lenz – Page 12 – Len Ziehm On Golf

Florida’s Bonita Bay has completed an extraordinary course renovation

Bonita Bay Club, with five courses spread over two campuses, is a Florida golf landmark.

NAPLES, Florida – Most every golf course in south Florida was impacted when Hurricane Ian hit the area on Sept. 28. That included Bonita Bay Club, long recognized as one of southeastern United States’ premier facilities.

Bonita Bay, Florida’s largest private club, has five golf courses spread over two campuses that are 10 miles apart. The crowned jewel of those layouts, the Cypress Course, re-opened after a 14-month renovation on Oct. 14 but it took a while for the word to get out on just how elaborate the project was. Hurricane Ian had a lot to do with that, though relatively minor damage was reported at Cypress.

Two of the club’s courses – Cypress and Sabal – are at the Naples location and the other three – Creekside, Marsh and Bay Island – are in Bonita Springs, which was harder hit by the hurricane. The trio there are Arthur Hills designs created between 1985 and 1994.

Bulkhead walls were used for the first time in a Fazio design at Cypress.

The Tom Fazio Design Group created Cypress and Sabal in the late 1990s, Cypress opening in 1997. The Naples site is about 1,000 acres, and about 500 are donated to conservation projects. There are no homes around the property, a rarity for Naples area courses.

Not only does Bonita Bay have five golf courses, it has most everything else that might entice a prospective club member – as evidenced by the fact that the club has a long waiting list. When it was deemed time to upgrade its facilities the membership was all in, but it wasn’t a quick fix at Cypress.

“It took about a year to do the renovation but we needed three years of planning,’’ said Paul Fissel, Bonita Bay’s greens committee chairman. “Both of our courses there needed refurbishing to bring them up to a more modern era. Tom and his team delivered exactly what he said he would — a golf course that plays firm and fast in conditions now that normally are soft and wet.’’

The look of the bunkers at Cyypress has changed. Now they have `Augusta-like’ white sand.

There was no question about who would oversee the renovation project. Tom Fazio’s architectural firm was brought back with Tom Marzolf, a senior associate of the Fazio team and a member of it since 1983, directing the effort. Marzolf was well qualified, having done work on such nationally known courses as Oakmont, Merion, Winged Foot, Firestone, Oak Hill and Riviera.

At Cypress the entire course was raised by 12-18 inches to improve drainage. Six new lakes were created and four more expanded, resulting in 200,000 cubic yards of earth being spread over the property.

The fairways were widened, and 450 new catch basins added. Perforated pipe was laid underground to steer water away from playable areas and the tee placements were increased from five to seven per hole. One tee was added in front of the previous front set and another was added behind what had been the tips.

“We wanted the course to play shorter (to accommodate older players), plus the (Florida) section pros play a lot of their events there so we picked up yardage for the back tees,’’ said Marzolf.

Architect Tom Marzolf (left) and greens chairman Paul Fissel led Cypress’ renovation project.

Tee markers are now at 500-yard intervals – from 4,500 yards to 7,500. Cypress is the first Fazio-designed course to have a 3,000-yard spread between the front and back tees.

“From a club professional’s perspective we have a course that is championship-ready” said E.J. McDonnell, Bonita Bay’s director of golf.

“Our members enjoy the variety of playing options afforded by having five courses,’’ said Paul Nussbaum, chairman of Bonita Bay’s board of directors. “Cypress remains our most competitive but – with seven sets of tees –our golfers will find the right challenge for their games.’’

The number of bunkers was reduced from 70 to 50. “But now more are in play,’’ said Marzolf. The new bunkers also have a “cleaned up, Augusta look.’’

Greens and collared areas were also re-designed, resulting in more fun options to get the ball to the flagstick. Putting from off the green may now be more popular than chipping.

Work at Cypress created an exciting new layout at great expense to the membership. However, Bonita Bay’s other courses are already slated for major renovations, according to the club’s Golf Master Plan. Creekside will get special attention in 2023 and Sabal in 2024.

Among many projects discussed and pending approval are performance centers for both Marsh and Creekside and a renewed clubhouse at Naples.

Being on the edge of the Everglades, the Cypress course has plenty of wildlife.

ING’s Fall Forum provides a sneak preview of the PGA Show

Rick Versace’s Proud 90 is now the official apparel of the International Network of Golf.

SEBRING, FL. -The International Network of Golf is a fixture at the PGA Merchandise Show and the Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship. ING also hosted an annual Spring Conference around the country prior to pandemic concerns.

Still on the brink of celebrating his group’s 30^th anniversary, ING executive director Mike Jamison moved in another direction. He organized his first Fall Forum, an event that was smaller in number of attendees than other events when ING members got together but its format may well be the wave of the future.

Attendees got a more close-up look at new golf gear in advance of January’s PGA Show as well as an informative social marketing seminar led by Sabrina Andolpho, a former college golfer turned social media whiz.

