North Carolina Golf Panel Ranks Old Chatham Golf Club Top Course In Triangle Region

Prestigious Golf Club’s Course, Greens Complexes, 19th Hole Rank First among All Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary Clubs 

(DURHAM, N.C.) – Old Chatham Golf Club, a prestigious golf club based in North Carolina’s Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill Triangle area, has announced that the 2014 North Carolina Golf Panel has named Old Chatham the best golf course in North Carolina’s Triangle region. Old Chatham also reached No. 1 among all Triangle-area clubs for best greens complexes and 19th hole, according to the rankings, released this month in Business North Carolina. Other regional leaders include Pinehurst #2 being top in the Sandhills area, Quail Hollow Club topping Charlotte’s area and Grandfather Golf and Country Club being the best in the Western region of North Carolina.

The panel recognized Old Chatham as the fastest upward moving golf course in its statewide survey, leaping 10 points to No. 18 in 2014 from its No. 28 standing in last year’s survey. To view a complete list of the rankings, visit www.ncgolfpanel.com/courserankings.cfm.

The North Carolina Golf Panel is an approximately 135-person group that includes members of the golf media, an array of club pros and general managers at many outstanding courses, accomplished amateur players, college golf coaches and others who take an active role in promoting golf in North Carolina. The panel has a large number of business executives who share a common thread with each of the above – a passion and appreciation for golf in North Carolina.

The 2014 North Carolina Golf Panel cited Old Chatham’s golf course enhancement, begun in 2012 and led by Rees Jones, known as the “Open Doctor” in the golf world as a major factor for the course’s improved ranking. In addition to Old Chatham, Jones has seven U.S. Open venues, eight PGA Championship courses, five Ryder Cup and two Walker Cup sites as well as the President's Cup to his credit.

“Rees Jones’ thoughtful approach at Old Chatham has been well received by members and their guests, who say the course continues to improve each year,” said Club President Allen Wilson.

The $600,000 enhancement project included the addition of 9 new bunkers, installation of Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda grass greens, added undulation and challenge to greens.

Brian Powell, the club’s nationally-recognized head golf course superintendent and president of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association (CGSCA), said, “we have put forth significant efforts through our 2012 course enhancement project to make Old Chatham world-class, and these ratings attest to the quality of Rees Jones and Greg Muirhead’s work, the dedication of our maintenance staff and the loyalty of our members.”

For more information, visit www.oldchathamgolf.org.

Boccieri Golf’s Heavy Putter Trusted by Winner of The Championship at Laguna National

Worldwide Tour Success Continues for Counterbalancing Pioneer

(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) – Boccieri Golf, maker of the award-winning Heavy Putter and pioneer of counterbalanced equipment, announces that its Heavy Putter B3-M model was used by the winner of The Championship at Laguna National on the European Tour.

The 39-year-old Chilean took down the field at Laguna National Golf & Country Club in Singapore with a remarkable final round 62. Carding eight birdies and an eagle to win by one stroke, the victory was the champion’s seventh professional title.

“Over the past decade, the Heavy Putter has been adopted by numerous professionals worldwide who recognize its ability to reduce putts per round,” says Stephen Boccieri, President and CEO of Boccieri Golf. “Our proprietary weighting technology helps all players create an easily repeatable pendulum stroke that results in more consistency, especially under pressure.”

Introduced in 2004, the Heavy Putter's global popularity stems from use of a heavier mass head and counterweight under the grip. This causes incredible stability, a consistent swing path and precise distance and directional control. Heavy Putter was the industry’s first counterbalanced putter and is available in a variety of head styles and weighting options to suit any preference.

In all Heavy Putter models, the extra weight engages the body’s larger, more stable muscles to promote greater control and prevent wrist breakdown. The full Heavy Putter line is available online at www.boccierigolf.com and at select retailers worldwide.

For more information: www.boccierigolf.com, 888.788.8374.

Scotty Cameron Adds Select Newport 2, GoLo 7 Models to Dual Balance Lineup

High-Performance, Counterbalanced Putters Provide Maximum Stability Through the Stroke

(FAIRHAVEN, Mass.) – Two of Master Craftsman Scotty Cameron’s most-popular, tour-proven models and shapes – Select Newport 2 and GoLo 7 – are now available with Dual Balance technology for golfers that want to stabilize their putting stroke.

Scotty Cameron Dual Balance putters are counterbalanced designs, developed through extensive research and testing in the Putter Studio and on the PGA Tour, that provide unmatched stability for golfers that struggle to make a consistent stroke with a conventional length putter.

