Lake Forest-based Brunswick Corporation has had a rich history in producing sports equipment, starting with billiards tables back in 1845. Prominent in the bowling industry from 1890 until its exit last year, the company remains a leader in boating and fitness equipment as well as billiards and table tennis.
Brunswick’s latest venture is into golf, with an indoor putting green that was introduced to the Chicago market last week at The Glen Club in Glenview.
Indoor putting greens aren’t unusual, but the version that Brunswick is marketing as “The ONLY Green’’ has more features than its predecessors. It also has the backing of noted short game teaching guru Stan Utley, who has long worked with touring players Jay Haas and Sergio Garcia.
Utley says the green’s “surface and adjustability will flat out make you a better putter’’ and the company says that PGA Tour players Kevin Streelman, Matt Jones and Graham DeLaet have worked with it.
The green comes as a handcrafted piece of furniture that is available in six hardwood finishes. While there are six standard sizes, the smallest being two feet by eight feet, greens can customized to fit specific spatial needs. The largest custom-built version is now in Portland, Ore. – 12 feet by 24 feet. Prices range from $3,400 to $11,000.
Iowa resident Rockland Duffy developed the original version of the green in 1992. Utley purchased one from Duffy in 1998 and Tim Ummel of Scottsdale, Ariz., purchased the company in 2012 and hooked up exclusively with Brunwick for product development world-wide.
“I saw it. I played on it, and I had to have it,’’ said Chris Clawson, president of Life Fitness and Brunswick Billiards. “It’s not just a great way to improve your game. It’s also a great, fun way to unwind with your family and friends.’’
Green speeds can be adjusted from 12.5 on the stimp meter down to 10. Contours can be adjusted as well, making a variety of uphill, downhill and breaking putts part of the experience. A putting course is marked on the surface to facilitate competitive as training efforts and a putter rack and scorecards are also available.
IJGA drops Chicago Open
The Illinois Junior Golf Assn. started its season in the usual manner, drawing 105 players last week at Sanctuary in New Lenox. The IJGA will conduct over 100 more events and expect over 2,000 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18 to compete this season, but the campaign will have a different ending.
Two years ago the IJGA revived the Chicago Open as a season-ending October fundraiser after its youth competitions were over. The 54-hole event, which included a pro-am, was played at Cantigny, in Wheaton, as a way to help young pros prepare for the Web.com Tour qualifying school. The event, however, didn’t generate sufficient charitable donations and the IJGA board dropped it from the schedule.
The Chicago Open, once part of a more informal PGA Tour, has had a rocky history. Last year marked the 25th staging, the first of which was in 1914. Its winners include Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Ken Venturi and Luke Donald. Elgin’s Carlos Sainz Jr., now in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, and Michigan mini-tour player Andy Ruthkoski were the champions at Cantigny.
Detry, Hossler in Palmer Cup
Illinois’ Thomas Detry and Beau Hossler, who won last year’s Western Amateur at Chicago’s Beverly Country Club, were among the selections for the Palmer Cup, a team event pitting the best collegiate players from the U.S. and Europe. The 19th version of the competition will be played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove from June 12-14.
Hossler heads the U.S. team that includes Lee McCoy of Georgia, Ollie Schniederjans and Ander Albertson of Georgia Tech, Kyle Jones of Baylor, Maverick McNealy of Stanford, Hunter Stewart of Vanderbilt, Robbie Shelton of Alabama, Jack Maguire of Florida State and Carr Vernon of California State-Monterey Bay.
Detry, from Belgium, will make his second Palmer Cup appearance for the European side. Europe won last year’s competition but the U.S. holes a 9-8-1 edge in the series.
Here and there
The American Junior Golf Assn. Preaseason Junior will be played at Cantigny Friday through Sunday. It’ll involve 84 of the top junior players in the nation.
Northwestern has signed its third men’s recruit, Luke Miller of Venetia, Pa. He was a qualifier for last year’s U.S. Amateur.
The 39th annual Pine Hollow Open is on tap for Saturday at Downers Grove and Bloomington Country Club will be the site of the Illinois PGA’s first stroke play event of the season on Monday.
Consider the Chicago golf season in full swing – almost.
Of the area’s primary tournament venues only Conway Farms, the private facility in Lake Forest that will host the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in September, isn’t taking golfers yet. It’s not expected to open until mid-May
The finishing touches are being put on a major facelift at Conway with the tournament’s return after a year’s absence presenting a cause for caption.
“They’re taking steps every year to make it better for the players as well as the spectators,’’ said Vince Pellegrino, tournament director for the Western Golf Assn.
The practice range has been expanded by 60 percent, all the greens have been re-grassed, and the cart paths widened, the parking lot has been expanded and the pro shop and caddie facilities upgraded as well. A second ticket gate has also been added at the No. 9 tee, all designed to make the site better when the PGA Tour returns.
Apparently the word is out. BMW ticket sales were up significantly even before Jordan Spieth’s dramatic victory in the Masters tournament on Sunday. Early ticket sales for the BMW Championship, which brings together the top 70 players for the third event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, are up 47 percent from the same time in 2013 – the last time the PGA Tour visited Chicago – and the sale of weekly badges to the Trophy Club hospitality tent have more than doubled.
Spieth is expected to compete in both of the PGA Tour’s Illinois stops this season. The other is July’s John Deere Classic in downstate Silvis. Spieth won his first PGA tournament at the JDC in 2013.
The BMW’s previous home base, Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course in Lemont, welcomed players for the first time last weekend. There’s a new look on the staff side at Cog, as David Impastato is now director of golf, Randy Heinrich is manager of the Learning Center and Jim Hartnett is on board as Master Clubfitter. A new team event, the Dubsdread Spring Classic, has also been scheduled for May 16.
