VALDOSTA, Ga. – Bob Spence is about to hit the 60-year mark as a golf professional. Now his focus is on Kinderlou Forest, a stunning 18-holer just 16 miles from the Florida state line, but Chicago golfers should remember him well.
Spence, who turned pro in 1954 – a few months after graduating from high school, was the first director of golf at Kemper Lakes. The late Jim Kemper hired him in 1978 to direct the opening of the Long Grove course designed by Dick Nugent and Ken Killian. Kemper Lakes was an instant hit. It was the first public course to host a PGA Championship in 1989, a year in which Payne Stewart was crowned the champion.
Kemper also hosted a tournament on the Champions Tour for several years and was the site of a U.S. Women’s Amateur, the Grand Slam of Golf and 24 straight Illinois PGA Championships before an ownership change led to the facility going private.
Spence moved on, too. Prior to the Kemper experience he spent six years as an off-and-on PGA Tour player. Afterwards he established himself as a teacher, working with –among others — the famed Bob Toski, and an expert on course operations.
He enjoyed all those things, but found out that he loved course architecture more than anything else. Spence hooked up with Davis Love III to create Love Golf Designs in 1994. Kinderlou Forest, now celebrating its 10th anniversary for owner John Langdale, was one of the first of the 20 courses that Spence built on Love’s behalf. It is most likely the best.
“We continued until the economy went bad,’’ said Spence. “Now (Love Golf Designs) is on hold, but Davis had a major desire to get into golf course architecture later in his career. I wouldn’t be surprised if the company started up again.’’
Love, of course, was the 1997 PGA champion and the losing U.S. captain in the dramatic Ryder Cup matches played at Medinah last September. He’s resumed his playing career and is also the host for the McGladrey Classic, a PGA Tour event played on his home course in Sea Island, Ga.
Kinderlou Forest has had a great first 10 seasons. Spence has declared it “better than Kemper Lakes’’ and isn’t so sure it isn’t the best course in Georgia – even though that state is home to legendary Augusta National, where the Masters tournament is played every April.
“There’s a lot of similarities between here and Kemper Lakes,’’ said Spence. “Both are great golf courses. Kemper Lakes has a lot of water and length. Kinderlou Forest doesn’t have as much water, but has variety in length and look on every hole.’’
Spence won’t designate a signature hole at Kinderlou, believing all 18 are special. The most striking visually, though, is the par-5 fourth, which features a large, deep cavern. You can play over it or around it. Either way, you don’t forget it.
The cavern, created when soil was needed to build a highway fronting the course, also extends in front of the tee at the par-3 fifth hole.
The lack of houses on the property is another similarity between Kemper Lakes and Kinderlou. So is the personality of the owners. Langdale and his family have long been prominent in various business and political endeavors in south Georgia, just as Jim Kemper was prominent in the insurance world in Chicago.
“Jim Kemper was one of the most special people I’ve ever known,’’ said Spence. “He became a fatherly figure to me, helping my life in any way he could. Mr. Langdale is the same way. He wanted a showplace for Lowndes County. He wanted to give back, just like Jim Kemper did at Kemper Lakes. I’ve been very fortunate to work with special people.’’
As was the case at Kemper Lakes, Spence moved on to other projects after Kinderlou Forest was up and running. Langdale brought him back six months ago to take Kinderlou Forest to a new level.
The first 10 years certainly weren’t bad. About 200 homes were built on the 4,000-acre property and the course, built on 600 of those acres, has already hosted a pro tour event (the Web. com Tour’s South Georgia Classic will be played there for the eighth time in April).
Kinderlou Forest, though, stands somewhat alone on the outskirts of Valdosta, a city of 54,000 and home to Valdosta State University and its 13,000 students. The weather makes golf an option year-around and overall living is affordable.
“We’re in the process of building it into a community, possibly a retirement community,’’ said Spence. “We’re trying to get people to come in here, and if they do they’ll want to stay.’’
Two Chicago area club professionals, Phil Benson and J. Anderson, have already brought groups from Chicago to check out what Kinderlou Forest has to offer.
As good as it is, Kinderlou Forest — at 7,474 yards from the tips –is no course for retirees, so a second — much shorter layout — will be needed. A lodge is also a consideration, though Kinderlou has townhome villas available for golfing guests and plenty of hotels are nearby. But space for more homes is abundant.
“If Kinderlou goes as planned we have to have a lot of people coming from out of state, and a lot coming to retire,’’ said Spence. “It’s a great place to live. We’re building an atmosphere that you’d rather be here than anywhere else.’’
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – With so many golf facilities struggling these days, Roger Warren’s report on the popular Kiawah Resort is eye-catching to say the least.
“We had the best year in the history of the resort last year,’’ said Warren who left the Chicago area for Kiawah in 2003 and has been the resort’s president since 2005. “There was a halo effect from (hosting the 2012) PGA Championship, but we experienced four years of double digit growth from 2009 on.’’ Roger Warren has plenty of good memories from his recent Ryder Cup experiences.
Why is that?
“I know it flies in the face of what’s happening in the rest of the game, but there’s a segment in this country that’s doing just fine – and that’s my customer,’’ said Warren. “They continue to come here. This is a beautiful island, and there’s a lot to do here.’’
This five-course facility near Charleston, S.C., doesn’t need a commercial after already hosting an historic Ryder Cup (in 1991) and a major – the PGA, won by Rory McIlroy. Its Pete Dye-designed Ocean Course has witnessed it all, and it’s due to witness another big one. The PGA of America has announced that the PGA Championship will return to Kiawah for its 103rd playing in 2021.
“From a golf perspective, at the Ocean Course there’s not much higher you can go,’’ said Warren. “Now there’s a need to repeat. We’re looking at another opportunity for a PGA Championship. The Ryder Cup has never gone back to the same location in the U.S., so – while we’d love to have it back – I don’t think that will happen.’’
The return of the PGA seems reasonable but it’ll be awhile.
