Author: lenz

Frank Jemsek: A giant in the history of Chicago golf

Being the son of a famous father isn’t always easy. Frank Jemsek, however,  had a famous father, Joe. He  did many great things in golf, as both a player and course operator, and Frank has followed in his footsteps.

Frank, who turned 80 in December, followed his father into the family business at the tender age of  11. When Joe passed away at age 88 in 2002 the leadership duties at both Cog Hill, based in Palos Hills, and Pine Meadow, in Mundelein, reverted to Frank and — to no one’s surprise — the transition turned out a classic case of “Like father, like son.’’

Joe taught Frank well, and Frank’s daughter Katherine – now the president of Jemsek Golf – can attest to that.

“His favorite place now is on the first tee of a golf course, getting to know his customers,’’ said Katherine.  Frank has greeted golfers warmly for years.  He had been known to welcome them as early as 5 a.m. to do that. It’s not the case any more, but – like his father – he still wants to be on the scene.

“Thank you for playing Cog Hill,’’ was a sincere comment made regularly by Joe, Katherine’s grandfather, and Frank followed with his own trademark phrase of gratitude, “We love golfers.’’

And golfers love Jemsek back – and not just the  towering 6-9 Frank. His golf opeation has grown to include his three children and a son-in-law. Oldest offspring Marla, once one of the nation’s top amateur players, works in Cog Hill accounting department while raising a family of her own with husband Kevin Weeks.  Weeks, who also works at Cog Hill, is recognized as one of the country’s top teachers.

Katherine works with her father on a daily basis and son Joey has his own golf architectural firm with his projects including work at Cog Hill.

Joe Jemsek’s role in golf course began in 1940 when he purchased St. Andrews, in West Chicago.  That was the same year that Frank was born. The family lived off the No. 1 tee of what was then called its No. 1 course. By age 8 Frank was caddying with the help of a pull cart and by 11 he had a job keeping the parking lot clean.

“I worked at the golf course so that I could spend some time with my Dad, because he was at the golf course all the time,’’ recalled Frank. “I enjoyed my mother (Grace) and Dad and wanted to be with them. Hard work was very important to them, and that was good. I had to be there before daylight and worked until 3 p.m.  Then I could go out and play golf.’’

Spending all that time at the golf course didn’t keep Frank from trying other sports.  He was both a basketball player and wrestler at St. Edward High School, in Elgin, and earned a basketball scholarship to Loyola of New Orleans. By that time Joe had already bought Cog Hill and was making plans to build the fearsome Dubsdread course there.

“I always worked at the family business in the summer,’’ said Frank, who took over the management of St. Andrews after college while his father was making Cog Hill one of the nation’s premier public facilities. Dubsdread was built in 1963, opened in 1964 and “was my Dad’s favorite place in the world.’’

Frank took on all the jobs necessary to running 36-hole St. Andrews.  That included spending time in the kitchen and enduring a scary moment as a dishwasher.

“A guy I was helping soaked me and thought it was funny,’’ recalled Frank.  “So, I turned the dishwasher on him, and he grabbed a knife.’’

No harm was done, fortunately, and Frank’s working base changed in 1990.  Joe, battling some health problems, wanted Frank to shift his operations to Cog Hill. Now married to Pat and the father of three children, Frank moved his family to Burr Ridge. Unlike St. Andrews, they didn’t live on the golf course because Pat felt a neighborhood setting was preferable for raising a family. Frank was in agreement with that.

Cog Hill quickly became the center of golf in Chicago and Dubsdread was  a PGA Tour site for 20 years, beginning in 1991.  It was both the final home of the Western Open and the first site of its replacement – the BMW Championship.

“It was a blessing to bring in the Western Open It was one of my Dad’s dreams,’’ said Frank.  “It gave him a chance to say `Thanks for coming’ to the tournament patrons. It was a magnificent opportunity to meet people.’’

Jemsek, also a fixture in greeting Cog Hill’s players and spectators, provided a great opportunity for the Western Golf Association, which uses the tournament to raise money for its Evans Scholars Foundation.  The Jemseks provided the course free, which wasn’t the case at the tourney’s previous sites.

After the PGA Tour left Cog Hill  the Jemsek moved  on  Frank led the family team into some innovative projects..   M was the PGA Junior League.  Katherine was particularly enthusiastic about that,  and Cog Hill and Pine Meadow were the first courses in Illinois to start the break-through program that has gone nation-wide.

Then there was Family Fun Golf, a program that – for $10 a person — brought together family members on weekend afternoons. The format created new players.  Up to fivesomes were allowed, and one player had to be over 18 and at least one under 18.  Jemsek early on recognized that interest in golf was not a problem, but the comfort level for new players was. This made the game more user-friendly.

In another attempt to bring in new players, the tee structure on the No. 3 course at Cog was revamped to make the game most enjoyable for new players. This wasn’t just a case of shortening the holes. Considerable study, headed by Joey Jemsek, went into that project.