And all that was in addition to two golf outings – the first at the Citrus Golf Tour Open’s pro-am and the second at the return of the Durland Cup scramble. The Citrus Tour is a minor league circuit that offered a $20,000 first prize at its tournament immediately after the pro-am at Sun ‘N Lakes Country Club. The Durland Cup has been a fixture at ING events over the years.

This time, though, the four — more personalized — new gear presentations may have been the event’s biggest hit. Here’s what they revealed:

Zero Friction’s John Iacono gives a video preview of the trolley he’ll introduce at the 2023 PGA Show.

ZERO FRICTION’S WHEEL PRO – Illinois-based Zero Friction has come on like gangbusters, with president John Iacono coming out previously with new tees, gloves, rangefinders and balls. Now comes the much more cutting edge bags and trolleys.

Iacono introduced his first version at last January’s PGA Show but the launch of the Wheel Pro, a pushcart bag, didn’t go smoothly. It has removable wheels, weighs only 10 pounds and is great for traveling.

“We had a delay in getting them out,’’ Iacono said. “They were supposed to arrive in April but didn’t until late August. Supply issues.’’

That’s been an all too frequent problem in many industries in the aftermath of the pandemic, but Iacono is more optimistic about his newest products – The Hybrid and The Fairway. He expects the Hybrid – a power version of the Wheel Pro — to hit the marketplace in mid- to late-2023 and he’ll provide a sneak preview of The Fairway on the Thursday of the 2023 PGA Show in Orlando, FL.

The Fairway is an electric, follow me remote control golf bag that is being developed in England. Golfers can set the speed, and it’ll include a 36-hole rechargeable battery. A ramp is under construction that will be used during the PGA Show introduction.

Weighing 32 pounds, The Fairway is not designed for carrying and Iacono anticipates a market price of $1,899.

Proud 90 has created the official ING apparel for men and women.

PROUD 90 – Want something different in golf apparel? Rick Versace has it, though he isn’t sure his famous clothing designer last name is part of the equation. Versace founded Proud 90 three years ago and is now its chief executive officer.

“Our mission is to make golf as much fun as possible for all skill levels,’’ said Versace, who said the company name comes from that fact that “most golfers don’t break 90.’’

He got the idea after watching PGA star Rickie Fowler (on television) playing with no shoes on one of the nicest courses in the country.

“We wanted to create a vacation vibe, no matter where you’re at,’’ said Versace. His polos started with Hawaiian prints and progressed from there to include a variety of eye-catching designs. They’re also known for being especially comfortable. The company’s logo – a dog standing on a green gazing up at a flagstick – underscores that. That dog is Versace’s Great Dane, named Tank.

Versace now has 12 sales reps and his polos are in 250 clubs around the country. They’re priced at $79 retail and $39 wholesale. They have ING’s support. Jamison declared the Proud 90 “the official ING apparel company for at least six months….We’ll see how that goes, but we love it so far.’’

The adjustable weighting system makes Mayfield Putters something special.

MAKEFIELD PUTTERS – Pennsylvania-based Everett Farr was browsing through a lot of golf ads during pandemic days, and that encouraged him to take his engineering talents into the creation of a state-of-the-art putter. Its adjustable weighting system makes it stand out and provides its users with a wide variety of customization options.

The Makefield putters are designed with Path of Inertia, which guides your stroke, balances the clubface to the path to the hole and provides centeredness of impact. That encourages an immediate, consistent roll that should lead to lower scores. Five tour players and some Walker Cup players are testing it.

“One of my companies made a prototype,’’ said Farr, who got immediate positive feedback. Three months later the putter was in construction.

Michael Little, a two-time Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year, is a co-founder of Makefield and Michael Brown, who held the amateur titles of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware at the same time, is part of the Makefield team.

Farr came up with the Makefield name on a drive through Lower Makefield, a Pennsylvania town on the Delaware River.

“Make’’ is what a putter is designed to do, and `field’ is who you play against in a tournament,’’ said Farr, who still occasionally plays with a Ping putter that his father – a PGA Tour official – gave him in 1968. The Makefield version has captured his heart, however.

“This is all new to me, but it’s an absolutely amazing putter,’’ said Farr.

Buckets Golf went heavy with Buckey the raccoon as its marketing focal point.

BUCKET GOLF – You’ve got to have fun with this company’s golf balls. Mac Ross certainly has.

“We sell golf balls,’’ said Mac Ross, who launched his company last May. “Buckets is associated with basketball, but it works with golf, too.’’

Mac’s wife is a teaching pro who grew up on a golf course, and he recalls selling balls gathered off a course near his home when he was 10 years old. Both have full-time jobs now but are having fun with their new business venture.

They’ve named the apparel company logo “Buckey’’ and are looking to give their raccoon mascot a marketing personality. The ball packaging is the best part, though. Its round shape —like a coffee can — makes it multi-purpose. It could be converted into putting cup, along with a variety of storage uses. No other golf ball manufacturer showcases its product the way Bucky does.