“We think we’ll get another PGA, but it’s booked through 2019,’’ said Warren, “and we’d prefer not to do it in 2020. In 2012 (Kiawah’s last PGA) we were in competition with a domestic Ryder Cup at Medinah and the Summer Olympics. When you do a major sports event in that climate it’s difficult to get major corporate support. We’d prefer not to do it in 2020 because there’s a domestic Ryder Cup at Hazeltine (in Minnesota) and the Olympics again.’’
A year later, though, things would be much more enticing.
“In 2021 that’d be the 30th anniversary of our Ryder Cup, and it’d be nice to play on that history, what those ’91 matches meant to it,’’ said Warren.
If not a PGA, then what? The Kiawah clubhouse provides a dramatic backdrop to the finishing hole at the Ocean Course.
“At the Ocean Course you almost don’t do anything else,’’ said Warren, “but we’d do a Presidents Cup. That’s a team event that would be fun.’’
Kiawah’s bottom line, though, isn’t getting another big event on its most prestigious course.
“It’s a major championship golf course, but anybody can play it,’’ said Warren. “It’s hard, but still so much fun from the right set of tees. We’ll continue to make it a great experience for the people who play it.’’
Kiawah is much more than the Ocean Course. The other layouts will get special attention over the next few years. Osprey Point will get a makeover this year, Cougar Point in 2015 and Oak Point the year after that.
“We’ll probably build another hotel in West Beach, too,’’ said Warren. “Our challenge is to keep going, but it’s fun.’’
Things were much different when Warren arrived in 2003. A Western Illinois University graduate who grew up in the downstate Illinois community of Galesburg, Warren started in golf working three summers at Village Links, Glen Ellyn’s 27-hole facility. His main job was as a high school teacher and basketball and golf coach, first at Dundee Crown and then at Illinois Math and Science Academy.
He didn’t enter golf full-time until he was 38, when he took the head professional’s job at Village Links in 1986. He moved on to Seven Bridges in Woodridge , IL., when that facility opened in 1991 and remained there until going to Kiawah.
“I came here because I wanted the opportunity to do five courses, rather than one,’’ he said. “It was a career growth thing for me. You’re in a new region of the country, with new grasses. Then I was here about 18 months and the guy in (the president’s job) left and they asked me do it as an interim.’’ Alligators at the Turtle Point course measured in the eight-foot range.
Not long after that the interim tag was lifted and Warren was promoted to president of the resort. He presided over the opening of its Sanctuary Hotel in August of 2004. At the same time he was climbing the ranks of the PGA of America hierarchy. He served as that organization’s president in 2005-06.
“I had to learn the hotel and villa business and 12-13 restaurants also became my responsibility,’’ he said. “It all came together at the same time. I was one busy person, but it’s all been great.’’
The PGA duties were all voluntary, but they kept him away from Kiawah for 132 nights. That’s not unusual for the men who have held that job since then.
“Some have been out 170-180 days. I couldn’t do that,’’ said Warren. “If I had to do that job now I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give up the time.’’
But he did then, and Kiawah has thrived.
“When I first got here people didn’t know much about Kiawah,’’ said Warren. “I came here in 1992 for a PGA meeting in Charleston, then I came again for another meeting. I never thought about traveling this way (from Chicago). We’d go to Florida or Arizona, not here. But it’s amazing that we’ve gotten a lot of people from Ohio and Illinois who are here now as guests or (home) owners.’’
Warren arrived at Kiawah after the Ryder Cup effort in 1991, but he has great memories of the event in his capacities with the PGA. He was captain of the U.S. team in the Junior Ryder Cup competition during the last staging at Medinah.
“Of all thing things I was blessed to do with the PGA, the Junior Ryder Cup was one of the finest,’’ he said. “We had a great group of kids, and they’re all playing at major colleges now.’’
Medinah’s Ryder Cup, though, got Warren thinking about changes to improve the epic competition.
“As a past president we’re almost over the line on what the Ryder Cup is now,’’ he said. “They had 50,000 people there, and it was the first time I went to a Ryder Cup and felt I just couldn’t see anything. For that kind of event people would pay more to see more and you wouldn’t have to have 50,000 there, I’m hoping as we move forward we can make an adjustment. It’s the greatest golf event in the world. We ought to make sure people who go there have a great experience.’’
We Illinois golf fanatics had best disregard the state line boundaries. Our neighbor to the north, Wisconsin, isn’t far away – no matter where you live in Illinois – and that’s where the action is these days. It’d be a shame not to enjoy it to the fullest.
For whatever reason, golf progress in Illinois hasn’t kept up with that in Wisconsin. For that matter, no state can match the golf developments in the Badger State over the last few years.
This year the most exciting project is in Stevens Point, where the SentryWorld course has undergone a Robert Trent Jones Jr. renovation. It’ll be unveiled in late summer because ownership wants to show off the new course and its accompanying Sports Center, which also underwent a major upgrading, at the same time.
SentryWorld’s original course was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It opened in 1982, and may have been the first golf destination resort in Wisconsin. The lure then was its Flower Hole, my all-time favorite anywhere and – arguably at least – the most famous golf hole in the Midwest. Adorned with 42,000 flowers, SentryWorld’s Flower Hole was certainly the most colorful anywhere.
Last summer, when I first got wind of the renovation, I was quick to ask Jones about the Flower Hole’s future. He was quick to assure me that it would remain part of the rotation. It remains as No. 16 – a par-3 known more for its beauty than its challenging aspects in the past – and the new scorecard still lists it at 176 yards from the back tee.
In the spring Pete McPartland, president and chief executive officer of Sentry Insurance, unveiled a new logo that brightened the colors of the iconic Flower Hole. That required checking in with Brian Dumler, the head golf professional, on what the hole will look like after the snow melts and the renovation is completed.
“The Flower Hole will be enhanced,’’ he said. “There’ll be more flowers, but I can’t tell how many yet., and the green will be re-shaped.’’
The waiting period for the re-opening will be a long one. The course was closed in April, 2012, and remained closed throughout 2013. Arizona architect John Sather created a dramatic new look for the Sports Center, part of which includes the pro shop for the golf course, while Jones was making his changes.
