36
THE BEST TIME TO REBUILD YOUR GOLF SWING IS NOW! THE SECRET TO GREAT PUTTING! AT HOME ON THE RANGE INSIDE THIS ISSUE CELEBRATING 22 YEARS IN THE WEST, NOW IN THE NORTHWEST! WWW.GOLFTODAYNW.COM NUMBER 8 OCTOBER 2009 Red Tail PORTLAND PUBLIC GOLF E EASTMORELAND EASTMORELAND GOLF COURSE P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F GREAT COURSES PORTLAND PUBLIC GOLF: Red Tail PORTLAND PUBLIC GOLF P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F E EASTMORELAND EASTMORELAND GOLF COURSE P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F See pages 16 & 21 Heron Lakes: Photo courtesy of Rob Perry ©2009

Golf Today Magazine: Northwest Edition October 2009

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

5 Great Public Courses in Portland, rebuild your golf swing and more!

Citation preview

THE BEST TIME TO REBUILD YOUR GOLF SWING IS NOW!THE SECRET TOGREAT PUTTING!AT HOME ON THE RANGE

INSIDETHISISSUE

CELEBRATING 22 YEARS IN THE WEST, NOW IN THE NORTHWEST! • WWW.GOLFTODAYNW.COM • NUMBER 8 • OCTOBER 2009

Red Ta i lP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

EEASTMORELANDEASTMORELANDG O L F C O U R S E

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

GREATCOURSES

PORTLAND PUBLIC GOLF:

Red Ta i lP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

EEASTMORELANDEASTMORELANDG O L F C O U R S E

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

See pages 16 & 21

Hero

n Lak

es: P

hoto

cour

tesy

of Ro

b Per

ry ©

2009

2 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

PERSONAL CLUB FITTING

60 MINUTETOUR-LEVELFITTING*

LEADING CLUBBRANDS FOR SALE

A D V A N C E D T E C H N O L O G Y + T O P C L U B B R A N D S

Put technology to work.Gain yards and accuracy. Demo clubs that fi t your swing before you buy. Find your equipment advantage—or your session is free.

JUMBO

30022515075

30

20

10

0DISTANCE

LAUNCH MONITORCOMPARISON

- J. McBride

“HAVING THERIGHT TOOLSMAKES THEJOB EASIER”

Fit My Clubs.com

* See participating Improvement Center for details, including guarantee and club credit offer. Subject to terms and conditions.

GolfTECImprovement Center

Center AddressCenter Phone

! R E M O V E ! P L A C E H O L D E R F O R L O G O S ! R E M O V E !

Find an advantage in your bag. Guaranteed.

SEATTLE LOCATIONS

Bellevue425-454-7956

South Lake Union206-357-6885

PORTLAND LOCATIONS

Cascade Station503 281-1842Nyberg Wood

503-612-7807

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 3

insiDe This issue:

5 MY TwO CenTsby Cameron Healey

6 nOTes FrOM The GOLFinG “newbie”by “Dan”

7 AT hOMe On The rAnGe By Tony Dear

8 The 5Th AnniversArY OF The bOeinG CLAssiC seTs TOurnAMenT reCOrD

9 hOw DO YOu knOw, FOr sure?by Leith Anderson

10 The besT TiMe TO rebuiLD YOur GOLF swinG is nOw!by Brett Wilkinson, PGA

11 The seCreT TO GreAT PuTTinG!By Erin Szekely

12 Are YOu A juniOr GOLFer? LeT AjGA heLP sTeer YOur GOLFinG CAreer!

15 TAYLOr MADe inTrODuCes PenTA TP

16 POrTLAnD’s MuniCiPAL GOLF COurses - Five GreAT COurses, One GreAT CiTY

23 ChAMPiOns CrOwneD AT 4Th OreGOn suPer seniOr

23 wine vALLeY GOLF CLub seT TO hOsT 2010 nOrThwesT OPen

24 unDersTAnDinG weDGe DesiGnby Les Miller

26 The FirsT ThinG YOu neeD TO knOwby Brandon Richardson

The Best in the West for 22 Years, 12 issues per year! Now in Washington & Oregon!ON THE COVER • OCTOBER 2009:

Aah..Portland! Whether it’s the Trailblazers, enjoying a pint of Bridgeport, or thinking about teeing it

up at one of Portland’s fine public courses, a trip to Portland is high on my “to do” list. And it should

be a priority for you as well! With five nationally recognized courses that includes Eastmoreland,

Rose City, RedTail, and Heron Lakes (Great Blue and Green Back), offering NW golfers terrific

value for your golfing dollar, you’ll just have to play them all this fall. In fact, all five courses lie within 10

miles of downtown Portland making them convenient and accessible, and each facility offers private

and group lessons for men and women of all ages. Please see pages 16-21 to learn more about

Portland Public Golf. Cheers!

–Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor

4 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

When I think of Las Vegas (“Lost Wag-es” that is), the first images that come to mind are sprawling casinos teeming with international travelers enjoying a little (or a lot of ) personal indulgence, and two minute weddings! For-tunately, during my recent visit to Vegas I managed to avoid the latter ( already married), but more importantly, I had the good fortune of mixing it up with a large contingent of international purveyors of “all things golf ” at the recent PGA Fall Show held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. While attendee numbers and exhibitors were down this year, show-goers were treated to a veritable smorgasbord of golfing paraphernalia that included everything from electric caddies, clothing apparel, new put-ters (yes, even more varieties!), and golf novelties. Yes, if you are looking for the next best gadget to improve your swing or discover the secret to hit-ting the ball straight, PGA Expo 2009 was the place to be. Did I find the secret to my swing? Um, well… no, but that doesn’t mean I’ll quit trying! However, I did discover some cool gadgets, promis-ing putters, , and other equipment worth mentioning, particularly if they help your game or the better enjoyment of it.

It cannot go without mentioning that the show allowed me to meet a number of Aussie vendors, who despite the fact that I am a rival New Zealander, elected to chat with me! One of these fine individuals

was Australian PGA Professional Graeme Quirk who is the director of Linear Golf, a manufacturer of a unique line of put-ters that simplifies the task of keeping the clubface square to your chosen line by simply covering the line with the tip of the shaft throughout the stroke. Check out www.lineargolf.us for more information. Staying with putters, and there was an abundance, Spherical Blade launched its new product line of S-Blade putters, which at first glance look “normal”. The key differ-ence is that these putters are designed with gentle convex curves on the club face, both north-south and east-west, which impart in- creased top spin during the putting stroke. Why is that impor-

tant? Top spin gen-e r a l l y prevents

the bob-bling effect

often seen after the putter strikes

the ball, yet the S-Blade technology helps the golfer achieve a much smoother roll on their putts and is designed to be more

forgiv-ing if you

push or pull the stroke. For more infor-

mation, please visit www.sbladeputters.com.

If you ever have challenges holding the club with the correct grip, you’ll want to try GripIT Rite, a cool gadget that checks, corrects, and reinforces a correct grip. Easy

to click on and off your club, it fits all stan-dard grips and is available for men, women, and juniors in both left and right handed. Developed by Henry Brunton, Canadian PGA Master Professional, Gripit Rite will retail for around $20; however, check out www.gripitrite.com for more information. With an increased focus on environmental stewardship, conscientious golf courses and golfers alike are looking at alternative options to packing a bag or pushing a cart.

Wayfarer Golf has developed an electric caddy called iCady, which is built like a tank, but has manual throttle control to help navigate around the course and plugs into any 110 volt outlet. In fact, golfers can expect a single charge to last 54-72 holes,

even on a course dominated by hills and slopes. The iCady includes a basket for personal items, sand/seed bottle, beverage holder, scorecard and pencil holder, and GPS is available. For more information, please check out www.wayfarergolf.com or call 831-673-6213.

With Fall and Winter months are around the corner, we sometimes forget that the sun can still wreak havoc

on our skin. Do you lather up in October? Admittedly, I generally don’t either, but I’m changing my mindset after noticing sun spots, blemishes, and wrinkles are

My Two Centsby Cameron Healey

What’s hot at PGa’s Fall ExPo In VEGas?

continued on page 11

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 5

Notes From The Golfing “Newbie” P r e s e n t e d b y G o l f t E C

This month I had a chance to catch up with this magazine’s publisher and editor Cameron Healey at the driving range. It was one of those days in Seattle when you just need to get out; the weather is perfect but fall and rain are on the horizon. It was really nice to take a break from our hectic work days to go out and hit some balls.

Hitting balls with a buddy also reminded me that golf is very much a social sport. So far, with the exception of my GolfTEC lessons my learning to golf has been a very individual pursuit. Now that I can hit the ball decently, courtesy of Brett at GolfTEC, it is great to have the opportunity to get out with others, even if it is just a trip to the local driving range. With a little more practice and some experience with other clubs, I hope to be able to get out and actually play a game with some friends soon.

Our outing was also a great chance for me to talk to Cameron about my struggles so far with learning to golf. One of my biggest weaknesses has been my problem with vertical bounce. Vertical bounce has been somewhat of a Catch-22 for me, I feel like when I really try to recruit my lower body, I lose track of my vertical stance and stand up at the top of my swing. I am sure this is related to my general lack of coordination. Cycling, the

one sport that I’ve engaged in the most, does not rank high in required coordina-tion. In fact, this is really the first sport I have done that has a large coordination component. Being a beginner, many parts

of my swing are not yet well engrained. I struggle with concentrating too much on one thing and forgetting another impor-tant part of the swing.

I took a little time during our outing to work on my driving. In my lessons I have been focusing on my 6 iron so I haven’t had a lot of practice or instruction with the driver yet. A friend loaned me a driver a few months ago and I hadn’t had a lot of luck with it so far. Over the last few weeks I tried to negotiate the art of driving, but always seemed to hit the top of the ball—if I managed to hit it at all. There is just something about the feeling of having the club way out in front of me that throws

my swing off. I resolved to give my driver some more practice time over the next few weeks.

Cameron watched me struggle with driving and suggested that I give his new

custom-made driver a try. Maybe it was luck but the next few shots were much better than anything I had previously accomplished. Not only did the club feel better in my hands, but the ball really got off the ground with speed no less. I was surprised at the difference between the two drivers. Cameron’s club, though markedly stiffer than my ‘starter’ driver, gave me the results I have been hop-ing for. With this, I learned a bit about having personalized clubs including the variations in shaft flex. I decided to add this to my list of things to talk to Brett at GolfTEC about because they are experi-enced at custom fitting.

One of the things that I noticed when hitting with Cameron was that I am gain-ing personal awareness of my golf swing. When I would miss a ball or embarrass both of us with a slice, I could feel what

I was doing wrong and correct it. Still, most of the problems seemed to be re-lated to vertical bounce, but I was also noticing problems when I had a sloppy setup.

A few days after my trip to the range, I went out again to hit some balls on my own. I parked myself in a private part of the range and started hitting. I really wanted to practice some of the specific problems I was having from the last trip.First, I worked on hitting off the

ground. This is a huge problem for me, I tend to either miss the ball completely or top it. Luckily my neighborhood range has a variety of different tee heights. I started high and worked my way lower and lower until I was hitting balls off the ground (most of the time).

Next, I focused on driving. Unfor-tunately, my height combined with the length of the club led to a rather embar-rassing strike of the roof support. After nonchalantly moving to the next stall I resumed hitting. I hit a bunch of shots and while a few were decent, , the majority

continued on page 11

6 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

At Home On The Rangeby Tony Dear

There is something enormously satis-fying about hitting golf balls at a driving range. So where in the Pacific Northwest are the best places to flail away without worrying about your scorecard?

Dan Doolin is back at the Columbia Super Range near Everett for the first time since being attacked by three alpacas and a Peruvian llama. The quartet of 250-300lb beasts got agitated when the 61-year-old took his time feeding them grain and knocked him to the ground, tearing the muscles in his back. ‘That was a few months ago and I haven’t swung a golf club since,’ he says. ‘To be honest, I was a bit worried about how my back would react.’

It would be a reach to suggest talk of alpaca attacks is typical urban driving range conversation, but it is just the sort of bizarre anecdote that seems to crop up only at places like Columbia (the range, not the country).

And Dan’s encore could only have come from an avid urban golfer, the type of sports-mad fan who grew up listening to baseball games on a transistor radio under the blankets at night, or cycling to the local muni at dawn with a golf bag slung over his back and playing 54 holes before returning home for supper. ‘I think Tiger’s got it wrong,’ he says, apparently in all seriousness. ‘He seems to take it very easy the first two or three rounds, build a slim lead, then just sort of hold on to it on Sunday afternoon. Why doesn’t he go out on Thursday and shoot a 63? He’d find Sundays a lot less stressful.’

You would think there would be no-where to go from here, but Dan is really only just getting started. He tells me about the time a famous local sports star came into the home design showroom where he works and asked a number of intelligent questions about how the remodel of his kitchen would turn out. ‘The guy was smart,’ says Dan. ‘He asked me questions the average guy just wouldn’t ask, like if it would be better to install a massive professional range or separate cook top and wall ovens located in different parts of a kitchen, and what the pros and cons are of fully integrated versus freestanding. He was such a perfectionist.’ Then there’s the story of his great-grandparents who were either responsible for burning down a castle in Ireland a hundred or more years ago, or were the last people to flee the building when somebody else set it alight – he isn’t quite sure which.

This is not what you expect every time you hit a bucket of balls. Some people would find it a distraction and prefer

to set up at the end of the range where they can conscientiously work on their game. For me, however, it’s all part of the experience. I’d come to Columbia just to listen to Dan’s stories, moan about the latest Mari-ners trade and maybe hit a ball or two every half-hour.