Apparel and golf accessories will come later, but for now Bucket balls are working out just fine. Ross got off to a promising start at the ING Fall Forum. Though not professing to be a great golfer, he won the long drive contest at one of the Fall Forum outings.

“He hit it at least 350,’’ marveled Jamison. Ross, of course, hit a Bucket ball on his long blast and another player made a hole-in-one with the ball at another of the outings.

Bucket balls so far have been made in China, and Ross is looking for manufacturers in South America and Taiwan. Ross has applied for USGA ball approval and expects no problem getting it. The balls are being sold off the company’s website (BucketsGolfBalls.com) for $28.99, not including shipping.

Sabrina Andolpho, who played collegiately at Barry in Florida, has become one of golf’s best social media influencers. Her presentation was a highlight of ING’s first Fall Forum at Inn on the Lakes in Sebring, FL.

A special day for Joy

Citrus Tour pro Chris Wiatr (left) showed Joe Sarver how to make a hole-in-one.

SEBRING, FL. — The International Network of Golf’s first Fall Forum in 2022 couldn’t have been scripted better for Joy and me.

In Tuesday’s pro-am for the Citrus Golf Tour Open we played on different teams. Joy witnessed a hole in one by her professional partner, Chris Wiatr, and my team’s pro, Donnie Trosper, tied Chris for low pro honors by holing out his last shot from the rough. Donnie, good friend Tony Leodora and I won the team title.

That produced some understandable excitement but nothing like Joy created on Wednesday in the Durland Cup Scramble at Sebring Golf Club. Joy wasn’t happy with her play on Tuesday but that was quickly forgotten in the Durland Cup, an annual feature at ING events. Joy started her round playing well and made her first-ever hole-in one on the fifth hole, sinking a 7-wood shot from 101 yards.

Joy and I were in the same group this time, with noted golf architect Ron Garl, eSouthernGolf editor Dave Daubert and Joey Johnson of Alabama’s Southern Fairways as our partners. Joy used the new Buckets golf ball, which was introduced at the Fall Forum by Mac Ross of Palm City, FL.

Korda, Thompson take their rivalry to LPGA’s biggest money event

Nelly Korda (in white visor and red sweater) had plenty of crowd support when she pulled off a critical chip to the 18th green en route to repeating as the Pelican champion on Sunday.

BELLEAIR, FLORIDA – This is the ultimate crunch time for women’s golf. The CME Group Tour Championship, which offers the biggest prize fund in women’s golf history — $7 million with $2 million going to the champion. That tournament tees off on Thursday at Tiburon in Naples, FL.

The last full-field event on the LPGA Tour, the Pelican Championship, concluded less than a three-hour drive from Tiburon on Sunday to set the stage for this week’s big one. This year’s CME event provides a stage eerily reminiscent of last season when South Korea’s Jin Young Ko emerged the champion for the second straight year.

She didn’t play in the Pelican — won by Nelly Korda in another duel of American stars with Lexi Thompson — and may not play in the season finale, either. As was the case last year, Jin Young Ko has been bothered by a wrist injury and hasn’t competed since September. But this year the stakes are even higher for the season finale. Women’s golf is clearly on the upswing.

Dan Doyle (left), owner of the Pelican Golf Club, honors Nelly Korda for defending her title.

Last year’s CME purse was $5 million with $1.5 million to the winner. The Pelican is offering more, too. Korda took home $300,000 from a purse of $2 million in her second victory, and next year the tournament will be rebranded as The Annika – a tribute to the legendary Annika Sorenstam who will become the tourney’s hostess. There’ll be $3.5 million in prize money with $2 million going to the winner in 2023.

Anyway, those upgrades paled with the comparisons to last year on this day. Again, it was a Korda-Thompson battle to the end. The day started with Thompson in a three-way tie for second, one stroke behind leader Allisen Corpuz, and Korda another stroke back.

Korda’s playing partner, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, was the only other player to contend. She birdied the first four holes to take a two-stroke lead, then dropped back with two late front-nine bogeys and didn’t threaten again.

In the end Korda shot 64, finished her 54 holes at 14-under-par 196. Thompson was one stroke back after posting a 66.

A year ago Thompson and Korda were tied for the lead with two holes remaining in the Pelican. Korda made triple bogey on No. 17 but in the end It didn’t matter. Thompson made bogey at 17 and another one at the 18 to set up a four-player playoff to determine the winner. Korda won it, nabbing her fourth title of a great season and savoring the No. 1 world ranking going into the CME shootout.

This time Thompson took the lead midway through the final round, then lost it with bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13. Korda took command with birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 but made bogey at 18. Thompson couldn’t take advantage, and that made Korda a repeat champion who will regain the No. 1 world ranking officially on Monday – a great accomplishment since she suffered a blood clot in her left arm and missed some tournaments after undergoing surgery in March.

