric is a subdued color shade compared to its jersey complement, based on the use of heather yarns softening the color tones. The two fabrics meet at the shoulder-sleeve seam, where a neutral elastic heather tape overlaps the seam to complete the seamless merge.

Utilizing the same detailed complexity of fabric paired with style, this season's style Streak incorporates a simply engineered chest and sleeve panel of primary brights complemented by a grey heather jersey front torso panel. The contrast of the engineered color and neutral horizontal chest stripe is separated with this season's primary pop accent colors. Strategically knit into the divisional color separation is a near-invisible pairing of horizontal mesh stripes that add a textured surface interest with breathability.

Style Array features a jacquard double knit fabric built for breathability but disguised as an all-over, 45-degree-angled geometric mesh pattern. A self collar is set against contrasting, yet complementing accent shoulder seam tape distinguishes it as a true fashion style.

This season's stripe collection offers fresh vitality in contrasting colors. Incorporating spandex yarns into a fine jersey knit gives the simplest of stripe patterns a charged appeal. A solid-and-heather tonal feed stripe combined with heather over dyed insets -- as seen on the self collar style Orbit -- demonstrates this with sophisticated, simplistic appeal. The solid quarter-inch, all-over repeat of style Strand dyed together with a complementing tonal pinstripe and finished with a matching flat knit collar is a fresh take on the classic golf feed stripe.

Domain

And style Domain's use of tonal and contrasting accent stripes oscillating in a light-to-dark ombre pattern makes this self collar jersey/spandex polo a centerpiece garment for the collection.

Using a self collar as a complementing accent to the boldly patterned style Infinite embellishes its fresh mix of color-on-color stripes, making it a must-have in every color combination this season. Style Havoc is the epitome of the fashion polo in Antigua's Spring '17 collection, with its use of variegating space dye yarns. Using yarns dyed in colors specific to this season's collection, it's been knit in an engineered pattern repeat consisting of alternating space dye and solid yarns that creates an ever lightening, sophisticated tonal effect.

Antigua continues to embellish textured solids this season by adding an abstract geometric all-over embossed interlock style. Style Survey creates an optical effect of light and shadow that brings this solid style to life with a golfer's every movement. To enhance its sophisticated fashion appeal, it's created using an un-embossed solid self collar and cuff interlock making for a truly handsome piece.

Completing this season's polo offering is a sublimation print with strategically engineered front and back panels. Purposely designed with a color-to-white gradient and solid-to-geometric stripe detail, style Finesse fully demonstrates the depth of this season's primary colors as they wash to white. It's both a fun and active styling fit to the collection.

Find Antigua on the web at: www.Antigua.com and ShopAntigua.com. Like Antigua on Facebook at: facebook.com/Antigua. Follow Antigua on Twitter at: twitter.com/AntiguaWear. See Antigua YouTube videos at: youtube.com/AntiguaWear.

Spring Training a Great Time to Try 'Swing Coach' Golf Training Club

Get ready for your own season of success by grooving a proper, accelerating golf swing

(Logan, Utah) – Spring training season is an ideal time for golfers’ “swing training” with the new Swing Coach Club training aid.  Golfers of all levels – even some skeptics – are discovering how the instant feedback from the Swing Coach club leads to their fast improvement.

This fully patented training club is designed to provide accurate and useful golf-swing feedback. Initial responses from players and teachers confirm that Swing Coach is simple to use and highly effective.

Swing Coach Club was developed with guidance and collaboration from Dean Reinmuth, who is both a GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher and Golf Digest Top 50 teacher. Reinmuth says that Swing Coach promotes a proper smooth, accelerating swing by removing the “hit impulse” and allowing the golfer to make the correct motion through the impact zone.

“The Swing Coach club places the focus on the swing movement, taking contact with the ball out of the equation,” Reinmuth said. “Swing Coach teaches golfers how to make the right swing at every speed, from pitch shots to drives, all with the same training club.”

Just 15 minutes a day with Swing Coach lets users experience the feel of a correct, repeatable golf swing in three easy steps: “load, launch, learn.”

Initially, Brendon DeVore, video producer and host vlogger of the “Be Better Golf” channel on YouTube, didn’t see the value of Swing Coach.

“I have set out on a mission to find unique voices in golf that have truly different ideas about how the regular golfer can break the mold and start to really improve,” DeVore says. “That is what my channel is all about.”

But DeVore, a 3-handicap who lives in Long Beach, Calif., and has competed in numerous amateur events, gave Swing Coach a second chance and—with the help of Reinmuth—learned what finding a more consistent golf swing is all about. (See DeVore’s progress with Swing Coach at https://youtu.be/kUTBHMpxLT8)

Swing Coach was a huge hit at the recent PGA Show in Orlando, Fla., where Michael Collins, golf contributor for ESPN.com, called the product’s display and test area, “the most fun spot at the PGA Merchandise Show Demo Day.” He was one of hundreds of golf professionals, golf media, and every day golfers who lined up to try the Swing Coach training club.

Suggested retail price is $109. Swing Coach is available online and select major golf retailers. For additional information, access the web site at www.swingcoachclub.com.

Gamifying Golf to Grow the Game for Future Generations

Study shows new ways to grow the game with non-golfers and Millennials/Generation Z

(Oakland, CA) – Mobile golf technology startup, 18Birdies, today unveiled findings from its KRC Research commissioned study** about the current state of golf participation. The study findings revealed tremendous opportunities to attract non-golfers and Millennials/Generation Z to the game through mobile technology and unconventional play.

“We all know that participation in golf has been waning over the last few years,’’ said Eddy Lui, Founder and CEO of 18Birdies. “What this study proves, however, is that there is a great opportunity for the industry to grow the game through technology and gamification, especially with today’s younger generation, who are going to be essential for growing the sport.”

The research was based on interviews with 1,769 Americans age 16 and older and was weighted to be demographically representative of the U.S. population based on Census reference data. Key findings include:

There is significant opportunity to convert latent demand
The study revealed that there is a large proportion of non-golfers who are interested in learning the sport:
· 4 out of 10 non-golfers are interested in learning and playing
· 67% of Millennials and 73% of Gen Z non-golfers stated they want to learn to play

Leveraging mobile technology would grow the game with golfers and non-golfers
A majority of respondents stated they would welcome mobile technology to assist them throughout their round:
· 61% of golfers would play more if their smartphone had an app that keeps score. This is even higher among younger golfers:
    o 94% of Millennials and 78% of Gen Z-ers say they would play more with a smartphone app
· 63% of non-golfers are more likely to play with the help of smartphones
· 86% of golfers confess to missing a shot because they didn’t know the distance to the hole and would benefit from technology that could track distances

Golfers and non-golfers look for ways to make the game fun
Golfers and non-golfers, particularly among younger generations, look for ways to make the game fun:
· 87% of Millennial golfers are interested in playing more if they could bet with others
    o 56% of golfers and 46% of Millennial golfers play side games on the course
    o 61% of golfers and 69% of non-golfers would play more golf if they could play side-games on the course

The social nature of golf is a strong characteristic and can lead to more participation
Golfers and non-golfers agree that golf is a good way to meet new people and network:
· 86% of Millennials and 83% of Gen Z-ers would be more likely to play if they had a friend to take them
· 92% of golfers and 83% of non-golfers agree that golf is a good way to network and conduct business
· 90% of golfers and 81% of non-golfers agree that golf is a good way to meet people