Now the popular Track Tracer technology has been added to the Cog practice range and this year lights will be added. A big event is also on the 2021 Cog Hill calendar – the Extreme Long Drive Championship. Cog Hill has always been on the cutting edge of all things golf, thanks to Frank’s willingness to adjust to the times.

Oh, yes.  And there was this horrible thing called the pandemic.  Jemsek has needed creative ways to cope with it. As always, he is taking care of his golfers even while dealing with the loss of his wife Pat in 2018 and some health problems of his own.

“A lot of the friends I played basketball with counted the days until they could retire,’’ said Jemsek.  “I would dread the day when I retire.  It isn’t work for me when I am at Cog Hill.’’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennis, hockey players have supplemented the golfers at Saddlebrook

Saddlebrook Resort has plenty to offer, be it indoors or outdoors.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Florida – For 40 years now, the Saddlebrook Resort has been well-equipped for golfers. For most of that time it had two Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses.  Enough said.

There’s more to the Saddlebrook story than that, however.

Owner Tom Dempsey, who made his mark in the publishing industry in Cleveland, was a member at Palmer’s Bay Hill Club in Orlando when he took over Saddlebrook.  The facility then had an 18-hole course designed by Dean Refram, who had a stint on the PGA Tour after developing his game at Chicago’s famed Medinah Country Club.

Palmer was hired to remodel the original Saddlebrook Course after Dempsey took over and later designed another course on the property, now known as the Palmer Course. Both are on the short side by today’s standards, Saddlebook measuring 6,510 yards from the back tees and the Palmer checking out at 6,273 from the tips.  They’re great for resort play, though, and many of those enjoying the Saddlebrook golf experience have been prominent in other sports.

In Saddlebrook’s early years, in fact, the highest-profile athletes on the grounds were tennis players.  Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles were among the tennis stars who trained there in the 1980s and 1990s. Legendary coach Harry Hopman was in charge of the tennis side until selling to Dempsey in 1986.

Now it’s the Tampa Tennis Academy.  It has 45 courts and includes surfaces from all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.

“We still do well with that,’’ said Pat Farrell, Saddlebrook’s director of golf sales, “but American tennis isn’t what it used to be.’’

No doubt about that.  The glory years of Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Chris Evert are long gone.

Cypress trees, some 100 feet tall, dominate the Saddlebrook course.

As it pertains to Saddlebrook, however, the athletes enjoying the golf courses are now hockey players. That all started in 2018 when USA Hockey chose Saddlebrook to host the U.S. women’s team when it was preparing for the Winter Olympics.

“The team stayed for seven months.  They’d train in the morning, then come back here and play golf in the afternoon,’’ said Farrell.

Oh, yes.  That women’s team also won the gold medal.

Now hockey players are back at Saddlebrook, and at a time when all such facilities can use more heads in their beds.  The pandemic has cut down the number of guests at most resorts, but the arrival of the U.S. Premier Hockey League allieviated the shortage at Saddlebrook.

“It’s the highest level of youth amateur hockey,’’ said Farrell.

About 600 players and 50 teams from around the country have used Saddlebrook as their bubble during the pandemic. On-ice training and games are conducted at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s practice rink each day, then – like the women Olympians – their action shifts to Saddebrook’s courses.

Farrell said about 60 of the youth hockey players play golf every day.  They arrived on Jan. 4 and will stay at Saddlebrook into March. Each team plays a 40-game schedule.

“Of the 540 rooms in our rental pool, they take up 470,’’ said Farrell. “We’re very fortunate because a lot of other (resorts), from a room perspective, are dying on the vine.’’

Saddlebook is not like most other multi-sport resorts. A teaching academy, Saddlebrook Prep, is also on the premises.  It has students from about 20 countries starting at the age of 13. Classes are limited to 12 students and 30 instructors are on the staff.

Saddlebrook isn’t all about sports. It also has an academy on its premises.

There isn’t much driving on the resort grounds.  Guests park their cars upon arrival, then are transported via shuttles to the golf courses, the tennis courts, the restaurants, the centerpiece swimming pool, the spa or whatever other attraction they want to use.

As for the golf, Saddlebook had one star player – India’s Sungjay Im – on the premises once the PGA Tour halted its tournament schedule on March 12.  He remained there, practicing daily until the tournaments resumed in June.

The par-70 Saddlebrook Course, has a stunning 429-yard finishing hole but its trademark is the cypress trees, some of which have grown to nearly 100 feet in height. The par-71 Palmer Course has generous driving areas with lots of humps and bumps to make them more challenging. The greens are firm, fast and undulating with a rare par-3 as its finishing hole. Both courses are undergoing a structured improvement program that started in 2016.

There’s also a 16-acre training center for the golfers that was designed by Mike Angus, the architect for the Phil Mickelson Golf Course Design Co.

ING Media Awards honor four from LZOG partner sites

Friday was a big day for Len Ziehm on Golf and its partner websites.  Four of us won Outstanding Achiever designations at the 23rd annual International Network of Golf Media Awards, which is part of the 68th PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

I was especially happy for my broadcast partner Rory Spears, who was honored in the Radio Show category.  It marked the first time that Rory had entered the competition.  Rory’s Golfers on Golf radio show on WCPT 820-AM completed its 30th year in 2020, and I enjoyed being a full-time Contributor to the weekly broadcasts.  Rory’s award came for a June 20 show in which Tim Clarke, head of Wilson’s golf division, was a featured guest.