Built in 1990 and now owned by Colum-bia Athletic Clubs, the range was originally de-veloped by AP Simon of Everett and recently named by Golf Digest as one of the nation’s top practice facilities. There are 50 stalls at the 16-acre property, a nine-hole chip and putt course called the Par 2, two indoor teaching studios, a fully stocked pro shop called Class A Golf, and a snack bar. As befits a range that Golf Digest deemed worthy of mentioning, the mats and balls are top quality; chipped remolds or mats riddled with holes do not exist here. A fine compliment to this facility are four experienced PGA teaching profession-als who are available for lessons; Steve Reuhl, the head pro, who has been at Columbia since 1993; Kevin McKay who joined a year earlier; Ric Colling, at Columbia for 14 years; and LPGA Class A pro Kathy DeNeui who is in her tenth year at the Silver Lake site. On Columbia’s walls are plaques, award-ed by Golf Range Magazine and dat-ing back to 2002, which proclaim it among the top 100 ranges in the nation. Hitting balls here is a great way to spend one, two, maybe three hours (depending on what sort of conversations you get into) but, of course, it’s not the only first-rate range in the Seattle area.

Superior even to Columbia is Interbay at the bottom of Queen Anne Hill, on Elliot Bay. Here you find a two-tiered range with 80 stalls, 40 of them heated, seven teaching professionals, a very nice nine-hole Par 3 course (with one Par 4), better than decent food, and a golf shop rated in the country’s top 25 by the Golf Range Association of America, publish-ers of Golf Range Magazine.

For executives in need of something to hit, and a little breathing space fol-lowing a morning of dreary meetings, it is ideal. Beginners are well catered for

with a range of lesson packages, includ-ing the popular Learn to Golf series that provides groups four hours of coaching –

introduction to full swing, chipping, and putting – for $99.

On the old Highway 99 is the Puetz golf store and driving range that opened in 1945. First-time visitors, already a little skeptical there could possibly be a full-

length range in amongst all the buildings on Aurora Avenue, will become doubly unconvinced as they approach. But there,

opposite the Evergreen Washelli Cem-etery and behind the original Puetz club-house and store is a fine range with good mats and decent balls. The only slight misgiving is the hanging nets between

continued on page 14

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 7

Regular - 18 Holes $29/9 Holes $20Senior - 18 Holes $20/9 Holes $15

7 Days a Week$15 after 4:00pm

New Convenient Driving Range Cards Available with Added Value

$50, $100, $150 and $200 Packages

Saturday & Sunday$20 after 2:00pm

October “Twilight” Special!MAPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE

4050 Maple Valley Hwy Renton, WA 98058(425) 430-6800

www.Rentonwa.gov

The 5th Anniversary Of The Boeing Classic Sets Tournament Records

There is no doubt that the fifth an-niversary of the Boeing Classic made its mark on the Greater Seattle community as tournament records were shattered by the number of spectators, Champions Tour Professionals, and almost 1,000 passionate volunteers. It was indeed the most successful event in the tournament’s history and one that is especially gratify-ing considering all proceeds benefit The Heart Institute at Virginia Mason Medi-cal Center and additional local charities.

The Boeing Classic is much more than a weekend golf tournament and that was exemplified this year with a long list of new and exhilarating events which ran through the week. It all be-gan on Monday, August 24 th, with a new sig-nature kickoff event, the Jim Mora Celebrity Golf Classic.

Seattle Sea-hawks coach Jim Mora brought together friends and celebrities from the sports and entertain-ment industry as they came out to tee it up for charity. In this one-day event, ap-proximately $245,000 was raised on behalf of the Jim Mora Count On Me Family Foundation and the Nutrition and Fitness Program at Virginia Mason Medical Center. Appearances were made by Seahawks coach Jim Mora and wife Shannon, Jim Mora Sr., Seahawks Ring of Honor Members Kenny Easley and

Jacob Green, NFL Hall of Fame Mem-bers Mike Haynes and Ted Hendricks, former NBA player Detlef Schrempf, 2008 ABC Bachelor Jason Mesnik and many others.

Monday’s Jim Mora Celebrity Classic was only the beginning though, as other events including the Charles Schwab Youth Clinic (featuring 2009 U.S. Senior Open Cham-pion Fred Funk and his son, Taylor), Grapes on the Green (a wine

tasting event with a live and silent auc-tion which included unique sports, wine and travel themed items), Walk with the Wives for Charity (PGA Tour Champi-ons Tour wives teamed up with Seahawk wives to promote heart health), and an opportunity for kids to hit on the driv-ing range with the pros provided a wide range of alternatives for fans of all ages

and interests.On Friday of tournament week, a tradi-

tional flyover by a Boeing 777 jet flew over TPC Snoqualmie Ridge which marked the start of the 2009 Boeing Classic

tournament, as 78 of the worlds best golfers over the age of 50 competed for the Boeing Classic title. The field of golf leg-ends was the best the Pa-cific Northwest has ever seen with nine World

Golf Hall of Fame Members including 2006 and 2008 Boeing Classic Champion Tom Kite, Gary Player, Lanny Wadkins, Isao Aoki, Nick Price, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, John Jacobs, and Hale Ir-win. The 2009 field also represents a total of 89 major titles on both the PGA and Champions Tours. The pros love coming out to Seattle,

“The Champions Tour professionals re-ally enjoy playing in the Pacific Northwest in front of our crowds, great weather and beau-tiful scenery. This is a stop on the Tour that they have told me they really look forward to

each year, and we love having them here,” says Tour-nament Director, Michelle DeLancy.

Tim Simpson recorded the first hole-in-one in tournament histo-ry on No. 6 where he hit a 5 iron from 197 yards away. Gil Mor-gan got up close and personal with spectators as his ball bounced into the hood of a fan (he ended up tak-ing a drop but left a great story for the fan). The Boe-

ing Classic also continued its track record of thrilling finishes as the “Boss of the Moss” Loren Roberts averaged 24.3 putts over three rounds to set a tournament record of 18-under 198 and won a shoot-out with Mark O’Meara to be named the 2009 Boeing Classic Champion.

“I made some putts today, believe me,” he said. “I had the hot hand with the putter and I was making some putts you usually don’t even think about making.”- 2009 Boeing Classic Champion, Loren Roberts

Spectator attendance was at a tour-nament best with over 17,500 fans on Friday (breaking all opening-day at-tendance records for previous years), an

2009 Boeing Classic Winner Loren Roberts

continued on page 28

8 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

How Do You Know, For Sure?by leiTH anDerson

I haven’t had a good opportunity to introduce myself to the readership of the new Northwest Edition of Golf Today Magazine. Cameron Healey’s startup is just six months old. He’s published a few of my regular articles; The Golf Equipment Chronicles have appeared in the mother ship Golf Today Magazine – headquar-tered in California - for eight years.

I had my first opportunity to meet Cameron at the recent PGA show in Las Vegas. I was impressed by his experience in the publishing business. That is cru-cial if your name is on the masthead of a magazine. But more important, I was im-pressed by his vision for what Golf Today will become in the Northwest. I decided that I wanted to be part of that vision.

We made an agreement to publish my regular monthly article in the Northwest Edition of Golf Today. Think of this as a “get acquainted” article. If you’re consid-ering upgrading your clubs to a custom set, it will give you a good approach. Also, I’ll set out what to expect in coming months. But first, let me tell you what I know about Golf Today Magazine.

The most unique feature of Golf Today Magazine is the very short time between deadline and distribution. Sometimes, it is as little as one week. Most of the time, it’s about two weeks. Contrast that timing with the national golf magazines. For those publications, it’s a minimum of three months. That’s why whenever you read a national golf magazine you’ve already heard it all. When you read Golf Today, you will find news.

A second big difference between Golf Today and the national golf magazines is space limits. In the nationals, a feature article is 750 words. In Golf Today, there’s almost no limit. My average article is 4000 words long. That’s a lot – and it gives me a chance to go into much more detail than I could ever dream of if I were limited to less than a quarter of that space. You will notice that difference in all of the articles. You get a much different flavor in the writing.

A third big difference between Golf Today and the nationals is that Golf To-day is all golf. One of my pet peeves is that you have to flip through fifteen or twenty pages in any national golf maga-zine before you start to see anything that has to do with golf. You get Lexus, Grey Goose, Breitling, Rolex, Las Vegas and Cadillac ads – more ad infinitum until you finally find that Taylor Made broke the piggy bank to buy a page. I hate to be hunted for my demographics. If you’re looking for advertising from a small,

innovative company – you’ll never find that in a national. Meantime, Golf Today Magazine has inexpensive advertising rates that allow small companies to get the valuable exposure that they need. We like to say that we support the under-dogs. That doesn’t mean, by the way, that we’re turning down advertising from the multi-national conglomerates. We need the money so if any of your friends are working for Nike, Titleist, Taylor Made or Ping, make sure they know you read Golf Today.

And there’s one more subtle differ-ence. Golf Today is owned by a person, not a corporation. If you want to get in touch, all of the phone numbers and email addresses are on the masthead. You pick up the phone or hit your keyboard. You want to talk to the publisher? No problem. Cameron is available and the response time might shock you. The same accessibility goes for the writers. Ever since the beginning I’ve encouraged readers to send me questions by email. Golf Today has created a community of publishers and writers that are commit-ted to bringing you both the information and the relationships that you can’t get anywhere else.

So there you have an overview of why I think that Golf Today Magazine will become your favorite golf magazine as the months go by.

The Golf Equipment ChroniclesI am a lifetime golf nut. I started play-

ing golf on Mondays 55 years ago at the Hinsdale Country Club. That’s when I upgraded my occupation from paper boy to caddy. Little League was my main sport.

The main thing I learned those first years was always find your player’s ball. If you didn’t do that, you wouldn’t get the hot dog and coke at the turn.

Things worked out in high school and I ended up playing on a State Champion-ship golf team in Illinois. Those were the days when you could finish third in the State with a 155 total. I went on to play a couple of years at Stanford, then took quite a few years off as most of us do when we have jobs and families to worry about.

Eight years ago I founded the Golf Lab – a custom golf shop where I’m the full time club fitter and partner up with Clint Smith – a full time club maker. The Golf Lab is a manifestation of a labor of love. My first goal was to figure out what golf clubs would work for a strong 6.5’ player. That was me. Then, I began to think that I could help others. I’m fascinated

by helping players of all levels find some magic in their golf clubs.

Over the years we’ve tracked every idea about fitting golf clubs from the tradition-al to the cutting edge. We’ve acquired all of the latest high tech gizmos to analyze golf swings and then make sure the clubs are built to match. Players come from all over the world to see if what they have read about actually exists. It does.

It’s been great to have a front row seat at the parade of new technology. The yearly improvement in drivers has been at the forefront. Then the evolution of lightweight steel and graphite shafts, multi-material iron heads. And don’t forget counterbalancing. The most inter-esting development has been the ability to test and measure golf club performance. Combining club technology with elec-tronics has given us the ability to build golf clubs that actually work better – we can prove it.

Eight years ago I started to write the Golf Equipment Chronicles. I knew then that the ultimate legacy of knowledge is a written record. I’m proud of that record today. You can find over 100 published articles on the Internet. Go to www.calgolftech.com and www.golftodaymaga-zine.com.

What does that work add up to? It’s

a history of the evolution of the golf industry with an emphasis on custom golf clubs. If you read the articles in chronological order, you will find that they mirror the progress of the industry. Like any other industry, we have our new ideas, our arguments and our conclusions. The articles chronicle the introduction, the debate and the adoption of ideas that are mainstream today.

If you want to relive the history of the custom golf industry, it is there for you to read. If you are just interested in how to get the best clubs to fit your game, you can follow the Golf Equipment Chronicles on Golf Today Magazine.

How Do You Know, For Sure?Golfers buy their equipment unlike any

other product. If you go to the grocery store and you like the look of the grapes, you always pick one off and take a taste. At the ice cream store. Is the butter pecan better than the strawberry? You know how to find out.

When I was buying my last new car, I knew what I wanted. My brother bought the exact same model the day before. All I wanted was the same model for the same price. I got the same salesman. I sat down and said, “Give me Scott’s deal.” The sales-man wouldn’t even let me sign an offer

continued on page 28

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 9

With fall and winter on the horizon, most of you will try to squeeze in a few rounds of golf before the cold and gloom settles on the Northwest. . This is my personal favorite time of the year for two reasons: Northwest golf courses are in excellent condition and most are less busy. Once the weather starts to turn south, the majority of you will put your beloved clubs into hibernation. Just maybe you will pull them out on a rare occasion due to a sun break or even the coveted golf vacation.

Only a small percentage of Northwest

golfers understand something that most do not: The fall l and winter months are the best time of the year for another reason--rebuilding your golf swings!

Having taught this wonderful game in the Northwest for almost 20 years, I have had the luxury of rebuilding a slew of golf swings. The most promising time to do this during poor weather periods with the added benefit of avoiding that “rusty” period that might plague the player who abandoned his clubs for several months.

Let me explain in detail: Most Spring and summer instructional sessions are swing- maintenance related. Most golf-ers, especially those who compete, only want to focus on minor swing issues. Some golfers, usually those newer to the game, are simply trying to get better so they want to focus lesson time on main swing faults regardless of the season.

For this reason, the best time to rebuild your golf swing is during the fall and win-ter months. Player’s thought processes are different after the golf season. Most golfers throw their clubs in the trunk or closet and come back the following spring with the same swing flaws. Those who re-ally want to get better swallow their pride, dig in, and get the guidance they need to become more complete club swingers. So, if you want to do something about your

swing flaws, you must find an instructor who is willing to work with you during this time. Here is what you want in an instructor as you seek to modify and im-prove your golf swing:

Great instructors have extensive 1. playing and teaching experience! They have played the game at a high level and they have teaching credentials. Great instructors have a vast 2. knowledge of players, sport, and technique.Great instructors have people 3. skills. They do not just teach golf---they teach players.Great instructors influence their 4. students by setting only one or two goals per lesson or practice; analyzing a student’s strengths and weaknesses, telling them what they do well and only what will make them better; using several methods to make a single, but im-portant point and ensure that a student understands the informa-tion being taught.Great instructors offer an indoor 5. learning atmosphere to keep you out of the elements and focus on YOU mastering major swing modifications.