Mistwood, the Romeoville layout that annually hosts the Illinois Women’s Open, had its spiffy Performance Center open last week. The course is to open on Thursday but the new clubhouse, under construction since last August, isn’t expected to be ready for another four months.
Wisconsin’s two major tournament courses, Whistling Straits (this August’s PGA Championship site) and Erin Hills (2017 U.S. Open) aren’t open yet. Whistling opens April 24 and Erin Hills on May 11.
Illini expand facilities
The University of Illinois dedicated its Lauritzen/Wohlers Outdoor Practice Facility, which is adjacent to the J.G. Demirjian Indoor facility in Urbana. The combination of the two provides the men’s and women’s teams at the school with a model for collegiate programs nation-wide.
The outdoor version, inspired by the practice range at Augusta National, was a $6 million project — over $2 million going toward facilities plus a $3.5 million endowment to support the annual operations.
Here and there
Chicago’s longest-standing golf radio show, Golfers on Golf, will make its season debut at 9 a.m. on Sunday (APRIL 19) over WSBC (1240-AM) and WCFJ (1470-AM). The show, featuring Rory Spears, Mike Munro, Ed Stevenson and Bill Berger, is entering its 20th season.
Mistwood’s Andy Mickelson and Chris Ioriatti carded a 7-under-par 65 to win the Illinois PGA’s season opening Pro-Assistant Championship on Monday at Naperville Country Club. The IPGA will hold another team event next Monday, the Pro-Pro Scramble at Chicago’s Harborside International.
Pheasant Run Resort, in St. Charles, will host its Spring Scramble on Saturday and will also host a qualifier for the World Golf Scramble on May 30. Meanwhile, Cog Hill will hold its Tee It Forward Scramble on Course 3 on Sunday.
The Chicago District Golf Assn. will open its tournament season with three April qualifiers for its Mid-Amateur Championship. They’ll be held April 23 at Coyote Creek in Bartonville, April 27 at Village Greens of Woodridge and April 30 at Bridges of Poplar Creek in Hoffman Estates.
Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman won the traditional Par-3 Contest that precedes the Masters tournament on Wednesday. That’s not necessarily a good thing, because players consider winning the Par-3 a bad omen. No Par-3 winner has ever gone on to win the Masters.
In Streelman’s case, though, things might turn out differently. He didn’t take his participation in the Par-3 lightly.
His thought process started in December of 2013. That’s when Streelman and wife Courtney were expecting their first child. Daughter Sophia was born more than a month early after Courtney underwent a difficult, worrisome pregnancy.
“That changed a lot of the ways I see children,’’ Streelman told ESPN.com. “I have an entirely new appreciation for what parents with children having tough times are going through.’’
The Par-3 is a fun event, and players frequently use family members or friends as their caddies. Streelman’s father was on his bag in in his first Par-3 experience in 2012. His mother got the call in 2013 and his father-in-law last year.
Still moved by Sophia’s struggles at birth Streelman contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation after securing another Masters berth by virtue of his win in the PGA Tour’s tournament in Hartford, Ct., last year. He asked if any of its patients wanted to attend the Masters and Ethan Couch, the 13-year-old son of a former golf professional in Canada, was anxious to have the opportunity.
Couch was diagnosed with a brain tumor that’s benign, but inoperable, two years ago. How it will affect the rest of his life is uncertain. He’ll undergo an MRI next week.
With Ethan carrying his bag Streelman went around the nine-hole short course at Augusta National in 5-under-par, which left him in a tie with Camilo Villegas for the top spot. They went to a sudden death playoff, which Streelman won on the third extra hole to make Couch’s day all the more special.
“I just wanted to open the door to someone, and hopefully give him a great day after going through some rough times,’’ said Streelman. “This isn’t about me. It’s about giving back. It’s about using that opportunity that I have to make someone’s wish come true.’’
Streelman, 36, was born in Winfield, developed his golf skills primarily at Cantigny in Wheaton, graduated from Wheaton-Warrenville South High School in 1997 and Duke University 2001. He has two wins since earning his PGA Tour card in 2008.
Though he lost to Streelman in the playoff, the day was special for Villegas as well. He made two holes-in-one in his first eight holes of the Par-3 competition. Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus, now 75, also made a hole-in-one. He’s been playing at Augusta National since the 1960s but never had an ace there until Wednesday, and he somewhat predicted it in a television interview before his round.
The golf season must really be upon us now. The Masters tournament – a sure sign of spring – is just a week away and two of Illinois’ PGA Tour players are assured spots in the field.
Kevin Streelman got in by virtue of his dramatic win – a record seven straight birdies to finish his final round — at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Ct., last June. Luke Donald is in because he was in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings at the end of 2014. The world’s No. 1 player for 56 weeks in 2011 and 2012, however, has some work ahead if he’s to remain among the invitees for 2016.
Donald finished 2014 as No. 34 in the rankings and has steadily dropped. Augusta National’s membership also extends invitations to players who are in the top 50 a week before that year’s Masters and – after four players were added to the field on Monday – Donald’s ranking was down to No. 50. The former Northwestern star tied for third in the 2005 Masters but was one shot off the cut line after 36 holes last year.
Streelman, who made the cut last year but settled for a tie for 42nd place after struggling in with a 79 in the final round, is in the field for this week’s Shell Houston Open – the last event to determine Masters qualifiers. It tees off on Thursday with Donald sitting out.
Other local Masters hopefuls D.A. Points and Mark Wilson will also be competing. Both former Masters contestants need to win to get into this year’s field, and Points proved it could be done. He got into the 2013 Masters by winning at Houston.
Assuming Tiger Woods enters and the Houston winner isn’t already among the qualifiers this Masters could have 101 players – the biggest field since 1966. That isn’t likely, though.