“Back-to-back sounds sweet,’’ said Korda. “Life’s been a roller coaster, and there’s been more downs than ups this year. That’s what makes this win so much sweeter to me.’’

Korda was No. 1 from Nov. 8, 2021, to Jan. 30, 22. Her health problems made her regaining the lofty status all the more remarkable.

“I’ve never been a player who looked at the rankings too much,’’ said Korda, “but going through what I’ve been through this year and regaining the world No. 1 rank is really special.’’

Lexi Thompson needed to hole her chip shot at No. 18 to force another playoff with Nelly Korda. She couldn’t do it, but came away smiling anyway.

While Korda celebrated Sunday was another downer for Thompson. She was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open when she was 12. She turned pro at 15 and won her first major title at 19. Now she’s 27 and hasn’t won since the ShopRite Classic of 2019.

The tales of the top American stars will be only minor sidelights once the top 60 players in the CME rankings gather at Tiburon, the only course to host events on three tours. PGA Tour Champions has its Chubbs Classic there and the PGA’s QBE Shootout, formerly the Shark Shootout, is also played there. Thompson and Korda are scheduled to compete against the men in the QBE event.

Jin Young Ko was last year’s star, and this year it could be the Atthaya Thistik, a 19-year old from Thailand. She won her first professional tournament at 14 and was this year’s LPGA Rookie of the Year. Like Jin Young Ko, she didn’t play in the Pelican.

Fassi’s 62 perks up a late start in the LPGA’s Pelican tourney

Maria Fassi falls back on her heels after a birdie putt lips out on the final hole Friday, depriving her of a Pelican tournament record 61.

BELLEAIR, Florida – As the last full-field event of the season, the Pelican Championship is important for LPGA players. The top 60 on the season point list qualify for next week’s $7 million CME Group Championship in Naples, where $2 million – the largest first prize in the history of women’s golf – will be on the line. Plus, the top 100 on the point list after Sunday’s final round here earn their playing privileges for the 2023 season.

The final staging of the 120-player event under the name of The Pelican hasn’t been ideal. Originally scheduled for 72 holes, the first round was cancelled due to a visit from Hurricane Nicole on Thursday and the event was reduced to 54 holes.

Nicole, the second hurricane ravaging most of Florida in the last six weeks, left the course soggy for Friday’s rescheduled Round 1 and created a shortage of space for parking. The main lot was too muddy in some spots on a day when organizers had planned a Veterans Day celebration amidst the golf.

None of that bothered Mexico’s Maria Fassi, however. She wasn’t qualified for the CME event heading into the Pelican but took the first-round lead with an 8-under-par 62. That was good for a two-stroke lead on American Lexi Thompson, Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Republic of Korea’s Hy Joo Kim, and Germany’s Isa Gabsa entering Saturday’s Round 2.

“Every one of us wants to be at the CME,’’ said Fassi, “and this had been a tough season for me at the beginning. I got back on my feet towards the middle and now – especially after today’s round – I have a chance. I’ve just got to keep doing what I did today. If I keep taking care of myself and hitting good golf shots that will take care of itself.’’

The day off caused by the hurricane worked in Fassi’s favor after she played tournaments in Japan and Korea the last two weeks.

“I loved it,’’ said Fassi. Poor putting held her back the last two weeks, but not on Friday. She shot 30 on the back nine, making an eagle at No. 14 and lipping out a birdie put on No. 18 that would have given her the tournament course record. Ireland’s Leona Maguire shot 62 in the first round last year.

“I knew a round like this could happen any time in the year,’’ said Fassi. But she was especially glad it happened Friday when she badly needed it.

Nelly Korda, who won last year’s Pelican tourney in a four-player playoff, shot a 66 Friday but is still four shots behind leader Maria Fassi after Round 1.

Despite the inopportune time for the hurricane’s visit, the Pelican has been elevating its profile lately.

In September the LPGA and tournament staff announced that the Tampa Bay area’s LPGA event would be rebranded as “The Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican,’’ in honor of legendary Annika Sorenstam assuming the duties of tournament host. Sorenstam’s Foundation will benefit from the event, to be played Nov. 6-12, 2023.

Along with that development came the announcement that the prize fund would be increased from this year’s $2 million to $3.25 million in 2023. That’ll make the tournament the LPGA’s best-paying event outside of the major championships and the CME Group climax to the season.

Gainbridge had sponsored LPGA tournaments in Indianapolis from 2017-19 and Boca Raton and Orlando, in Florida, the last three years. The company wanted to stay involved with the premier women’s golf circuit.

More recently The Pelican was named the site of “The Match,’’ an exhibition entering its seventh season on Dec. 10. The format has changed over the years, and next month’s version at the Pelican will be played over 12 holes under the lights with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy taking on Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Lydia Ko (left) was all smiles before shooting a 68 and Lexi Thompson spent time with her dog after posting a 66. Ko and Thompson were losers to Nelly Korda in a playoff at last year’s Pelican.