Mine came in the Business Writing category for a piece I did for Morning Read on the Western Golf Association’s efforts to preserve opportunities for youth caddies during the pandemic.  This was the fifth straight year that I’ve won something at the ING Media Awards, but the first time I was cited for a piece produced for a national media outlet.

Rory and I also started a weekly golf podcast series – Ziehm & Spears – last year. We did 40 shows in 2020 and have done three already in 2021.

My award came in the  Business Writing category this year for a piece I did for Morning Read on the Western Golf Association’s efforts to improve opportunities for youth caddies amidst the pandemic.  It marked the fifth consecutive year that I have won something at the ING Media Awards but the first time that I was cited for a piece done for national media outlet.

The other LZOG award winners were Dave Lockhart, who was honored again in the Television Show category for the September version of the Golf360 series, and Fred Altvater, publisher of the Ohio Golf Journal, cited in the Opinion/Editorial category.

This marked the first time that the ING Media Awards were not presented live.  Zoom was used, as the PGA Merchandise Show was done in a virtual format because of pandemic issues. ING had to postpone its 30th anniversary Spring Conference last year for that reason.  It will be held May 23-27 in Valley Forge, Pa.

Trip to Hawaii pays off big-time for Nick Hardy

Northbrook’s Nick Hardy and Arlington Heights’ Doug Ghim are among the very best young golfers ever produced in the Chicago area. Ghim is a rookie on the PGA Tour and Hardy in his first season on the PGA’s development circuit – the Korn Ferry Tour.

Still, what were the chances that they’d be paired together in the PGA Tour’s first full-field event of 2021?

Ghim’s participation in last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii wasn’t unexpected. He had earned his PGA membership at the last qualifying session.  Hardy made the field  through a Monday qualifier.  It provided him some needed competition since the Korn Ferry schedule doesn’t kick in until February.

While Ghim missed the cut last week, Hardy came ready to play.  After winning a three-man playoff for the final spot in the starting field he covered the regulation 72 holes in 16-under-par total and finished in a tie for 14th place.  That earned him $113,850.

“I had Monday (qualified) into a few Korn Ferry events, but never into a PGA Tour event,’’ said Hardy after earning a shot against the sport’s best players.  “I did lose in a playoff (the last spot in a four-man battle leading into the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open).  That experience helped me (in Hawaii).  Having had that experience, I knew what to expect. I learned how to handle my emotions.’’

A University of Illinois product, Hardy qualified for three U.S. Opens and made the cut in 2015.  He also got into seven other PGA Tour events through sponsor invitations. Those experiences, some of which came when he was still an amateur, weren’t all good.  He made the cut in five of his first six events but had missed his last four cuts until the strong showing in Hawaii.

“I’m a much different golfer than I was during those four (missed cuts) events,’’ said Hardy, noting that three of the misses were by just one stroke.  “I’ve learned how to handle myself better, handle my emotions and my thoughts.  That’s what really helped me play well on the Korn Ferry Tour last year.’’

He will be a PGA Tour member if he remains in the top 25 on the Korn Ferry standings this season.

“I just feel I’m ready for the PGA Tour,’’ said Hardy.  “I really do feel I belong.’’

BULL VALLEY BONANZA:  Rarely have Chicago golf organizations announced their tournament schedules in January, but both the Illinois PGA and Chicago District Golf Association did this year. Both scheduled major tournaments at Bull Valley, which has never been a major tournament venue.

The private club in Woodstock landed the 101st CDGA Amateur, which will be played June 21-24, as well as the IPGA Match Play Championship May 10-13.  The IPGA Match Play has had a long run at Kemper Lakes in recent years.

The IPGA also announced last week that its schedule will have two other major changes. The Aug. 2-4  Illinois Open finals will again be played at just one course – Stonebridge, in Aurora. The biggest event for Illinois residents had used a two-course format to expand the finals, but that was scrapped during last season’s pandemic-impacted campaign.  Originally Stonebridge was to share host duties with Naperville neighbor White Eagle, but White Eagle wound up the lone site for the last 54 holes of the month-long competition as the finals were reduced from 264 players to 156.

Ivanhoe, meanwhile, will be the site of the IPGA Championship from Aug. 23-25.  That event had used a three-course rotation in recent years, and Ivanhoe – once the site of a Korn Ferry Tour stop – was not among the venues used.

Also notable on the CDGA calendar is the return of Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course, in Palos Park, for a notable competition.  The long-time Western Open and BMW Championship site will host a U.S. Open local qualifier in May 3.  Mistwood, in Romeoville, will be the site of the 90th Illinois State Amateur for the first time from July 20-22.