The qualifiers include four injured players – Kevin Stadler (wrist), Graham McDowell (ankle), Brooks Koepka (ribs) and Steve Stricker (back). Stricker underwent back surgery after his last tournament appearance in December. Stadler has been idle since January and McDowell and Koepka withdrew from the last two tournaments because of their injuries. They could bypass the Masters as well.
Woods is still trying to regain form after recovering from back problems. He won’t play at Houston but could join the Masters field as late as his April 9 tee time. The Masters has no entry deadline for its qualifiers.
Miller leaving Illinois PGA
The Illinois PGA is looking for a new executive director. Michael Miller, who has held that post the past 20 years, will leave on May 1 to become executive director of the PGA of America’s Southwest Section. New IPGA president Jim Opp said the section is in no hurry to find a replacement for Miller.
Miller, 52, is only the third executive director in Illinois PGA history. The first, Ken Boyce, served from 1976-88. Vance Redfern took over until 1995 when Miller, his assistant, replaced him. Miller, who started with the IPGA as tournament director, has been with the section for 27 years.
“Leaving was a difficult decision because this has pretty much been my whole career,’’ said Miller. “But this will be the next stage of my career – a bigger section with a little different culture. And the climate change doesn’t hurt, either.’’
The Southwest Section, which encompasses all of Arizona and part of Nevada including Las Vegas, has more members and covers a bigger geographical area than the Illinois Section. Its membership is much heavier on the resort side than Illinois and junior golf is a huge priority. The Southwest conducts over 60 youth events.
They’re Augusta-bound
Masters week officially starts on Monday with practice rounds, but the club will again host the finals of the Drive, Putt and Chip competition on Sunday. The nation-wide competition for youngsters in the 7-15 age category was a big hit in its debut last year, and this year’s 80 finalists include three from the Chicago area.
Effie Perakis of Glenview is among the 10 finalists in the Girls 7-9 division. Inverness’ Caroline Smith made it in the Girls 12-13 division and Sugar Grove’s Jimmy Morton will compete in the Boys 14-15 competition.
Masters week also triggers golf promotions at Chicago locations. One of the biggest will be at Libertyville Sports Complex, which will hold its fourth annual Green Jacket Week of special offers and events beginning on Monday.
The Masters tournament always offers a variety of pre-tournament story lines, but the 79th version of the year’s first major championship that tees off on Thursday has more than usual.
For one, Tiger Woods is playing again. Beset by back problems, he received a warm welcome when he arrived at Augusta National this week to prepare for his 20th Masters. Whether he’s able to contend for his fifth title is another matter. Woods’ last tournament round was on Feb. 7. He missed last year’s Masters because of his health issues, has played just one full tournament in his last six starts and has played only 47 holes of tournament golf in 2015. A strong showing this week seems unlikely.
There are more appropriate focal points than Woods at this Masters. Bubba Watson is hoping to win his third Masters in four years. Jordan Spieth, just 21 years old, tied for second in last year’s Masters and has a win and two second-place finishes in his last three tournaments. He’s poised to win his first major title.
For nostalgia, there’s two-time champion Ben Crenshaw making his 44th – and he says final – Masters appearance. And there’s Steve Stricker, playing his first tournament of the year after focusing on Wisconsin’s NCAA basketball run the last few weeks. He was on hand for the Badgers’ upset of Kentucky on Saturday in Indianapolis and — somewhat reluctantly — checked in at Augusta National rather than attend Monday’s championship game loss to Duke.
The best story line of the week, though, isn’t any of those. It’s Rory McIlroy, in his bid to complete the career Grand Slam. The 25-year old from Northern Ireland won the U.S. Open in 2011 and the British Open and the PGA Championship last year. All that remains is the Masters.
Only five players have competed the career Grand Slam. Gene Sarazen nabbed his wins in the four majors between 1922 and 1935. Ben Hogan did it between 1946-53, Gary Player from 1959-65, Jack Nicklaus from 1962-66 and Woods from 1997-2000.
McIlroy would be the second-youngest (behind Woods) to complete the career slam if he wins on Sunday. He’d also have won three straight majors. McIlroy, who has competed in the Masters every year since 2009, had a great chance to win in 2011 when he held a four-stroke lead after 54 holes before an 80 in the final round dropped him into a tie for 15th. Last year McIlroy had his best Masters finish so far, a tie for eighth.
Glenview girl wins at Augusta
Effie Perakis, of Glenview, helped get Masters festivities off to a great start when she won the 7-9 year old age division in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition. She was among 10 finalists in her age group that were determined at nation-wide qualifying rounds last year.
The nationally-televised finals were conducted at Augusta National last Sunday. Effie had a drive of 156 yards, put both of her chip shots inside eight feet and holed the first of her two putts.
A joint effort by Augusta National, the PGA of America and the U.S. Golf Assn., the Drive, Chip & Putt event started last year and drew rave reviews. This year Chicago hosts one of the regionals which will send winners to next year’s Masters. Medinah will host it on Sept. 19.
Hall of Fame finalists set
The selection committee for the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame has narrowed the 25 nominees to 10 finalists. They include Jerry Rich, creator of popular tournament site Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove; club professionals Emil Esposito, Leon McNair and Jim Sobb; and long-time tour player Gary Hallberg.
Also in the running are the late Phil Kosin, creator of Chicagoland Golf newspaper, and four who made a variety of contributions in the earlier decades of Chicago golf – H. Chandler Egan, William Langford, Francis Peabody and Harry Radix. The 18-member committee will determine the 2015 inductees in a second voting session on May 13.
Golf Channel picks two IPGA teachers
Todd Sones, of White Deer Run in Vernon Hills, and Kevin Weeks, of Cog Hill in Lemont, are among the first 45 instructors nation-wide named to the Golf Channel Academy. They’re the only two from Illinois in the newly-formed network of instruction facilities.