Different formats of tournaments and game play would lead to increased participation
Additional ways to play the game are very intriguing to golfers and non-golfers:
· 80% of golfers and 69% of non-golfers would play more if there were more opportunities to play scramble formats. 80% of Millennial non-golfers would also play more with scramble formats
· Shorter rounds will increase frequency of play and attract new golfers: 73% of golfers and 84% of non-golfers want to play shorter rounds (3, 6, or 9-holes). 95% of Millennial golfers and 91% of Millennial non-golfers would also play more with shorter rounds

Other ways to grow the game with non-golfers
Other factors that would lead non-golfers to play include larger cups, being able to tee up every shot and nighttime golf:
· 72% of non-golfers would play if they could use a 15-inch hole
    o The number is higher with Millennials at 82%
· 69% of non-golfers would play if they could tee up every shot
    o The number rises to 82% with Millennials
· 63% of non-golfers would be more likely to play if they had access to nighttime golf
    o With Millennials, the number rises to 74%

**Methodology
18Birdies commissioned KRC Research to conduct a 15-minute quantitative survey of 1,769 Americans over the age of 16, from October 14, 2016 to October 24, 2016. This base sample, derived from an online consumer panel, was drawn and weighted to be demographically representative of the U.S. population (gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, and region), based on Census reference data.

To achieve a sufficiently large number of golfers and Gen Z consumers (age 16 to 21) to compare to other groups, KRC oversampled to reach a total of approximately 500 respondents in both categories. These oversampled groups are included in the total, and appropriately weighted to reflect their actual demographic proportions.

For more information, visit www.18Birdies.com.

Getting to Know: Brandon A. Johnson, Golf Course Architect

No. 12 at Pure Scene G&CC in Kunming, China

American Golfer: When did you start playing golf?
Brandon A. Johnson: I started playing golf when I was 12 years old. I remember going to the now defunct Sharon Golf Club in Charlotte, NC with my friend Brian Munn and paying a measly $3 for nine holes. I dribbled the ball on that hard pan turf for 8 holes. On the 9th tee I realized and commented, “I haven’t whiffed all day.” Of course the very next swing was a total miss but that mind game vs physical game within golf hooked me for life right then and there. When we finished the pro asked what we were going to do next. We didn’t have plans so he let us go around again. We couldn’t wait to return the next day to do it all over again.

To this day, especially when I get to play a special or favorite course, I experience that same excitement and insatiable feeling of just wanting to run right back to the first tee after completing a round. I’m still lucky enough, on a few occasions, to still do that 30 plus years later.

Brandon A. Johnson

AG: Why did you choose a career in golf course design?
BJ: After I started playing golf my dream was to be a PGA Tour player but never developed the game for that. I missed it by a mile but sure had fun trying! (I also wanted to be a rock star but that is another story and aspiration missed by a long shot too!)

I loved watching golf growing up and remember being drawn to the unorthodox but beautiful and bold courses Pete Dye created at Harbour Town and TPC Sawgrass as I tried to study and copy the tour pros swings. That’s when I really began to notice the design and architecture of courses. I used to study my book Courses of the PGA Tour and dream up courses of my own.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to turn my passion for the game of golf, art, architecture, design, and blend them with my love of the outdoors and turn it into a career. I blindly went into Landscape Architecture to pursue golf course design, but in the process realized there was an entire world of really intriguing architecture, history and landscapes to enjoy and explore.

AG: How did you become a golf course designer?
BJ: During my Junior year in the School of Design at NC State University I applied for and got an internship at the PGA Tour Design Services office. That was my first real step to realizing this dream of designing golf courses. I returned for two additional internships with one being a member of the construction crew at TPC Deere Run. After I completed Graduate School I got a position with The First Tee working out of the PGA Tour Design Services office.

Another important experience was completing my fifth year final project at NC State in the golf course design office of Rick Robbins and Associates. My professors arranged for me to be in their office three days per week for the semester. It was a great experience and I owe Rick and his then associate Brian Lussier the world for the time they spent sharing their knowledge and wisdom.

AG: In your opinion, have any design trends hurt the game?
BJ: I always struggled when I heard people talk about how resort, public or municipal courses should be different or “less than” the revered private course.

While well intended to make the product playable to a larger audience, the effort fell short and the result produced a lot of mundane, uninspired, featureless and forgettable experiences that didn’t excite people about the game.

Golf is supposed to be fun, mentally challenging and strategically interesting and I’m a firm believer that great golf course architecture can and should be accessible and experienced by everyone at all facility types and locations.

AG: How can we grow the game of golf?
BJ: Finding more fast, fun and affordable ways to get proficient at the game will help. This needs to happen on a large scale and include all demographics, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds. Golf is such a fascinating game. I hope we can make it accessible and welcoming to anyone who might be interested in participating in what I believe is the best sport, social activity, mental challenge, outdoor experience or soul healing activity.

AG: Do you have a specific design philosophy?
BJ: Yes. Fun!!! We are successful when a player finishes on 18 and can’t wait to step back on the first or 10th tee to go around again for an emergency 9 or 18.

As an architect I strive to do what is “essential” based on the client, site and budget to create fun and inspiring architecture. This could mean finding or discovering golf holes on a choice dunes site and executing very targeted and non-disruptive moves to the natural environment or creating something compelling out of a flat featureless site.

Below are some tenets that I feel “fun” golf exhibits.
- Aesthetics and beauty derived from the strategy of the golf hole
- Meaningful width
- Pin location(s) that influence thinking and a variety of position options off the tee
- Architecture should inspire the best of our personal games and abilities to shine through and tackle to strategic ask of the design
- Evoke emotion through design

AG: Of all the holes you’ve designed, do you have a favorite (why)?
BJ: This is like asking me to pick my favorite child. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to choose just one, because other favorites will be left but I do have a handful of top picks. As with each course, each hole has a special piece of you put into it.

#11 Old Tabby Links – Spring Island
Options abound here with a reachable Par 4 tee or a longer tee option.

#5 Old Tabby Links – Spring Island
A new green and subtle but effective changes in the fairway enhanced the beauty and strategy of this golf hole.

#12 Pure Scene Golf and Country Club, Kunming, China
When we had to change the original plan during construction and found this gem hanging on the bank of Lake Dianci.

#15 Pure Scene Golf and Country Club, Kunming China
Another one derived from a field change. This Reachable Par 4 incorporates a natural green site on the cliff edge, prevailing wind and width for a fun strategic challenge.

#8 Wexford Plantation
Hard for me to pick just one on this course. I just like the subtle tee shot and second shot strategy on this par 5.

AG: What’s your “dream foursome” (living or dead, golfer or non-golfer)?
BJ: Can we host a tournament??? There too many people to narrow down to just one foursome!
Non-Living – My Dad, Uncle Walt and Uncle Richard. (two of my dad’s four brothers) While my dad supported and encouraged my golf he didn’t really play. Uncle Walt and Richard were avid golfers and I’m sure my Dad would gladly tee it up for this occasion, or at least just ride in the cart like he did on occasion to watch the festivities and joke with us.

Living Golfers – Tiger Woods in his prime … and mine just to see how far away my game is, Greg Norman and Tom Watson.

AG: Is there a “bucket list” location in/on which to design?
BJ: Our project at Castle Stuart checks one of the boxes as it will be an honor and privilege to design and build a course in the home of golf. Since I grew up in North Carolina, Pinehurst has always been a special place to me. Obviously historic golf rich locations like the Monterrey Peninsula, Long Island, New York, the Sand belt of Melbourne, Australia come to mind.