Dumler revealed that the course has been re-routed with parts of the property not used in the original layout being brought into play. While the famous Flower Hole won’t be altered much, two of the other par-3s – Nos. 3 and 12 – will be. The original course measured 6,950 yards. The new card lists it at 7,237 with a par of 72, rating of 75.1 and slope of 139.
“It was always known as a tough course,’’ said Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s director of corporate communications, “and we want to preserve that challenge. But for the more casual player we wanted a course that was more playable and we’ve done that.’’
Dumler, in his 16th season at SentryWorld, has a unique connection to the famed architect. He began his golf career at Hilldale, in Hoffman Estates, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. – the father of the SentryWorld designer. Jones Jr. still considers the original SentryWorld layout “ my Mona Lisa.’’
As intriguing as SentryWorld’s renovation is, bigger developments are on the way in Wisconsin. None are bigger than Sand Valley, the latest project of Chicago’s Mike Keiser. Keiser turned Bandon Dunes into the most popular new golf destination in the country with its array of courses, the number of which is still growing.
The only trouble with Bandon Dunes is that it’s far away – in Oregon. Sand Valley won’t require nearly as much travel. It’s 250 miles from Chicago’s borders. The nearest town to Sand Valley is Rome, but — more specifically, the project is 18 miles from the biggest community, Wisconsin Rapids, and 54 miles from Wisconsin Dells. Focal point of the property is Lake Petenwell.
While it’s exciting to think about, Sand Valley’s opening is down the road a bit. Keiser purchased 1,400 acres on Dec. 17 and hired the architectural team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore in January. They’ll begin work on the first course as soon as possible, but it won’t open until 2016.
As was the case at Bandon Dunes, more courses will be added if the first one is successful – and there’s no doubt that it will be. Eventually Sand Valley is projected to have at least four courses.
Want more proof of Wisconsin’s explosion on the world golf scene? Let me remind you that the 2017 U.S. Open will be at Erin Hills, on the outskirts of Milwaukee, and Whistling Straits, in Kohler, will host the PGA Championship (for the third time, no less) in 2015 and the Ryder Cup in 2020.
And these courses aren’t all that old. Erin Hills landed a U.S. Golf Assn. championship before it was even opened to the public. It hosted the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur and also was the venue for the 2011 U.S. Amateur. In 2017 it’ll become the first Wisconsin course to host a U.S. Open.
Over in Kohler, a two-hour drive from the Illinois line, the story isn’t much different. Herb Kohler entered the golf world with the creation of Blackwolf Run in 1988. Kohler liked that Pete Dye design so much he added 18 more holes, creating the River and Meadow Valleys 18-holers. Then Kohler had Dye create Whistling Straits and the Irish Course in Haven, about 15 miles away. Whistling Straits opened in 1998 and Irish in 2000.
All gained world recognition almost instantly. Blackwolf Run opened in 1998, hosted the men’s Andersen Consulting World Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1998 and 2012. Whistling Straits has already been the site of PGA Championships in 2004 and 2010 and the U.S. Senior Open in 2007.
There’s a downside to having all these high-profile courses in the same state. It takes attention away from some other very good locations that have withstood the tests of time.
Grand Geneva Resort, in Lake Geneva, has two quality 18-holers. The Brute, with its 68 bunkers and huge, rolling greens, has long been considered one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest. The accompanying Highlands course has just as interesting a history. It started as a project in which Jack Nicklaus and Dye were to work together. Bob Cupp transformed the original course in 1996 and it was updated 10 years later by Bob Lohman.
Geneva National, in Delavan, has three 18 holers with designers who are even more famous – Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino.
There’s some other very fine layouts around the state – Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, The Bog in Saukville, Lawsonia in Green Lake, University Ridge in Madison, Castle Course at Northern Bay in Arkdale, Big Fish in Hayward.
The list goes on. Michigan has long been the Midwestern state with the biggest abundance of golf riches. Now may, just maybe, it’s Wisconsin.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL. – I’ll let you in on a secret. The trophy that will go to the winner of the LPGA’s biggest-ever event will be one of the most impressive in all of sports.
I received a sneak preview of the prize that the players in the new International Crown event will play for in July during my first visit to LPGA headquarters here (photo below). No pictures of the trophy or descriptions of it were allowed then, and the trophy won’t be officially unveiled until April 1 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The Crown – 32 players from eight countries battling for that one crown in biennial global match play competition – will be contested for the first time July 21-27 at Caves Valley in Owings Mills, Md. Then it’ll come to Jerry Rich’s Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove in 2016. Rich hopes it’ll stay there, and that isn’t just his dream.
“Our goal is that we want to come back to Chicago,’’ said Kelly Hyne, vice president –LPGA properties. “We know it’s what Jerry wants to do. He wanted to start in 2016 and we wanted to start in 2014, but we love the city of Chicago. We want a partnership with Mr. Rich, and the people at Rich Harvest do a great job.’’
While no LPGA tour events have been played in Chicago since 2002, Rich did host the 2009 Solheim Cup — one of the circuit’s most captivating competitions. The International Crown, though, will be bigger once people understand just what it is.
The concept of a global team match play event is unique in golf, and something that special is just what the LPGA needs to elevate its profile.
LPGA International headquarters have been in Daytona Beach since 1989. A big sign off I-95 pinpoints the location of LPGA International Blvd. with its two 18-hole quality golf courses — designs by long-respected architects Rees Jones and Arthur Hills. But the major thoroughfare also leads to the PGA Tour’s TPC Sawgrass and World Golf Village, in St. Augustine — both a few miles north of Daytona – and the PGA of America is based in Palm Beach Gardens, a few miles to the south. They are also all multiple-course establishments.
Big annual PGA tournaments are played at both TPC Sawgrass (The Players Championship) and Palm Beach Gardens (the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort) and the World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village. Those attractions cause the LPGA base to get somewhat lost in the shuffle, but the LPGA likes being located in the middle of the big men’s organizations.
“That’s really the reason we decided to settle here,’’ said Hyne, in her 13th year with the LPGA. “Every time a new commissioner comes in there’s a rumor that the LPGA is moving, but we’ve got a great deal here.’’