Phil Mickelson called the soon-to-be-released “The Squeeze’’ as “the best golf movie ever.’’ That’s a stretch when you put it beside my two favorites – the first version of “CaddieShack’’ and “The Greatest Game Ever Played.’’’
“The Squeeze,’’ however, certainly provided a lot of fun for the audience at its Chicago premier showing in Skokie this week and it’ll likely be a delight at its second showing — a March 30 fundraiser for the Illinois PGA Foundation at Bensenville Theater. The movie won’t be officially released until April 17.
Terry Jastrow, long-time producer and director for ABC Sports, wrote “The Squeeze,’’ the story of a young golfer from a small, rural town who gets caught in a life-or-death predicament between two Las Vegas gamblers. Jastrow’s wife, Anne Archer, is a producer of “The Squeeze.’’ As an actress she had roles in “Fatal Attraction,’’ “Patriot Games’’ and many other notable movies.
Mickelson isn’t the only other golf celebrity who had a favorable reaction after a sneak preview. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson also liked it for its authenticity, and Watson even invested in the project. He wouldn’t commit, though, until seeing five swing videos of Jeremy Sumpter, who plays Augie Baccas – the lead character. Jeremy Sumpter (right), star of “The Squeeze,” insisted to me that he’s an actor first — but his golf swing is plenty good, too.
“If they can’t swing the golf club, I’m not interested in investing with you,’’ Watson told Jastrow. After seeing the videos Watson admitted “I was duly impressed.’’
Sumpter is a plus-1 handicap at a club in California but hasn’t played serious tournament golf. “I’m an actor,’’ he said after the Chicago premier, and there’s no doubt he is that.
More prominent acting names are also in the cast. The dueling gamblers are played by Michael Nouri (“Flashdance ‘’ is just one of his many stage and screen credits) and Christopher McDonald, who played one of my favorite screen characters – Shooter McGavin in the golf comedy “Happy Gilmore.’’ McDonald’s character in “The Squeeze’’ is loosely patterned after the notorious golf gambler Titanic Thompson.
“The Squeeze’’ has similarities to the two golf movie classics. Like “CaddieShack’’ it has its humorous side. Like “The Greatest Game Ever Played’’ (the story of Francis Ouimet’s shocking win in the 1913 U.S. Open) it has an historical base.
Jastrow and Archer got the idea for the movie after a dinner with Chris Flatt, head of international marketing for Wynn Las Vegas, and her husband, Keith. Keith told them about a six-month period in his youth, about 30 years ago. He had won his city amateur tournament by 15 shots and was enticed by a gambler to take his skills to Las Vegas. That didn’t go so well, as Flatt had to be whisked out of town on a bus to avoid trouble with some tough guys. As producer of “The Squeeze,” well-known actress Anne Archer provided me with insight on the filming of this fun, new golf movie.
That tale had a happy ending, as Flatt now owns six courses in the Las Vegas area. “The Squeeze’’ has a surprise ending, with both “Riverboat’’ (McDonald) and “Jimmy Diamonds’’ (Nouri) foiled in their attempts to win a bet with each other.
Only 19 days were required for the filming – 13 basically at Eagle Point in Wilmington, N.C., and six at Wynn Las Vegas Resort. Eagle Point will become more prominent in 2017 when it hosts the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship. That event will change home courses for a year because usual base Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., will host that year’s PGA Championship.
The IPGA Foundation event, a fundraiser for Maryville Academy’s golf program, starts at 6 p.m. with appetizers and the movie begins at 7:45 p.m. Tickets, available through the IPGA, are $60.
GREENSBORO, Ga. – A Ritz-Carlton situated in a small town in central Georgia? At first that seemed hard to imagine. Never have I seen waterfalls used as cleverly as I did at The Oconee.
Then again, Greensboro – located off Interstate 20 midway between Atlanta (it’s 75 miles from the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport) and Augusta — isn’t your usual small town by any means. That explains why Ritz-Carlton has a special property at Reynolds Plantation, the golf destination that is the heart of this friendly, upscale town that — in February, 2016 — was named by Golf Magazine as one of its “25 Best Golf Communities in North America.”
Ritz-Carlton has 94 locations world-wide but the 251-room facility here is the only one that is designated as a lodge.
Reynolds Plantation also has 117 holes of great golf, an irresistible attraction for those visiting the Masters tournament in Augusta every April. Located barely over an hour from that tournament site, the Ritz-Carlton Lodge traditionally sells out for Masters week a month after the previous year’s tournament at Augusta National. This year is no exception. The day after the Masters concludes TaylorMade adidas will launch a new high-tech golf shoe at Reynolds Plantation, which will keep the resort in the golf spotlight even after the tournament is over.
“The Masters is our Super Bowl,’’ said Ralph Vick, the hotel’s general manager.
There’s no doubt about that. Vick said room rates start at $388 on most nights during the course of a year. During Masters week in April they start at $1,000. That’s not just because of the quality of the hotel. The golf options are extraordinary, and that’s been underscored since MetLife took over ownership of Reynolds Plantation two years ago from the family that created it. Lake Oconee provided a picturesque backdrop on many holes at the Reynolds Plantation courses.
Visitors during this year’s Masters will see some major upgrades at The National course, a Plantation favorite. A new clubhouse, pro shop and cart storage building are in various stages of construction. Obviously the goal is to have as much done as possible in time for the first major golf championship of 2015. The Ritz itself will also have a new expanded swimming pool area.
Golf-wise Reynolds Plantation has an interesting location. It’s within a reasonably short drive of both the year’s first championship (the Masters) and The Tour Championship, the climax to the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs in October. The Tour Championship is played at East Lake in Atlanta, but vice president of golf operations Mark Lammi says there’s no question about which big tournament has more impact at Reynolds Plantation. It’s the Masters by a long shot. Turtles wanted to stick together when golfers were approaching.