There are some stunning new properties opening up domestically like the Bandon, Oregon coast, the Sandhills of Nebraska and the upper Midwest Michigan/Wisconsin area that are becoming golf destinations. Internationally places like the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and locations in Africa, Asia and South America have wonderful sites that would be ideal for epic golf.

An important element in the established locations or regions are the site attributes. Most are on sandy soils. The access to ocean front, tidal marsh and/or large water bodies makes the experience special. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to share, with the golf world, my interpretation of great architecture on one of these sites.

AG: What is the future of golf course design?
BJ: I believe the future of golf course design is strong. We seem to be in a design revival. Clients, architects and builders are rediscovering and incorporating classic design principals, some with a contemporary interpretation, and executing them in a more hands on approach that make the game fun and exciting again.

We also have an important role to play in showing how future developments can responsibly utilize, protect and rehabilitate the environment and its natural resources through smart, sensible and sustainable design and land planning practices.

If we can continue to focus on these principles the future of golf course design is limitless and will produce the industry’s most fun, interesting and environmentally responsible work yet. I look forward to contributing to that future.

To learn more about Brandon A. Johnson, Vice President and Senior Golf Course Architect at Arnold Palmer Design Company, visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.

Palmilla Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary as Cabo's Golf Pioneer

Jack Nicklaus-designed course launched Los Cabos as an international golf destination

(Los Cabos, Mexico) – Opened in 1992 and the first Jack Nicklaus Signature design built in Latin America, Palmilla Golf Club, the “Grande Dame of Los Cabos Golf,” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

A vanguard facility that set the stage for upscale golf development in Los Cabos, Palmilla’s core 18, the original Mountain and Arroyo nines, was the first course in the hemisphere to take full advantage of the region’s unique mountain, desert and ocean ecosystem. This trio of elements, along with Cabo’s consistently sunny weather, sparked the imagination of developers and gave rise to future projects in Los Cabos. The golf club, which has a membership and accepts daily-fee play, is a prime amenity for guests of One&Only Palmilla, a legendary resort built in 1956 by the son of a former president of Mexico.

Chiseled into a box-shaped canyon framed by tall stony peaks on the outskirts of San Jose del Cabo, a colonial city circa 1730, Palmilla presents a target-style test stretched across a desert plateau. Holes skirt canyon-like gulches, cactus-studded hills and boulder-strewn arroyos. An upland spread with sweeping ocean views, the layout is framed by multi-armed cardon cacti—a cousin of the saguaro, only taller—as well as desert trees and smaller cacti. Several holes call for heroic carries over no man’s land from the back tees, but broad terraced fairways, generous bail-out areas and open-entry greens accommodate players of lesser attainment. Five sets of tees provide admirable versatility and strategic nuance. The club’s Ocean nine, added by Nicklaus in 1999, features a 600-foot elevation change from the first tee to the sixth green, transporting players from the mountains to the sea.

Badly damaged by Hurricane Odile in September 2014, Palmilla reopened the following April following an extensive $3.5 million clean-up and refurbishment. The club used the post-storm closure to refresh the entire facility. The computerized irrigation system, golf cart fleet and course maintenance equipment and outbuildings were upgraded or replaced. Bunkers were refilled with sand, irrigation lakes were restored and all playing surfaces, including tees, greens and fairways, were reconditioned by Troon Golf, which manages the golf course.

According to Jason Ballog, Palmilla’s director of golf, the storm thinned out the thick desert forest that encloses the layout, greatly expanding view corridors to the sparkling Sea of Cortes. “Judging from the pictures I’ve seen, the course looks like it did when it opened,” Ballog said.

In addition to the remedial work performed on the golf course, Palmilla’s hacienda-style clubhouse was completely redesigned, with a new check-in area and additional retail space in the wood-paneled golf shop.

The golf club’s cantina is headed by One&Only Palmilla executive chef Larbi Dahrouch. The expanded outdoor seating area, surfaced in native stone, is shaded by Cabo’s classic palo de arco, a woven stick roof that filters sunlight. The new mesquite grill and fryer is used to turn out burgers, quesadillas and fish tacos, but Dahrouch, a Frenchman, has significantly revised and upgraded the menu.  The top-shelf Margaritas are among the best in town.

Like the golf course, the iconic One&Only Palmilla took a hit from Hurricane Odile and reopened in April 2015 after a major refurbishment. Originally known as the Hotel Palmilla, the resort was patronized in the 1950s by famous deep-sea fishermen, including John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Ernest Hemingway and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The hotel was later transformed by South African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner into a world-class resort. Then as now, this elite retreat, a favorite of Hollywood A-listers, is set on a rocky promontory that juts into the azure-blue sea. The resort’s sandy beach is one of the few in Los Cabos where the water is calm enough for swimming.

Nicklaus, known as the ‘Golden Amigo’ for his role in spearheading the growth of golf in Los Cabos with his prolific output, returned to build five additional layouts at the tip of the Baja Peninsula after the 1992 debut of Palmilla. Yet this idyllic 27-hole facility celebrates its silver anniversary as the queen of Cabo’s golf courses.

Phil Mickelson Kicks off Season 7 Premiere of Feherty, Monday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – World Golf Hall of Fame member and five-time major champion Phil Mickelson will join Emmy-nominated television personality David Feherty next Monday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET on the season premiere of Feherty. Part I of a two-part interview with Mickelson, the premiere will kick off the seventh season of the original series, which will celebrate the 100th episode milestone in 2017 and welcome Farmers Insurance as the show’s presenting sponsor.

A 42-time PGA TOUR winner, Mickelson has built a career around his flair for the dramatic and an aggressive playing style, with the sum of countless signature moments elevating him into one of the most beloved fan-favorites in the history of the sport. Filmed at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, Mickelson discusses a wide range of topics with Feherty, including:
· Winning his first Masters in 2004, and why his 2010 Masters victory was the first time he ever cried after winning a golf tournament.
· Justifying his second shot on the 13th hole at Augusta National from the pine straw in his final round of the same 2010 Masters, and explaining how it was a calculated “percentage play,” accounting for the least margin of error.
· The outpouring of emotional support his family received from fans and the golf community when both his wife Amy and mother Mary were diagnosed with breast cancer just six weeks apart in 2009.
· Mickelson’s relationship with Tiger Woods, including over the last few years working together to help improve the United States’ Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, and his overall appreciation for Woods’ contributions to the sport.
· A comical exchange between Mickelson and David Toms from the 2002 Ryder Cup, where the two were paired together in foursomes at the Belfry.

Upcoming Guests on Feherty
Part II of Feherty’s interview with Mickelson will premiere the following Monday, March 13 at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. Other upcoming guests include:
· U.S. Ryder Cup hero and 5-time PGA TOUR winner, Patrick Reed (Monday, March 20)
· Former United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice (Monday, March 27)
· Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning actor, Matthew McConaughey

Record viewership for Feherty in 2016
Season six of Feherty last year earned the highest “average viewers per minute” on both a Live+Same Day, and Live plus 3-day DVR playback basis since the series initially premiered in 2011. The two-part 2016 season premiere of the series featuring Jordan Spieth became the second and third most-watched Feherty premiere episodes on record (2011-2016) behind only the original series premiere the Monday following the U.S. Open in June 2011. Part II of Spieth’s interview also became the most-watched premiere of any Golf Channel original production since Arnie on Masters Sunday in April 2014.