HERE AND THERE:  Mistwood head professional Frank Hohenadel had a hole-in-one, dropping an 8-iron from 170 yards in a PGA of America Winter Series event in Port St. Lucie, FL…..The Ziehm & Spears Podcast Series kicked off its second season last week.  The first campaign in 2020 included 40 weekly shows and the weekly format will be used again….The Western  Golf Association has confirmed that the Evans Scholars Invitational will return to The Glen Club, in Glenview, May 24-30.  Last year’s Korn Ferry stop was moved to Chicago Highlands, in Westchester, because The Glen couldn’t accommodate a late schedule revision .

 

 

 

Golf developments in 2020 were shocking, unprecedented

 

I’ve been reporting on golf for 52 years and never encountered a year like this one. The dreaded pandemic certainly made 2020 infamous in many ways, and that included the golf world.

What I’ll remember the most happened on March 12, when PGA commissioner Jay Monahan called a press conference during the first round of The Players Championship in Florida to announce that the remaining three rounds would be played without spectators.

That shocked all of us who were there, but later that night Monahan announced that the tournament would be canceled entirely and that the tournaments of the next four weeks were off as well.  That’s when we realized how serious this was. The shutdown was on.

On the local level the Chicago District Golf Association canceled the Illinois State Amateur and CDGA Amateur.  Mistwood Golf Club decided the Illinois Women’s Open wouldn’t be held.  The Western Golf Association dropped its two national youth championships.  The Illinois PGA didn’t even schedule an event until July.

While the drama of March 12 sticks out as the most impactful day of the golf season, the rest of it wasn’t so bad at all.  In fact, golf – more than any other sport – showed its resiliency.  No professional league got back in business quicker than the PGA Tour did.

The PGA Tour resumed tournament operations on June 11, and the three major American tournaments – the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship – were played, albeit at unusual times of the year. So was the BMW Championship, the FedEx Cup Playoff event at Olympia Fields that was the highlight of the Chicago golf calendar.  Sadly, the 50th anniversary of the John Deere Classic was a no-go.

Basically, the PGA and LPGA tour events were TV shows.  There were virtually no spectators, and media admissions were limited to only a handful of people who covered the tournaments on a weekly basis. From my perspective I saw but one event in person – a PGA Tour Champions event in late October.

Though my golf columns and even a few travel destination stops continued, watching all the big competitions only via television represented a major — and most unwelcome — lifestyle change.

On the more positive side, Western Golf Association personnel worked diligently to get youth caddies working again and its most high-profiles tournaments – the BMW, Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational and the Western Amateur – did get played. The Illinois PGA salvaged the Illinois Open and its next three biggest championships and the CDGA managed to conduct a few of its late-season events.

No golf segment was more determined than the women’s side, however. Who would have thought that  both the U.S. Women’s Open and the LPGA’s season-climaxing CME Group Championship could be played in December?

The tournament side, though, wasn’t the highlight of this golf season.  Some have suggested the pandemic may have even “saved’’ golf because it was one activity that allowed play outdoors during these difficult times.  Recreational play, despite restrictions nation-wide, boomed in 2020 and so did equipment sales.

No where was that more evident than in the Chicago market where public venues like Sportsman’s in Northbrook, Schaumburg Golf Club and Settler’s Hill in Geneva tackled major renovations despite the pandemic and new clubhouses were in the works at the Preserve at Oak Meadows, in Addison, and Fox Run, in Elk Grove,

By no means did the pandemic “save’’ golf, but it certainly stimulated interest in some quarters where it might have been lagging for a while.

Playing-wise the star of the show in 2020 was Dustin Johnson, winner of both the FedEx Cup and the Masters. Tiger Woods wasn’t a winner, but his 11-year old son Charley was when they paired up in the  PNC Championship this month.  TV viewers couldn’t help but note that father and son have identical swings despite the age difference.

While golf in 2020 turned out about as good as it possibly could in pandemic times, the 2021 season should be more exciting.  The British Open should be back.  The Olympics should have a golf competition in Tokyo.  The Ryder Cup, postponed a year at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, will still be a fall attraction — just a year later than originally anticipated.

The pandemic didn’t diminish golf in 2020, and it may have even enhanced the sport for both its viewers and participants in 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big things are happening on the Citrus Golf Trail

It’s official. James Cramer (left) begins the introduction process leading into the announcement that the Citrus Golf Trail Open will make its debut in 2021.

SEBRING, Florida — The Citrus Golf Trail has – most justifiably —  promoted itself as “The Value Golf Capital of America.’’

Joe Staffieri, the  manager at Pinecrest on Loleta in Avon Park, created the Trail in 2012 and it’s flourishing like never before now.

“Golf can be expensive, but if you want to make a golf trip without breaking the bank you can come here and play for $20 — $60 in peak season,’’ said Andy Kesling, head professional at Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club and a Trail official.  “We’re very excited about what the future holes.  We have a lot to offer here.’’

The Sebring area isn’t just an economical place to play good golf. Big things are happening at the six golf facilities that comprise the Trail.  Two have recently gotten new owners and collectively the group has put together a big new amateur event that will debut in December of 2021.

The biggest splash made most recently has been at what had been the Spring Lake Golf Resort, a facility that had opened in the 1970s. Signature H Property Group purchased the 352-acre property in November of 2019, renamed it the Sebring International Golf Resort and went on a major rebranding mission.