Golfers will flock to the 10,000–acre community in April, and it won’t be just to watch the competition at Augusta National. They’ll also be playing the courses built around the beautiful Lake Oconee. It’s the second-largest lake in Georgia, spreading over 19,000 acres and having 374 miles of shoreline. All of the Reynolds courses touch Lake Oconee at some point.
The 117 holes are spread over six courses. One, The Creek Club, is private. The members-only layout was designed by Jim Engh and opened in 2007. Engh, Golf Digest’s first Architect of the Year, created a somewhat short course (6,490 yards from the back tees) that has three par-threes, three par-fours and three par-fives on each nine. And, each hole has seven tee placements.
Only one of the other five courses offers openings for public, non-resort, play. That would be The Landing, the first course built in the area in 1986. It’s one of two Bob Cupp designs at Reynolds Plantation and was originally known as Port Armor Golf Club. Immediately well-received upon its opening, the course was acquired by Reynolds Plantation in 2005. Only resort guests can play on the other courses. Construction is underway on a new clubhouse, pro shop and cart storage building at The National.
The other Cupp course is The Plantation, which he designed with consulting help from PGA Tour players Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller. It opened in 1988, when Golf Digest named it Best New Resort Course.
Our visit centered on the other three courses, all created by the highest of high-profile designers. The one we liked the best of The Oconee, a Rees Jones creation. Jones was in the early stages of building his reputation as “the Open doctor’’ when he did his work on The Oconee. He would eventually redesign seven U.S.Open courses and three layouts that have hosted Ryder Cup matches. Chicago’s Medinah No. 3, which has hosted both big events, was one of them. The TaylorMade Kingdom offers high-tech solutions to golfers’ problems.
The waterfalls that define several fairways are the stunning special feature of The Oconee, which opened in 2002 and is the closest layout (just a short walk) to the Ritz-Carlton Lodge. Water comes into play on nine holes, including the last three, and the par-threes are outstanding.
Toughest of the Reynolds courses is the Jack Nicklaus-designed Great Waters, which first greeted golfers in 1992. The nines are completely different, with the back having eight holes right on Lake Oconee. Great Waters was the site of the Andersen Consulting World Championship in its early years and was the most recent Reynolds course used for a somewhat high profile event. The first 72-hole Big Break Invitational was played there last year and was broadcast on The Golf Channel.
Last of the layouts, The National, has the other 27 holes. Architect Tom Fazio had the Ridge and Bluff nines ready for play in 1997 and the Cove made its debut in 2000. These nines differ from Reynolds’ other courses because of their more pronounced elevation changes. All the courses have generous fairways and offer fun challenges for resort visitors. The putting surfaces would obviously vary in difficulty according to the time of the year, but the least undulating were the greens on The Oconee. Stylish bridges and ornamental cherry trees added to a pleasant golf experience at Reynolds Plantation.
The Reynolds Plantation golf experience doesn’t end with the courses. Director of instruction Charlie King, one Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers, oversees the Reynolds Golf Academy and cutting edge technology is available at The TaylorMade Kingdom. It offers swing analysis, club-fitting and on-site club building so well respected that PGA Tour players have made it a frequent stop. In fact, the only other such facility is at TaylorMade’s headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif.
Kingdom’s high-tech tools include Motion Analysis Technology, the Quintic launch monitor system to improve putting techniques and Trackman and Flightscope X2 launch monitor technology. Four experts in the use of this equipment are available to make good things happen to visitors’ golf games. The Ritz-Carlton Lodge stands out in the small central Georgia town of Greensboro.
Reynolds Plantation isn’t all about golf. The Ritz-Carlton Lodge offers a variety of dining options at the Linger Longer Steakhouse, Georgia’s Bistro and Gaby’s, a lakeside café, and the clubhouse at each of the courses also offer dining options. In addition, there’s a 26,000 square foot spa, boat cruises, the Lake Club Wellness Center and Tennis Center, swimming pools and all sorts of activities on Lake Oconee, which has four full-service marinas.
Again, however, golf is the biggest thing. Reynolds Plantation has been rated with Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and Wisconsin’s American Club as the best golf resorts in the country by Zagat Survey.
I’m not big on those rating games, but I’ve been to the other three major U.S. resort destinations. Reynolds Plantation differs from the others in that it hasn’t hosted the big tournaments but – as a destination for avid players – it’s every bit the equal of any resort in the country.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – An embarrassment of riches. That’s what I’ve always felt about this unique golf mecca. There is a potential problem for those many who make return trips, however. The 12th hole at Tidewater showcases both the white sand bunkers and wetlands so eye-catching at Myrtle Beach courses.
You find a favorite course (or two or three) and there’s many times a tendency to just play them on each visit. To do that is doing Myrtle Beach a disservice. You don’t get the full experience of what this area has to offer. That’s why I insisted on changing things up for my fourth Myrtle Beach visit in probably a 15-year span.
No more returning to long-time favorites like Caledonia Golf & Fish Club or True Blue or Pawley’s Plantation or Founder’s Club – the last course to open in the area in 2008. Nope. This time I wanted to play good, interesting courses, of course – but none that I had played before. With the help of Chris King of Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday I was able to do just that.
King lined up tee times on four courses, and the very first one underscored just how much I had been missing. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club should have been the very first course I had played in the area, because it’s the one that gets the bulk of the attention as a tournament site. It’s also arguably the most historically significant.
The use of railroad ties are a feature of Pete Dye courses, including the layout at Barefoot Resort.Pine Lakes, which opened in 1927, was the first golf course in Myrtle Beach. Scottish-born Robert White, the first president of the PGA of America, was its designer. The second course didn’t come along until 21 years later.