Feherty is coming off a banner year in 2016, highlighted by sitting down with now four U.S. Presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump; serving as an NBC Olympic correspondent in Rio; appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; being profiled on the Emmy award-winning HBO original series, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel; and playing a key role in NBC Sports’ unprecedented 12-week stretch of premier golf events beginning with The Open and concluding with the Ryder Cup.

Troon Selected To Manage The Woodmere Club in Woodmere, New York

(Scottsdale, Ariz.) – Troon, the leader in golf course management, development, and marketing, has been selected to manage The Woodmere Club, a private club in Woodmere, New York. The historic Long Island club was recently agreed to be purchased by Robert Weiss and Efrem Gerszberg, principals of Weiss Properties and 2020 Acquisitions. As part of the purchase Weiss and Gerszberg have agreed to operate and grow The Woodmere Club for at least 5 years.

In addition to selecting Troon as the club’s management company, Weiss and Gerszberg and are offering an aggressive new membership program at a remarkably low rate, given the club’s prominence and Long Island location. The first 30 members to join under the new program will pay $11,500 in annual dues, which provides access to all club facilities for the primary member. A spouse and dependents may be added for an additional $1,000.

“We’re thrilled to have Troon Privé manage The Woodmere Club,” said Gerszberg. “They are the best in the private club industry and will operate Woodmere as a Class A private club.   Our new membership program is meant to breathe new life into this historic club. Current members are excited about the changes we’re making and about the future of The Woodmere Club.”  

“Our commitment to running a first class private club will extend for at least 5 years.  We are offering an unbelievable opportunity for members to join now and receive a multi-year commitment,” Weiss added.

The Woodmere Club was founded in 1908 as a tennis club, and at a different site in the Village of Woodsburgh. The club moved to its present location in 1910 after purchasing additional property and leasing adjacent land. Woodmere's beautiful colonial clubhouse was built as a home in 1908, and later remodeled to be the golf clubhouse. The clubhouse and the original Jack Pirie-designed golf course opened on Labor Day 1910. Over the years, the course has undergone a number of updates and renovations. In 1949, Robert Trent Jones was commissioned to build an entirely new back nine. In 1986 and 1987, bunkers were remodeled by golf course architect Brian Silva. And, after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy passed through in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the 4th and 10th holes were redesigned by Mike Nuzzo.

Today, The Woodmere Club features the original colonial clubhouse, 18 award-winning holes of golf, six hard-tru tennis courts, an elevated swimming pool complex complete with sweeping golf course and bay views, a newly renovated fitness center, and a variety of dining options lead by Chef Bobby Antonetti.

For more information on The Woodmere Club, visit www.woodmereclub.com or call (516)295-2500.

For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.

PXG Signs PGA TOUR Champion Pat Perez

Bob Parsons’ Ground-breaking Golf Equipment Company Continues to Attract Top Tour Talent

(Scottsdale, AZ) – PXG announced that it has signed an endorsement deal with PGA TOUR professional Pat Perez.

A fervent believer in PXG’ clubs and technology, Perez has had PXG irons in play since October of 2016 – long before being offered an equipment deal. He has recorded four top-ten finishes during that time, including a victory at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

“Pat’s a guy who doesn’t back down,” said American entrepreneur and PXG founder Bob Parsons. “He’s been incredibly successful in his comeback from many months battling an injury, and is now playing some of the best golf of his career. I’m thrilled that Pat has already found success with PXG and look forward to counting him among our PXG Troops.”

Perez is the fifth player this season to be added to PXG’s roster of champions, joining LPGA world number one Lydia Ko, reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Brittany Lang, Christina Kim and Ryan O’Toole.

“Since adding PXG clubs to my bag, I’m playing great golf,” Perez shared. “The clubs have an unbelievable feel. I hit them higher, straighter and further. But for me it’s all about distance control. There’s not an iron on the planet that can hold a candle to PXG.”

PXG invests heavily in research and development and does not prescribe to traditional product cycles. As a result, PXG is known for developing leading technology that delivers indisputable performance – performance that has been validated time and again by players at every level of the game.

Perez’s first tournament as an official member of the #PXGTroops will be at the WGC Mexico beginning on March 2.

For more about PXG’s ground-breaking golf equipment and professional staff visit www.PXG.com.

Dynamic Brands Partners with Hurricane Junior Golf Tour as a Tour-Wide Sponsor for 2017

(Richmond, VA) – Dynamic Brands, the parent company for a portfolio of premium brand name companies including Bag Boy, Burton, Datrek, Devant Sport Towels, I GOTCHA and Riksha, is pleased to announce its tour-wide sponsorship with Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT). Dynamic Brands is an official “Partner of Hurricane Junior Golf Tour” under the new agreement, and provides golf bags, sports towels and accessories for contestants and winners in the HJGT’s top competitive events for 2017.

“We are pleased to partner with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. This will allow us to sponsor their events nationwide with tournament tee prizes and support junior golf in over 250 tournaments in 32 states,” said Craig Ramsbottom, President of Dynamic Brands.

Bag Boy will be the naming sponsor to the 5th Annual Hurricane Cup in November 2017, and the Title Sponsor to 11 tournaments nationwide throughout 2017.  “We want to increase awareness of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour to all junior golfers,” said Ramsbottom.

Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is already one of the largest junior circuits in the country, hosting 250 tournaments a year in 32 states, a remarkable growth record given that it started as a regional operation in North Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in 2007. Hurricane’s goal is to provide golfers ages 8-18 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment.

“Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is looking forward to a Tour Wide Sponsorship with Dynamic Brands,” said Dan Crowther, Director of Marketing for Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. “They are committed to the development of innovative, quality products and support efforts to expand junior golf.”            

For more information, visit www.bagboy.com, www.facebook.com/bagboygolf, www.dynamicbrands.com and www.hjgt.org.

Caddy For A Cure Senior Military Advisor Colonel Mike Rutkowski Receives Command Announcement

(Coral Springs, FL) - Caddy For A Cure (CFAC), the nonprofit program that provides funding and support for our wounded, Veteran and active military thru the game of golf, is proud to recognize a significant announcement for their Senior Military Advisor. The Department of the Army Human Resources Command announced on 7 February that Colonel Mike Rutkowski was centrally selected for Major Army Command. Colonel Rutkowski, who is currently serving on the Joint Staff supporting The Joint Chiefs of Staff - Washington DC – Pentagon, will take command in 2018.

Russ Holden, CFAC founder and CEO, commented “We are very proud of Colonel Rutkowski's selection to Active Army Command. We know this is a significant honor and recognition of his outstanding military service and leadership, and we couldn’t be happier for him.” Holden continued, “Colonel Rutkowski has very generously served as our Senior Military Advisor, offering his leadership expertise in support of our overall mission. His contributions to our program have been invaluable and we’re grateful for his continued involvement.”

About Caddy For A Cure
CFAC is a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization founded in 2003 by Russ and Colleen Holden. Their charitable focus includes Fanconi anemia and the PGA TOUR military outreach program Birdies for the Brave. The CFAC program provides support and rehabilitation for wounded, veteran and active military by involving them in the game of golf and including them in professional golf caddy experiences for the world’s best players.

For more information about Caddy For A Cure, visit: caddyforacure.com.