“It had 45 holes in its heyday,’’ said Helmut Wyzisk III, president and chief executive officer of Signature H.  “Then it fell on hard times.  My business is re-positioning and re-developing golf courses.  We come in with a vision. Play had been coming down but it had a great footprint for us to bring in other amenities and save 27 championship holes.’’

Those 45 holes have been whittled to 39. The 18-hole Cougar, a 5,500-yard par-70 course, and the nine-hole Panther nine are being renovated. The nine-hole Bobcat has been closed and will become the gathering point for fishermen. And, within that mix, is The 12 –  a creation of Steve Smyers, a Florida architect who has designed courses across the U.S.

The 12 is a course that ties in golf and auto racing — a good combination in Sebring.

The 12 is so named because of the famous auto race, 12 Hours of Sebring, that is staged annually within earshot of Sebring International. Smyers’ course consists of 12 par-3 holes, some of them very much on the short side but all of them fun. A group of media played the initial round there on a Dec. 8 riding tour, but the course is perfect for walkers.

Meanwhile, the Panther nine is undergoing a major renovation.  What had been the longest hole in Florida golf – No. 4, a par-6 that measured 800 yards from the back tees – is no more. Wyzisk, his father Helmut Wyzisk Jr. and head professional Craig Bendall are creating a re-routing that will make the new par-3 on that part of the property a signature hole. A tee box with three elevation changes is being constructed.

A recreation center, 44 new cabins and some new golf villas are in the works and amenities like a member’s pool, bocce ball and sports courts are also in the future plans.

“We’re here to create something different, and we’re lucky to still have this property,’’ said Wyzisk. “We came in at the perfect time.’’

Here’s what’s left of the 800-yard par-6 hole at Sebring International. Once the longest hole in Florida golf, it’ll soon become an elevated tee box for a signature par-3 on the Panther nine.

Golf enthusiasm has been in abundance in the Sebring area, which is 60 miles south of Disney World.  That was evident with the announcement of the upcoming Citrus Golf Trail Open.  It was made at Pinecrest, one of six courses on the Trail, and a club that had been a big tournament site years ago.  One of the early televised match play elimination tournaments was played there in 1959 as part of the World Championship Golf series on NBC. It offered what was then one of the biggest purses in golf — $171,000.

The following year Pinecrest hosted the best men and women players in the world at the Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome tournament, which remained in the Sebring area until 1964. Arnold Palmer, Tommy Bolt, Julius Boros, Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright and Joanne Carner all played there and Al Balding and Fred Hawkins were regulars at Pinecrest after their retirements as tour players.

Guest players were pretty high profiles, too – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Grover Cleveland, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the comedy team of Burns & Allen.

Only amateurs – an expected 350 of them, men and women – will participate in the new Citrus Golf Trail Open, which will make its debut Dec. 2-5, 2021, and be a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Highland County. Its projected to become an annual event.

“It’s a wonderful time to announce this exciting new tournament that will shine a light on the great courses that make up the Citrus Golf Trail,’’ said Kesling. More details are to be announced on the Trail website (www.citrusgolftrail.com).

In addition to Pinecrest and Sebring International, the courses on the Trail include River Greens, Sebring Municipal and Sun ‘N Lakes’ two 18-holers — Deer Run and Turtle Run.

This fallen pine went down in a hurricane two years ago at Sebring Municipal. Reflecting the powers of nature, it’s become a popular photo shoot for golfers.

 

 

 

 

GOLF TRAVEL NOTES: Two long-time favorites are changing course

 

 

First of all, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of our traveling golfers from our place in Florida’s PGA Village.

We are now in the heart of the holiday season and we hope that all our friends will enjoy these days to the fullest. Golf travel wasn’t so easy in this pandemic year, but we’re sure that better days are ahead. Len Ziehm on Golf wanted to remain on your radar when it came to providing the latest from travel destinations. To do that we have made three driving trips in 2020, visiting seven states after the pandemic clicked in big-time on March 12.  Spending 37 days on the road for those jaunts isn’t much, compared what we’ve done in our previous 10 years driving around the country to report on golf travel. We have one trip, albeit a short one, remaining in 2020.  Next week we’ll be going to Sebring, Florida — a great place for golfers who want to play a lot and still enjoy the many benefits that a small town offers.

IN THE MEANTIME, here’s updates from some of our favorite places that we visited recently.

California’s LaCosta Resort, the scene of lots of big tournaments in the past, has been named the site of the NCAA Championships three years in a row.

DESPITE THE problems caused by the pandemic there were three big stories in the world of golf travel in 2020.  Two involved long-famous destinations, the other a Texas town that is certain to become one.

Back in the day Ohio’s Firestone and California’s LaCosta were among the very best PGA Tour stops.  Firestone, a long-time private club, hosted big tournaments since the 1950s and LaCosta was on the pro tour calendar from 1968 through 2007 before focusing on resort play.

Now things have changed.