Cameron and his team, through two decades of high-speed video research with tour players, have found that the best putters in the world keep the butt end of the putter pointed to the same 1- to 2-inch circle in their midsection throughout the stroke. Dual Balance putters, with a 50-gram heavier head weight (400 grams total) and a 50-gram counterweight in the butt of the putter shaft, are specifically designed to help golfers replicate that stroke, without anchoring the club to the body.

“The purpose of anchoring a putter is to stop the butt end of the club from moving. Now that anchoring will be against the rules, we’ve determined the best way to help golfers regain that stability and control is through Dual Balance, by adding 50 grams to the shaft and balancing that with 50 grams in the head,” Cameron said. “It eliminates that tendency for many players to flip, push or lead the putter with their hands.

“Instead of stopping the butt end, we’re able to slow everything down. The counterweight in the shaft helps keep the butt stable and pointed at your belly. The additional head weight makes the putter slower and more lethargic without it feeling too heavy. If you only add shaft weight, you actually end up robbing head weight, which makes the head quicker. So you need to balance that out. We have found through our experiments that 50 grams in the shaft and head is ideal for weight, feel and performance. But you have to be careful to maintain the proper shaft flex. It took a lot of testing to make sure we got everything just right with these new models.”

The proper length of a Dual Balance putter is three inches longer than a golfer’s conventional putter length. (Accordingly, the standard length of a Dual Balance putter is 38 inches, three inches longer than the standard length of a conventional 35-inch Scotty Cameron putter.) The additional three inches provides stability while keeping the putter unanchored.

The larger diameter, 15-inch long Dual Balance Flat Front Winn grip is designed so golfers can grip down to place the shaft weight above the hands for a smoother, more stable stroke. The grip has a colored section at the top that indicates proper hand placement (at 35 inches for standard models), keeping the 50-gram counterweight above the hands for maximum effect.

The combination of the heavier head, shaft weight and larger grip stabilize the stroke by reducing the common faults of flipping, pushing or dragging with the hands.

SHAPE CHOICES: The Dual Balance lineup now includes a shape from each of Cameron’s three tour-validated putter families: Select, GoLo and Futura X.

“Putting is such a personal experience. That’s why we have three different putter families, with putters that are doing and saying different things,” Cameron said. “The shape of the putter may be something you like to look at, or it could be more about alignment. Either way, it’s all about finding what helps you and gives you confidence. That’s why it was important for us to bring Dual Balance technology to each of our families.”

Select Newport 2, Cameron’s most popular model both on tour and with players around the world, is a modern blade with crisp back angles and a single black sight line for refined precision. The Newport 2 Dual Balance head is slightly larger than the conventional model to accommodate for the additional 50 grams.

GoLo 7 is an elegant yet modern, easy-to-align mallet, with a single black sight line that helps square the face. The putter has a rounded profile and racy soleplate design with a curved back that flows into the ground. GoLo 7 Dual Balance stores its extra 50 grams under the soleplate. The conventional GoLo 7 model is hollow under the soleplate.

Select Newport 2 and GoLo 7 Dual Balance putters use a deep-milled face to deliver tour-proven feel and soft sound. Both models feature a soft Silver Mist finish with race-car inspired, framed and double-milled cherry dot graphics in the back and cherry dot graphics in the sole to help create a modern but timeless appearance.

Futura X, Cameron’s original Dual Balance design, is a high-MOI mallet with advanced perimeter stability weighting and T-shaped sight lines. Futura X Dual Balance has a steel center section, increasing the weight by 50 grams, as opposed to the aluminum center section of the conventional Futura X. The putter has a Frozen Titanium finish that helps reduce glare, two black sight lines and red cherry dot weights in the sole and balance bar. The mid-milled face texture draws a crisp sound from the aluminum face and body.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: Select Newport 2 and GoLo 7 Dual Balance putters have an MSRP of $399 and are available beginning May 30, 2014, in golf shops worldwide.

ON THE WEB: www.titleist.com | www.scottycameron.com

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: 

Newport 2 Dual Balance 
Loft: 3.5º
Lie: 70º
RH Lengths: 36-40” (38” Standard)
LH Lengths: N/A

Head Material: Milled 303 Stainless Steel
Counterweight: 50g
Head weight: 400g (+50g)
Neck: Single Bend
Offset: 3/4 shaft
Grip: 15” Cameron Dual Balance

GoLo 7 Dual Balance 
Loft: 3.5º
Lie: 70º
RH Lengths: 36-40” (38” Standard)
LH Lengths: 36-40” (38” Standard)

Head Material: Milled 303 Stainless Steel
Counterweight: 50g
Head weight: 400g (+50g)
Neck: Single Bend
Offset: 3/4 shaft
Grip: 15” Cameron Dual Balance

Futura X Dual Balance 
Loft: 3.5º
Lie: 70º
RH Lengths: 36-40” (38” Standard)
LH Lengths: 36-40” (38” Standard)

Head Material: Milled 303 Stainless Steel
Counterweight: 50g
Head weight: 400g (+50g)
Neck: Single Bend
Offset: 3/4 shaft
Grip: 15” Cameron Dual Balance

• Available in 1” lengths from 36-40”.
• Some lengths are custom order only.
• Custom Loft +/-1° Custom Lie +/-2°.
• Additional options available at www.scottycameron.com.