Bridgestone Golf Named Official Golf Ball Provider of University of Oklahoma Men’s Team

(COVINGTON, GA) – Bridgestone Golf – Innovator of premium golf balls, clubs and accessories – is now the official golf ball provider of the University of Oklahoma Men’s Golf Team, which is currently the 4th ranked program in the nation.

The company is providing the Golf Program with custom-logoed versions of its popular Tour B330 and B330-S golf balls to ensure that the best product possible is available for preparation and competition. Each member of the Sooners has undergone Bridgestone’s industry leading ball-fitting analysis to identify the model that maximizes their on-course potential.

“When competing for national titles, it is important to know that our Golf Program has the best product available,” says Ryan Hybl, Oklahoma’s Men’s Golf Head Coach. “This relationship with Bridgestone provides me with full confidence that we are preparing and competing with the best golf balls on the market.”

“Oklahoma Golf has established itself as one of the most competitive teams in the nation,” says Darrell Moy, Sr. Manager of Tour Operations. “It is an honor to work with such a well-respected program and we look forward to watching them compete throughout the season.”

Bridgestone introduced the Tour B330 and B330-S in early 2016 after more than four years of research and development. The catalyst for distance and accuracy gains over leading competitors is the patented TOURcore. Now six percent larger than the prior model, it produces even faster speed and less spin off the driver via Bridgestone's gradational core formulation. For increased greenside control, both balls wear the breakthrough SlipRes cover, which increases stopping power without the usual negative effects of added driver spin.

In addition to Oklahoma, Bridgestone supplies product in an official and unofficial capacity to a variety of elite college golf programs in every major Division I conference. Bridgestone’s professional staff features 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker, Olympics bronze medalist Matt Kuchar, Masters winner Fred Couples, three-time major champion Nick Price, recent PGA Tour winner Hudson Swafford, Bryson DeChambeau, and LPGA Tour stars, Paula Creamer and Karrie Webb.

More information: bridgestonegolf.com.

PGA National Resort & Spa Unveils Dramatic New ‘Bear Trap’ Statue

(PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.) – PGA National Resort & Spa, host of the PGA TOUR’s upcoming Honda Classic played Feb. 23 - 26, has unveiled a dramatic new statue honoring its famous Jack Nicklaus-designed “Bear Trap” on its acclaimed Champion Course.

A replica of the iconic snarling Bear statue that welcomes (and warns) players on the mighty Champion layout that they are now entering one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in the game (holes No. 15 through 17), noted Wyoming sculptor Ben Foster created the new seven-foot, 700-pound ursine design from the same mold as the original.

The new statue, called “The Glare of the Bear,” stands sentinel at the front of the resort. Revealed just in time for the multitudes descending on the resort to enjoy the Honda Classic, all spectators and resort guests are welcome to snap group photos and selfies with the roaring grizzly fashioned out of silicone bronze.

“I looked through many, many wildlife photos to make sure to capture the aggression of a big mature grizzly in its natural habitat,” says Foster. “It was really something else sculpting this.”

“Taking a picture at The Bear Trap is one of the most popular activities at our resort, but the original is usually accessible only for our members and guests playing the Champion Course,” says Greg Saunders, Vice President, Managing Director. “This magnificent new bear statue residing at our front entrance gives everyone the opportunity to capture this iconic memory offered here at PGA National.”

The Champion Course is regarded as one of the top layouts in the U.S. The Bear Trap is hailed by USA Today as “one of the toughest stretches in golf,” and is known to strike fear into the hearts of golfers, professional and amateur alike. In last year’s Honda Classic, tournament winner Adam Scott took a 37-hole, bogey-free streak into the Bear Trap before making a quadruple seven on the par-3 15th. Needing to avoid a similar late-round meltdown on Sunday, Scott stayed dry on Nos. 15 and 17 on his way to a one-shot victory over Sergio Garcia.

For more on PGA National Resort & Spa: www.pgaresort.com, 561.627.2000.

Getting to Know: Brandon A. Johnson, Golf Course Architect

No. 12 at Pure Scene G&CC in Kunming, China

American Golfer: When did you start playing golf?
Brandon A. Johnson: I started playing golf when I was 12 years old. I remember going to the now defunct Sharon Golf Club in Charlotte, NC with my friend Brian Munn and paying a measly $3 for nine holes. I dribbled the ball on that hard pan turf for 8 holes. On the 9th tee I realized and commented, “I haven’t whiffed all day.” Of course the very next swing was a total miss but that mind game vs physical game within golf hooked me for life right then and there. When we finished the pro asked what we were going to do next. We didn’t have plans so he let us go around again. We couldn’t wait to return the next day to do it all over again.

To this day, especially when I get to play a special or favorite course, I experience that same excitement and insatiable feeling of just wanting to run right back to the first tee after completing a round. I’m still lucky enough, on a few occasions, to still do that 30 plus years later.

Brandon A. Johnson

AG: Why did you choose a career in golf course design?
BJ: After I started playing golf my dream was to be a PGA Tour player but never developed the game for that. I missed it by a mile but sure had fun trying! (I also wanted to be a rock star but that is another story and aspiration missed by a long shot too!)

I loved watching golf growing up and remember being drawn to the unorthodox but beautiful and bold courses Pete Dye created at Harbour Town and TPC Sawgrass as I tried to study and copy the tour pros swings. That’s when I really began to notice the design and architecture of courses. I used to study my book Courses of the PGA Tour and dream up courses of my own.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to turn my passion for the game of golf, art, architecture, design, and blend them with my love of the outdoors and turn it into a career. I blindly went into Landscape Architecture to pursue golf course design, but in the process realized there was an entire world of really intriguing architecture, history and landscapes to enjoy and explore.

AG: How did you become a golf course designer?
BJ: During my Junior year in the School of Design at NC State University I applied for and got an internship at the PGA Tour Design Services office. That was my first real step to realizing this dream of designing golf courses. I returned for two additional internships with one being a member of the construction crew at TPC Deere Run. After I completed Graduate School I got a position with The First Tee working out of the PGA Tour Design Services office.

Another important experience was completing my fifth year final project at NC State in the golf course design office of Rick Robbins and Associates. My professors arranged for me to be in their office three days per week for the semester. It was a great experience and I owe Rick and his then associate Brian Lussier the world for the time they spent sharing their knowledge and wisdom.

AG: In your opinion, have any design trends hurt the game?
BJ: I always struggled when I heard people talk about how resort, public or municipal courses should be different or “less than” the revered private course.

While well intended to make the product playable to a larger audience, the effort fell short and the result produced a lot of mundane, uninspired, featureless and forgettable experiences that didn’t excite people about the game.

Golf is supposed to be fun, mentally challenging and strategically interesting and I’m a firm believer that great golf course architecture can and should be accessible and experienced by everyone at all facility types and locations.

AG: How can we grow the game of golf?
BJ: Finding more fast, fun and affordable ways to get proficient at the game will help. This needs to happen on a large scale and include all demographics, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds. Golf is such a fascinating game. I hope we can make it accessible and welcoming to anyone who might be interested in participating in what I believe is the best sport, social activity, mental challenge, outdoor experience or soul healing activity.

AG: Do you have a specific design philosophy?
BJ: Yes. Fun!!! We are successful when a player finishes on 18 and can’t wait to step back on the first or 10th tee to go around again for an emergency 9 or 18.