Flavin, India will be busy when Korn Ferry Tour returns

Patrick Flavin’s attempt at earning his PGA Tour card through a year’s worth of Monday qualifiers made for a captivating story throughout the 2022 season.

The Highwood resident, who won the Illinois State Amateur and Illinois Open in 2017, came up a bit short in the final day of his long season of traveling in September, but the year ended with a nice consolation prize last week when Flavin finished in the Top 40 of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Qualifying Tournament for the 2023 season in Savannah, Ga.

Both Flavin and Deerfield’s Vince India tied for 24^th in the last of the four-tournament series. That meant both are assured eight early season starts when the PGA’s alternative circuit begins play in January.

India has played on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2015. That’s been his main tour home since he was the Big Ten Player of the Year for Iowa in 2011. Lake Forest’s Brad Hopfinger, India’s teammate at Iowa, will also be back for another Korn Ferry season, but he isn’t assured the starts that Flavin and India earned in the Qualifying Tournament.

Neither are Illinois alums Michael Feagles and Brian Campbell, but they also secured another year of Korn Ferry membership.

HARDY START: Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, who had to go to the Korn Ferry Finals to retain his PGA Tour membership, responded with the pressure on in that three-tourney series in August and September and he hasn’t cooled off since.

Hardy made the cut in the first five PGA Tour events after retaining his card, finishing a career-best tie for fifth in the Sanderson Championship. The PGA Tour season has two events remaining, and Hardy isn’t in the field for this week’s Houston Open.

TAMPA-BASED: Elizabeth Szokol, the only Chicago-connected player on the LPGA Tour, has taken residence in Florida. Her place in Tampa is a 40-minute drive from the Pelican course, site of this week’s last event on the circuit’s regular season.

Szokol, in her third LPGA season, grew up in Winnetka and played two seasons at Northwestern. Her swing coach, Justin Sheehan, is the head professional at Pelican but Szokol calls nearby Avila her home club.

“I’m from Chicago so needed a warmer place,’’ said Szokol.

She had a great second season on the circuit in 2021, making it into her tour’s top 60 to qualify for the season-ending CME Group Championship, in Naples. Its $2 million first prize is the largest winner’s check in the history of women’s golf.

Szokol played in only 12 events this year, though, and stands No. 105 in the CME standings going into next week’s season climax.

Big things are coming down the road for The Pelican. “The Match’’ – this time featuring Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy vs. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth – is a 12-hole under-the-light event coming in Dec. 10 and next year’s LPGA event there will be rebranded as The Annika in honor new host Annika Sorenstam.

HERE AND THERE: Coach Mike Small’s next recruiting class at Illinois includes Max Herendeen, of Bellevue, Wash., who won the Junior PGA Championship at Cog Hill in August, and Ethan Wilson, who helped Team Canada capture the Junior World Cup in Japan.

Chuck Kletcke will become the first Golf Pro Emeritus in the 112-year history of Edgewood Valley Country Club in Burr Ridge when he ends his 25 seasons as head professional at the end of the year.

The Downers Grove Park District’s nine-hole course, site of the original Chicago Golf Club in 1893, will be rebranded next year as the Belmont Golf Club. That was its name after Chicago Golf moved to its present 18-hole location in Wheaton in the 1890s.

Prolific Aurora architect Greg Martin is making plans to renovate 27-hole Village Links of Glen Ellyn.

The Winnetka Park District’s 18-holer won’t re-open in 2023 to accommodate the village’s stormwater management project.

Chicago Golf Club lands a U.S. Women’s Open

Chicago’s dryspell in hosting major golf championships is over.

The U.S. Golf Association announced Tuesday that Chicago Golf Club, in Wheaton, will be the site of the 2033 U.S. Women’s Open as well as the 2036 Walker Cup matches.

Once a hotbed for major tournament golf, the Chicago area last hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2000, at Merit Club in Libertyville, and the men’s version of that championship was last played in the Chicago area at Olympia Fields in 2003.

The last USGA national championship of any sort in the area was also at Chicago Golf Club – the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open of 2018. That’s the most recent of 12 USGA championships played in the Chicago area.

“The history of the USGA and American golf can’t be told without Chicago Golf Club, and just over 125 years after hosting its first USGA championship, we’re thrilled to announce our return for two additional significant events,’’ said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer.

“With the tremendous support of its members and a world-class venue, we’re confident that Chicago Golf Club will deliver memorable moments and an opportunity for golf fans around the world to see one of the country’s finest golf venues.’’

Chicago Golf Club was founded in 1892 on ground that now houses the Downers Grove Park District course. The club was quick to move to Wheaton as the first 18-hole course in the United States and became one of the five founding members clubs of the USGA in 1894.

Charles Blair Macdonald, the first U.S. Amateur championship in 1895, designed the original Chicago Golf Club course and also served as the first vice president of the USGA.