That would be The Dunes Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and later renovated by his son, Rees. It trigged the barrage of golf interest in the area, which carries into today. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has about 70 member courses, but there are quite a few more in the area. One course official said the number is more like 120. The number doesn’t really matter. Suffice it to say, Myrtle Beach has more than enough golf courses.
Back to The Dunes Club, the first on our schedule. For many years it was host to the last round of the Golf Writers Assn. of America championship. That provided immediate recognition to golf in Myrtle Beach, and The Dunes Club eventually hosted six Senior PGA Tour Championships, a U.S. Women’s Open and the finals of PGA Tour Qualifying School. Last year the PGA Professional Players National Championship was played there. The Dunes Club is a beautiful place, with a course that has survived the passing of time and the technological changes that have impacted the game. This character greeted us at the first tee at Tidewater.
After a round at The Dunes Club the trip continued at Tidewater, in North Myrtle Beach. It doesn’t have nearly as famous a designer. The architect of record is owner Ken Tomlinson, a tax attorney, but the layout and its most interesting setting couldn’t be more enjoyable. There’s a whole different kind of charm here, as we coped with thick fog that hampered play on holes along the natural wetlands and tried – many times unsuccessfully – to stay out of the numerous white sand bunkers which seemed to be a factor on every hole.
Weather was a big problem the rest of the trip, as temperatures dropped 40 degrees over night and descended into the 20s at times. Still, it wasn’t difficult to see the enjoyment possibilities at the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort or Grande Dunes, the partner course for The Dunes Club during the 2014 Professional Players National Championship.
Arriving at Grande Dunes for an early morning round was a shocker. Frigid temperatures suggested play would be minimal, but we were told that 150 players would be on the course that day. (That was considered a quiet day in March, as the usual daily average was about 240).
Grande Dunes was designed by Roger Rulewich, whose resume includes a renovation of Medinah’s No. 3 course for the 1999 PGA Championship. Rulewich worked beside Robert Trent Jones Sr. for many years. The many players at Grande Dunes received a colorful greeting upon arrival.
The Dye Course had the visual deceptions and railroad ties so prevalent on courses designed by Pete Dye. It wasn’t as busy as Grande Dunes, as only six hardy souls from the Boston area were willing to take on the challenge when the temperatures had bottomed out.
Sam Puglia, the owner of the Dye Course, gave all four of his Barefoot Resort courses the grandest of grand openings back in April of 2000. Barefoot also has courses designed by and named after Davis Love III, Tom Fazio and Greg Norman. Puglia wanted all four to open on the same day – the only time a golf course owner has opted to open four by famous designers all at once. The courses didn’t even have clubhouses then; they operated out of trailers, but all four courses are still going strong today.
It only seemed right to follow a round of golf with a dinner at Greg Norman’s Australian Grille. Opened in 1999, it’s the only restaurant bearing the name of the famous golfer who has dabbled successfully in many other financial ventures outside of golf.
While trying out a variety golf courses is advisable in Myrtle Beach, it’s also important to analyze the variety of lodging and dining options. Lodging-wise you can get an oceanfront condo, a lodge on the outskirts and the area or a chain hotel most anywhere. There’s something to fit all budgets.
Getting the lodging or dining place that best suit you isn’t always easy, because Myrtle has so much in the way of variety. The are, for instance, about 1,500 restaurants in the area. All the chain restaurants are represented, and Norman’s Australian Grille isn’t the only upscale one by a longshot.
Sea Captain’s House is a long-time favorite, having been converted from an oceanfront guesthouse to a restaurant that has fed visitors since 1962. New York Prime and Aspen Grille are also among those representing the best in Myrtle Beach dining.
They’ll be bustling in the coming weeks, as Myrtle Beach has a full schedule of special events. The inaugural March Championship was on tap the week after we departed. It’s a handicap-based 54-hole event that drew 200 players from 28 states, Italy and Canada. Though a new event, its entry spots quickly sold out. The event will be played at the Arrowhead, Meadowlands, Sandpiper Bay, Shaftesbury Glen, Thistle and Tiger’s Eye layouts.. The Dye Course is enhanced by a scenic clubhouse.
Next on tap is the Hootie and the Blowfish Celebrity Pro-Am at the Dye Course. It’s been held on the Monday after the Masters tournament for 20 years and always draws Masters participants as well as celebrities from the entertainment world.
The biggest event of them all, however, won’t begin until Aug. 31 when Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday hosts the 32nd annual World Amateur Championship. The handicap-based 72-hole event will have more than 30,000 players from over 30 countries and more than 60 area courses will be utilized.
Our next Myrtle Beach visit — one that I expect will come soon – won’t include stops at the courses previously visited. There are so many more to enjoy. If you are enticed by the various magazine course rankings, Myrtle Beach has plenty those honored layouts. I’m not so much about those. We just want pleasant overall golfing eperiences, and Myrtle Beach has loads of potentially good ones.
Black Bear? Carolina National? Crow Creek? Eagle Nest? Tournament Players Club of Myrtle Beach? Waterway Hills? Who knows where you might play next in Myrtle Beach?
Chances are, however, you can’t go wrong with whatever courses you choose.
The Illinois PGA, in an effort to stimulate more entries in its biggest annual tournament, announced major changes in the Illinois Open on Friday.
For the first time the finals in the 65-year old tournament will be played at two sites – Royal Melbourne in Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods Country Club. The field will also be expanded, from 156 to 258 players and the qualifiers for the final round of the 54-hole event will grow from 50 plus ties to 70 plus ties.
IPGA executive director Michael Miller used the opening day of the 32nd annual Chicago Golf Show at Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont to make the long-anticipated announcement.
The tourney will remain a Monday-Wednesday event, with both courses being used for the first two rounds, on July 20 and 21. The final round will be at Royal Melbourne on July 22.
