I have a new favorite golf hero, and his name isn’t Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth or even Tiger Woods. Did you ever hear of Ralph Kennedy? Not many have. Kennedy died in 1961 at the age of 79. His claim to golfing fame didn’t come in winning big tournaments. It came from just…
Author: lenz
Ryder re-opening is a milestone well worth celebrating at PGA Golf Club
PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – December’s re-opening of the Ryder Course merited a celebration at PGA Golf Club – the winter home of the PGA of America’s 29,000 members. The first course to open at the premier resort on Florida’s east coast was the last of its three 18-holers to get a facelift during a…
Q-Schools provide a boost for Hopfinger, Troyanovich
The lengthy, very demanding qualifying sessions to determine next year’s players on the PGA Tour, Ladies PGA Tour and PGA Champions circuit came to an end over the weekend with two Chicago hopefuls — Brad Hopfinger and Samantha Troyanovich — putting themselves in position to further their golfing careers in 2018. Lake Forest’s Hopfinger, one…
Katie Pius holds her own against the men in the Illinois PGA tourneys
The Illinois PGA has few members to rival Katie Pius. In fact, there really aren’t any with the background that this assistant professional at Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington has. Gender-wise the Illinois Section is noteworthy in having, in Carrie Williams, one of the three women to hold executive director posts in the PGA…
Rich in history, Miami Springs has maintained its connections with the past
MIAMI SPRINGS, Florida – The first thing you notice are the trees. The Miami Springs Golf & Country Club has lots of great big ones, and there’s a reason. Trees played a big part in the design of this, arguably the most historic 18 holes in Florida – a state with over 1,300 courses, more…
Here’s how to repair your divots and protect your back as well
When it comes to analyzing the latest in golf equipment I tend to defer to Jason Bruno, my Florida golf website partner who is a scratch player. I’m clearly not. Bruno, the creator of the LinksNation website, and I had a catch-up round this week – our first since I returned from the Chicago area…
A year later, and the Arnold Palmer spirit still lives on at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Florida – It’s not unusual for a golf destination to lose its owner or – in Florida, at least – to be hit by a hurricane. That’s just part of life. When the owner, though, is the legendary Arnold Palmer and the hurricane is one of the most devastating in the history of the…
Cog Hill golfers get another chance at PGA Junior national title
With cold weather bringing the Chicago golf season to a close, the top players need to travel to find competition – and that’s what the PGA Junior League team from Cog Hill in Lemont is doing again. Cog Hill’s team, captained by Kevin Weeks and coached by Clayton Pendergraft, earned a return to this week’s…
`Little Copperhead’ upgrade bolsters Packard influence at Innisbrook
PALM HARBOR, Florida – Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Hotels & Resorts company, had an extraordinary two days last week. On Thursday Salamander re-opened its Jack Nicklaus-designed Hammock Beach course in Palm Coast, Fla. It had been closed for a 13-month restoration. The next day Salamander put on a festive celebration to mark the re-opening of the…
Good golf is more than just another attraction in the buzzing Daytona Beach area
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – It might be difficult to look at Daytona Beach as a golf destination but — without question — you should. Admittedly the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Famous Beach’’ is the main attraction in the Volusia County area. Or maybe it’s the Daytona International Speedway, the recently renovated world’s largest motor sports stadium…