As an architect I strive to do what is “essential” based on the client, site and budget to create fun and inspiring architecture. This could mean finding or discovering golf holes on a choice dunes site and executing very targeted and non-disruptive moves to the natural environment or creating something compelling out of a flat featureless site.

Below are some tenets that I feel “fun” golf exhibits.
- Aesthetics and beauty derived from the strategy of the golf hole
- Meaningful width
- Pin location(s) that influence thinking and a variety of position options off the tee
- Architecture should inspire the best of our personal games and abilities to shine through and tackle to strategic ask of the design
- Evoke emotion through design

AG: Of all the holes you’ve designed, do you have a favorite (why)?
BJ: This is like asking me to pick my favorite child. It is extremely difficult if not impossible to choose just one, because other favorites will be left but I do have a handful of top picks. As with each course, each hole has a special piece of you put into it.

#11 Old Tabby Links – Spring Island
Options abound here with a reachable Par 4 tee or a longer tee option.

#5 Old Tabby Links – Spring Island
A new green and subtle but effective changes in the fairway enhanced the beauty and strategy of this golf hole.

#12 Pure Scene Golf and Country Club, Kunming, China
When we had to change the original plan during construction and found this gem hanging on the bank of Lake Dianci.

#15 Pure Scene Golf and Country Club, Kunming China
Another one derived from a field change. This Reachable Par 4 incorporates a natural green site on the cliff edge, prevailing wind and width for a fun strategic challenge.

#8 Wexford Plantation
Hard for me to pick just one on this course. I just like the subtle tee shot and second shot strategy on this par 5.

AG: What’s your “dream foursome” (living or dead, golfer or non-golfer)?
BJ: Can we host a tournament??? There too many people to narrow down to just one foursome!
Non-Living – My Dad, Uncle Walt and Uncle Richard. (two of my dad’s four brothers) While my dad supported and encouraged my golf he didn’t really play. Uncle Walt and Richard were avid golfers and I’m sure my Dad would gladly tee it up for this occasion, or at least just ride in the cart like he did on occasion to watch the festivities and joke with us.

Living Golfers – Tiger Woods in his prime … and mine just to see how far away my game is, Greg Norman and Tom Watson.

AG: Is there a “bucket list” location in/on which to design?
BJ: Our project at Castle Stuart checks one of the boxes as it will be an honor and privilege to design and build a course in the home of golf. Since I grew up in North Carolina, Pinehurst has always been a special place to me. Obviously historic golf rich locations like the Monterrey Peninsula, Long Island, New York, the Sand belt of Melbourne, Australia come to mind.

There are some stunning new properties opening up domestically like the Bandon, Oregon coast, the Sandhills of Nebraska and the upper Midwest Michigan/Wisconsin area that are becoming golf destinations. Internationally places like the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and locations in Africa, Asia and South America have wonderful sites that would be ideal for epic golf.

An important element in the established locations or regions are the site attributes. Most are on sandy soils. The access to ocean front, tidal marsh and/or large water bodies makes the experience special. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to share, with the golf world, my interpretation of great architecture on one of these sites.

AG: What is the future of golf course design?
BJ: I believe the future of golf course design is strong. We seem to be in a design revival. Clients, architects and builders are rediscovering and incorporating classic design principals, some with a contemporary interpretation, and executing them in a more hands on approach that make the game fun and exciting again.

We also have an important role to play in showing how future developments can responsibly utilize, protect and rehabilitate the environment and its natural resources through smart, sensible and sustainable design and land planning practices.

If we can continue to focus on these principles the future of golf course design is limitless and will produce the industry’s most fun, interesting and environmentally responsible work yet. I look forward to contributing to that future.

To learn more about Brandon A. Johnson, Vice President and Senior Golf Course Architect at Arnold Palmer Design Company, visit www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com.

Virginia Derby Grimes Named Captain of the 2018 USA Curtis Cup Team

(FAR HILLS, N.J.) - The USGA announced that 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Virginia Derby Grimes, of Montgomery, Ala., has been named captain of the 2018 USA Curtis Cup Team. A biennial competition between top female amateur golfers from the United States and Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I), the 40th Match will be contested June 8-10 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y.

Virginia Derby Grimes

A member of the victorious 1998, 2000 and 2006 USA Curtis Cup Teams, Derby Grimes owns a 4-0-1 record in foursomes, which is tied for the second-best record in Match history. She is one of 10 women on either side to go undefeated while playing in at least four foursomes (alternate-shot) matches.

“Virginia is an incredibly accomplished and well-respected player,” said Pam Murray, chairman of the USGA Women’s Committee. “Her individual Curtis Cup record speaks for itself, and we are proud and excited to welcome her as captain of the 2018 Team.”

Derby Grimes won the 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur with a 4-and-3 victory over Robin Weiss at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, and was runner-up to Corey Weworski in the 2004 championship. She was a member of Alabama’s winning team in the 1997 USGA Women’s State Team Championship and earned medalist honors in the 1995 and 1997 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships.

“To captain the 2018 Curtis Cup Team and represent the United States and the USGA is both an honor and a privilege,” said Derby Grimes. “Having the opportunity to play on three winning Curtis Cup Teams remains one of the most gratifying accomplishments of my career. My captains – Barbara McIntire in 1998, Jane Booth in 2000 and Carol Semple Thompson in 2006 – all made lasting impressions on me, and I hope I am able to continue that tradition by sharing my perspective and passion for this game that continues to teach me so much.”

A 1987 Auburn University graduate, Derby Grimes was a member of Auburn’s women’s golf team in 1985-86 and served as the team’s coach from 1991-94. Auburn recognized Derby Grimes in 1998 by renaming its women’s golf tournament the Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational. The tournament, which has not been played since 2008, will be restarted in 2018 as the Evans-Derby Experience to also recognize former Auburn coach Kim Evans. In 2004, Derby Grimes was inducted into Auburn’s Tiger Trail, which honors outstanding athletes, coaches and administrators.

Derby Grimes served on the USGA Women’s Committee in 2003-04 and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. The Alabama native is a five-time Alabama Women’s Amateur and three-time Mississippi Women’s Amateur champion, and also won the 1987 and 1996 Women’s Southern Amateur Championships and the 1998 and 2006 South Atlantic Amateur Championships, known as the Sally.

The GB&I Team won the 2016 Curtis Cup Match at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club in Ireland, while the USA won the 2014 Match at St. Louis (Mo.) Country Club. The USA leads the overall series, 28-8-3.

The 2018 Curtis Cup will be the second USGA championship conducted at Quaker Ridge, which hosted the 1997 Walker Cup Match, won by the USA. Founded in 1915, Quaker Ridge originally featured a nine-hole course designed by John Duncan Dunn. In 1916, A.W. Tillinghast was commissioned to redesign seven holes and create 11 new holes. The course opened in its current configuration in 1918, and Robert Trent Jones (1965), Rees Jones (1993) and Gil Hanse (2009-12) have overseen modifications.

For more information about the USGA, visit usga.org.

Keswick Hall & Golf Club Earns Prestigious Forbes Five-Star Award

Venerable Virginia Resort Honored for Outstanding Experience for Third Consecutive Year

(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) – Keswick Hall & Golf Club – the esteemed 600-acre boutique resort set in the scenic hunt and wine country of central Virginia – has earned the prestigious Forbes Five-Star Award in recognition of its exceptional level of luxury and service for the third year in a row.