Macdonald’s original layout was redesigned by Seth Raynor in 1923, and the course recently underwent a restoration to return the original fairway lines and dimensions of all 128 bunkers on the course. Thirteen of them were reinstalled after the club discovered maps that indicated they were part of Raynor’s original layout.

Chicago Golf Club has staged USGA championships in three centuries. U.S. Opens were played there in 1897, 1900 and 1911. Four U.S. Amateurs were played there between 1897 and 1912. The U.S. Women’s Amateur arrived in 1903, the U.S. Senior Amateur in 1979 and the Senior Women’s Open in 2018.

The Walker Cup, an amateur team event between the U.S. and Great Britain-Ireland, is also rich in history. It was previously played at Chicago Golf in 1928 and 2005.

Only six courses have hosted more USGA events than Chicago Golf Club’s 12 and Illinois ranks No. 5 among all states with its 61 championships.

“Hosting the best players in the world – men, women, amateur and professional – for USGA events is a point of pride for our club and a significant part of our long history,’’ said Herb Getz, the Chicago Golf Club president. “We very much look forward to building upon that history and continuing our valued partnership with the USGA on an event larger stage well into the future.’’

Chicago Golf Club has never hosted the U.S. Women’s Open, but that event was played at LaGrange Country Club in 1974 and the Merit Club, in Libertyville, in 2000. Sandra Haynie won at LaGrange and Australian Karrie Webb at Merit Club.

Laura Davies, the Women’s Open champion in 1987, was a stunning 16-under-par in a 10-stroke win over Juli Inkster when the USGA hosted its first championship for women over 50 years old at Chicago Golf Club in 2018.

“Hoisting a trophy there was a highlight of my career,’’ said Davies. “Chicago Golf Club is a great test of golf within a supportive golf community. It should make for a fantastic U.S. Women’s Open venue.’’

U.S. captain Bob Lewis called the 2005 matches at Chicago Golf Club “the greatest Walker Cup ever played.’’

The U.S. held off Great Britain-Ireland 12 ½-11 ½ to reclaim the Cup after three straight defeats.

Peterson will leave JDC post on a record high

Clair Peterson’s last Birdies for Charity announcement was a big one for the John Deere Classic.

The tournament director of Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event will be leaving his post on a record high.

Clair Peterson, who officially ends his 20-year stint leading the John Deere Classic, announced on Monday that this year’s Birdies for Charity program raised a record $13,908,668 for 481 participating charities in the Moline area. That total is $89,514 more than the previous record set in 2019

The Birdies for Charity program was established in 1971 and 98 percent of its $159.57 charity total was raised since John Deere assumed title sponsorship in 1998. Peterson is a 45-year John Deere employe.

“The annual charity announcement is the reason we exist – to help raise money for our local charities,’’ said Peterson. This year’s $13.9 million total works out to approximately $37 for each of the Quad Cities’ 375,000 residents, again making the tournament No. 1 in per capita contributions on the regular PGA Tour. The JDC has held that honor for more than a decade and Peterson’s role has been widely recognized.

“Clair is green and yellow (John Deere’s colors) though and through,’’ said Zach Johnson, the tournament’s 2012 champion and long-time board member as well as the current U.S. Ryder Cup captain. “His leadership and wisdom have taken the JDC to phenomenal levels.’’

J.T. Poston won this year’s tournament with a 21-under-par performance at TPC Deere Run, in Silvis, in July. He’s expected to defend his title from July 3-9, 2023.

BIANCALANA’S BIG FINISH: No one was better than veteran teaching professional Roy Biancalana during the climax to the Illinois PGA’s tournament season. Playing out of The Hawk Country Club in St. Charles, Biancalana won the IPGA’s Errie Ball Senior Player of the Year Award for the fourth time in five years.

Biancalana won two of the section’s four senior majors, repeating as the winner of the Match Play event. Though Kishwaukee’s David Paeglow took a wire-to-wire victory in the season-ending Senior Players Championship it was Biancalana who has the most to look forward to in 2023.

He’ll be the only IPGA player in the field for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship on May 25-28. That’ll be special, since it’ll be the first major championship to be contested at PGA Frisco – the new Texas home of the PGA of America. Biancalana earned his spot by finishing in the top 35 at the Senior PGA Professional Championship.

IWO’S RISING STAR: Jaravee Boonchant, playing without a practice round only hours after arriving from her native Thailand, won July’s Illinois Women’s Open at Mistwood, in Romeoville, by seven strokes in and she didn’t stop there.

Earlier this month Boonchant won the LPGA’s Epson Tour Championship, posting a record 23-under-par for 72 holes on the LPGA’s International Course in Florida.

HERE AND THERE: The University of Illinois men’s team held a No. 9 national ranking in the college polls after concluding its fall season with a third-place finish in the Isleworth Collegiate in Florida.