Qualifying sessions for non-exempt players have been scheduled at seven locations, but only one outside of the Chicago area. That one is June 17 at Bloomington Country Club. Other qualifiers are June 4 at Royal Hawk in St. Charles, June 8 at Glencoe, June 11 at Turnberry in Lakewood, June 17 at Balmoral Woods in Crete, June 25 at Willow Crest in Oak Brook and June 29 at Elgin Country Club.
As was the case with last year’s championship site, The Glen Club in Glenview, both Hawthorn Woods and Royal Melbourne are managed by Northbrook-based KemperSports, one of the nation’s most prominent golf management companies. The Glen Club had hosted the event a record nine times, the first coming in 1991.
Unlike The Glen Club, both Hawthorn Woods and Royal Melbourne are private facilities. Hawthorn Woods, an Arnold Palmer design that opened in 2006, hosted the Illinois Open from 2008-11. Royal Melbourne, a Greg Norman design that made its debut in 1992, hosted the Illinois PGA Championship in 2003 and 2004.
PALM COAST, FL. – Our three-month stay in this ocean-side community between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach was much different than our previous three winters, spent in Sarasota, Naples and Port St. Lucie.
In this case, “different’’ means generally better golf-wise with one notable exception. We played lots of golf in cold (50 degrees), windy weather, and that’s something we rarely faced in the other, more southerly stops. Ocean Hammock offers views of the Atlantic Ocean
The less-than-ideal weather –much like fall golf in Illinois — was never bad enough to keep us from playing and that one drawback was overridden by two other factors. Courses in this area offered much more in the way of variety and affordability than we experienced the previous three years playing our recreational rounds in the heart of the Sunshine State’s tourist season.
This area is called Florida’s Historic Coast because St. Augustine, settled by Spanish explorers in 1565, is America’s oldest city. There’s over 60 historic sites there and is a great location for more than just golf. Still, recreational golf addicts need their golf fixes, and we got it here.
We played 18 rounds between Nov. 28 and Feb. 28, and they didn’t include visits to the most famous course in the area (TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra) or the only layout jointly designed by legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus (King &Bear in St. Augustine). We had played those courses on previous visits and our ultimate goal was to experience the widest variety of golf the area had to offer.
Our self-imposed “previous visit’’ rule also kept us from returning to one of the best-regarded public layouts, St. John’s in St. Augustine.
Still, we covered a good cross section of courses in the immediate area and stretched our experiences with visits south, to courses the Orlando’s western suburbs, and north, to layouts near Amelia Island.
As has been the case in previous years, we’re rating the courses strictly from our enjoyment playing them. We’re downplaying the cost factor, since greens fees vary so much –day to day and even hour to hour. Comparing the most expensive courses (some had greens fees slightly over $100) to the lowest ($25) is like comparing apples and oranges. Still, it should be noted that most of the public (non-resort) courses were priced in the $30-$40 range, cart included. That was much more affordable than any of our previous Florida destinations, and many offered the option of walking. That was also a rarity elsewhere. A speeding train diverted our attention at Daytona Beach’s South course.
Each round in the Historic Coast was memorable and enjoyable – and generally for different reasons. In fairness, weather conditions and general atmosphere on the particular day of play probably influenced our rankings. That said, here’s how we rank the courses we played on Florida’s Historic Coast.
1, SLAMMER & SQUIRE, St. Augustine. This is one of two courses at World Golf Village, a must-stop for golfers regardless of the playing options available there. The nearby CaddieShack restaurant also enhances the overall experience. Slammer & Squire is a tribute to Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen. It was probably the best-conditioned course we played. While many might prefer the longer, more challenging King & Bear layout, we lean towards Slammer & Squire because of its more sporty nature and proximity to the other World Golf Village attractions.
2, OCEAN HAMMOCK, Palm Coast. One of two courses offered at the Hammock Beach Resort, which – with Innisbrook in Tampa and Reunion in Orlando – is part of the highly respected Salamander Hotels and Resorts Collection. A Jack Nicklaus Signature design, Ocean Hammock lives up to its name with six views of the Atlantic Ocean, and you can’t beat holes on the water for memorability. Nicklaus also labeled the last four holes as “The Bear Claw’’ – a challenging finish to anybody’s round, but especially impactful when you play the course on an extremely windy day. A real tough call between Slammer & Squire and Ocean Hammock. Both have their unique charms.
3, THE CONSERVATORY, Palm Coast. This Tom Watson design is the other 18-holer offered by the Hammock Beach Resort, but the courses are about five miles apart. Both received accolades from Golf Digest and were used for PGA or Champions Tour events in their earlier years. The Conservatory, which has the most elaborate clubhouse of all those we visited, is the centerpiece for a proposed golf community that hasn’t materialized as yet. At 7,726 yards from the back tees, it’s one of the longest courses in Florida and has one of the highest slope ratings (78.2). The Big Ten Conference played its Match Play Championship at the Hammock Beach courses in February. This Riviera wasn’t like the one in California, but was still a very nice place.
4, LPGA INTERNATIONAL, HILLS COURSE, Daytona Beach. One of the two 18-holers near the Ladies PGA headquarters, I was told the Hills (designed by Arthur Hills) was much more challenging than the Jones Course, a Rees Jones design. Both are used for the LPGA’s Qualifying School competition each fall. The Hills has generous fairways but lots of forced carries off the tees and quick greens. It’s a fun course with a fine finishing hole – a dogleg left par-4 that features an approach to the green that can make or break your round. The LPGA connection is significant (it’s prominently promoted off I-95) and the facility is well equipped as an instructional center. It even has practice holes.