The LPGA had been based at Sweetwater in Houston prior to moving to Florida in 1989. Its offices were across from the Daytona Motor Speedway until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters building and the Jones and Hills courses were built on the 4,000-acre property. The LPGA doesn’t own the courses –Jones’ Champions and Hills’ Legends. Both are owned by the city of Daytona Beach.
In their early years those courses were used for LPGA tournaments. The Sprint Centel Classic, later called the Titleholders, and the ATT Championship were played there, the last stop coming in 2000. Now the biggest events held on the home courses are the LPGA qualifying school and the season-ending event on the satellite Symetra Tour.
There was some turmoil within the LPGA in the years after the big tournaments were moved elsewhere, especially during Carolyn Bivens’ four-year term as commissioner. She preceded current boss Mike Whan, who has engineered some progressive moves headlined by the creation of the International Crown.
Carol Kilian (pictured at right with Hyne amidst paintings of legends Babe Zaharias and Dinah Shore at LPGA headquarters) noticed the evolution perhaps better than anyone else. She was the LPGA’s first director of creative services and an LPGA employee from the outset of the move to Daytona. Since her retirement she has remained in Daytona and is the women’s club champion at LPGA International.
“Mike Whan has revived what I call `the old LPGA,’’’ said Kilian. “He’s created a family atmosphere. The feeling in the building is back to the way it used to be, where you’re really proud of the tour.’’
LPGA headquarters opened in 1996 and has become a hub of activity recently. Ninety-nine employees work there. The building houses the LPGA staff, which includes its marketing, communication and administration personnel. The Symetra Tour, an offshoot of the former Futures Tour before the LPGA purchased that circuit in 2007, is also based there as is the LPGA Teaching Division, which is up to 1,500 members. While the LPGA recently opened an office in South Korea with three staffers, the global operations of the circuit all come out of Daytona.
Under Whan’s direction the LPGA schedule grew from 23 tournaments in 2009 to 28 in 2013 to 33 this year and the Symetra Tour went from 15 stops in 2013 to 20 this year. A new management company, ClubCore, replaced Buena Vista Hospitality as operator of the two courses and a point system – the Race to the CME Globe – was introduced this year.
Like the men’s circuit, the LPGA also has its tour for older players but the LPGA Legends, for stars 45 and over, operate out of Boston with Jane Blalock in charge. That circuit’s growing, too, and another reason why the LPGA’s slogan declares “It’s different out here.’’
Nothing will be more different than the International Crown. The PGA has its two-team events, the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, and they’re very popular. Neither, though, has the scope of the International Crown, an ideal event given the LPGA’s more global schedule.
The eight countries qualifying to play in the inaugural Crown at Caves Valley have already been determined on a point system. They are South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Spain, Thailand, Sweden, Chinese Taipei and Australia. The four players who will compete for each of those teams haven’t been determined. The individual point race concludes with the April 1 announcement when the trophy is also unveiled.
This first International Crown doesn’t have a title sponsor. Hyne expects one to be in place for the second staging at Rich Harvest. If all goes according to plan the competition will remain in Sugar Grove, though an occasional staging in Asia hasn’t been ruled out for far down the road.
“We want to be U.S.-based,’’ said Hyne. “We’re marketing it in the U.S.’’
The lenziehmongolf.com website is proud to announce a sixth partnership agreement – and this one is much different than the other five.
Dave “Links’’ Lockhart (left), who has worked for over 20 years in the golf media business and created three award-winning golf TV shows, is bringing his LinksVideo.net to a golf promotional effort that includes Rory Spears’ Golfers on Golf, Tim Cronin’s Illinois Golfer, Cheryl Justak’s Golf Now! Chicago, Brian Weis’ GolfTrips and Bruce Stasch’s Hackers Central.
Spears and Cronin provide regular reports on developments in the sport. Golf Now! Chicago and Golf Trips focus on travel destinations and Hackers Central functions as a course rating service with features mixed in.
While Spears also hosts a golf radio program, Lockhart is the only partner operating on the broadcast side in television. He currently produces Chicago District Golfer TV for the Chicago District Golf Assn. on Comcast SportsNet. Also a well-versed writer, Lockhart has done video work around the world and also has served as on-camera talent.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL. – Florida’s Treasure Coast embraces three counties – Martin, Palm Beach and St. Lucie. Add the surrounding areas and the golf options in this east coast area are numerous, diverse and competitively priced.
That’s why so many tour players make this their offseason home. Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler and Nick Price are among 16 present or past tour players who are members at Medalist in Hobe Sound. Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Ernie Els and Camilo Villegas play at The Bears Club in Jupiter and Greg Norman, Russ Cochran and Scott Langley are at The Dye Preserve – another Jupiter club. Old Palm, in Palm Beach Gardens, includes Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Darren Clarke and Raymond Floyd. Even President Barack Obama has visited the area’s links; he made a weekend vacation trip to The Floridian in Palm City.
The tour players go to private clubs, but the public course options in this area are also quite good. And, you don’t have to go to resorts like PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens or PGA Village in Port St. Lucie to find good golf on the Treasure Coast. In fact, you can find courses that are arguably as good as those for half the price at a number of public courses. You could say golf on the Treasure Coast was for the birds — but that’s a good thing.
During a 10-week stay we played 18 courses, almost all located between Vero Beach on the north to Jupiter on the south. Fourteen in the general Treasure Coast area were public, the lone exception being the Santa Lucia River Club – a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design in Port St. Lucie where pro Doug Main (below) could enjoy a view of the St. Lucie River from the club’s 18th green.
Lost Lake, in Hobe Sound; Hammock Creek, in Palm City, and two Stuart layouts — Champions Club at Summerfield and The Florida Club – all measured up well with the layouts at the two PGA facilities, most of which we had visited a year ago. Hammock Creek had the highest greens fee – an in-season rate of $69, which was still far below and tab at either of the PGA resorts.
Most of the other Treasure Coast publics were priced in the $40-50 range. In short, mixing course quality with cost, this area was far superior to Sarasota-Bradenton, our winter destination in 2012, and Naples, the base for 2013.