Chadd Slutzky, of Deer Park and Royal Fox Country Club in St. Charles, is the Chicago District Golf Association’s Player of the Year and Tim Sheppard, of East Peoria and Pekin Country Club, is the CDGA’s Senior Player of the Year. Sheppard became a three-time winner of that award.

Illinois’ representative in the PGA Junior League’s national championship again came out of Cog Hill, and this time the team made a strong run at the title in the 12- team finals in Scottsdale, Ariz. Led by Cog Hill teaching pro Kevin Weeks, the Illinois squad earned the No. 1 seed in match play before losing a tense semifinal match to Team California. Florida defeated the Illinoisans in the third-place match.

Winnetka native Brit Stenson has been elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and Lake in the Hills architect Mike Benkusky is a new member of the board of directors.

Carroll is the Illinois PGA’s Player of the Year

Brian Carroll, head professional at The Hawk Country Club in St. Charles, is the Illinois PGA Player of the Year.

Carroll, who led the Bernardi point standings most of the season, clinched the title with a tie for seventh in the IPGA Players Championship last week at Lake Shore Country Club in Glencoe. That was the final event of the IPGA tournament season.

“I’ve been close to winning this honor a number of times,’’ said Carroll. “There was one time where I was leading in the points race for most of the year going into the last event and got edged out. This has been a goal of mine for a long time, and I’ts nice to finally get it done.’’

Carroll won the IPGA Professional Championship — his first ever win in one of the section’s four major tourneys — and was runner-up in the IPGA Match Play Championship.

Kevin Flack, from Mauh-Nah-Tee-See, in Rockford, won The Players event with a 1-under-par 141 for the 36 holes at Lake Shore. He played in only three of the majors, having not gained Class A membership in the section until June. He had successfully defended his title in the IPGA Assistants Professional Championship earlier in the season.

LIV REVISITED: Jerry Rich, owner of Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, couldn’t be more pleased with the controversial LIV Tour’s tournament held on his course.

“The weather was beautiful, the turnout was outstanding and the competition was top-notch,’’ said Rich. “Since I’ve always wanted to host the best professional men’s golfers in the world, the LIV Golf Invitational Chicago was a dream come true.’’

The LIV circuit competes in Bangkok, Thailand, starting on Friday and has an Oct. 14-16 tournament in Saudi Arabia before concluding its first season at Trump Doral in Miami Oct. 28-30. Next year’s schedule, which is to include a Chicago stop, will be announced in Miam

DRIVE, CHIP & PUTT: Medinah hosted a regional for the Drive, Chip & Putt again and four local players earned spots in the national finals at Georgia’s Augusta National next April. Heading the qualifiers was Northbrook’s Martha Kuwahara, who repeated as the regional champion in the Girls 14-15 division. She had a 268-yard drive and three chips within two feet in winning the regional.

Other locals advancing to Augusta National were Emory Munoz, of Lockport, in the Boys 7-9 division; William Comiskey, of Hinsdale, in the Boys 10-11; and North Aurora’s Ben Patel, in the Boys 12-13.

.HERE AND THERE: Northbrook’s Nick Hardy, in the second tournament of his second PGA Tour season, tied for fifth in last week’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi and earned $280,943. Thomas Detry, another Illinois alum, tied for ninth and Wheaton’s Kevin Streelman tied for 24th. All three, plus Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim, will compete in the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas this week.

The University of Illinois men’s team won the Folds of Honor tournament in Michigan by 15 shots last week and has climbed to No. 5 in the Golf Coaches Association national rankings.

Tom Kearfott, of El Paso, and Tim Sheppard, of East Peoria, won the Chicago District Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Crystal Lake Country Club. It was their fifth title in the event’s seven-year history.

Naperville’s John Perna, founder of The Players Service in Downers Grove, has been named Illinois Junior Golf Association Person of the Year.

Cog Hill Ravines, of Lemont and guided by professional Kevin Weeks, is in the PGA Junior League national championship this week in Arizona.

Zero Friction, Oakbrook Terrace-based golf products manufacturer, has named Tom Cismoski its senior vice president of U.S. sales.

Gulf Shores has Alabama’s best public course — and much more

Gulf Shores Golf Club, the area’s oldest course, is marked by a variety of water hazards.

GULF SHORES, Alabama – First off, let’s make this perfectly clear. Gulf Shores-Orange Beach – a community sandwiched between Pensacola, FL., and Mobile, AL., and not far from the Mississippi state line – offers a lot more than golf.

But we will get to those other nice things later. Gulf Shores is a unique spot for golfers. Not only are its courses good, but they’re also not far from each other. The Gulf Coast and Orange Beach Vacation Guide lists 15 courses in the area with three of the best especially close together.

“We’ve got an island that is 32 miles long in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach,’’ said Easton Colvin, public relations coordinator for Gulf Shores-Orange Beach Tourism. “In it there’s 32 miles of pretty, white sand beaches and 20 miles of golf, if you add the yardages of the courses there together. All of our courses are public. You can schedule a tee time on your own at every one of them.’’ We also learned that full-service golf packages can be booked by a division of Troon, which owns three of the course, called Coastal Alabama Golf.