Firestone, now open to non-members, is offering stay-and-play packages, and LaCosta, with its 36 holes, is back in the tournament business – or at least it will be soon.  Following a renovation of its Champions Course by Gil Hanse – the game’s hottest architect at the moment, the resort will host the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s championships from 2024 to 2026.

We’ve been to both places, but not in recent years.  I’ve played the Firestone courses and reported on tournaments there.  LaCosta was a key part of a five-week driving trip through western states in 2015 that included stops at prominent destinations in California, Washington and Arizona.

LaCosta was a name from the past even back then.  It had hosted 25 PGA Tour events and two LPGA tournaments in those more high-profile times.

From 1968-98 it was the site of the Mercedes Championship – also known as the Tournament of Champions. Tournament rounds consisted of nine holes on the Champions Course and nine of the Legends Course, and a great list of champions included Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Lanny Wadkins, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Then that event moved to Hawaii.

LaCosta wasn’t tournament-starved for long. A year later the Accenture Match Play Championship, a World Golf Championship event, moved in and was staged there until 2006 (minus one year when the event was played in Australia in 2001). Then it moved to Arizona.

In came the LPGA with its Kia Classic, in 2011 and 2012, but then it switched to Aviara, another  course in the Carlsbad, Calif., area.

Losing those big ones was a blow to the resort, which had been taken over by the Omni hotel chain. LaCosta celebrated its 50th anniversary while we were there and Champions, originally designed by Dick Wilson, was notable for its steep bunkers (78 had been put in during a redesign for the WGC arrival).  Now Hanse and partner Jim Wagner will begin another upgrading with the NCAA Championships in mind.

As for Firestone, it was the site of such biggies as the World Series of Golf, three PGA Championships, the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and – most recently – the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship. Its underdoing a renovation, too, with 18 bunkers being removed from the Fazio (formerly West) Course and the remaining 51 being reshaped and enhanced by the Better Billy Bunker system to improve drainage.

There’s also been a management change. Jay Walkinshaw, who held management positions at –among others – California hotspots Olympic Club and  Pebble Beach, is now the general manager and Tommy Moore is the new director of golf.

A potentially bigger splash  is being made in Frisco, Tex.  The PGA of America announced it was moving much of its headquarters there from its long-time home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The PGA is making big plans for the facility in Texas, and the first two of its courses there – the East, designed by Hanse, and the West, designed by Beau Welling — are almost finished.  They won’t be open for a while, however, as the PGA wants to a full year for the courses to grow in  and maintenance practices established.

The projected opening for the courses is June of 2022 and the first tournament scheduled in Frisco is the Senior PGA Championship in 2023.

MORE TIDBITS, FROM HERE AND THERE

We’ve hit lots of shots on lots of courses in Myrtle Beach, but this was one time a free drop was mandatory,

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – As always, lots is going on in this golf mecca. The Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic, a two-man 54-hole team event, will tee off on six courses from Feb. 1-3.  The 150-team field is already full…..The March Championship has a new name.  It’s now the World Amateur Q School….Three-time World Long Drive champion Sean Fister is now on the staff of the Dustin Johnson Junior Golf Academy….Mystical Golf, which has three courses (Man-O-War, The Witch and The Wizard), has overseeded its layouts with Ryegrass and that means wall to wall emerald green fairways, rough and putting surfaces as opposed to the usual dormant brown conditions found on most courses during the cold weather months.

STREAMSONG – KemperSports has expanded its role at this three-course central Florida destination. The Chicago-based group has been involved with the Streamsong golf operation since the resort was launched in 2012. Now Kemper will manage all resort operations.

PINEHURST, N.C. – The U.S. Golf Association and Kids Golf Foundation both announced they’re setting up headquarters in this golf hotbed, but there’s more. The Dormie Club is getting a 16,600-foot clubhouse, a stand-alone pro shop and 15 cottages to enhance its Bill Coore-Ben Creshaw designed course. Improvements have been made to the course, too.  All the projects are to be completed by June, 2021.

BANDON DUNES – Oregon’s very special facility has announced its championship events for 2021.  The Bandon Dunes Cup is May 2-5, the Golf Digest Open June 6-9, the Links Championship June 27-30 and the Fall Match Play Oct. 20-23.

BARTON CREEK – This Omni resort and spa in Austin, Tex., will host the PGA Professional Championship – the world’s largest all-professional event – on its Fazio Foothills and Coore-Crenshaw courses in April of 2022.

EAGLE RIDGE – Illinois’ premier resort has won the Stella Award from North Star Meeting Group for the second year in a row.  Its Gold award  in the regional hotel category honors the “Best Golf Resort in the Midwest.’’ Eagle Ridge has four courses, headed by The General.  The resort’s attractions also include the new Highlands Restaurant and Lounge 289.

 

 

 

 

There’s nothing miniature about Tiger’s newest venture

The PopStroke courses remind Tiger Woods of happy times in his youth.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida — Tiger Woods has a new golf venture. Woods and PopStroke, a company based in his hometown of Jupiter, FL., announced a partnership agreement 13 months ago, and it seems a fine fit after making a visit to its first facility.