This is the 59th annual list of Forbes Travel Guide’s Star Rating winners – the global benchmark for hotels, restaurants and spas. The publication uses a team of anonymous expert inspectors to evaluate more than 500 criteria at properties in 162 destinations across 42 countries. The scoring system weighs the quality of the facility at 25 percent and the service at 75 percent with a strong focus on graciousness, thoughtfulness and a sense of personalized service.

Keswick Hall & Golf Club is one of just 175 hotels to earn Five-Star status. Of the three Virginia properties to make the esteemed list, it is the only full-service resort. In addition to world-class accommodations, it features multiple dining options and a variety of on-site leisure activities including golf on the 18-hole, Pete Dye-designed Full Cry course.

“Being honored with the Forbes Five-Star Award for the third consecutive year indicates we are satisfying our goal to pamper our guests with a gorgeous property, world-class resort amenities and stellar customer care,” says Greg Sligh, President and Managing Director. “We endeavor to create the ultimate retreat for those seeking the ‘best of the best’ in a resort experience.”

Keswick Hall & Golf Club’s elegant 48 guestrooms and suites offer a full range of top-of-the-line amenities including premium bedding and linens, luxurious bath items, complimentary high-speed Internet access, snacks and beverages, and other in-room convenience and entertainment options. The Spa offers a full menu of soothing and relaxing treatments to enhance the experience.

Keswick Hall & Golf Club’s acclaimed Fossett’s restaurant features superb seasonal menus accented by classic cooking techniques and Southern inspiration. The dining experience is enhanced by the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows providing spectacular panoramic views of the estate’s rolling landscape and beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon. The hotel maintains its own “Chef’s Garden,” providing an ample supply of year-round produce and herbs.

The region is home to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the University of Virginia and numerous outdoor pursuits, drawing history buffs, wine lovers, sports enthusiasts and nature seekers year-round. Keswick Hall & Golf Club features newly refreshed upscale accommodations, spa services, fine dining at Fossett’s, and myriad amenities. Highly decorated, it has attained Condé Nast Traveler “gold” status, and is one of Travel + Leisure’s 500 “World’s Best Hotels.”

For more information on Keswick Hall & Golf Club visit www.keswick.com or call 434.979.3440.

UCLA Bruin Golfers Have U.S. Amateur Edge at Bel-Air Country Club

The Riviera Country Club and Bel-Air Country Club Will Host, August 14-20

(LOS ANGELES) - A winding five-mile stretch along iconic Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles leads from one historic golf club to another for the 312 competitors who will tee it up in the 117th U.S. Amateur Championship this August.

And the fact that Bel-Air Country Club and The Riviera Country Club will serve as stroke-play co-hosts for the United States Golf Association’s oldest and most prestigious amateur championship is enough to get the adrenaline flowing every time the UCLA men’s golf team practices during the season.

That’s because every UCLA golfer who qualifies for the 2017 U.S. Amateur will have a wealth of course knowledge and strategic advantages over his fellow competitors.

“We play Bel-Air two to three times a week, and we probably play Riviera a couple times a month,” said Derek Freeman, in his 10th season as the Bruins golf coach. “So we know the courses extremely well ... I think any of our guys on our team will have a great opportunity (to advance) if they qualify. That knowledge would definitely be an advantage.”

That will be especially true at Bel-Air, which has been the primary home course for UCLA golf teams for more than 50 years, not surprising considering that longtime Bel-Air head professional Eddie (“Little Pro”) Merrins also was UCLA’s golf coach from 1975-88.

Designed by the renowned George C. Thomas and William P. Bell and opened in 1927, Bel-Air Country Club is a 6,729-yard, par-70 layout with world-class routing that expertly weaves through four different canyons. There are tunnels to navigate and a distinctive white swinging bridge leading from the tee box on the par-3 10th hole that traverses a huge ravine on the way to the green. Fittingly, the elevated tee on the par-5 first hole features distant views of UCLA campus buildings across Sunset Boulevard.

The course previously was the site of two other USGA championships – the 1976 U.S. Amateur and the 2004 U.S. Senior Amateur - and has been the scene of colorful history through the years. Katherine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Conrad Hilton and Ronald Reagan all had homes on the course and, according to published reports, Howard Hughes once landed his private plane on a fairway to impress Hepburn, who was taking a lesson from one of the pros. The next day, Hughes was no longer a member.

“It’s a very interesting place, because you really have to know the golf course well to score well,” Freeman said. “It’s not to say you can’t go there and play well if you’ve only played it one or two times, but it’s got so many nuances because it’s tucked up in the canyons. The poa annua greens are very difficult, too – and that’s the defense of a course that’s not overly long with today’s technology and the way these young guys play.

“The key to the course is you have to drive it in the fairway. And if you do that, you have to control your second shot and hit it on the proper part of the green ... If you find yourself in difficult situations on the golf course – the wrong part of the green, the wrong part of the fairway and you miss it in the wrong spot – it just becomes a very difficult golf course really quick.”

UCLA junior Tyler Collier, the most experienced player on his team and a two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier, is looking forward to trying to qualify again, especially because of the familiar venues. He says his Bruins teammates are excited about the opportunity, too.

“It’s a topic of discussion that comes up quite a bit just because everybody wants to make it this year; everybody wants to play Bel-Air and Riviera,” Collier said. “I believe everybody on the team will try to qualify; no reason not to.”

Everyone who qualifies will play one round of stroke play at Bel-Air and one round of stroke play at Riviera, and then the top 64 advance to match play at Riviera. Local qualifiers in Southern California will be conducted in July at courses such as Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles, Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, Mission Viejo Country Club in Orange County and Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills. Players in the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking are automatically exempt.

“For anyone on our team who makes it, it’d be a huge advantage, because we get to play Bel-Air a few times a week when we’re home (during the season),” Collier said. “We know the course better than anyone else who’s going to be playing in the championship. We know all the hole locations and all the breaks in the greens, so that would be an advantage for us. Course knowledge off the tee and around the greens is very important at Bel-Air.”

Another advantage for UCLA qualifiers, depending on tee times assigned, is knowing how to play the course under different conditions.

“In my opinion, the draw for the U.S. Amateur is going to be really critical for success,” Freeman said. “When you play Bel-Air in the morning, as opposed to the afternoon, there’s a big difference. In the morning, when it’s cooler, it plays longer and more difficult. In the afternoon it gets much warmer and the ball goes a lot farther, so the course plays much shorter. And so I think there’s an inherent advantage if you get a late tee time at Bel-Air in the afternoon.”

Collier echoed his coach’s sentiments.

“We usually play (practice rounds) at Bel-Air at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when the course plays longer and softer than it does at 1 p.m.” he said. “So if you play a practice round early (in the U.S. Amateur) and then get a late tee time, you’re going to be playing two completely different golf courses.”

The course record at Bel-Air is 61 by USC’s Tom Glissmeyer during a 2008 team qualifying event. Former Lakers star Jerry West still holds the back-nine record of 28 while shooting a round of 63 in 1970. Collier, whose career-low at Bel-Air is 64, says the toughest holes on the course are the 200-yard par-3 10th, which can play as much as 30 more yards uphill; the 442-yard No. 2 and 438-yard No. 4, both par-4s; the 228-yard, par-3 13th and the long and narrow 584-yard, par-5 14th.

“And there’s a creek that runs through the middle of the back nine,” Freeman said. “It comes into play on five holes and can cause you problems.”