The three courses on the island part of Gulf Shores form a tasty trio.

Kiva Dunes has earned the most accolades. It’s a links-style layout 200 yards off the beaches. Jerry Pate, working with good friend and developer Jim Edgemon, designed it.

Pate was a hot commodity as a player before Kiva opened in 1995. He starred for the University of Alabama golf team, winning the U.S. Amateur in 1974. His pro career started with a bang, too. In 1976, his rookie season on the PGA Tour, he won both the U.S. and Canadian Opens. Six years later he won The Players Championship.

Those are pretty good titles to have on a playing resume, and Pate won five other times before shoulder and knee problems slowed his playing career down. With Kiva one of his first designs Pate converted to being a successful course designer, developer and businessman while settling in Pensacola.

The Jerry Pate-designed Kiva Dunes is clearly the most decorated of Gulf Shores’ 15 area golf courses.

In its early years Kiva hosted the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School three times and was named the No. 1 public course in Alabama in 2017. Located on the Fort Morgan peninsula the facility has condominiums and beach houses to rent, plus four swimming pools, two on-site restaurants and over a mile of waterfront.

Kiva has gained recognition far beyond its home state, and it’s our choice as Gulf Shores’ best – but not by all that much. Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club is pretty darn good, too.

This facility also opened in 1995, with Earl Stone designing its 27 holes on 800 acres. Peninsula has some things that Kiva Dunes doesn’t have. It has three nines – the Lakes, Cypress and Marsh – and the facility also has an 8,000 square foot fitness center, eight tennis courts and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Third of the island courses is Gulf Shores Golf Club, the oldest course at the destination. It was built by the father-son team of Jay and Carter Moorish in the early 1960s and they also handled a fullscale renovation there in 2005. The course was hit by Hurricane Sally in 2020 and is still somewhat in recovery mode but its sharp doglegs and numerous water hazards make for a challenging test.

Brad Baumann, the head professional at Peninsula, tees off on his home course.

Biggest of the Gulf Shores facilities isn’t on the island but is just five minutes up the road. Craft Farms has 45 holes with its Cotton Creek and Cypress courses and a nine-hole par-3 layout. Those two 18-holers comprise the only Arnold Palmer designs in Alabama.

The legendary Palmer was just starting to dabble in course design when he developed a close friendship with Robert Craft. They worked together for the 1987 opening of Cotton Creek and the 1993 debut of the Cypress course. Craft passed away in 2006. His son has been the mayor of Gulf Shores since 2008.

Though some seasons are better than others weather-wise, there’s pride in what Gulf Shores has to offer golfers.

“Gulf Shores in November is as good a place to play golf as you’ll find anywhere,’’ said Dan Dorrough, now the head superintendent at Gulf Shores Golf Club after stints as an assistant at Kiva Dunes and Craft Farms.

We made our first trip to Gulf Shores in 2012 and played the same four courses as we did on this visit. The Gulf Shores community looked a lot different this time, though. Now there’s more, new, or at least expanded, attractions.

For starters there’s Gulf Shores State Park with its 6,150 acres creating a haven for hikers, cyclists and Segway tours. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail spans all of the park’s 28 miles and connects both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to the park. There’s also a nature center, over two miles of uninterrupted pristine beachfront and a lodge (actually a 350-room Hilton hotel that was rebuilt in 2018) featuring the Perch Restaurant.

Our favorite dinner spot was Big Fish, a great place featuring seafood and a sushi bar but steak, pasta and sandwiches are available, too. Lucy Buffett’s LuLu’s, located on the Intracoastal Waterway, also has good food along with live music, a fun arcade, a three-story climbing ropes course and children’s activities. The owner is the sister of one of my all-time favorite singers, Jimmy Buffett.

Sassy Bass Cookout Tiki Bar has a somewhat hidden location between Kiva Dunes and Peninsula but the food, served in hot iron skillets, was delicious in addition to having a unique presentation.

And then there’s the sprawling Flora-Bama Yacht Club with its world famous Flora-Bama Lounge, Package & Oyster Bar. It offers open-air waterfront dining and a lot more. This is a legendary place near Orange Beach that appeals to all ages with its music, interesting decor and numerous bars. Though it was hit by many hurricanes over the years, Flora-Bama remains a must visit no matter the duration of your stop in Gulf Shores-Orange Beach area.

You don’t have to just play golf and eat in Gulf Shores, either. On rainy days you can still play miniature golf indoors – at the glow-in-the-dark Jurassic dinosaur adventure. It has a unique 5,000 square foot prehistoric setting and was a nice diversion for even the most serious golfers in our group. Most all of them, however, preferred the Sail Wild Hearts’ relaxing two-hour sunset cruise in a 53-foot open-ocean catamaran. For more information visit gulfshores.com.

Author: lenz