This stay was topped off by the round at upscale Santa Lucia River Club, designed by Nicklaus in 1982 and redone in 2007. It wasn’t the only Nicklaus course in the area. Hammock Creek is also a Nicklaus project, the co-designers being Jack and Jack II back in 1993.
Many Nicklaus courses have been criticized for being too penal. These weren’t. The Golden Bear has lived in Lost Tree Village in nearby North Palm Beach since 1965. The River Club and Hammock both had generous fairways and were highly playable. The Nicklaus influence was most evident on the greens. Their surfaces were huge with plenty of undulations, providing challenges we didn’t find anywhere else.
Hammock’s greens were new – just seven months old – and needed more time to blossom. But, course operators were quick to point that out and the Hammock experience also included use of an excellent practice facility and free range balls.
Lost Lake and Champions Club at Summerfield are Tom Fazio designs. His courses are always good, with Stonebridge, Conway Farms and The Glen Club providing ample evidence for players coming south from the Chicago area. Lost Lake had a practice facility option similar to Lost Lake.
Champions Club has been honored by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine in their various rankings. The only problem we had with Champions – one of only four courses we played twice – came in our second visit. There weren’t enough carts available, resulting in our tee time being pushed back enough to make finishing the round difficult.
Finding a Fazio course here was easy. Jim Fazio and Tom Fazio II did the design work on Lost Lake and Fairwinds, in Ft. Pierce. Tommy Fazio was the designer of Eagle Marsh in Jensen Beach and Dom Fazio was the architect of record for Heritage Ridge of Hobe Sound. A big believer in checking the architect before playing a course, I’ll always look forward to visiting a Fazio layout.
In general, Treasure Coast golf offers a greater array of bird life than we experienced anywhere else in the U.S. and there were other welcome distractions. We’ve shared courses with deer lots of times and seen sheep, horses and cows either on courses or adjoining property. Here there was more than that.
At Pine Lakes, a Stuart course, there was a big family of unusual ducks in charge of the No. 8 tee. A bobcat crossed the 18th fairway at Lost Lake as we finished a round in the dusk. A diamondback snake, said to be at least six feet long, has been spotted around the courses in Port St. Lucie. We saw a picture but, fortunately, didn’t see that on-course visitor and we also missed alligators. They were regular features at courses on Florida’s west coast in previous years.
On Treasure Coast area courses the non-human companions were on the more memorable side. Brooks, Patty and Indy formed an unusual threesome at Fairwinds.
At Fairwinds, we were paired with a couple from Ohio. Brooks and Patty were nice people, but they came as a threesome. Indy, a Maltese puppy, came with Patty. We had doubts at first, but Indy was extremely well-behaved and created no problems. In fact, that little dog respected course etiquette more than some playing partners we’ve had over the years.
Indy wasn’t the only extra attraction at Fairwinds. Driving my cart beside the No. 4 green, I was greeted by four wild hogs.
“They’ve been an issue since the course opened,’’ said head professional Matt Baum. “Nobody’s been physically injured, but they destroyed parts of three-four fairways one winter.’’
Removing the hogs has been difficult. The St. Lucie International Airport adjoins the course, and the use of firearms nearby that facility is prohibited. Instead hunting dogs have occasionally been used to trap the hogs so that they can be tied up and hauled away. Still, they’re part of the golfing experience. These sandhill cranes don’t always like golfers.
Just as memorable as our hog-sighting was our encounter with red-headed sand cranes at Lost Lake. Two big ones settled near the 14th green and my approach landed in their midst. So did that of Jim, one of my playing partners from Pennsylvania. The cranes didn’t like that one bit but wouldn’t leave when we arrived to hit our chip shots. Those birds could have done us some damage, and we were reluctant to approach them. We eventually did, though, and that sent the birds into a series of belligerent dance moves that I’ll never forget. We were happy to get out of there.
Two of our rounds didn’t go the full 18 holes. Rain stopped us after eight holes at Fairwinds and after 13 holes at Pine Lakes. It was great being detached from the extraordinarily brutal winter that hampered the rest of the U.S., but we did find that when it rains in Florida it really rains. In just a matter of minutes both courses had much too much water on the greens to anticipate an imminent resumption of play. We gave up and splashed our way in.
As always, variety and economics were the cornerstones in determining our golf destinations. On the economy side, the lowest-priced course was Pine Lakes — at $28. We felt lucky to find it on a day in early February. We had called 10 other courses before finding one that could provide a tee time early enough to allow for the completion of 18 holes.
We didn’t expect a whole lot when we checked the scorecard. The course played just 4,766 yards from the tips with no par-5s and six par-3s. Still, it was golf on a day we were particularly anxious to play. We even considered walking – something rarely available at Florida courses in the heart of their season. Pull carts were provided free of charge, but we discarded the idea when we found only one of about 10 had two wheels that would turn. It may sound crazy, but golf needs more places like Pine Lakes – no frills, low rates, friendly atmosphere and a walking option. Not surprisingly, it was packed when we were there.
It was interesting to check out the golf promotional publications available for the area. They – as is usually the case – gave the best reviews to the courses that were the best advertisers. Understandable, I guess, but not in the best interests of the snowbird golfers.
So, here’s a more objective rating of the Treasure Coast public courses played in the winter of 2014:
1, Lost Lake, Hobe Sound — Excellent course and practice facility. Nice clubhouse. Friendly people. One of the very best places we’ve played over the last five years coming to Florida.
2, Hammock Creek, Palm City – Course and practice facilities were comparable, but Lost Lake was about $15 cheaper and Hammock’s new greens didn’t measure up to Lost Lake’s.
3, Champions Club at Summerfield, Stuart – Like Lost Lake, we played this one twice. A good course, and a good golfing buy.
4, Florida Club, Stuart – A fun layout marked by lots of waste bunkers, but conditioning didn’t match the top two.
5, Indian Hills, Ft. Pierce – A similarly fun layout, but a step below in conditioning and clubhouse options. (This one may admittedly be getting a higher ranking because our best scores were shot there).
6, Heritage Ridge, Hobe Sound – This one got the best reviews in the local publications, and its putting surfaces were among the best. It was also among the best for post-round relaxation but there was one big negative: the practice range was unusually far from the course.