You, the student, must be willing to bring these things to the table:

An open mind! Do not listen to 1. your golfing buddies swing advice unless they are suggesting a well-regarded instructor. . Almost all golfing buddies believe they have the answer, but let’s be up front here----free advice is worth what you pay for it!Do not experiment with your own 2. game --it usually makes matters worse! Seek out a PGA or LPGA professional to make an educated diagnosis and identify the correct changes for YOU.Commit the time to getting better 3. --for the long haul! This does not

mean spending an hour a week on your swing changes, folks. It means spending a few hours a week --for several months --or as long as it takes!If you are looking for quick fixes, 4. choose another sport. Golf is a four-letter word for a reason. It is the most difficult sport to master so addressing and making swing changes takes time and dedication, and usually a sufficient amount of both depending on the severity or your issues.Look at the value of getting great 5. instruction and not the money go-ing out. Make sure you are getting excellent value for your instruc-tion by seeking a professional who uses split-screen video of both the face-on and down-the-target-line camera angles. Five lessons would be a good start. However, investing in at least 10-15 lessons and scheduling your entire lesson dates/times up front you will find your commitment and dedication will improve as will your game.

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll skip a few other important things. However, stay focused on your purpose in practicing no matter how long the task takes! Make sure the instructor you choose has a video tour library of most PGA, LPGA, and Senior PGA tour professionals. Have your instructor take pictures of swing positions-- yours and the professional to whom you are being compared. Plaster these pictures on your office desk, at home, and in your car. Get the impres-sion of what you are trying to accomplish firmly implanted in your mind and MAS-TER IT!

Brett Wilkinson, PGA, is the Store Manag-er/Director of Instruction at GolfTEC Bel-levue. He can be reached at 425-454-7956 or email [email protected].

The Best Time To Rebuild Your Golf Swing Is Now!by BreTT Wilkinson, PGa

Avoid water hazards.

The World’s Smartest Umbrella

Most professional golfers demand the GustBuster. Shouldn’t you?

To stay out of the water visit unclesamsumbrella.com or call 888-UCSTORM (8676).

The Best Quotes in GolfFrom The Notebook Of Ron Salsig

“After I hit the shot, people came up and they started throwing coins down on the ground underneath where I’d hit my ball. The Scottish wish

you good luck when they do that”

– Jack nicklaus on his 8-iron into the 72nd hole in the 1977 British open at Turnberry. He made birdie, but Tom Watson sank his putt to win.

10 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

MADEWELL PRODUCTS

The Original Bag Shag Golf Ball Retriever

10 year GuaranteeMade in the USA

Available at Golf Shops Everywhere

www.bagshag.com

Improve Your Short Game And Lower Your Handicap!

Over 60 Years of Superior Quality and Durability

What is the secret to great putting? Wouldn’t it be fun to feel confident and fearless when you step up to a putt? The greatest golfers make putting seem effort-less and leave you wondering how they do it. Well, that is part of the secret. If you have ever thrown a baseball into a mitt, then you have experienced the “secret”. When you threw the ball did you think about how far back you moved your hand or arm? You were focused on the mitt and that dictated how much of a move-ment you needed. It may have taken a few

times for your subconscious to feel how much was needed, but soon it became quite natural.

It is logical to approach putting with the same mindful approach that you take when teeing off. You have worked hard on your form and swing. However, with putting you really can put that dance to rest. With a good grip (thumbs down the flat part of the shaft which keeps your hands balanced), and your mind is on the target (the hole) while your eyes are rest-ing on the ball, you will have more success than if you are focused on how far back to swing the putter or how hard you need to hit the ball.

Allow me to clarify those statements. First of all, the distance to the hole dic-tates how far back you swing the club. And you never hit the ball hard; you just make a bigger swing for a longer putt. And the sooner you give over to your subconscious and let “it” swing the club, the more success you will have and the less pressure you will feel. It’s really a fun way to putt.

As far as the mechanics of putting are concerned, if you have the putter, not the ball, in the center of your stance, your grip is balanced and your eyes are over the ball so you can see down the line of putt, all you need to do is take a good picture of

the hole and let your subconscious swing the club in an arc to the hole. Yes, I said on an arc. Because the putter is set at an angle, it has to transcribe a circle just the same as any other club in your bag. I know that some instructors tell you to swing the club straight back and straight through, but if you do that, you will have to manipulate the putter in order to square up the clubface.

If you keep your head and lower body very still (And this is the only time you keep them still in golf ), and move the club in an arc, the clubface will square up naturally at impact.

So the “secret” is really quite simple. You must keep the picture of the hole in your head during the entire swing. And when you allow your swing to be free rather than judging how big it needs to be, you will be surprised at how much more success you have. In order to get really good at this, you have to practice. The good news is that you don’t need a golf course to practice your putting. You can do it on your carpet.

Well there you have it. The secret is to let your subconscious make the putt! That way if you miss, it won’t be your fault……

Have fun out there and keep swinging.

Erin Szekely is an LPGA teaching profes-sional. For more information, please visit www.golfingwitherin.com or call 425-398-0443.

The Secret To Great Putting!by erin szekely

left me with a mood-wrecking dis-appointment. As I continue to self-assess, I am certain that I am simply not making good contact with the ball as the tell-tale strikes to the turf, not the ball, would indicate. I am even more certain that my loaner driver is not helping my cause. Will my be nasty habits be corrected with a new, personalized driver? I hope. Regardless, by the end of my session it was clear to me that the driver has a much smaller margin of error.

So, it’s back to GolfTEC for me. But, this time I’m armed with more personal observations than before. I’m sure Brett will be able to get my driving on track.

If you want help with your swing, please turn to page 2 to see this month’s specials from our friends at GolfTEC.

continued from page 6

contesting my youth. One option that I discovered at the PGA Show (again, produced by Australians!) is a natural sunscreen produced by Soleo Organics. How are they different from other brand names? Simple. They are formulated us-ing only organic or naturally sourced ingredients, including the key ingredi-ent zinc oxide, which will not leave your skin white after application. In fact, Soleo has very high sun protection of SPF30+, is water resistant, biodegrad-able, family safe, and environmentally friendly. I used it outside during demo day and am completely sold on its ef-fectiveness. For more information, please email [email protected]. To compliment the sunscreen, I’ve found the solution to the hot head syn-drome that golf-ers face during the summer m o n t h s while golf-ing. Where

conventional hats and visors leave your head hot and uncomfortable, the Aussie Chiller is made of super absorbent chamois material that is intended to be doused with ice-cold water before you tee off. With many colors to choose from and styles ranging from the baseball cap, fedora, “bushie” (my favorite), and chiller buckets and visors, the Aussie Chiller is the answer to keeping your head cool. These hats travel great, are washable, extremely light weight, won’t lose shape, shrink, rot, and even perform great in the rain. For more information, please check out www.aussiechiller.comThe Par-formance Golf® Score Journal is one

continued from page 5

continued on page 26

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 11

As a junior golfer, embarking on your competitive career, you may already have an ultimate goal. Whether your aspira-tions include a local championship, high school titles, a college scholarship, or even the PGA, you must work from the ground up. But with so many options, where do you begin?

Local tournaments, such as those run by city golf associations and other city ju-nior programs, will provide you the basic yet valuable experience you will need in order to advance. Here, you will learn how your game measures up to tournament pressure and you will truly realize your strengths and weaknesses.

High school golf is another great gauge of your abilities. Over the course of the season, you will be tested on several levels as you will play on many courses under varying conditions. The length of the sea-son will test your consistency, which will only prepare you for the next step.

Once this groundwork has been laid, state competitions are the next training ground. Opportunities range from PGA Junior Championships and state junior championships, to the American Junior Golf Association’s K12 Qualifier Series – one-day events that provide juniors the opportunity to gain entry into its Open

events.The tournament atmo-

sphere will feel similar, but the level of competition and exposure will enhance your ability to reach your ultimate goal. Because these state competitions offer deeper fields, it’s especially important to stay persistent and optimistic.

After gaining confidence and experience at state tournaments, the final step is to take your game to the national level. By now, you’ve probably already competed against players from neighbor-ing states, but tournaments such as the Bobby Chapman, Trusted Choice Big “I” Junior Classic, Junior Orange Bowl and U.S. Junior Amateur are some of junior golf ’s most historic stages. The game’s biggest names have passed these tests, and you will be well on your way to fulfilling your goals after competing in any of these events.

In addition, the American Junior Golf Association offers the complete gamut and is the pinnacle of national junior golf. No matter your age, the AJGA has a

national-level tournament tailor made for you. The 12-15-year-old crowd can begin with the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior All-Star Series, which is the best way for youngsters to earn Performance Based Entry (PBE) Status. Top finishes in these events are the best way to work your way to AJGA Open events.

AJGA Open tournaments are the intermediate step before advancing to Invitationals – the most prestigious level of AJGA play. These tournaments are played at some of the country’s best courses against the top fields, and college coaches flock to these events to recruit

the nation’s top talent. Up to 70 coaches can be found at these Invitationals, which ultimately help juniors earn college golf scholarships – the AJGA’s ultimate goal.

As you work through this progression, keep in mind that there are several ways to reach your goal. You can earn AJGA status through top finishes at many state-level and national tournaments (for a complete list, visit ajga.org). No matter what your goal is, the junior golf land-scape is best navigated if you understand your personal aspirations and which path best fits your dreams.

Are You A Junior Golfer? Let AJGA Help Steer Your Golfing Career!

10% OffGourmet Foods for you to

experience in your own kitchen!Promo code #Smith20

www.smithpreferred.com

Sign up today atwww.smithpreferred.com to receive your

newsletter and monthly recipes

12 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

NOW ON

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 13

each stall. Sometimes an intended draw or fade (more like a wild block or pull) will fly into them and the ball drops to the ground giving you little or no idea of what might have become of your shot. ‘My only problem with the Puetz range is that you have to hit out of the chutes,’ says John Christenson from Seattle. ‘That makes it safer, sure, but they look a bit out of place

so don’t really offer a realistic experience. I suppose if I had to choose between mak-ing the practice experience more realistic and not getting hit in the face by a golf ball traveling at 150 miles an hour, I’d go with the latter, but still. Anyway, the balls are good quality and the cost of a bucket reasonable.’

Also worth a visit if you’re in the area is the range at the University of Wash-ington, wedged in between NE 45th St, Clark Rd and Walla Walla Rd. Unfor-tunately the 43 stalls (20 covered) don’t look out on Union Bay, Portage Bay or Lake Washington, or at Husky Stadium, but instead toward Parking Lot E2 and the University Village Shopping Center. A large bucket of balls costs about a dol-lar less than most city ranges and firing off a quick bucket is always a good way to spend the idle minutes before class (big discounts for UW students) or a big football game.

Southcenter Golf Center in Tukwila, open since 1996, features a two-tiered range with 65 stalls. There is a short-game practice area and a 5,000 square foot put-ting green.

The range at Jefferson Park has im-proved immeasurably in recent years and affords the hitter great views of downtown. And plans are afoot to turn it into another Seattle mega-range by

adding another tier. Jackson Park will have a two-tier range of its own if the Seattle Golf Masterplan can survive the current economic turmoil, as will West Seattle where you have to hope the range will be built looking north towards downtown and the Sound.

For something a little different in downtown Seattle, try the golf simulators at Hotel 1000 where you can practice on

a virtual range, although it might be more fun to ‘play’ one of the over 50 courses available, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Pebble Beach and Pinehurst 2. And if you are in the Bellingham area, look in on Joe Holdridge’s Professional Golf Lab where you can play virtual courses, take lessons and get your clubs refitted. Brandon Proudfoot also has an indoor training facility and virtual range at Mt Si Golf Course in Snoqualmie.

South of Seattle down the I-5 corridor is the well-known Vanco Driving Range in Vancouver, WA. Owned by PGA professional Jack Young, who has taught the game in Portland and Vancouver to over 20,000 golfers over the last 20 years, and PGA professional Chuck Milne who played on the European Seniors Tour in 2005, recording two top-ten finishes in his first two events, Vanco prides itself on being the ‘Cheers of Golf ’ – a place where everybody knows your name. A large bucket here costs $8, as much as $3 less than some of Seattle’s ranges and, though the target area isn’t exactly picturesque most people would go for cheap buckets and a drab target over well-maintained turf targets and more expensive buckets.

Vanco always attracts positive reviews for the professionalism and friendliness of the staff, top-quality instruction and the well-stocked pro shop.

Across the state line, the first really notable range might be Red Tail’s in Port-land. ‘There are 78 individual hitting sta-tions, 40 on the upper level, 38 below,’ says General Manager Craig Zimmerman. ‘They are all covered and 20 are heated. It’s always 70 degrees and sunny under the covered, heated stalls at Red Tail.’

Unlike some ranges where you have to be careful not to overshoot the target

with a 5-iron, Red Tail’s extends to

350 yards which means every golfer in the world except for Alvaro Quiros, JB Holmes, Bubba Watson and some of those Remax Long Drive guys will be able to smash a driver to their heart’s content. There are also nine targets for those who come to work on accuracy as well as distance. The yardage charts showing the distance to each of the targets from each of the stalls are a nice touch.

‘I would call Red Tail a Super-Range’ says Eric Yaillen, Director of Communications at the Oregon Golf Associa-tion. ‘It’s definitely one of the best in Oregon, and there’s a superb pro shop too.’

There are 14 certified teach-ing professionals at the on-site academy, a short game practice

area and a snack bar called Bunker’s which serves up hot dogs and burgers next to the 10th tee. There is also a very comfortable restaurant called the Stock-pot Broiler serving lunch and dinner adjacent to the parking lot. It is likely a visit to the range will precede 18 holes on the Red Tail Course, previously known as Progress Downs which was redesigned by Portland Public Golf Manager John Zoller in 1999. The facility was renamed Red Tail in honor of the Red Tail Hawks that call the course home, and is a great addition to the range – or is it the other way round?