There is a tendency to think of PopStroke as a souped up version of miniature golf.  It’s a lot more than that.

The first PopStroke facility is in this south Florida community located near PGA Golf Club, the designated “Winter Home of the PGA of America.’’ PopStroke consists of two 18-hole “miniature’’ courses – the Kahn Preserve and the Jackson Trap – so named because the designer’s name is Jackson Kahn. Both have artificial turf putting surfaces.The Kahn course is for beginners and is wheelchair and stroller accessible. While it’s the easier of the courses, it’s no creampuff.

By comparison the Jackson is more challenging with its 36 bunkers, false fronts and severe breaks on the greens.  All that aside, PopStroke is less about competition and more about pure fun. Just don’t expect that you’ll be putting into the “clown’s mouth.’’ None of the features on the more traditional miniature courses are present at PopStroke with the exception of the last putt. You don’t pick up the ball when you putt out.  It rolls down a pipe directly back to the reception desk.

The ambience is pleasant on the courses, to say the least.  Attractive landscaping provides the look of a real golf course, but in a miniature version. There’s lights for night-time play (the facility is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week) and there’s also equipment available for indoor activities in the event of bad weather.

Water doesn’t come into play, but it’s certainly evident when you play at PopStroke

Again, though, there’s lots more to PopStroke than “miniature’’ golf.  The course has a jumbotron, which can be used for scoring as well as watching televised sports events.  Twelve TVs are available throughout the facility, which also includes three golf simulators and a sports bar with full service dining available.

Woods, who lives in Jupiter – about 30 miles south of the first PopStroke —  and has a restaurant in that town, announced his partnership in PopStroke on Oct. 10 of 2019.  The board of directors also includes PopStroke founder Greg Bartoli and Peter Bevacqua, president of NBC Sports and former chief executive officer of the PGA of America.

Tiger merchandise is available in the welcome center and he’s pictured on the PopStroke website, so his involvement is more than in name only.

“Some of my happiest memories are spending time with my pops on the golf course having putting contests,’’ Woods said after his involvement was announced.  “I’m looking forward to others enjoying time with their kids at PopStroke.’’

Port St. Lucie has the first one.  The second opened in Fort Myers, FL., on Aug. 25 and a third is expected to open in Scottsdale, Ariz., sometime in 2021.

A jumbotron allows PopStroke golfers to watch TV sports while they’re on the course.

 

 

 

 

PGA Tour will make Delaware debut at the 2022 BMW Championship

 

After conducting its premier tournament in the Chicago area for two straight years the Western Golf Association will  take the BMW Championship away from the area for at least the next two.

The Glenview-based WGA announced Tuesday that the BMW Championship will be played on the South Course at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware in 2022.  Cave’s Valley, located in the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills, Md., will host next year’s tournament.

Medinah (2019) and Olympia Fields (2020) hosted the FedEx Cup Playoff event the last two years, which interrupted a trend in which the WGA took the tournament out of the Chicago area on an every other year basis. That trend started in 2012 when the event was held at Crooked Stick in Indianapolis.

The Chicago site in 2013, 2015 and 2017 was Conway Farms in Lake Forest while the non-Chicago sites were Cherry Hills in Denver (2014), Crooked Stick (2016) and Aronimink in the Philadelphia area (2018).

Though the BMW Championship dates back only to 2007, it has deep historic roots in Chicago.  The playoff event grew out of the Western Open, which the WGA first conducted in 1899. From 1962 through 2006 the Western was held only at Chicago facilities.

The 2022 BMW Championship will mark the first time the PGA Tour has held a tournament in Delaware, but Wilmington Country Club has deep historic roots, too.  It was established in 1901 and relocated in the 1950s when Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed the South Course.

Vince Pellegrino, WGA senior vice president of tournaments, called Wilmington “one of the finest clubs anywhere in the United States.’’

“We’re thrilled to be taking (the BMW there),’’ said Pellegrino.  “The South Course has everything you look for in a traditional championship layout.  It will present a strategic test for the world’s best players and a perfect venue for fans and PGA Tour partners.’’

The BMW Championship is a key component in the fund-raising efforts of the WGA.  Its Evans Scholars Foundation has provided scholarships for deserving youth caddies since 1930. Since 2007 the BMW has raised more than $35 million for Evans Scholarships. Two Evans Scholars – Owen Griffin (Illinois 1983) and Dan Walsh (a junior at Penn State) — came out of Wilmington Country Club.

“The BMW Championship at Wilmington will give us an opportunity to show a new market the power of the Evans Scholars Program,’’ said John Kaczkowski, the WGA president and chief executive officer.  “This is a critical step in our efforts to expand from coast to coast and reach more deserving caddies.’’

The tournament has been the penultimate event of the BMW Cup Playoffs, immediately preceding The Tour Championship in Atlanta.  Next year’s event at Cave’s Valley will be held from Aug. 23-29.  No dates have been announced for the event at Wilmington.