7, Eagle Marsh, Jensen Beach – This Tommy Fazio design billed itself as “The Most Challenging Course on the Treasure Coast.’’ That’s debatable, but hot dogs came with your greens fees.
8, Fairwinds, Ft. Pierce – Wish we could have gotten in all 18 holes here. This one had the most interesting history of the ones we visited. In addition to the wild hogs and the nearby airport, Fairwinds had the distinction of being perhaps the first course in Florida built on a landfill. Baum also points out that back in the early 2000s Fairwinds ranked second to Pebble Beach in a readership survey that involved a variety of ranking categories. “We all scratched our heads over that,’’ said Baum (so did I) “but the course has experienced a lot of success. People seem to like it.’’
9, The Saints, Port St. Lucie – This one was once part of St. Lucie Country Club (its partner course in those days was called The Sinners). The Saints is now city-owned and a hub for social activity. The Sinners was taken over by Club Med and is now called Sandpiper Bay.
10, St. James, Port St. Lucie – Located very close to PGA Village, this was a decent course at a very good price. Built in 2000, it was probably the newest of the courses we visited.
11, Pine Lakes, Stuart – You can’t beat the price. If only the pull carts were working. Hardly any courses in this area offered the option of walking. This one did.
12, Sandpiper Bay – User friendly and decently priced, but the conditioning was lacking. Club Med’s other offerings (tennis academy, in particularly) relegated golf to being just another option rather than the focal point.
13, Sandridge, Vero Beach – We played the Lakes layout at the 36-hole facility owned and operated by Indian River County. Fairly priced, it was one busy place throughout Florida’s tourist season.
14, Palm Cove, Palm City – You either love or hate this one. It’s billed as a Chi Chi Rodriguez course, and the super popular golfing legend is a part-time resident of the area. The conditioning is better than many of the higher-ranked courses but the holes were squeezed in between homes, making the course extremely tight. That put it in sharp contrast with every other course we played, and lost balls were inevitable.
Since Chicagoland Golf made its debut back in 1989, the first issue of each year has focused on the year ahead. Not so in 2014. A look back is essential this time before we delve into the exciting developments on the horizon.
In Chicago, at least, 2014 is a year for centennials. One-hundred years is a long time, and just surviving that long is a cause for celebration.
For instance, Wrigley Field — the long-time home of the Cubs –was built in 1914. Though I’m only a casual baseball fan, Sports Illustrated devoted an issue solely on the ball park’s history, and I found it captivating.
No less significant, though, are two other centennial celebrations – and these are both for us golfers.
The Chicago District Golf Assn. was founded in 1914. It’s grown to over 300 clubs, some of which are even beyond the city’s borders. The organization will conduct 60 events this year, including 13 state or association championships.
Wilson Sporting Goods, based in Chicago and its suburbs ever since Thomas E. Wilson founded the company, also arrived on the sports landscape in 1914. It’s become an iconic brand – not just for golfers but for participants in other sports as well. Tim Clarke, head of Wilson’s golf division, shows how the 100-year old company promoted products in its early years.
Both the CDGA and Wilson haven’t just survived; they’ve thrived. Both will be announcing more detailed schedules for their celebratory events as the year goes on, but some are already evident.
The CDGA’s tournament schedule, for instance, revealed a new opening event on April 14. Its Centennial Team Championship will be held at Midlothian Country Club. It’ll be a two-player team event with a unique format – six holes of best ball, six holes of total team score and six holes of alternate shot.
Teams from all CDGA clubs are eligible for the season opener, but the season-ending Centennial Founders Club Championship will be by invitation only. It’ll be played at Hinsdale Golf Club, which was the home of Francis S. Peabody, the CDGA’s first president and the person most credited with bringing representatives of 25 private clubs together for the purpose of forming the organization.
The season-ender will be limited to teams from those 25 original CDGA clubs and the competitive format hasn’t been determined. The event will not only conclude a big year for the CDGA, it’ll also climax a monumental year for Hinsdale. The club will also host the historic CDGA Amateur, the only event contested every year since the organization’s founding. Hinsdale last hosted that big tournament in 1997. This year’s version will be held June 23-26.
While the CDGA gave an inkling of its plans first, Wilson’s centennial celebration was more immediately visible. The company started it at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in late January when its tour players showed up with retro-looking equipment. Padraig Harrington, Kevin Streelman, Ricky Barnes and newly-signed Marcel Siem headline Wilson’s stable of touring pros and they’ll remind everyone of their company’s rich history for the next few months.
The retro look, which covers bags, umbrellas and headcovers, will be evident at all the PGA, European and Asian tour events through July’s British Open.
“Then we’ll move toward the look and feel we’ll have for 2015 and beyond,’’ said Tim Clarke, general manager of Wilson’s golf division. The company brought representatives from its offices around the world to Chicago to this year’s Chicago Golf Show for an internal centennial celebration.
Wilson is also prominent in other sports, but has one golf niche that has long stirred company pride. More major titles (61) have been won by players using Wilson Staff irons than any other brand. The company also had legendary Gene Sarazen on its staff for 75 years – the longest-running contract in sports history. Sarazen created the original sand wedge during his long affiliation with the company.
Not many organizations or equipment manufacturers in any sports have lasted 100 years. The CDGA and Wilson are both going strong, a testament to the tremendous respect both merit in the golf industry.
Both the CDGA and Wilson will be around for many years to come, but another reflection of where golf is going comes from a new – much more high-tech – Chicago company, NewSpin Golf. It produces the SwingSmart, a mobile swing analyzer that is as high-tech as it gets in a golf world that is continuously evolving.
Angelo Papadourakis created the SwingSmart, set up offices in North Barrington, hooked up with famed instructor Peter Kostis and saw his product win a Techy Award from Golf Magazine in the training aid category. You can swing your club with a sensor attached and get immediate feedback on your tempo, attack angle, swing speed and face angle plus a 3-D view of your swing on your iPad/Phone or Android device.
“You don’t have to hit a golf ball to get better,’’ insists Papadourakis, who says SwingSmart develops better feel and shape of the swing. The idea for the product started in 2006, and NewSpin got a patent last Nov. 19. It’s now for sale (suggested price is about $250) throughout Europe, in addition to the United States and an upgrade is coming in March. SwingSmart has brought its high-tech imaging to the golf course.