A little further out of Portland on 99W you come to Tualatin Island Greens which Yaillen describes as ‘one of the best stand-alone ranges in the state.’ Like the range at UW, it has 43 stalls, 25 of which are covered and 12 are heated. There are also 15 grass tees. Putts roll true on the practice putting green thanks to the bent grass turf and there is a short game prac-tice area too.

Another Oregon range to have ap-peared on Golf Range Magazine’s list of America’s top 100 ranges is Fiddler’s Green, which also claims to be the site of the largest on-course golf shop in the United States (the course being a 2,378-yard executive layout). Located just north of Eugene on Hwy 99, Fiddler’s Green

has 20 club-fitting specialists, 250+ models of demo clubs and perhaps the cheapest range balls you’ll find; $1.50 for 30 balls which is approximately $5 for 100, or about half the price of a large bucket elsewhere.

Another favorite place to warm up for a round in Oregon is at the 60-acre range at Bandon Dunes that is actually more of an old-fashioned practice ground than a driving range. Not only is it all grass, but also breaks current convention with the absence of bays. The balls are free, provided you’ve paid your green fee, of course. The absolutely enormous putting green offers up the chance to hit some St. Andrews-length putts, which is great fun especially if you usually play a course whose practice putting green is the size of a blanket.

Another amusing range, and certainly the most unconventional, is in the Pacific Northwest at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho. The driving range greens are actually blue since you get the privilege of striking low-density balls into the lake. Since the balls used at the range are clearly different from the ball you will on the links, it makes for a great debate over the value of time spent on your swing. However, the Coeur d’ Alene facility is amazing. The range humored David Handley, a recent patron of the resort, yet impressed with the whole experience. “I enjoyed the driving range experience thoroughly. Intentionally hitting a bucket of balls into the water was a first for me and the pre-round massage was a very nice touch.”

Looking at these quality facilities, it is pretty clear what makes a driving range good; a safe, secure hitting area, good balls, good mats, friendly pro-shop staff and ideally a snack bar. If you can throw in a great view, lessons, a pro-shop where the latest clubs can be tested and, of course, some fascinating conversation about be-ing thrown to the ground by wild animals from South America, then so much the better.

Useful web siteswww.superrange.comwww.seattlegolf.comwww.puetzgolf.comwww.hotel1000seattle.comdepts.washington.edu/imawww.southcentergolf.comwww.joeprogolflab.comwww.mtsigolf.comwww.vancogolf.comwww.golfredtail.comwww.tualatinislandgreens.comwww.fiddlersgreen.comwww.bandondunesgolf.comwww.cdaresort.com

continued from page 7

14 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

TaylorMade Golf has introduced Penta TP, a new tour ball designed to deliver a superior balance of performance in five key shot categories, the result of three years of research and development.

“We spend a lot of time with tour pros asking questions,” said Dean Snell, head of TaylorMade golf ball R&D. “Most think the ball they play is lacking somewhere. Some say their ball performs great in the short game but costs them distance, while other players said the opposite about their ball. Some feel their ball performs great off the middle and short irons but isn’t long enough off the tee and doesn’t spin enough on short shots.

“The takeaway was simple: If we could create a ball that performed well in all ar-eas we would have a revolutionary prod-uct. That’s what inspired us to create our newest ball, Penta TP, which is every bit the breakthrough we hoped it would be.”

Penta TP is the first tour ball with five solid-layers, with each layer engi-neered to optimize performance in five key shot categories that skilled players need – driver, long-irons, middle-irons, short-irons and partial wedges. The five

layers of Penta TP include the core, inner mantle, middle mantle, outer mantle and cover, and each one plays a critical role in optimizing the performance of each of the five key shots.

Layer 1 – CoverThe soft Urethane Cover promotes

a higher than average spin-rate on the all-important partial wedge shots re-quired in the scoring zone, within 100

yards of the flag. These are the types of shots where many current tour balls fail to deliver the goods because they launch too high and don’t spin enough. Instead, most tour pros want a ball that launches lower and spins enough to stop fast after one or two bounces, which gives them maximum control over these types of shots. Penta TP’s soft, durable Urethane Cover has the necessary characteristics to deliver that coveted combination of lower launch angle and higher spin-rate, while also providing soft tour feel.

Layer 2 – Outer MantleThe firm and fast Outer Mantle pro-

motes optimum spin off the short-irons to stop the ball quick without sucking it off the front of the green or drawing it back too far from the hole. The Outer Mantle is the fastest mantle in the ball; because it’s positioned just beneath the cover it’s easily compressed by slower swingers (ball speeds 120 mph and be-low), helping them to generate higher ball speed for increased distance.

Layer 3 – Middle MantleThe semi-firm and fast Middle Mantle,

TaylorMade Introduces Penta TPPress release

continued on page 22

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 15

Portland is a great city for recreation of all kinds. While many people think of Oregon as a destination for hiking or ski-ing, Portland actually boasts some of the best-maintained and challenging public golf courses in the country.

In keeping with being one of America’s greenest cities, Portland’s courses are managed to preserve the land not only

for golfers, but also for the flora and fauna that call these areas home. This is accom-plished through limited use of pesticides and careful attention to water use. Heron Lakes Golf Club is one of a handful of courses in Oregon to be certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Sanctuary for its continued use as a habi-tat for great blue herons and other local wildlife. Golfers also reap the benefits of these green efforts – Heron Lakes has just been named to Golf World Magazine’s “Top 50 Public Courses in the US”.

Each of Portland’s courses has a rich history, with unique characteristics that make it worth taking the time to visit each and every one. These five nationally rec-ognized courses are: Eastmoreland, Rose City, RedTail, and Heron Lakes (Great Blue and Green Back).

Eastmoreland Golf CourseLocated in Southeast Portland, East-

moreland is Oregon’s second oldest golf course having opened in 1917. It was originally founded as a golf course for the exclusive use of members of the Multno-mah Athletic Club but soon was opened to all of Portland’s residents. Chandler Egan, a former national amateur golf

champion and leading golf course ar-chitect, was commissioned to design what, to this day, remains a hub of the community with a loyal following among local golfers.

The course offers 18 holes of cham-pionship golf, which has twice hosted USGA national championships. Featur-ing a covered and lighted driving range, full-line pro shop and casual dining, the Eastmoreland property is also home to the widely acclaimed Rhododendron Gardens which contributes an endless variety of color throughout the year.

Rose City Golf CourseLike Eastmoreland, Rose City has a

rich history in Portland (sounds good but I don’t think this is the right word. I’d take it out.). The land on which it sits

was the first landing field for airplanes in the vicinity. Later it became a racetrack for horses followed by a racetrack for the early cars and motorcycles that became prevalent in the early 20th century. Devel-oped in 1922, Rose City is best known for its challenging long par 4s and tree-lined fairways.

Over the past several years, the golf

course has gone through extensive reno-vations which include a state of the art irrigation system, the addition of water features, new tee complexes, and mound-ing. These improvements enhance the visual impact as well as the challenge of the customers’ golf experience

RedTail Golf CourseOriginally known as Progress Downs,

this course opened for play in 1968 in unincorporated Portland. Since then the area in which it sits has been annexed by the City of Beaverton. Popular, but less than challenging, the course began to have difficulty competing for the golfers’ attention in the early 90’s. In 1999 the decision was made to completely remodel the course and the design by John Zoller, Director of the city’s golf program, re-sulted in a 7,100 yard, championship layout. Upon completion of the work, it was renamed RedTail in honor of the red-tailed hawks that nest in the sur-rounding area.

Portland’s Municipal Golf Courses – Five Great CoursesOne Great City

continued on page 21

16 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

Port land’s Premium Golf Experience at a Value Price

Heron Lakes offers 36 Championship Holes designed by Robert Trent Jones II and can accommodate 12-288 players for Tournaments, Outings and Events. Book a 2010 outing or event prior to November 1st and lock in 2009 rates. Heron Lakes Golf Club3500 N. Victory Blvd. Portland, OR 97217 Ph: 503-289-1818 www.heronlakesgolf.comVisit heronlakesgolf.com/today for a limited time offer

Voted Reader’s Choice Top 50 Public Golf Courses by Golf World Magazine

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 17

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. One Great City.

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

8200 SW Scholls Ferry Road

Beaverton, Oregon 97008

503.646.5166

■ 18-hole, 7100 yd. Championship Layout

■ Par - 72, Slope - 136, Course Rating -74.4

■ 80-station Covered and Lighted Driving Range

■ Ranked in Top 100 Pro-Shops in the United States

■ Minutes From Downtown in Beaverton

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. One Great City.

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

8200 SW Scholls Ferry Road

Beaverton, Oregon 97008

503.646.5166

■ 18-hole, 7100 yd. Championship Layout

■ ■ Par - 72, Slope - 136, Course Par - 72, Slope - 136, Course Rating -74.4

■ 80-station Covered and Lighted Driving Range

■ Ranked in Top 100 Pro-Shops in the United States

■ Minutes From Downtown in Beaverton

18 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. One Great City.

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

2200 NE 71st Avenue, Portland, OR 97213

503.253.4744

■ 18 holes, par 72

■ Recent Renovations

■ Tournaments

■ Located in Northeast Portland

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. One Great City.

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

2200 NE 71st Avenue, Portland, OR 97213

503.253.4744

■ 18 holes, par 72

■ ■ Recent RenovationsRecent Renovations

■ Tournaments

■ Located in Northeast Portland

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 19

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. One Great City.

2425 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

503.775.2900

■ 18-hole, Par - 72, Chandler Egan Designed Layout

■ 2nd Oldest Course in Oregon, Opened in 1917

■ 30-station Covered and Lighted Driving Range

■ Beautiful Clubhouse with Excellent Dining and Catering Facilities

■ Nationally Recognized and Twice Host to USGA National Championships

EEASTMORELANDEASTMORELANDG O L F C O U R S E

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L F

p o r t l a n d p u b l i c g o l f . c o mPORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION

Healthy Parks. Healthy Portland.

Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. Five Great Courses. One Great City.

2425 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

503.775.2900

■ 18-hole, Par - 72, Chandler Egan Designed Layout

■ 2nd Oldest Course in Oregon, Opened in 1917

■ 30-station Covered and Lighted Driving Range

■ Beautiful Clubhouse with Excellent Dining and Catering Facilities

■ Nationally Recognized and Twice Host to USGA National Championships

EEEASTMORELANDEEASTMORELANDEEEEEEEEASTMORELANDASTMORELANDEEASTMORELANDEEEASTMORELANDASTMORELANDASTMORELANDASTMORELANDEEASTMORELANDEEASTMORELANDEEEASTMORELANDEEEG O L F C O U R S EG O L F C O U R S EG O L F C O U R S E

P O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FEEP O R T L A N D P U B L I C G O L FEEE

20 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

Heron Lakes Golf Club Heron Lakes offers two highly recog-

nized and challenging courses, the Great Blue and Greenback, designed by world renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II.

The 6,615yard Greenback course opened in 1971 and has a milder and more flexible layout, featuring large and elevated greens. Its parkland-style design incorporates trees, ponds and numerous bunkers.

The more challenging Great Blue course, which debuted in 1992, better suits the skilled golfer. At 6,902 yards, this course is complete with narrow fair-ways that wind through Scottish-style mounds, small greens and risk-reward opportunities. The condition and play-ability of both courses at Heron Lakes is such that the facility has a reputation as the finest public golf course in the local area.

In their time, both courses have been recognized nationally for their challenge and conditioning. The Greenback played host to the USGA Amateur Champion-ship in 1979 while the Great Blue was se-lected in 2000 to host the very same event. In the 2000 staging, unknown amateur, DJ Trahan was successful in capturing his first national championship event leading to his well known and highly regarded status currently on the PGA Tour. In ad-

dition, the courses have also been home to the Northwest Open, the Portland Invita-tional and the popular NFL Quarterback Shootout among others.

Heron Lakes is also home to The First Tee of Portland, which works to make

a positive impact on the lives of young people by providing educational and mentoring programs that incorporate life skills, character development, family

values and personal growth through the game of golf.

AmenitiesPortland’s four public golf course loca-

tions lie within 10 miles of the downtown area making them convenient and acces-

sible. Each of the facilities offers private and group lessons for men and women of all ages. An experienced and dedicated staff of teaching professionals provide

helpful instructions to learn or improve one’s game, regardless of experience level.

Each course is available and well equipped to stage both private and public tournament events. Tournament services include:

* Planning and Consultation* On and Off Course Contests* Power Car Rentals* Discounts on Prizes in Pro-Shop

Merchandise or Gift Certificates* Banquet and Meeting Facilities

For customer convenience, Portland’s golf program has just launched a new website that offers course layouts and descriptions, scorecards, directions and services offered, as well as a convenient online reservation system.

Visit all of Portland’s golf facilities and make tee times online at www.portland-publicgolf.com.

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 21

which surrounds the Inner Mantle , promotes mid-launch and mid-spin off the middle irons. Mid-launch promotes control; mid-spin keeps the ball from up-shooting, ballooning and falling short of the target. The Middle mantle consists of a fast material, allowing medium-slow swingers (who average from 120 to 140 mph in ball speed) to generate more ball speed and distance, as they will compress only the two outermost mantles under-neath the cover.

Layer 3 – Middle MantleThe semi-firm and fast Middle Mantle,

which surrounds the Inner Mantle , promotes mid-launch and mid-spin off the middle irons. Mid-launch promotes control; mid-spin keeps the ball from up-shooting, ballooning and falling short of the target. The Middle mantle consists of a fast material, allowing medium-slow swingers (who average from 120 to 140 mph in ball speed) to generate more ball speed and distance, as they will compress only the two outermost mantles under-neath the cover.