 

 

It’s all in the family: Coral Ridge redesign is Rees Jones’ `lifetime dream’

 

Rees Jones (left) was a budding architect learning his craft from his father  in his early years. They’re pictured here checking out a course in Hawaii. (Rees Jones Photo)

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Robert Trent Jones Sr. was the premier golf course architect of his generation, having designed about 450 courses around the world. Both of his sons – Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Rees – became prominent – and prolific – architects as well.

Rees, for instance, has worked on a ton of golf courses —  about 230 world-wide, according to the best estimates, and he’s  gained fame as “The Open Doctor’’ because he’s been brought in to get fine existing courses in shape for big championships. That number includes seven courses used for U.S. Opens, nine for PGA Championships and six for Ryder Cups.

Given all that, when Rees Jones calls his work on his latest course “a lifetime dream,’’ you’d best take notice. Especially when there’s a distinct tie-in with his famous father.

Son has tackled his father’s designs 18 times in the past.  Among Rees’ redesigns came at such famous places as the Atlanta Athletic Club, Bellerive (in St. Louis), the Blue Course at Congressional in Maryland, Golden Horseshoe in Virginia, Hazeltine in Minnesota and The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

This latest redo, though, is different – and more special – than all the others. Coral Ridge Country Club, the only 18-holer within the boundaries of Fort Lauderdale, is scheduled to re-open in November and that can’t help but be an emotional time for Rees Jones. Now 79, he was a part of Coral Ridge even before he reached his teen-age years..

Jones’ father designed the original 18 holes at Coral Ridge in 1954. The elder Jones had an office near the 17th hole for his architectural business and operated out of the facility’s clubhouse at the end of his career. He remained a member of the club until his death in 2000. Rees’ mother Ione, who died in 1987, was also very active in the club

Rees spent most of his formative years growing up in New Jersey, but he knew Coral Ridge quite well.

“We traveled every winter and stayed at a little hotel behind the course,’’ he said.  “I’ve been part of that facility all my life, so getting to embellish and restructure that course has been a lifetime dream because it was the fabric of both my family life and my design life.’’

To both father and son Coral Ridge was something special.

“Coral Ridge was his baby,’’ said Rees of his father.  “And, when I was first there I was 11 or 12, so I was just past a baby then.’’

In his childhood years  Coral Ridge was a swinging place.  The legendary New York Yankees’ pitcher, Whitey Ford, was a member.  So was Joe Namath, the great New York Jets’ quarterback.  Pro golfers Julius Boros and Lew Worsham were also on hand.  Boros lived on the 11th hole and gave Rees golf lessons.

“Historically athletes really liked to hang out there,’’ said Rees.

And it wasn’t just athletes.  Dave Thomas, who created the Wendy’s restaurant chain, was one of the  Jones family’s “special friends’’

“Coral Ridge is a very special place.  There’s no other place like it in Florida,’’ said Rees. “My father loved Florida, and he went to the club every day and had a lot of friends there.’’

Five years ago Rees designed a par-3 course at the club, called “The Rees Nine.’’ With holes ranging from 70 to 200 yards, It has been popular with higher handicappers and youngsters who like the challenge of the undulating, multi-tiered greens.

As for the “new’’ golf course, Jones understandably likes everything about it. The par-72 layout measures 7,322 yards from the back tees.

“The routing is the same, though we slightly relocated the No. 9 and 13 greens,’’ he said.  “All the fairways were elevated, and drainage is now 1,000 percent better than it had been.  A big reason for the renovation was because the course needed a new irrigation system.’’

It got more than that.

“We also rebuilt all the greens,’’ said Jones.  “The par-3s are all distinctly different, and the par-5s are all distinctly different.  We put the original Robert Trent Jones bunker style in, and it looks like the old-time bunker style.  But it seems a brand new golf course now. The members had no idea how great it would turn out, and  I’m blown away by what we’ve accomplished.’’

Most of the work on the course was done in the heart of the pandemic, but didn’t slow down Jones’ architectural work.  He still had three associates traveling to other job sites, one of which was in Japan.

“We had 13 jobs during the pandemic.  I was lucky because I have a reputation,’’ he said.  “But I hardly work because I love what I do.’’

His location helped, too.  Jones resides in Juno Beach and he says “golf is very healthy in the state of Florida. A lot of communities are built around golf courses.’’

Coral Ridge had at one point divided its ownership among the four Joneses – Rees, his parents and brother Robert Trent Jones Jr. Each owned 25 percent. When Jones Sr. passed on the course was sold to a local group headed by Phil Smith. Rees kept a 5 percent share then,  but sold it after designing The Rees Nine.

To this day Rees Jones remains a Coral Ridge member and believes his recent work assures the club will have “one of the top golf courses in the Southeast.’’

“We started planning for this five years ago, and work began at the end of the (last) winter,’’ said Jones.  “We wanted to restore it back to the design my father had and make the changes much like he did during the life of the club. It was like Pinehurst No. 2, when (original designer) Donald Ross lived next door to that golf course.’’

Rather than the changes being made by the father on his own designs, now those changes have been made by the son.

“We really accomplished the task,’’ said Rees.  “My father would be looking down on us and say `Well done.’’’