“We decided to add fun, and make it a game of skill,’’ said Papadourakis. “We’re only limited by our own creativity.’’
So, just think about how far golf has come in Chicago since those days 100 years ago, when a few private clubs were forming their first organization and Wilson was making its first golf clubs. Now it’s possible to learn to swing a golf club properly without having to even hit a ball.
Indeed the game is constantly changing, and growing. A month ago over 1,000 companies were represented at the 61st PGA Merchandise Show in Florida, 40,000 industry members prowled the corridors of a big convention center to see new products and the trade show drew three days of national television coverage for the first time.
I’d say this 100-year journey has been mind-boggling. Wouldn’t you?
We Illinois golf fanatics had best disregard the state line boundaries. Our neighbor to the north, Wisconsin, isn’t far away – no matter where you live in Illinois – and that’s where the action is these days. It’d be a shame not to enjoy it to the fullest.
For whatever reason, golf progress in Illinois hasn’t kept up with that in Wisconsin. For that matter, no state can match the golf developments in the Badger State over the last few years.
This year the most exciting project is in Stevens Point, where the SentryWorld course has undergone a Robert Trent Jones Jr. renovation. It’ll be unveiled in late summer because ownership wants to show off the new course and its accompanying Sports Center, which also underwent a major upgrading, at the same time.
SentryWorld’s original course was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. It opened in 1982, and may have been the first golf destination resort in Wisconsin. The lure then was its Flower Hole, my all-time favorite anywhere and – arguably at least – the most famous golf hole in the Midwest. Adorned with 42,000 flowers, SentryWorld’s Flower Hole was certainly the most colorful anywhere.
Last summer, when I first got wind of the renovation, I was quick to ask Jones about the Flower Hole’s future. He was quick to assure me that it would remain part of the rotation. It remains as No. 16 – a par-3 known more for its beauty than its challenging aspects in the past – and the new scorecard still lists it at 176 yards from the back tee.
In the spring Pete McPartland, president and chief executive officer of Sentry Insurance, unveiled a new logo that brightened the colors of the iconic Flower Hole. That required checking in with Brian Dumler, the head golf professional, on what the hole will look like after the snow melts and the renovation is completed.
“The Flower Hole will be enhanced,’’ he said. “There’ll be more flowers, but I can’t tell how many yet., and the green will be re-shaped.’’
The waiting period for the re-opening will be a long one. The course was closed in April, 2012, and remained closed throughout 2013. Arizona architect John Sather created a dramatic new look for the Sports Center, part of which includes the pro shop for the golf course, while Jones was making his changes.
Dumler revealed that the course has been re-routed with parts of the property not used in the original layout being brought into play. While the famous Flower Hole won’t be altered much, two of the other par-3s – Nos. 3 and 12 – will be. The original course measured 6,950 yards. The new card lists it at 7,237 with a par of 72, rating of 75.1 and slope of 139.
“It was always known as a tough course,’’ said Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s director of corporate communications, “and we want to preserve that challenge. But for the more casual player we wanted a course that was more playable and we’ve done that.’’
Dumler, in his 16th season at SentryWorld, has a unique connection to the famed architect. He began his golf career at Hilldale, in Hoffman Estates, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. – the father of the SentryWorld designer. Jones Jr. still considers the original SentryWorld layout “ my Mona Lisa.’’
As intriguing as SentryWorld’s renovation is, bigger developments are on the way in Wisconsin. None are bigger than Sand Valley, the latest project of Chicago’s Mike Keiser. Keiser turned Bandon Dunes into the most popular new golf destination in the country with its array of courses, the number of which is still growing.
The only trouble with Bandon Dunes is that it’s far away – in Oregon. Sand Valley won’t require nearly as much travel. It’s 250 miles from Chicago’s borders. The nearest town to Sand Valley is Rome, but — more specifically, the project is 18 miles from the biggest community, Wisconsin Rapids, and 54 miles from Wisconsin Dells. Focal point of the property is Lake Petenwell.
While it’s exciting to think about, Sand Valley’s opening is down the road a bit. Keiser purchased 1,400 acres on Dec. 17 and hired the architectural team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore in January. They’ll begin work on the first course as soon as possible, but it won’t open until 2016.
As was the case at Bandon Dunes, more courses will be added if the first one is successful – and there’s no doubt that it will be. Eventually Sand Valley is projected to have at least four courses.
Want more proof of Wisconsin’s explosion on the world golf scene? Let me remind you that the 2017 U.S. Open will be at Erin Hills, on the outskirts of Milwaukee, and Whistling Straits, in Kohler, will host the PGA Championship (for the third time, no less) in 2015 and the Ryder Cup in 2020.
And these courses aren’t all that old. Erin Hills landed a U.S. Golf Assn. championship before it was even opened to the public. It hosted the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur and also was the venue for the 2011 U.S. Amateur. In 2017 it’ll become the first Wisconsin course to host a U.S. Open.
Over in Kohler, a two-hour drive from the Illinois line, the story isn’t much different. Herb Kohler entered the golf world with the creation of Blackwolf Run in 1988. Kohler liked that Pete Dye design so much he added 18 more holes, creating the River and Meadow Valleys 18-holers. Then Kohler had Dye create Whistling Straits and the Irish Course in Haven, about 15 miles away. Whistling Straits opened in 1998 and Irish in 2000.
All gained world recognition almost instantly. Blackwolf Run opened in 1998, hosted the men’s Andersen Consulting World Championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the U.S. Women’s Open in 1998 and 2012. Whistling Straits has already been the site of PGA Championships in 2004 and 2010 and the U.S. Senior Open in 2007.
There’s a downside to having all these high-profile courses in the same state. It takes attention away from some other very good locations that have withstood the tests of time.
Grand Geneva Resort, in Lake Geneva, has two quality 18-holers. The Brute, with its 68 bunkers and huge, rolling greens, has long been considered one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest. The accompanying Highlands course has just as interesting a history. It started as a project in which Jack Nicklaus and Dye were to work together. Bob Cupp transformed the original course in 1996 and it was updated 10 years later by Bob Lohman.