Layer 4 – Inner MantleThe soft, fast Inner Mantle, which sur-

rounds the core, promotes soft feel, high launch and low spin off the long-irons for exceptional distance and high, soft-land-ing flight that helps the ball sit quickly on the green. The Inner Mantle consists of a fast material, which helps players who av-erage from 140 to 160 mph in ball speed to generate more ball speed and distance, because although they don’t swing fast enough to activate the core, they are able to activate the three layers between the core and cover including the inner mantle, which is the deepest of the three.

Layer 5 – CoreThe extremely soft, low-compression

core is the most critical layer to promoting high launch and low spin off the driver, which are well known to be the launch conditions that promote maximum carry and distance. Despite being soft and low-compression, Penta TP’s core is still very fast, which allows players who generate fast ball speed -- in the 140 to 180 mph range -- to generate more ball speed. Which means that if long-hitters who play a tour ball will likely be longer with Penta TP.

Progressive Distance Promotes More Yardage at a Variety of Swing Speeds The layers of Penta TP are configured strategically to promote “Progressive Distance,” which allows it to deliver ter-rific distance to all types of swing speeds. That’s because, as mentioned above, each layer is exceptionally fast. Slow swing-ers who generate only enough clubhead speed to activate the Outer Mantle will benefit. Medium swingers who can acti-vate only the Outer and Middle mantles

will benefit. Fast swingers who activate the Outer, Middle and Inner mantles will benefit. And of course, very fast swingers who activate every mantle plus the core will benefit.

Added Spin and Control in the Scor-ing Zone

The added spin Penta TP promotes in the scoring zone is especially impor-tant in light of the groove-change rule that will be implemented in high-level competitions by the USGA and R&A in 2010. The new grooves will impart less spin depending on the lie (much less out of the rough) and swing type (shallow swingers will lose more than steeper swingers). Penta TP will help some players recover some of the spin likely to be lost because of the new rule. Recent testing with TaylorMade Tour Staff pros drew rave reviews from Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Retief Goosen and Justin Rose, who compli-mented Penta TP’s all-around perfor-mance and singled out for praise the spin and control on the all-important 30- to 75-yard wedge shot. “That’s been the big-gest shortcoming in today’s tour balls,” says Dean Snell, head of TaylorMade’s golf ball R&D department.

L D P Te c h n o l o g y f o r I m -proved Distance on Driver Mis-hits Penta TP also incorporates TaylorMade’s LDP technology, which uses improved aerodynamics to promote increased lift to keep the ball in the air longer for more distance on the most common types of driver mis-hits, which occur on the top half of the clubface. TaylorMade robot testing shows that LDP improves driver distance on mis-hits dramatically, and that TaylorMade balls with LDP are clearly longer on driver mis-hits com-pared to competitive balls without LDP. Also, Penta TP’s dimple configuration delivers the same hold-the-line stability in the wind that the TP Red and TP Black are renowned for.

Three Years in Development, Five-Layer Penta TP Delivers a New Level of Performance

“Penta TP took three years to develop as our golf ball R&D team carefully ex-perimented with different mantle materi-als, compositions and thicknesses until the ideal combination was defined,” said Dr. Benoit Vincent, TaylorMade’s chief technical officer. Extensive computer modeling, prototype creation, robot test-ing and player testing went into creating what we believe is the finest all-around performing golf ball of its kind, a ball that delivers outstanding performance on every key type of shot a golfer has to hit while also delivering tremendously soft and responsive feel off everything from driver to putter.”

continued on page 29

continued from page 15

You Deserve The Very Best At The Right Price!

On-line use discount code “Summertime09Special” at checkout and get a Golf Gift valued at $40! Offer ends on October 31st 2009.

For phone orders, just mention “Golf Today Magazine Special” for your special Golf Gift!

Summer

Special!

$159.95

Summer Special!$129.95

Order Yours Today. It’s the Next Best Thing To A New Car!

22 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

First round leaders Jim Kondos, 67, of Gresham, Ore. and Carol Dick, 70, of Salem, Ore. maintained their leads in their respec-tive divisions to win titles at the 4th Oregon Super Senior Championship at Orchard Hills Country Club in Washou-gal, Wash.

Both Dick and Kondos are the only the second title holders in the event’s four year history. While this is a repeat title for Dick, it was Nettie Morrison of Bend, Ore. won the initial two Women’s Championships. The first three Men’s titles were handily won by Jerry Cundari of Portland, Ore. who was unable to play this year due to last minute work conflicts. Cundari will be inducted into the Oregon

Sports Hall of Fame later this month.When the Oregon Super Senior Cham-

pionship was introduced in 2006, it was the first amateur golf championship of its kind in the nation with eligibility for Men age 65 and older and Women age 60 and

older. For the first three years of the cham-pionship, men played a 54-hole competi-tion with a cut after the first 36-holes, and Women played a 36-hole com-petition.

All players compete in an overall cham-

pionship based on gross scores as well as titles within their flights. Players are also divided into smaller flights based on gender and age with 65-66 year old men placed in the Jack Nicklaus flight, 67-69 year olds in the Arnold Palmer flight and men 70 and older in the Byron Nelson flight. Women play in either the Patty Berg flight (60-62) or the Babe Zaharius flight (63+). All players will also compete for Net awards within their respective flights based on the difference between

their gross score and their course handi-cap.

In the Jack Nicklaus flight, Ken Forster of Salem, Ore. earned the title with an 11-over par 77-74--151. Forster, who was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame earlier this season, was just 2-strokes off the pace set by Kondos in the overall competition. The Net title went to renowned Golfweek columnist Jim Achenbach.

The Arnold Palmer flight trophy went to former Portland Trailblazer Terry Dischinger of Lake Oswego, Ore. with a score of 17-over par 78-79--157 and the Net award went to Sam Oh of Washou-gal, Wash. Tom Liljeholm of Prineville, Ore. captured the Byron Nelson flight title with a 15-over par 78-77--155 and the Net title went to Wayne Carlson of Oregon City, Ore.

For the two Women’s flights, Pat Emer-ich takes home the Patty Berg flight tro-phy and Cindy Anderson of Eugene, Ore takes the Babe Zaharius flight title with a scorecard tiebreak over Darlene Moen of Vancouver, Wash. Moen earns the Net title and Janice Anderson of Washougal, Wash. takes the Net title in the Patty Berg flight.

A course handicap is computed from a players official USGA Handicap Index, a portable number that can be adjusted

up or down based on the difficulty of the actual course being played.

A Handicap Index is computed using only the lowest ten of the players last twenty scores and measures a player’s potential ability. Players are expected to play to their handicap just twenty percent of the time. USGA Handicap Indexes are just one of the services provided to mem-bers of all OGA member clubs.

Orchard Hills is one of eleven golf courses in SW Washington that are within the Oregon Golf Association terri-tory that also have OGA Member Clubs. In addition to the regular OGA Member Clubs, there are also eight associate OGA Member Clubs in SW Washington. An associate club is not affiliated with any specific golf course.

ABOUT THE OGAThe Oregon Golf Association (OGA)

is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership association. Founded in 1924, the OGA was originally established with the sole purpose of conducting the Oregon Ama-teur Championship. Since its founding 85 years ago, the OGA has evolved to now provide a multitude of benefits and ser-vices to approximately 50,000 individual men, women, senior, and junior members at over 270 member golf clubs and 190 golf courses throughout the Oregon and SW Washington.

Champions Crowned At 4th Oregon Super Senior

Wine Valley Golf Club which opened in April of this year just west of Walla Walla has been awarded the 2010 North-west Open. The Dan Hixson inland links design features vast rolling fairways and large undulating greens. The tournament which dates back as one of the oldest and most prestigious in the Northwest has a list of past champions that includes Fred Couples, Bob Gilder, Don Bies and Rick Acton. The field will consist of 168 of the top professionals and amateurs from the Northwest. The 54 hole tournament will be held August 23rd through the 25th of next year. A corresponding Pro-Am event will be held the three days prior to the tournament proper with details avail-able in the very near future.

History of the Championship:The history of the Northwest Open

reads like a history of golf in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, fifteen members of the Pacific Northwest Section’s Hall of Fame are Northwest Open Champions. The early years were dominated by Se-attle Golf Club’s Robert Johnstone (who won 8 of the first 10 events) and “Long

Jim” Barnes. Barnes, the professional at Tacoma C&GC from 1911 - 1915, won the first two PGA Championships (1916, 1919) in addition to the 1921 U. S. Open and the 1925 British Open! Spokane’s Marvin “Bud” Ward captured six cham-pionships over a 22 year span, five as an amateur and his last as a professional. Bud was also a National Amateur champion and may have won a few more but for the lack of championships dur-ing WWII. A complete list of past champions is available at www.pnwpga.com.

The Pacific Northwest Section:

The Pacific Northwest Section includes 1,100 PGA members and appren-tices in Washington, Oregon, Northern Idaho, Western Montana and Alaska. The Northwest Open Invitational is one of six major champion-

ships conducted by the Section.For more information, please contact

John Thorsnes, Director of Golf, Wine Valley Golf Club or Pacific Northwest Section PGA – Jeff Ellison, Executive

Director at 360-790-6971 [email protected] or www.pnwpga.com.

Wine Valley Golf Club Set To Host 2010 Northwest Open

Photo credit Eric Yallien

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 23

www.penleysports.com

Made in the USA

P.R.D (Penley Research & Development)

9431 Dowdy Dr. - San Diego, CA 92126 tel. 858.587.4200

Completely new by carter penley, the ET2 is designed and

manufactured using his “tip to butt aspect ratio” (TBAR)

Algorithm a new and revolutionary process

utilizing ‘z’ flex characterization

ET2 ‘r’, ‘s’, & ‘x’

woods are availible thru:

clubmaker online . Patriot golf . 2 putt golf .

Houston custom club . golffynd (sweden) . geotechgolf (japan)

The most recognized name in the world of golf shafts.

Penley is Back!

Wedges are the most personal clubs in a golfer’s bag, as they are designed to have multiple performance characteristics and these characteristics make wedges the most important part of a golfer’s game.

As the former VP of Tour Operations for Cleveland Golf (the #1 wedge on the PGA tour) I spent many hours grinding on wedges for famous PGA Tour Players. From Byron Nelson to Corey Pavin they all wanted their wedges to be “just right for them”. It’s this personalization that sets wedges apart from all other clubs in a PGA Tour player’s bag. The average golf-er needs to understand why wedges are designed the way they are and what these design options can do to improve their game. This article is to help all golfers understand the options they have when choosing their wedges. So here we go:

Overall design (Shape) – The best selling and performing wedges all have a traditional design and are patterned after the MacGregor wedges of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. The reason; these wedges have a pleasing shape that is easy on the eye as the player looks down at the ball. Also, the design features allow for the bounce and leading edge to be blended into the performance of the club head. Better players gravitate toward this design so it influences the majority of the golf market.

While I was at Cleveland Golf we became

the #1 wedge in golf because we were the #1 wedge on Tour. And we made the “best” wedges!

Bounce – The most important area of wedge design! Wedges perform the way they do because of the bounce on the sole

of the club head. The bounce angle is

formed by the distance the leading edge of the club head is from the ground. The greater the distance between the ground and the leading edge the greater the bounce as this allows the trailing edge to bounce, not the leading edge to dig. A

low bounce angle is where the leading edge is close to the ground while high bounce angles are created by rounding the sole along the leading edge. This moves the leading edge higher off the ground. Sand wedges were first designed to reduce digging on shots out of sand traps. Wedges come with many different bounce angles and generally speaking if you have a steep angle of attack you will benefit from wedges with more bounce than golfer’s with a shallow angle of at-tack. These golfers need a lower bounce on their wedges.

Conditions – Bunkers with soft, fluffy sand require a wedge with increased bounce so the club head will resist dig-ging. Conversely, bunkers featuring hard compacted sand require less bounce be-cause you want the club head to dig, not bounce. In deep rough or lush fairways more bounce will be a benefit while less bounce will help when playing from tight fairways or hardpan. (Most Tour Profes-sionals put higher bounce wedges in their bags when playing in the U.S. Open. This is because of the playing conditions, thick and higher rough during this tourna-ment.

Loft angle – The angle that lifts the ball off the ground. Wedges come in many loft

Understanding Wedge Designby les miller

Design elements of a wedge

continued on page 34

since 1974

24 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

Hey! Try Me Out

I N N O VAT I V E I R O N R E P L A C E M E N T

Innovative Hybrid Design from 2 iron - Sand Wedge!Always 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Try the Wedgewood38 Original Seriesº

39$Special 99+sh

O r d e r s a n d I n f o : 1 ( 8 8 8 ) 8 3 3 - 7 3 7 1 o r w w w . w e d g e w o o d g o l f . c o m

The Wedgewood patented hybrid head design combines the most sought after characteristics of traditional irons and woods into a single design. From the fairway, off the tee, in the rough or sand the Wedgewood will give you confidence to hit with accuracy and power!

Shank Resistant... Straighter Line... Higher Flight

Cleveland® Golf/Srixon® sales repre-sentative Mike Kelly of West Hartford, Conn., has been selected by The Con-necticut Section of The PGA of America as the 2009 Sales Representative of the Year. This award annually recognizes the golf sales representative whose significant contributions have helped shape the way in which golf products and services are merchandised through section PGA Pro-fessionalsí golf shops.

Kelly has been a sales representative for Cleveland® Golf/Srixon® for three years. Prior to that, he managed several retail stores in South Carolina, as well as Connecticut over a fifteen-year span. His business philosophy of creating partner-ships, providing personal attention, and making himself accessible at all times, has distinguished him among his peers.