Play Poulter’s Par 5 Challenge

IJP Design is launching an interactive and engaging golf game entitled ‘Poulter’s Par 5 Challenge’ that can be played on their website: www.ijpdesign.com/global/tee. The game takes players through a challenging par 5, giving them various options as to how they would like to play the hole. On completion of the par 5 each player will be given a ‘Mr Personality’ which will reflect how they chose to play the par 5. An outfit will be assigned to each personality giving each player the opportunity to buy a look which IJP Design feels matches their golfing persona.

The IJP Design website allows customers to ‘shop the look’ where outfits have been created to make shopping as easy as possible. Customers can purchase an entire look with one click of the mouse. Ambassador looks are also constantly updated when Ian Poulter and other players are at events, allowing customers to see up to date outfits worn by their favourite players.

Throughout the challenge IJP Design will have daily prize draws and will also run weekly twitter competitions for everyone who plays the game. There will be an overall winner who will be chosen at random on the 3rd of June 2014, the challenge will end on the 2nd June 2014. The winner will receive a full tour outfit consisting of an embroidered tour shirt, tour trousers and an IJP Design Tour bag.

IJP Design is proud to produce luxury, contemporary golf apparel that performs to the highest standards and stands out on the golf course. Collections are designed based on extensive feedback from golfers and Ian Poulter himself, ensuring their innovative clothing is functional and perfectly tailored down to the very last detail.

Ian Poulter, founder of IJP Design, has one mantra: ‘Look good, play great’. Combining style and functionality in their clothing means IJP Design can help every golfer do just that.

Quivira Golf Club in Los Cabos to Debut Oct. 1

Spectacular Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course scales the heights at Land’s End

(Los Cabos, Mexico) – In a dramatic setting at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, marked by windswept dunes, sheer cliffs and desert foothills 10 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas, Jack Nicklaus has crafted a golf course that is poised to redefine the Cabo golf experience. Quivira Golf Club is the centerpiece of Quivira, the newest luxury development in Los Cabos, which encompasses two resorts—Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort & Spa and Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa—and three high-end real estate communities:  Montecristo Estates Luxury Villas by Pueblo Bonito, Copala, and Novaispania Residences.

“Our team has worked with the canvas Mother Nature provided to create what we hope is one of the most spectacular courses in the world,” Nicklaus said of Nicklaus Design’s sixth course in Los Cabos. “This property afforded us a rare opportunity because of its topographic diversity and natural environment.”

The formal opening of the 7,224-yard, par-72 layout on Oct. 1 will mark a watershed moment in the history of golf development in Los Cabos, a destination revered for its consistently sunny weather and unique mountain-desert-ocean ecosystem. In addition to its stunning panoramas and breathtaking drops from tee to fairway, Quivira offers players more oceanfront exposure than any other course in Los Cabos. All 18 holes feature outstanding vistas of the Pacific and, in the winter months, views of breaching whales.

The $40 million golf facility at Quivira, more than eight years in the making, commences at sea level near the rolling surf before climbing to a highest point of more than 350 feet above sea level, where the views are a match for the challenge. During the round, players can refresh themselves at four comfort stations interspersed throughout the all-inclusive facility. A halfway house situated near the eighth green, called the “Oasis,” will showcase the culinary talents of the resort’s chefs, with tuna sliders, fish tacos and Mexican specialties available.

The first three holes at Quivira head inland away from the sea before reversing direction at the par-5 fourth hole, which plays over a pond to a broad fairway framed by rolling dunes and raw desert.

The three-quarter mile drive to the fifth hole, which crosses arroyo-spanning bridges and traces a switchback route up the side of a mountain, has already been dubbed the “Greatest Drive in Golf.” At more than 200 feet above sea level, the tee at the short par-4 fifth hole offers splendid views of the beach and crashing waves far below. The par-3 sixth, its concave cliff-top green carved from the base of a massive dune, is equally dramatic. The layout then weaves through the dunes, returns to the cliffs at the dazzling par-3 13th hole, proceeds inland through the desert toward distant mountain peaks, and drops sharply from a set of elevated tees at Nos. 16 and 17, a pair of thrilling par 4s. Quivira’s par-4 18th hole, stretching to 469 yards, is a classic links-style creation that plays to an infinity-edge green overlooking the sea.