Of course, Collier and his Bruins teammates – including sophomores Cole Madey and freshman Hidetoshi Yoshihara -- know all of the quirks and nuances at Bel-Air. That’s why they are all hoping for another “home game” in August.

“I think all of our guys will have an extra incentive to qualify,” Freeman said. “Tyler (Collier) works very, very hard on his game, and I think he’s got a great chance to make it and take advantage of knowing the course so well. Cole has been getting better and better each week; he’s going to have a great opportunity to make it. And then there’s Hidetoshi; even though he’s a freshman, he’ really starting to play some nice golf and I can see him having an opportunity.”

Yoshihara previously qualified for the 2015 U.S. Amateur while at Woodbridge High in Orange County, where he won the CIF state championship as a senior.  Collier qualified twice for the U.S. Amateur – in 2014 at Atlantic Athletic Club, where he shot 76-81 and missed the cut for match play, and in 2015 at Olympic Fields in suburban Chicago, where he shot 73-77 and missed the cut again.

But Collier, a transfer from Oregon State, says those were beneficial learning experiences for him.

“I’d say I learned about myself and my game,” he said. “In those (championships), I wasn’t far off, but I was putting too much pressure on myself and trying to do too much. The first two days (of stroke play), you’re not trying to win the golf tournament; you’re just trying to get in the top 64 (for match play). I understand that now.”

All of the UCLA players also understand they will have a home-course advantage if they qualify for the 117th U.S. Amateur Championship. They would love to make that familiar five-mile drive down Sunset Boulevard in August (Aug. 14-20 to play for the prestigious Havemeyer Trophy which has been won by some of golf’s greatest players such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Bob Jones.

U.S. Amateur tickets are available online at www.usga.org/usam. Tickets are $20 (single-day grounds) and $75 for a weekly pass. Military personnel and students receive free admission with valid ID.

French Lick Resort, Callaway Announce New High-Tech Golf Fitting Studio

(French Lick, IN) – French Lick Resort, the award-winning golf destination in Southern Indiana, and Callaway Golf, one of the leading golf equipment manufacturers, is bringing the “Money Ball” of golf analytics to the French Lick Golf Academy.

The new Callaway Golf Fitting Studio at French Lick Resort is a high-tech fitting studio providing innovative and comprehensive swing analysis and club-fitting for resort guests and golfers of every skill level.

“We are very excited to be partnering with French Lick Resort and bringing the same experience with high-optic launch monitors, shot-analysis software, and OptiFit technology we use to fit Tour pros like Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk,” said Luke Williams, Callaway’s senior director of fitting. “This kind of customized fitting process is proven to benefit and improve golfers of all abilities.”

The Callaway Fitting Studio looks at no two golf swings the same, which is why custom club-fitting has become the leader in game improvement. Having properly fitted golf equipment, golfers will see immediate improvement with their scores through better ball contact and ball flight.

Leading the way in this numbers process is the use of state of the art technology, Flightscope launch monitors, which uses 3-D Doppler radar tracking to measure 27 different variables related to golf balls, clubs, and swings. This includes such things as ball speed, club-head speed, distance, spin rate, face angle, and club-head path, to name a few, which all lead to golfers having the best custom clubs and ball to fit their swing, and having a better understanding of their game and how far they hit golf shots.

Once your custom analysis is completed, the onsite Callaway club-fitting experts will dial in the precise club specifications using OptiFit technology with length, loft, lie angle, shaft material, shaft flex, shaft flex-point, grip size and grip material, to help golfers realize immediate and significant improvement without changing your swing.

Once golfers determine the best clubs for them, the custom-fit department at the Callaway headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., will build the precise set, which can be overnighted for delivery within days of the fitting.

“Callaway Golf has been synonymous with excellence in the golf industry and to be able to bring them to our resort is a great opportunity,” said Dave Harner, director of golf at French Lick Resort. “To be able to experience the Callaway Fitting Studio and go through this innovative process of game improvement is a wonderful amenity for our guests and golfers in the region to experience.”

For more information about the Callaway Fitting Studio, visit http://cmp.callawaygolf.com/custom-fitting/.

The Callaway Fitting Studio at French Lick Resort is located at the Valley Links Course. For more information and to make fitting appointments call (812) 936-8042 or visit www.frenchlick.com.

PING Signs In Gee Chun, Two-Time LPGA Major Winner

(PHOENIX) – PING announced the signing of LPGA star In Gee Chun, #4 in the Rolex World Ranking, to a multi-year agreement. The South Korean was the runaway LPGA Rookie of the Year last season and will tee it up at this week’s Honda LPGA Thailand, Feb. 23-26.

As a PING pro, the 22-year-old earned her second LPGA major crown last season at the Evian Masters at 21 under par, the lowest winning total in major history, men’s or women’s. She also captured the U.S. Open in 2015, the year she became the first player to win majors during the same calendar year on three separate tours: the LPGA Tour, LPGA of Korea and LPGA of Japan

“In Gee has been playing at an elite level since she turned pro in 2012, but it’s still amazing that she’s only 22 and has already won 13 times worldwide,” said PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim. “As her multiple major titles demonstrate, she has a tremendous all-around game and her consistency is what any player looks for. It seems like if she’s not winning she’s always in the mix on Sunday. We welcome the continuation of our relationship with In Gee and we look forward to watching her compete in the coming year.”

In her bag: G LS Tec driver, G Stretch 3-wood, G hybrids, i irons, and a Scottsdale TR Anser 2 putter.

“For me, PING clubs are the absolute highest quality, and this gives me complete confidence,” Chun said. “Confidence is important because I have to be able to hit all kinds of shots. PING’s equipment is the best and they have knowledgeable people who make sure I’m fitted with the product that works best for my game. I feel very glad to be with PING and am excited for the year ahead.”

As part of a multi-year agreement, Chun will use a PING staff bag, showcase the PING logo on the side of her hat and play a minimum of 11 PING clubs, including a PING driver and PING putter.

Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.

LPGA Founders Cup Tournament Returns to the Valley

2017 LPGA Founders Cup Newly Renamed

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Bank of Hope Founders Cup, the only LPGA tournament in Arizona, will be held March 14-19, 2017 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. The tour features a full field of LPGA players who will compete for a $1.5 million purse and broadcast in 151 nations across the globe. This is also the first year Korean-American bank Bank of Hope is the title sponsor. Notable golfers attending may include 2016 winner Sei Young Kim, Cheyenne Woods and Stacy Lewis.

The LPGA Founders Cup was created in 2011in Scottsdale to honor the 13 women who started the LPGA in 1950.

“The Founders Cup was developed to remember and reinforce the philosophy of making the game better for the next generation of female golfers," said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan.

WHAT:
LPGA Bank of Hope Founders Cup

WHEN:
March 14, Professional Practice Rounds 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
March 15, Official Pro-Am 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
March 16–19, Tournament Play 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
5350 Marriott Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85054

This year, Sei Young Kim earned her 4th title on the LPGA Tour and finished 27-under par winning the 2016 Founders Cup Championship title. Kim finished at 27-under par, matching the LPGA’s lowest 72-hole scoring record set by Annika Sorenstam in 2001. Cydney Clanton hit the only hole-in-one at the tournament earning herself a 2016 Kia K900.

For more information on purchasing tickets and tournament updates, visit http://www.lpgafounderscup.com/ticket-information.