Kelly attended Central Connecticut State University and resides in West Hart-ford with his wife, Tammy, and their two-year old son, Declan. He will be honored along with the other award winners at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Sunday, November 22, at the Special Awards Banquet, sponsored by Club Car, with support from Foxwoods, Kirk & Matz, and NEJ Inc.

The Connecticut Section, PGA of

America is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the PGA in 1933 to pro-mote golf and enhance the livelihood of its members. The section is comprised of more than 350 men and women PGA Pro-fessionals from Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, the experts in the game and business of golf. More information about The Connecticut Section and the award winners is available on the organizationís web site, located at www.ctpga.com.

For more information on Cleveland® Golf/Srixon®, Never Compromise® and Cleveland Classics™ apparel, please visit www.clevelandgolf.com, www.srixon.com, www.nevercompromise.com and www.clevelandclassicapparel.com.

Cleveland® Golf, Srixon®, Never Com-promise® and Cleveland Classics™ apparel are brands owned by SRI Sports Limited. With corporate headquarters based in Kobe, Japan, SRI Sports is the fourth larg-est golf company in the world, as well as one of the worldís leading patent holders in golf ball technology. For more information, please contact Keith Patterson, PR/Media Relations Manager (714.889.5808) or visit us online at www.clevelandgolf.com, www.srixon.com, www.nevercompromise.com and www.clevelandclassicsapparel.com.

PGA Of America Names Mike Kelly 2009 Sales Representative Of The

Year Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: What are your green fees?Staff: 38 dollars.Caller: Does that include golf?----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, I need to get some information from you. First, is thisyour correct phone number?----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, we have a tee time for two weeks from Friday. What’s theweather going to be like that day?----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, I had a tee time for this afternoon but I’m running late. Can you still get me out early?----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, do you have one of those areas where you can buy a bucket of golf balls and hit them for practice?Staff: You mean a driving range?Caller: No, that’s not it....----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, I’d like to get a tee time tomorrow between 12 o’clock and noon.

Staff: Between 12 o’clock and noon?Caller: Yes.Staff: We’ll try to squeeze you in.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Do you have any open tee times around 10 o’clock?Staff: Yes, we have one at 10:15.Caller: What’s the next time after that?Staff: We have one at 10:22.Caller: We’ll take that one. It will be a bit warmer.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: How much to play golf today?Staff: 25 to walk, 38 with a cart.Caller: 38 dollars?Staff: No, 38 yen.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: What do you have for tee times tomorrow?Staff: What time would you like?Caller: What times do you have?Staff: What time of the day?Caller: Any time.Staff: Morning or afternoon?Caller: Whenever.Staff: We have 16 times open in the

Actual Calls Received At A Public Golf Course

(Scottsdale, AZ)

continued on page 30

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 25

Join Us Online!

Facebook key words:“Golf Today NW”

Better than a birdie! Tweet us atwww.twitter.com/golftodaynw.com

of those helpful tools designed for the avid golfer. You can use the score journal to record your score, progress and im-provement for 20 rounds. There is space for you to record the weather at the time, fairways hit in regulation, total number of putts, total saves, greens hit in regula-tion, penalties, etc. The booklet will help you see and quantify your results, which wanted or not, provides insights into your strengths and weaknesses. Check out www.par-formance.com for more information. Ruletwentyone, a new waterproof back pocket towel and ball cleaner that was launched at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show is both stylish and functional. The Ruletwentyone back pocket towel is an absorbent bamboo terry cloth layered with a waterproof shell neatly pre-folded to conveniently fit into a golfer’s back pocket. This looks very cool on the course, and when you need a wet golf towel, you simply reach into your dry back pocket. Made in the USA, the hyper-absorbent bamboo terry layer is eco-friendly, providing both technical and

earth-friendly benefits. With prices rang-ing from $10-$20 and a variety of colors, Ruletwentyone is an ideal summer, fall or holiday gear gift. For more information, please visit www.rulegolf.com.

Fred Shoemaker, founder of Extraor-dinary Golf, taught me to look for pos-sibilities and to ask lots of big questions. Several years ago, Fred asked me this question and it is often the first question I now ask my students. “What’s the first thing you need to know before you go somewhere?”

The typical answers from students are “I need to know where I am going,” and “how I am going to get there.”

“Before that?” I will ask.The students wi l l then say,

“Where my car keys are,” and “How much time it will take to get there.” Then I will say, “What would you have to know even before all of that?”

The answer, hidden in its obviousness,

is that you must first know where you ARE, before you know where you are go-ing. So what does this question have to do with you and your golf swing?

Let’s take a look at what I consider to be a typical scenario.

You attend a golf lesson because you want to “cure your slice”. The teacher has you take a couple of swings and then says, “Here you can see that your swing plane is coming over the top on the video, the divot is pointing left, and you can see the ball starts left of the target and slices to the right. You can also see your hands have not released, and the clubface is wide open at impact.” These are things you may already understand from previ-ous lessons or from your own study at the driving range as well as from reading golf magazines, watching instructional DVDS, and information and technique filled Golf Channel shows.

The golf instructor will then tell you how to fix what you are doing wrong by saying, “Swing more to the right on the down swing and roll your hands over more through impact.”

It is also possible that you might start hitting the ball better during the lesson and you will consider yourself “fixed”. But soon after the lesson your slice returns yet you still don’t know why the ball curves wildly to the right. Despite your best efforts the slice returns as bad or worse than before, thus leading to more lessons,

more information, new tips, and eventu-ally a new teacher (because the last one obviously didn‘t help). Too often you get more of the same even as you hope for different results.

This is where traditional instruction generally leads the student into the dark-ness. You, the student, are being asked to change a swing that you have little or no awareness of. You haven’t felt the club travel “over the top”, away from your body and across the ball through impact sending the divot left. You haven’t felt the clubface point to the right and put side-spin on the ball causing it to curve right. How could you expect anything to really change or improve if you don’t realize you’re doing it in the first place? You have all of this evidence, but no experience of the action itself.

To emerge from the darkness the first thing I would want to take place in a les-son or a practice session is for the golfer to experience what is happening right now; to actually feel and become more aware of the things that have been seen on video, and described to you by friends, teachers, magazines and playing partners. Instead of trying to fix your slice, discover what it is that creates the slice in the first place. Notice which path the club is traveling on in relation to your target; notice when the clubface or your hands turn over in relationship to the ball. Once you experi-ence which direction your club is traveling

in relationship to the target, and which way the club face is pointing at impact, you can then begin to explore new ways of swinging.

How can this truly happen? When an environment is created where it is safe for the student to explore without judgment or criticism, new empowering possibili-ties begin to open up for them. Instead of “curing a slice”, the student is now able to feel and intentionally curve the ball right and then to intentionally curve the ball left. Once the student is able to distin-guish the differences of those two swings, they can find the middle ground and hit the ball relatively straight.

The beauty of this approach is that anyone can develop their awareness and increase the capacity to distinguish one action from another. Instead of being ad-dicted to “fixing” and “doing it right”, you give yourself the freedom to explore us-ing your creativity, curiosity, and natural learning abilities to become present to what is happening now. To reiterate--you must know where you are before you know where you are going. Try it for yourself, discover what is possible.

Brandon Richardson can be reached via email at: [email protected] or visit his website at www.GolfwithFree-dom.Net

The First Thing You Need To Know by BranDon riCHarDson

continued from page 11

26 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 27

additional 20,000 fans on Saturday and over 30,000 spectators on Champion-ship Sunday.

A record 970 volunteers supported the Boeing Classic throughout the week. Volunteering at the Boeing Classic is a great opportunity to work behind the scenes and get close to the action while supporting a great cause.

“It was a great experience. I’ve done a lot of volunteering in my time, but I’ve never been treated and valued so much as I did at the event. Thanks.”-2009 Boeing Classic Volunteer

Tournament Officials have already begun planning for 2010. A reduced volunteer fee of $25 is being offered for returning 2009 volunteers and for those new and returning volunteers that sign

up before October 31, a $50 Callaway gift card is included in the volunteer reg-istration fee. Over 250 volunteers have already reserved their spot for 2010. For more information on volunteering visit BoeingClassic.com

The Boeing Classic would like to thank tournament sponsors- The Boe-ing Company, Seattle Seahawks, and community partners - The Washington Athletic Club, The First Tee of Greater Seattle, The Seattle Sports Commission and tournament beneficiary- Virginia Mason Medical Center.

2010 dates are set for August 23-29, a great chance to see the players return to Seattle for what hopes to be a record setting year. For more information on the Boeing Classic, please visit Boeing-Classic.com

continued from page 8

sheet unless I had driven the car first. He said, “I don’t care if you drive it out of the parking lot, make a u-turn and come back. You have to drive it.”

Many golfers consider themselves wine connoisseurs. If you take your first taste and it’s the best wine in the world how would you know unless you’ve tasted a thousand lesser wines first?

How many examples do you need?Golf Clubs Should Not Be DifferentThe old way of buying golf clubs was

you’d come into the pro shop, look at every model from every angle, hold them, waggle them. You put the persimmon woods under a magnifying glass to study the grain. Then you said a prayer and then dug out your cash.

Golf clubs were chosen just like Miss America in those days, by looks alone.

If you bought a golf club that didn’t seem to work at first – you would struggle with it for a year or more, hoping that your investment was not lost.

Some of us learned how to hit clubs that weren’t very good.

Fast Forward To The Intermediate Level

Manufacturers figured out that players wanted to try before they buy. That sig-naled the advent of fitting carts that put ten or twenty clubs out on the hitting line for players to test. Whack a few shots, try to remember the setup that worked

the best and place your order. The king of that kind of fitting program was Ping. They revolutionized the fitting process by making sure that their buyers got the correct length and lie angle.

Demo Days come with a harsh dose of reality. The golf club that is delivered is frequently quite different from the demo. No two golf clubs are ever exactly alike. That’s the reason for our mantra: “Always buy the demo.”

Ping might have been the best of the first generation of custom fitting but they didn’t give a damn about a couple of very important factors: flex and feel. Ping was founded on the principle that most average players would do well with iron heads that were light and shafts that were stiff. Ping proved that if you just get the basics right, you will see improve results for most golfers. In their day, Ping irons dominated sales. But today, golfers expect more.

And Now, AdvancedIn most parts of North America, there

are dedicated individuals who love golf and wake up every morning thinking about helping their customers shoot their lifetime best score.

For those of us who are living in that world, the ultimate excitement is getting that call from the fringe of the 18th green when a customer can’t wait to call us – before his wife – to let us know that he’s beaten his lifetime best.

That happened last week for John Ru-

ark at San Geronimo in Marin County. At age 74 he broke 80 for the first time in his life.

How Does That Happen?It takes teamwork – the player, the club

fitter and a coach. Both the player and the fitter need to understand the player’s swing. That is accomplished with sophis-ticated electronics that break down the basics: swing path, face angle at impact, launch angle, swing speed, ball speed and indicators of consistency.

The absolute, ground zero, starting point for understanding the clubs that might deliver optimized performance is to figure out who is this player, what are his goals and how much time and effort is he willing to put into improvement?

There is no quick answer. As a player, you need to know fundamentals and con-sistency of your swing. Are you delivering the club inside out or are you cutting out-side in. What is your face angle at impact? Are you guarding against a right by clos-ing the club face? How consistent is your launch angle? How about your balance, tempo and timing? What is your percent-age of center face contact? All of these questions are illuminated with modern electronics – the launch monitor.

Swing efficiency is determined by ana-lyzing your power transfer ratio or smash factor. That’s a ratio of ball speed divided by club head speed. One of the secrets of the pros is that they get the club square on the ball at the moment of impact. If you

hit the ball solid, the same swing speed will produce more distance. It will also lead to straighter shots.

Then, you match the player with the clubs. Starting with the basics of length, lie and weight. Progressing to the details of head size, head shape and balance.

Then fine-tuning the feel by hitting test clubs in an outdoor environment. A player has to test at least a dozen clubs with known specifications before he’ll have enough experience to make a well informed choice of final club specifica-tions. It’s worth the trouble. You’re going to spend hundreds of hours with those clubs over the next few years.

What Kind Of Player Do You Want to Be?

This is the key question. Do you want to raise your game to the level where you work the ball? Can you hit the draw to get to the pin position in the back left? Do you want the fade to get a birdie putt when the pin is short right?

Do you shape your driver shots left to right when the dogleg is right? Can you change to a draw when you need right to left?

When you start to think about break-ing 80 as a lifetime accomplishment, you have signed up to accomplish something that 98 out of 100 golfers never achieve.

Now, Fitting To The “Nth Degree”There has been a misunderstanding

about fitting golf equipment. The idea behind their Tour Fitting Services was

continued from page 9

continued on page 30

The Best Quotes in GolfFrom The Notebook Of Ron Salsig

“They always say second place is first loser. But I’d rather be first loser than 39th loser”

– Sergio Garcia

28 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

David Barton debuted the premiere West Coast outpost of his namesake gym at the new Shops at the Bravern in Bellevue, Wash. last month. In a city known best for its brain power, the new 40,000 square foot DavidBartonGym has been executed to put the intellect back into exercise. Using equipment and techniques that reflect the scientific ad-

vancements of today, DavidBartonGym Bellevue is the XBox to its competitors’ PacMan.

Prior to the gym’s development Bar-ton studied the personality of the region and created an aesthetic that is tailored to the local disposition. Drawing upon the locals’ fondness for the outdoors, Barton used many of the materials that occur in surrounding nature inside the gym. The entrance way is a wooden half pipe carved out of beautifully reclaimed oak, which grows in diameter as you proceed downward past the in-house retail boutique and membership of-fices. The tunnel, which serves as a

warping welcome mat to the multi story space, is a nod to the many skateboard ramps strewn throughout the city. This and other interior elements are meant to send members on a sensory journey, where one’s imagination is inspired to seek the same perfection in their own bodies that they see in the nature sur-rounding them.