Completing the experience at Quivira Golf Club is a stylish, thatched-roof clubhouse between the first tee and 18th green that offers a large rectangular bar, a casual steakhouse, and ample outdoor seating overlooking the sea. Beside the clubhouse is a spacious double-ended practice facility that parallels the ocean, as well as an elongated practice putting green and an expanded short-game practice area.

Quivira Golf Club is accessible to guests of the four Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas in Los Cabos, and to owners of properties in Copala, Montecristo Estates Luxury Villas, and Novaispania Residences.  Each of the Pueblo Bonito Resorts welcomes guests with lavish accommodations, unsurpassed service, fine dining and a host of on-site amenities.  Complimentary shuttle service to and from Quivira Golf Club will be included within the Quivira development.

For reservations, tee times or further information access the web site at www.pueblobonito.com or call 1-800-990-8250.

J.B. Holmes on 'Journey to Better' with Victory at 2014 Wells Fargo Championship

(HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) – Srixon congratulates staffer J.B. Holmes on his victory at the 2014 Wells Fargo Championship, held at Quail Hollow Club, in Charlotte, N.C. Holmes carded a 1-under-par 71 in the final round to clinch his third career PGA TOUR title with an overall score of 14-under 274. His remarkable path back to contention has seen him overcome multiple brain surgeries, ankle surgery and elbow surgery in the past three years.

“It's nice to get in the winner's circle again,” said the 32-year-old Holmes, who earned $1.24 million for the win. “It’s been a long journey for me. I’ve had some ups and downs. But it was a good experience for me and I grew from it. It’s important for me to just enjoy the journey, stay present and have a good time.”

In 2011, Holmes was diagnosed with Chiara malformations, which are structural defects in the cerebellum. He initially had surgery to remove a portion of his skull, but was forced to undergo brain surgery for a second time after experiencing an allergic reaction to the adhesive on the titanium plate located at the base of his skull. In an attempt to return to form after his brain surgeries, Holmes injured his elbow. He initially opted to avoid surgery until last year, when a roller-blading accident left him sidelined for almost six months with a broken ankle.

Holmes’s two previous PGA TOUR wins both occurred at the Phoenix Open – in 2006 and 2008 – and he was also a member of the victorious 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team at Valhalla in his native Kentucky.

Holmes, who led the field in driving distance, plays a Srixon Z-STAR ball with SpinSkin Technology and Cleveland Golf 588 RTX wedges (48°, 54°, 60°) with ROTEX Face Technology. Holmes wears a Srixon hat, a Srixon glove and carries a Srixon bag.

For more information on J.B. Holmes and the Journey to Better, visit: srixon.com/thejourney.

For more information on Cleveland Golf/Srixon, XXIO and Never Compromise or their staff players, visit www.clevelandgolf.com, www.srixon.com, www.xxiousa.com and www.nevercompromise.com.

Potomac Shores Golf Club to Open May 5

First Publically Accessible Jack Nicklaus Signature Design in the Region

(Potomac Shores, Va.) – Potomac Shores Golf Club, the first publically accessible Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in the greater Washington, D.C. region, is set to open on May 5, 2014 for resident and daily-fee guest play.

Located in Potomac Shores, Va., just 45 minutes from the Washington, D.C. metro area, Potomac Shores Golf Club is a centerpiece to the Potomac Shores community being developed by SunCal, one of the leading developers of master-planned communities and commercial developments in the United States. Winding through mature forests overlooking the mighty Potomac, the par-72 layout offers a European-style playing experience that is fast, fun, fair - and unforgettable.

“Potomac Shores Golf Club will offer a truly amazing experience that will be a must play in the Mid-Atlantic,” stated Patrick Boucher, director of club operations, Potomac Shores Golf Club. “Whether you are a resident of the community, an occasional golfer or a tournament and event planner, Potomac Shores will serve up a unique golf experience that will keep you coming back for more.”

Potomac Shores’ new 8,000-square-foot clubhouse exudes the elegant ambiance of a Virginia Tidewater estate, providing the ideal environment for residents and visitors to dine, relax and recap the experience of an amazing and picturesque round of golf. Residents and visitors will also enjoy the clubhouse’s outdoor ambiance with brick patios overlooking the 18th green, complete with distinctive fireplaces and an outdoor fire pit. Finally, the spacious event lawn provides an ideal venue for tournaments, weddings and other group outings.

“We are thrilled to unveil Potomac Shores Golf Club not only to the residents of Potomac Shores but to the golfing world,” stated Matt Hurley, vice president of operations for Troon. “We know Potomac Shores will be a special golf experience and are all anxiously awaiting its official opening.”

For tee time information, visit www.potomacshoresgolfclub.com or call 855-808-6051.