5, AMELIA RIVER, Fernandina Beach. The first hole, as well as the fifth and 13th holes, run beside the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. That didn’t strike me as a plus, but there are some beautiful holes as well. The designer was Tom Jackson, who has done most of his work in his native South Carolina (he has seven designs in Myrtle Beach). Formerly known as Royal Amelia, the Amelia River layout’s signature hole is No. 17 — a par-3 to an island green — and the finisher is a strategic three-shot par-5 that ends at the edge of the Amelia River. The DubsDread course in Orlando included a big net to keep driving range shots from interrupting play.
6, HALIFAX PLANTATION, Ormond Beach. The first course we played during our stay here, it was excellent from all ends –- affordability, conditioning, clubhouse setting and amenities. Bill Amick opened the oldest golf architectural office in Florida in 1959, and designed this course, which is located near that office in Daytona Beach. The course is an interesting layout that runs through a residential community. This one definitely merits a return trip.
7, DUBSDREAD, Orlando. We had to make this one, as its name spawned the name of the much more famous No. 4 course at Cog Hill – the long time Chicago home of the Western Open. This DubsDread is much older – a Tom Bendelow design in 1924 – and is much shorter (6,153 yards from the back tees). Very playable for a wide variety of players, it was obviously a favorite of the locals. It was one of the rare courses that was packed when we played there.
8, DEBARY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, DeBary. We strayed from the area to visit this Lloyd Clifton design from 1990 because the club had just been taken over by ClubCore, the Texas-based firm that moved into Chicago during the winter at both Ravinia Green, in Riverwoods, and Rolling Green, in Arlington Heights. ClubCore was in the process of doing good things at DeBary, which had hosted qualifying events for the PGA Tour, U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open a decade or more ago. Motorists on I-95 were alerted to LPGA International’s two courses in Daytona Beach.
9, RIVIERA, Ormond Beach. Family-owned and operated since 1953, Riviera proclaims itself as “the friendly club’’ on its entrance signage and it was that, both in greens fee ($32), the play on a crowded day and in the clubhouse lounge afterwards. The most fun part of the course, which measured just 6,250 yards from the tips, were the humps in the greens. Though obviously not in the same category as its California namesake, it’s also obvious that — in these difficult economic times — the golf world needs more operations like this Riviera.
10, PALATKA GOLF CLUB, Palatka. This is a Donald Ross design from 1925, a fact clearly promoted on the outside of the clubhouse. Made challenging by its small, turtle-back greens, it’s been the home of the Florida Azalea Amateur since 1958. There were lots of doglegs and waste bunkers with a few blind shots mixed in and moss hanging from some of the trees. A long-time Donald Ross fan, I felt this course was one of the best resemblances of a Ross original creation. Having Donald Ross as designer was a plus for Palatka.
11, NEW SMYRNA, New Smyrna Beach. This municipally-owned layout is one of five courses played on this trip that were part of the Florida Historical Golf Trail, a state-wide conglomeration of 50 courses that have been continuously accessible to public play for at least 50 years. This one, opened in 1948, was one of Ross’ last designs. The famed architect died a few months after New Smyrna’s opening. The course is now notable for its white sand bunkers and the Italian restaurant in its clubhouse.
12, DAYTONA BEACH, SOUTH COURSE, Daytona Beach. Part of a 36-hole municipal complex that gets heavy play in one of Florida’s major cities, the South layout is another Ross design. While very playable, it had one most notable feature—a train track that ran right through the course. We were there when a train came roaring through with its horns blowing. I’m told the North Course is the more challenging of the complex’s courses.
13, RIVER BEND, Ormond Beach. This one had tightly-mowed fairways with a helicopter airport adjoining the course and a nature center across the street. Also memorable was the rickety bridge over a highway that was needed to get you from the No. 3 green to the No. 4 tee and the palm tree that was in the middle of the No. 6 fairway. New Smyrna Beach was one of the best Florida Historical Golf Trail offerings.
14, INDIGO LAKES, Daytona Beach. This layout had just come under new management and its pub held its grand opening the day before we visited. The fairways were wide, the greens unusually fast for the area. There was also a nine-foot alligator resting beside a pond off the 17th fairway. Unlike our other Florida stops, we didn’t see many alligators on these courses – but we will remember this big one.
15, PALM HARBOR, Palm Coast. Managed by Chicago-based KemperSports, this course opened in 1973 in what was to be a centerpiece for a planned community. Now it’s a busy city-owned municipal course with a big practice range and a particularly friendly staff. It’s also in the process of change, with home construction underway beside some of the holes. Most unusual about this layout is that you go past the clubhouse to get from the No. 4 green to No. 5 tee. You also make the same journey in the more traditional spot in the rotation — between nines. The finish to a round at Conservatory came with a stunning ride to the clubhouse.
16, PINE LAKES, Palm Coast. This is an Arnold Palmer design from 1980, a good layout with interesting contours on the greens. But, it had undergone a recent management change and the conditioning wasn’t good. It did offer a nice view of the 18th green from a huge glass bay window from the clubhouse.
17, ROYAL ST. AUGUSTINE, St. Augustine. We liked the rich sound of the name, the merchandise in the clubhouse and the low greens fee ($25). But this was a goofy layout, starting with the very first hole, as the course meandered through streets that featured some interesting homes.
18, CYPRESS KNOLL, Palm Coast. A Gary Player design, this course was once under the same ownership umbrella as Pine Lakes and Matanzas. We were told that Matanzas, a Palm Coast course which had since closed, was the best of that trio when all were in operation. Cypress Knoll was also in the process of a management change and had conditioning issues, which was reflected in its $25 greens fee. The back nine was much better than the front in both design and conditioning.
FINALLY, we couldn’t include this one in our rankings. Oceans Golf Club, in Daytona Beach Shores, has only 13 holes. The longest is 135 yards, the shortest only 40. But this walking-only course, which wanders through high-rise buildings and botanic gardens, was every bit as enjoyable as all the others we played on the trip.
The backdrop at Oceans Golf Club differed from the other courses we played on the trip.