“Gyms are seen as drudgery when they should be an escape,” says owner David Barton. “In Seattle, the interior becomes a sensory landscape informed by the natural landscape which lies outside the windows. In this atmosphere, the imagi-nation is unleashed, and working out becomes exciting– there is no limit to the changes you can make to your body with this kind of inspiration.”

Despite what Barton’s controversial “Look Better Naked” ads may imply, it is physiology, not flash and flesh, that serves as the cornerstone for Barton’s enterprise. As a former body builder and Cornell graduate, Barton has a seri-

ous, scientific approach, bringing the best in fitness offerings and expertise to Seattle. The bi-level gym will provide members with a weight-training floor, four colossal training rooms for spin-ning, group exercise, yoga and pilates, a dedicated cardio area with nearly 100 pieces of equipment and a famed cadre of comprehensively-trained fitness spe-

cialists. Creating what he describes as a

“culture of mentoring,” Barton person-ally oversees the training of every team member to ensure that they are all experts in the scientific implications their craft. To earn Barton’s stamp of approval, which roughly one in thirty applicants do, prospective trainers must prove themselves capable of training the master himself. The end result is an educated, dedicated, integrated fitness team who will not only sculpt clients in individual sessions, but will be instructing all group exercise as well. This system, which was designed to bet-

ter serve a broader demographic, allows all members to enjoy the highest qual-ity training available in groundbreaking group classes like “Pain and Pleasure,” and “Blood, Sweat & Tears.” This type of personal attention and hands-on ser-vice has become synonymous with the David Barton name.

“At DavidBartonGym, we see bodies

for what they could be, and our team possesses the expertise to do remarkable things and deliver an ideal image. We really care about people, and that’s how you become more than a business, you become an institution.”

DavidBartonGym in Bellevue is lo-cated at The Bravern at 11025 NE 8th Street in Bellevue, Wash. DavidBar-tonGym will be open Monday through Wednesday 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday and Friday 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to pre-sale, call 425-453-7887 or email [email protected].

4 Ball Pro.................................... 30Bag Shag .................................... 11Best Western .............................. 35Tri-Cities Visitors Bureau .......... 3Drake Mortgage ........................ 33Birdie Ball .................................. 28Club Glider .................................. 6Club Maxx ................................. 22Dave Smith Motors ............. 12, 36Eastmoreland Golf Course ....... 20Golf TEC ...................................... 2Grip 18 ......................................... 9Gustbuster ................................. 10Heron Lakes Golf Course ......... 17Mount Si Golf Course ................. 7

MacroGolf .................................. 15

Maplewood Golf Course ............. 8

Nile Golf Course ........................ 12

Palouse Ridge ....................... 31,35

Penley Shafts.............................. 24

RedTail Golf Complex .............. 18

Rosecity Golf Course ................ 19

Suncoast Golf Getaway............. 27

Smith Preferred ......................... 12

TayleurMayde ......................... 5,35

Tom Wells Golf Company ........ 24

Wedgewood Golf ....................... 25

... Index of Advertisers for OCTOBER 2009 ...

Penta TP on TourPenta TP is already being played on

tour, first by Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen, who switched into it at the PGA Championship. Other players who have switched into Penta TP include Y.E. Yang, Justin Rose and Jason Day. “It usually takes players several weeks or even months of trial before they’ll change balls,” said Snell. “We’re seeing players switch into Penta TP after testing it for nine holes. That’s proof that Penta TP offers a dramatic improvement in per-formance.”

A Great Choice for Every Level of Player Penta TP was created for our tour pros, yet it’s a great ball for every level of player. You don’t have to be a fast swinger to achieve excellent distance with Penta TP, and it delivers the kind of spin in the scor-ing zone that a distance ball can’t compete with, giving shorter hitters the added con-trol to get up-and-down more often. The same goes for higher handicappers – the extra spin Penta TP promotes will only improve the quality of their short shots, helping them score lower.

Penta TP becomes available starting

on December 1, 2009 in the Sunbelt states (Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, southern California and Hawaii) and February 15, 2010 nationwide at a retail price of $45.99 per dozen.

About Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company TaylorMade Golf has led the golf in-dustry’s technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and put-ters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade be-came a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf creates high-performance, technology-infused golf apparel and footwear worn by hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Ashworth, which became a brand of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company in 2008, creates relaxed, lifestyle-oriented golf apparel synonymous with authentic-ity and quality. Learn more about Taylor-Made-adidas Golf and its brands at (866) 530-TMAG (8624) or www.tmag.com, www.taylormadegolf.com, www.adidas-golf.com, and www.ashworthinc.com.

continued from page 22

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 29

that you could show up, hit a few balls, and computers and software would tell you the exact perfect driver and irons to fit your game in two hours. All that con-fidence was inspired by some very compe-tent club fitters and an array of high speed cameras, radar and computers.

And, truth be told, the indoor fitting method assisted by electronic gizmos was better than buying clubs off the rack.

The promise was that the computer could tell you the perfect clubs. Alas, computers are still not smart enough to tell golfers what clubs will certainly be best for their game.

That was the business model when the high tech fitting industry was thinking about big profits and public offerings. Grandiose dreams of riches were fueled by the early success of Hot Stix. But big dreams have a way of fading.

Today, the best custom golf fittings have gone back to the future. Electronics are still important but those of us who work with golfers on a daily basis know that they just help narrow the choices. There is simply no quick fix, no easy solution. The only way to be absolutely, positively sure that you have the best golf clubs for your game is to test enough dif-ferent clubs, knowing the specifications, until you have enough personal experi-ence to make the decision – and that’s a decision that you’ll make for yourself.

The custom club fitter and club maker fulfills his role by analysis and experience

– supplying an array of test clubs chosen because they test well – but allowing the player to make the final decision by observing ball flight and experiencing the feel of the clubs.

For most, I recommend finding the guy in your area who loves golf, is fascinated by finding the magic in clubs that help his customers shoot lower scores. Establish a relationship with that guy. Work with him – possibly for several days or even weeks – to develop your ability to feel and see the difference in golf clubs. That will make golf a lot more fun for you – and you might find yourself shooting your lifetime best one of these days.

On The HorizonIn October I’ll be covering the Presi-

dent’s Cup in San Francisco. Look for a series of blog reports from behind the scenes. I had been to Harding Park a

couple of times before the event to pick up the buzz and look forward to spend-ing some time in the open and combined press and players’ lounge. Maybe every interview doesn’t have to be scripted. I’ll find some stories that you won’t find in Golf Magazine (in January).

Later in October I’ll be trekking down to Columbus, Georgia for the annual meeting of the Association of Golf Club-fitting Professionals (AGCP). That’s the most important meeting of the year for custom club fitters. It’s a great organiza-tion with some of the top guys in the world gathering to share their knowledge. Featured this year will be high speed pho-tography, custom grinding for wedges and balancing golf clubs to promote consis-tency and center contact. I’ll be making a couple of presentations to the group.

And then we’ll be at the end of the year.

That’s when the drumbeat of new equip-ment introductions starts, leading up to the worldwide industry convocation, the PGA Merchandise Show in January 2010. There will be a lot of golf club news leading up to that show.

I hope that I’ve got your attention and that you’ll seek out Golf Today Magazine at your favorite golf club, shop or practice range.

Leith Anderson is a partner in the Golf Lab, Palo Alto, CA. He will answer any questions relating to golf equipment, clubfitting or clubmaking. Contact: [email protected].

continued from page 28

Tempo

AlignmenT

Follow-Thru TAkeAwAy

Find out more about this awesome putting device that will help you to cut 3 to 4 strokes per round at

www.4Ballpro.com

pros to Hackers – Grooves any stroke – easy-to-useonly $29.95

Is my putter square to the •target line? Do I have the nice tempo in •my putting stroke? Is my takeaway smooth and •correct? Am I setup properly? •Do I have an Arc Stroke or •Straight line stroke? Can I consistently make •putt after putt? What are the issues with my •putting? Is my stroke grooved like it •should be? How is my follow-thru?•

morning and 20 open in theafternoon. Would you like me to read the whole list?Caller: No, I don’t think any of those times will work for me.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Do you have a dress code?Staff: Yes, we do. We require soft spikes.Caller: How about clothes?Staff: Yes, you have to wear clothes.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, do you have a driving range there?Staff: Yes.Caller: How much for a bucket of large balls?Staff: Sorry, we’re all out of large balls. But we can give you twice as many small balls for the same price.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Can I get a tee time for tomorrow?Staff: Sure, what time would you like?

Caller: Something between 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock. In the morning, if possible.----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Do you rent golf clubs there?Staff: Yes, they’re 25 dollars.Caller: How much to rent a bag?----------------------------------------Staff: Golf course, may I help you?Caller: Yes, my husband just called me on his cell phone and told me he’s on the 15th hole. How many more holes does he have to play before he getsto the 18th?

continued from page 25

30 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 31

STAFF REGIONAL EDITORS / AD REPSPUBLISHER / EDITOR . . . . . . . Cameron Healey

[email protected] DIRECTOR . . . Kris Hansen

[email protected] EXPLORER EDITOR. . . Hal GevertzGCSA & NORCAL PGA . . . . . . Emmy Moore MinisterASSOCIATE EDITORS: . . . . . Bob Weisgerber, Bob FaganCONTRIBUTING EDITOR . . . . Leith Anderson

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . John Berkovich, Don Carlson, Dan Hruby, Tom Kubistant (PhD), Tom LaMarre, Bill Nestor, Rick Newell, Barry Salberg,Ron Salsig, Pat Simmons, Robert Strahan,Terry VanderHeiden

“ACE” EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Mc [email protected]

CARTOONISTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Evert for Finkstrom…Jonny Hawkins…Rich Newell for Life in � e Trap…Frank Roberson

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/RENO/TAHOECharley Coppola…916-427-3441 [email protected]

RENO/TAHOEBob Gee…775-741-5300 [email protected]

NORTHERN CALIFORNIAREGIONAL EDITORRobert Strahan, former Tour Pro 707-673-7206

CENTRAL CALIFORNIAMike Hamiel…2094998779 [email protected]

LAS VEGASXavier Basquez…7024088658 [email protected]

MAXWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Christopher (CB) Maxwell…2095338291 [email protected]

Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor • Golf Today Magazine Northwest Edition(425) 941-9946 phone • (425) 949-3090 fax

www.GolfTodayNW.com • [email protected]

Golf Today Magazine, The Best in the West for 22 Years, 12 issues per year, is published monthly. Golf Today Magazine Northwest Edition is published monthly and distributedwithin Washington and Oregon State. Subscriptions are available at $29 per year, $39 for two years, or $49 for three years. Golf Today is protected under the copyright law.Contents of this publication cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited articles should be sent via e-mail and photos are welcome.Correspondence should be sent to Golf Today Magazine.ISSN 1524-2854

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Seattle-native Bill Wright winning the 1959 U.S. Amateur Public Links cham-pionship, becoming the first African-American to win a USGA national title, and in celebration of Wright’s historic victory and his contributions to the game of golf, the Washington State Golf Asso-ciation, The First Tee of Greater Seattle, United State Golf Association, and Jeffer-son Park Golf Course will commemorate October 10, 2009 as “Bill Wright Day.” The ceremony, which starts at noon on Saturday, October 10, will be held at Jef-ferson Park Golf Course in Seattle, Wash. and will include a presentation followed by Wright giving a Junior clinic for The First Tee kids. The ceremony and clinic

will be open to the public. “Bill Wright has inspired generations

with his achievements and also by who he is as a person,” said Heidi Wills, Executive Director of The First Tee of Greater Se-attle. “He is a great role model for the kids participating in The First Tee program where we teach that golf is more than a game – it’s about values such as perse-verance, confidence, sportsmanship and integrity; all values that Bill Wright em-bodies and elevates. What an honor for The First Tee kids to get to meet him.”

“The game of golf is fortunate to have someone such as Bill Wright,” said John Bodenhamer, Executive Director of the Washington State Golf Association. “His integrity is something that is having an impact on the game across the decades.”

Wright’s ties to golf began at age 14, when his father began taking him to Jef-ferson Park GC. Within a year he was the city’s Junior champion. He earned athletic honors in golf and basketball at Western Washington State College (now Univer-sity), winning the NAIA collegiate indi-vidual golf championship in 1960, and is a member of WWU’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He briefly ventured onto the professional tour, and played in the 1966 U.S. Open. He still carries his PGA Tour card in his wallet. Staying in the game, he has qualified for five U.S. Senior Opens, and now, at age 73, teaches golf four to five days a week at The Lakes at El Segundo course in the Los Angeles, Calif. area.

Bill’s father, Bob, was a fine player in his own right, competing in the 1963 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Bill counts World Golf Hall of Famer Charlie Sifford as a source of inspiration during his youth. Sifford was often a guest at the Wright

household during visits to Seattle and amazed Bill with his practice routine. “Every single time he was there, both my Dad and I would watch him, said Bill. “All day long, he would practice his chip shots, his putting, whatever he could do.”

In the summer of 1959, at Wellshire Golf Course in Denver, Colorado, Wright defeated Frank Campbell of Jacksonville, Florida 3 & 2 in the 36-hole final match of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Cham-pionship.

Two incidents from that championship a half-century ago stand out today for Wright, who still maintains a regal pres-ence with his athletic 6-foot-2 frame.

First, just after the ceremony where he received his trophy and medal, he was told he had a phone call. It was a sports announcer from Seattle. “He said: ‘How does it feel to be the first black to win the tournament?’ And, I just slammed the phone down,” Wright recalled. “I wasn’t thinking in those terms. I hung up and got myself back together. That was how I felt inside. I wasn’t mad. I wanted to be black. I wanted to be the winner. I wanted to be all those things. It just hit that other people were thinking that (being the first black winner). I was just playing golf.”