Geneva National, in Delavan, has three 18 holers with designers who are even more famous – Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino.
There’s some other very fine layouts around the state – Trappers Turn and Wild Rock in the Wisconsin Dells, The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, The Bog in Saukville, Lawsonia in Green Lake, University Ridge in Madison, Castle Course at Northern Bay in Arkdale, Big Fish in Hayward.
The list goes on. Michigan has long been the Midwestern state with the biggest abundance of golf riches. Now may, just maybe, it’s Wisconsin.
The only pro golf tour event in Chicago in 2014 will also headline the 31st Chicago Golf Show.
The Encompass Championship, which made its Chicago debut on the Champions Tour in 2013, will be the presenting sponsor of the winter attraction that begins a three-day run at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Friday (FEB 21).
Jeff Sluman, the Champions Tour veteran from Hinsdale, will become the fourth former major champion to appear at the show, following John Daly (2008), Craig Stadler (2012) and Lanny Wadkins (2013). Sluman won the 1988 PGA Championship. Stadler was the champion in last year’s Encompass Championship at North Shore in Glenview. The Encompass Championship returns to North Shore from June 16-22.
Bears’ stars Robbie Gould and Patrick Mannelly and Northwestern men’s basketball coach Chris Collins will also make appearances on the Main Stage at the show, and 10 Illinois PGA representatives will offer instruction tips.
The over 400 exhibitor booths include representatives from 80 domestic and international travel destinations. Visitors can also receive half-price tickets to this year’s Encompass Championship and a pass to play one of the 11 Chicago courses managed by GolfVisions as part of their attendance at the show.
Show hours are noon-7 p.m. on Friday (FEB 21), 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday (FEB 22) and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday (FEB 23).
Luke update
Former world No. 1 and Northwestern great Luke Donald has changed management companies. He left International Management Group to join Lagardiere Unlimited.
Donald will now be represented by Steve Loy, who is also Phil Mickelson’s agent. Lagardere represents 45 PGA Tour players, easily the most of any agency according to Sports Business Daily.
Here and there
The Western Golf Assn. has decided to take its Western Amateur back to Point O’Woods, the tourney’s long-time Michigan home, in 2019. Point O’Woods hosted the premier amateur event 40 times between 1963 and 2008 and winners there included Tiger Woods, Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Tom Weiskopf.
Mistwood, in Romeoville, was a big winner after its massive remodeling effort. Golf magazine tabbed the course as its Renovation of the Year for 2013 and Golf Range magazine placed the new Mistwood Performance Center among the top 50 ranges in the U.S.
Jay Casaletto, the former head pro at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove, will serve as Chicago tour director for Golf Channel’s Amateur Tour this season.
Billy Casper Golf has taken over management of Rob Roy, the Prospect Heights nine-holer.
Metamora Fields, site of the fourth and last of the Illinois PGA’s four major tourneys, has a new head professional in Dion Hoegh. Erin Strieck, the head professional for 13 years at Eagle Ridge in Galena, has moved to Iowa’s Spirit Lake course.
Jeff Perdew, general manager of Chicago Highlands in Westchester, has been elected to a three-year term on the Illinois PGA board of directors. Trey Van Dyke, Oak Brook’s head pro, is now the Midwest representative on the PGA of America’s board of control
February is again show-time for Chicago golfers. The third annual Tinley Park Golf Expo begins a three-day run on Friday (FEB 7) at the Tinley Park Convention Center and the 31st Chicago Golf Show takes over the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on Feb. 21 for a similar three-day run.
In the meantime, though, there has been a lot going on within the Chicago golf scene even during these extraordinary winter months. Most notable is a management change at Cantigny, the well-regarded 27-hole facility in Wheaton
Northbrook-based KemperSports will take on management duties in mid-February, leading in to Cantigny 25th anniversary season. Cantigny becomes the 16th Chicago golf facility under the management of KemperSports.
The takeover triggers the start of a bus year for Cantigny. The facility will host the Illinois State Amateur for the fourth time and also welcome the Chicago Open for the second straight year.
Changes in the pro shop
Dick Wagley, named the Illinois PGA Professional of the Year in 2013, has announced his retirement at Indian Hill in Winnetka and Jay Casaletto, the head professional at Royal Melbourne in Long Grove, decided to leave the golf business.
Their departures at two of the area’s most prominent private clubs led to replacements being named at both places. Wes Warren replaces Wagley and Brad McMillan takes over at Royal Melbourne. Neither are newcomers to Chicago golf.
Warren spent the last nine seasons as head professional at North Shore Country Club in Mequon, Wis., but he was an assistant at Onwentsia in Lake Forest form 1999-2003 and Indian Hill (2004) before moving to Wisconsin.
McMillan was named director of golf at Royal Melbourne. He had been general manager at Turnberry, in Lakewood, from 2010-13.
Riverside, Evanston selected
The Western Golf Assn. has picked host clubs for two of its upcoming Junior championships. The Western Junior will be held at Riverside, in North Riverside, in 2015 and Evanston Golf Club, in Skokie, in 2018.
Flossmoor will host this year, from June 16-20, and Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, will be the site in 2017. The WGA hasn’t named a site for the 2016 Western Junior yet.
Riverside and Evanston will host the prestigious tourney for the first time. Both were among the 11 charter members of the WGA when it was established in 1899. Only seven of the charter clubs still exist.
Remember Packard
Larry Packard, a long-time Chicago course designer and former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has died in Tarpon Springs, FL. He was 101.
Packard’s Chicago creations include Palatine Hills, Lake Barrington Shores, Elgin Country Club and Silve Lake in Orland Park. His work nation-wide was highlighted by the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort in Florida, where he resided in recent years.
Copperhead has been a PGA Tour site, as home of the the event known in various years as the Tampa Bay Championship, Transitions Championship and – this year – the Valspar Championship. Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman won his first PGA title at the tourney last year.
Packard’s son Roger is also a course architect. His most prominent design is Cantigny, in Wheaton.