The second incident, which illustrates Wright’s innate sportsmanship, occurred during the championship’s semifinal match against Don Essig. On the match’s sixth hole, Essig overshot the green and faced a difficult lie. During his stroke, some in the crowd continued their con-versations and Essig’s chip attempt did not reach the green. Immediately, Wright walked to the gallery and said politely, “Some of you folks bothered him on that shot. It was very unfair. Please give him

a better break so he can play his regular game.”

Essig and Wright were reunited in 2000 at the 75th Anniversary of the cham-pionship, which was being held that year at Heron Lakes GC in Portland, Ore. Es-sig’s take on that semifinal story: “Bill has always been a perfect gentleman.”

Asked what winning that champion-ship has meant to him, Wright says, “It means that I was playing well at the time, but it also meant that someone else could come along and play in the tournament. It didn’t make a difference if they were young or old or anything – they could play, and they’d have a chance to win. I am proud now, if you ask me. I have been for many years. I was able to at least give an image to kids like that.”

The WSGA was formed in 1922 to conduct the men’s state amateur golf championship. Since its humble be-ginnings more than 85 years ago, the WSGA has evolved into one of the largest amateur golf associations in the United States, providing a multitude of benefits and services to approximately 80,000 individual members at nearly 640 member golf clubs throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho. The WSGA is a 501(c) 6 non-profit amateur golf association governed by volunteer, amateur golfers who employ a full-time, professional staff of 13 people. WSGA members pay an annual membership fee, through their club, to belong to the Association. The WSGA also serves as a state-wide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Ceremony to Honor Bill Wright’s Historic USGA Victory

Bill Wright accepts the 1959 championship trophy from the USGA’s Emerson Carey, Jr. Photo copyright USGA.

32 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

CLASSIFIEDSBUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LEARN TO TEACH GOLF. The Profession of a Lifetime. Call for a certification course near you. United States Golf Teachers Federation. Please call toll free 1 (888) 346-3290 for more information. Or log on to www.GolfTeachingPro.com

OWN THE RIGHTS TO manufacture and market one of the most popular golf aids on the course, that has been growing in name and sight recognition in the retail golf an promotional industry for 3+ years. Steady and profitable growth. Interested parties, please call 830-896-1598, or send e-mail to [email protected] for more info. This may well be your opportunity of a lifetime.

GOLF ACCESSORIES

NEED THAT EDGE? OUTFIT your golf game, tour-nament or corporate outing with Lucky golf accessories. Custom logo program available Visit us online at www.luckystroke.com. Inquires - 408.313.0081.

GOLF PACKAGES

STARTING AT ONLY $59, treat yourself to com-fortable lodging and great golf (including cart!) at 10th Green Inn at La Contenta. Visit www.10thgreeninn.com for more information. Or, call 1 (888) 727-8705.

GOLF VACATION RENTALS

WAILEA, MAUI - GRAND Champions Villas on Blue Course, 7th Fairway. 1 BR, 2 bath, Discounted golf and ten-nis fees to tenants. $805 per week. $3000 per month, plus tax. Call (916) 408-1049. Or, [email protected]

HOUSE OF KANGAROO GOLF SHOES

HOUSE OF KANGAROO GOLF shoes are made from kangaroo leather which is one of the light-est & strongest leathers! Walking 18 holes feels like walking a few blocks. Try a pair today! Phone#: 1-800-597-9091www.hoknorthamerica.com

LEFT HANDED GOLF CLUBS

DEMOS AND NEW CLUBS, some good used ones, men’s and women’s. Many name brands and knock offs at 50% below retail. I’ll email you the list. Shipping at the true cost, not inflated: [email protected].

LOOKING TO TRAVEL OR WINTER NEST?

2005 27’ TRAILBAY TRAVEL trailer. Barely used, and beautifully kept. Slide-out living room and bunk house floor plan. Sleeps eight comfortably. Fully equipped with awning, stabilizer tow bars, two 10 gallon propane tanks, great stereo, many other extras. Only $25,000. Call (530) 308-7482 or email [email protected]

REAL ESTATE

AFFORDABLE GOLF COMMUNITY LOT in Cool Pacific Northwest Home lot for sale in Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club on the Hood Canal in Union Washington. Walk to clubhouse & fairways. Dues only $170 per month & come w/ full privileges for 2 on beautiful 18 hole course consistently ranked among top 25 in the Pacific Northwest. See www.alderbrookgolf.com for community details. 1/3 wooded acre on cul-de-sac. Electric and water in street. Septic required. $85,000. Contact Sharon Roseme at [email protected] or 916-663-3450.

LAKE LAS VEGAS GOLF RESORT: Live in this beautiful golf community with three golf courses, two major hotels with gaming, plus a wonderful 320-acre lake full of fish. Chose from custom homes or custom lots to build your own dream home. Play a round of golf free, this being our way of saying thanks to qualified people looking for the right location. Call Earl or Anne at 702-460-2192 for an appointment. (Re/Max Pros.) Check our virtual tour at wwww.yourvegashome.com.

SEA VIEW HOME SITES, championship golf course,

beach club, vacation, retire, affordable, full ownership,

title insurance, Baja, Mexico. Free information: bill@ter-

rablaze.com, (408) 690-8429. CA DREA01029353

SQUAW VALLEY CONDO FOR RENT/PURCHASE

SPEND A WEEK, TWO, winter or summer, at the

OLYMPIC VILLAGE INN in Squaw Valley. Plenty of activities,

new clubhouse, free bikes for the family or just relax in the

hammock or in one of the five hot tubs. Take a swim, take a

hike, take a gondola ride to High Camp. This Kitzbeuhl unit

is a one bedroom, one bath with mini-kitchen that sleeps

four. It is available for rent or purchase. The week available

this winter is December 7-14. The summer weeks are in

June and August. It fills up fast, sold out early for 2008.

Rent for a week for $850, two week for $1,500 with half the

rent to apply toward the purchase at $4,500 a week. Get

the full story from their web site www.olympicvillageinn.

com. Don Thompson, [email protected].

GOLF ACCESSORIES

RV GOLFERSSun Country golf & RV. Located 4 m i l e s w e s t o f cle elum on I90. Take exit 78 and go south 1/2 mile

on Golf Course RD. E n j o y a f f o r d a b l e , n e w l y opened and remodeled 18 holes, wifi, cable, new showers and bathroom. Accommodates oversized RV’s. Once you experience it, you will come back.Please call 509-674-2226 for reservations.

New Golf Products!Do you have a new golf product? A new golf service? Give Cameron a call at Golf Today Magazine. Get results with us and grow. For more information,call 425-941-9946 or email [email protected].

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 33

angles, from 45 to 73 de-grees. Pitching wedges range from 45 – 50 de-grees, Gap wedges from 50 -54 degrees, Sand Wedges 54 – 58 degrees and Lob wedges from 60 – 73 degrees.

Higher loft obviously means higher ball flight and shorter distance. The following yardage chart gives the ball-park distance of each wedge.

Camber – This is the heel-toe area on the bot-tom curved portion of the sole, be-tween the leading and trailing edges of the wedge head. More cam-ber means increased rounding of the sole. More rounding means increased bounce than clubs with little camber.

Sole Width – The wider the sole the more bounce a wedge will have, while a narrow sole means less bounce. So to re-cap - the amount of bounce on a wedge is the result of a golf club head’s sole width, camber and bounce angle. In general, players should seek wedges that fit their swing path and playing conditions. (See your club professional to get properly fit for your wedges.)

Wedge heads are usually made of a soft carbon steel material as this increases feel and touch. Some players, mainly better players, i.e. tour professionals use wedges that do not have chrome-plating so they rust. These players feel the raw finish gives their wedges a softer feel and increased spin. To achieve increased spin performance on chrome plated wedges manufactures use a sandblasted face which maximizes spin performance.

Finally, understanding grooves. All

wedges do not spin the ball equally. Why? Because they feature different types of grooves. Most golf companies wedges feature grooves that are cast into the club head – when the face is polished and sandblasted metal is removed leaving the grooves shallower. Many major man-ufactures provide their tour players with wedges that have the grooves machined into the face, this insures maximum spin performance. Some companies such as Titleist, Cleveland and Callaway Golf

sell wedges to the public that feature milled grooves so be sure to check with your golf professional before you buy.

continued from page 24

There is someone searching for your product or service on Google

If you had a Search Engine Marketing campaign in place they would fi nd you.

Any size business, any size budget.

Call Tom Knoop - [email protected]

mpaign

34 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN OCTOBER 2009

UNIVERSITY INN 1516 W Pullman Road

Moscow, Idaho 83843208 / 882-0550

800 / 325-8765 www.uinnmoscow.com

* One Night’s Deluxe Accommodations for Two at the Best Western University Inn* 18 Holes of Golf for Two with Range Balls for Two * Golf Cart* Full Breakfast for Two

Play Palouse Ridge Golf ClubPlay Palouse Ridge Golf Club

All Packages Include:

Mon-Thurs Fri-SunPalouse Ridge Golf Club $222 $242 at Washington State University

Play ALL 3 Courses: $458 $528

Packages available April - October 2009.Space available basis. Applicable taxes not included. Not available on special event dates.

Stay and Play Packages

Additional nights available at $84.99.(Must be purchased in conjunction

with golf package.)

Mon-Thurs Fri-SunPalouse Ridge Golf Club $372 $422 & Circling Raven Golf Club (at Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho)

ORPalouse Ridge Golf Club $308 $348 & The Golf Club at Idaho (at University of Idaho)

Play 2 Courses:

Golf Tours to Scotland and Ireland in 2010 to suit all budgets. Tayleur Mayde Golf Tours was established in 1999. Play St

Andrews, Ballybunion, Turnberry, Muirfi eld, Carnoustie and many more.

Play Golf in Scotland and Ireland

Call free on 800-847-8064 or see www.tayleurmayde.com

Golf Palouse

Pullman, WA • 509-335-4342 • palouseridge.com

Join us for Football Weekend GolfJoin us for Football Weekend Golf

the

OCTOBER 2009 GOLF TODAY MAGAzine – Northwest editioN 35

#1 internet dealer in the world for five consecutive years

dave smith™ motors 1-800-635-8000v i s i t u s at: w w w. d av e s m i t h . c o m

o r e x i t 5 1 , i - 9 0 K e l l o g g , i d

w h y pay m o r e a n y w h e r e e l s e ?

All subject to prior sale. Vehicle Identification numbers posted in dealership and are available upon request. Not responsible for typographical errors. Prices are plus tax, license & $50.00 Dealer Documentation. Califor-nia residents $45 only. No sales to dealers, brokers or anyone who buys for the sole purpose of resale or export sales. File photos, not actual photos. Rebates may vary according to the area you live in, please consult one

of our sales consultants. Availability and rebates as of 09-09-09 call dealer for current rebates. Ad expires 10-31-09 ºOn approved credit, call dealer for details. *Must be a Farm Bureau member 45 days prior to purchase. **Military Rebate, must show proof of active or active reserve status and finance thru Chrysler Financial.

Hassle free buying

new 2009 dodge 3/4 ton quad caB 4x4 slt

• 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel

• Fold Away Power Trailer Tow Mirrors

1 at this price $32,995

msrp...............................$45,505dave smith price....$39,495consumer reBate....$4,500Bonus cash...................$2,000

STK #9690X

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

save $12,510

new 2009 gmc sierra 2500 crew caB 4x4· Duramax Diesel

· Power Driver Seat· Locking Differential

· Custom Tint· SLE Package

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

MSRP...............................................$47,730dave smith price...................$41,995consumer reBate...................$3,000

1 at this

price $38,995STK #7949X

World’s largest dodge dealernortHWest’s largest gm dealer

new 2009 chevy tahoe hyBrid

· 20 MPG City/Highway· Hybrid Technoloy

· Power Sunroof · Leather Seats· Navigation System · Custom Tint

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

MSRP...............................................$55,475DAvE SMiTH PRiCE...................$47,495consumer reBate...................$1,500Bonus cash..................................$2,500

4 at this

price $43,495STK #5557X, 5582X, 5583X, 5584X

new 2009 cadillac ctsBased On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

new 2009 cadillac ext awd· Navigation System

· Power Sunroof· 22” Chrome Wheels · Heated & Cooled Leather Seats · Magnetic

Ride Control · Custom Tint

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

msrp..............................................$66,250dave smith price...................$56,995consumer reBate...................$3,500Bonus cash.................................$2,500

1 at this

price $50,995STK #7813X

new Body style 2009 dodge 1500 crew caB 4x4 slt

$29,400

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

new 2009 chrysler 300 touring

1at this price $24,495

msrp...............................$33,015dave smith price....$29,495consumer.....................$4,500Bonus cash......................$500

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

save $9,020new 2009 Jeep cheroKee 4x4

Based On Rebates As Of September 9, 2009

1 at this price

$26,495

STK #7834X

STK #6495X

STK #5784X

· Power Sunroof · 17” Aluminum Wheels · Bose Premium Sound

· Navigation System· Premium Paint

· Custom TintMSRP...............................................$46,740dave smith price...................$40,995consumer reBate...................$2,000Bonus cash..................................$1,000

1 at this

price $37,995

1at this price

Warning: tHis ad may save you money

Save$8,735

MSRP...............................$41,575dave smith price....$35,900consumer reBate....$4,500Bonus cash...................$2,000

sm

sm

Save$11,980

Save$8,745

Save$15,255

msrp...............................$35,190dave smith price....$31,995consumer.....................$4,500Bonus cash...................$1,000

SAvE $12,175

STK #9106X save $8,695

Save AnAdditional$500 For

Active Military*

Save AnAdditional$500 For

Farm Bureau**

Save AnAdditional$500 For

Farm Bureau**

• Rocky Mountian Edition• Trailer Tow Group

• Sunroof

• 18” Chrome Wheels• Heated Leather Seats• Mh Gig Navigation

• Custom Tint • Remote Start and Security Group

• UConnect Phone• Power Adjustable Pedals

• Hemi Power