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LEXI TO THE LPGA

THE SECRET OF

Images Robert Snow/Red Bull Content Pool

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www.southfloridagolfmagazine.com

INDEX

Editorial 06

Miccosukee Championship 08

Black Diamond Ranch 10

Local 12

Lexi Thompson 14

Holiday Gifts 16

Ping G20 22

Long off the Tee 26

Wine Review 28

South Florida Golf Publication of Young Morris Group P.O. Box 665874 Fort Lauderdale Florida , 33309

Inquiries info@sfgmagazine.com

Last month we received the pleasant news that Mr. Donald Trump was bidding to save the Doral Golf Resort from an eventual close. The initial contract he signed was in the neighborhood of $170M, a couple of months later (in late November) when the period for investigation lapsed, Trump signed a new contact, although the purchase price was reduced from $170 million to $150 million the important thing here is that he will be saving a piece of history. The Doral Golf Resort has a long and illustrious history that dates back to the 1950’s making it a staple in South Florida. Certainly we look forward to the new changes that Mr. Trump has planned including a much needed multi million dollar renovation. The holidays are here and with it the arrival of our much needed European and Canadian friends. Without their purchasing power and disposable income some of our local golf courses will perish. Its funny sometimes I feel I am caught in between a rock and a hard place as some of my fellow golfers complain of the raised prices and on the other hand my friend golf course owners and operators complain about the lack of daylight and slow recovering economy. It is undoubtedly a difficult business but we have been here before and I am confident that this is going to be one of the best seasons for both business and golfers in a long time. Happy holiday friends and we will see you again in a couple of months!

Fernando Solorzano

www.southfloridagolfmagazine.com

CHAMPIONSHIP

Jason Kokrak shot a 5-under-par 66 Sunday for a four-round total of 20-under 264 and a seven-shot victory over Mark Anderson in the rain-soaked Nationwide Tour’s Miccosukee Championship at the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club here in Miami.

The Miccosukee Championship, a Nationwide Tour event, quietly rolls into Miami Dade. A perfect opportunity to see tomorrow’s PGA Tour stars today. The event has been played for the last few years at The Miccosukee Golf Club which is conveniently located in central Miami Dade County.

Kokrak is now headed to the PGA Tour. His second Nationwide victory in a span of a month guarantees him his PGA Tour card for 2012 as one of the top 25 money winners on the Nationwide Tour. At the awards presentation, Kokrak was presented with a trophy and a Miccosukee tribal shirt. Of the victory, Kokrak said, “I don’t know what to say. In a month’s span I’ve gotten two wins (the other was the Boise Albertsons Open in Idaho)

Written by Mark McBride

“I wouldn’t have ever dreamed that I would have been in this position. You set goals for yourself, ones that you want to meet and ones that are sort of out of reach. I’ve exceeded my goals for this year.“This is beyond my imagination. I don’t know if it will hit me for a while,” Kokrak said.

The great Bob Toski entertains the crowd

Jason Kokrak tees up at #10th

Written by Jonathan Williamson

Featuring three Tom Fazio-designed courses – The Quarry, The Ranch and The Highlands – Black Diamond Ranch is Florida’s No. 1 residential golf community. Black Diamond Ranch was the vision of Stan Olsen, who founded the Citrus County-based golf club in 1987. The highly-acclaimed courses are set amongst limestone cliffs, lakes, live oak trees, dogwoods, myrtles and magnolias along Florida’s Nature Coast.

South Florida is a veritable golf hot spot. Myriad premier courses and the excitement of South Beach create an electric atmosphere. But, sometimes, that atmosphere makes it hard to relax. South Floridians seeking the serenity not readily available in the shadows of South Beach are finding it nestled amongst the rolling hills of bucolic Citrus County at Black Diamond Ranch. Located an

hour-and-a-half from both Orlando and Tampa on the Nature Coast, the community has long been the preferred destination of South Florida golf purists looking for a second home, or to relocate permanently. Black Diamond Ranch features a trinity of Tom Fazio courses – The Quarry, The Ranch and The Highlands

In 1987, founder Stan Olsen teamed with Fazio to create The Quarry. Forged through two retired limestone quarries, The Quarry bobs and weaves its way around steep cliffs, shimmering lakes, magnolias, dogwoods and myrtles, creating scenery that can only be described as other-worldly. Like a boxer setting up his opponent with a series of strategic jabs and body shots, The Quarry’s front nine is methodical in makeup, featuring dramatic elevation changes, classic bunkering, and fairways framed with thousands of beautiful live oaks

Shortly after making the turn, Fazio delivers his knockout punch in the form of five holes famed golf writer Dan Jenkins called “the five best consecutive holes in the world.” The stretch begins at No. 13 and concludes with the 218-yard par-3 17th. Ten years after the creation of The Quarry, Fazio added The Ranch. With rolling fairways reminiscent of Pine Valley, The Ranch is often cited by members as their favorite course.

Also created in 1997, The Highlands lends credence to the argument quality is more important than quantity. From the back tees, the nine-hole, par-36 course plays to almost 3,500 yards and has an impressive slope rating of 143. For more information please visit http://www.blackdiamondranch.com/

THE GOLF ACADEMY FOR KIDS After School Program

“We have a basic 6-step formula and teach your child the proper fundamentals of the game” explains Freglette, “your child will learn safety and etiquette, parts of the golf club, and basic rules and terminology used in the game. Then onto the proper grip, set up, take away, back swing, down swing, impact and finish. The difference between irons and woods, putting, pitching, chipping and sand play”.

St. Anthony's Catholic School, near downtown Fort Lauderdale, just added into their academic services an after school program operated by The Golf Academy For Kids.

Sharon Lynch Murrah Executive Director for the school explains that these clinics are a great way to introduce the game, or reinforce the skills of the Junior golf player.

Students from all ages have the unique opportunity to learn how to play golf, how to grip a golf club, chipping and putting and of course with the added safety of performing it inside the schools backyard.

Michael Freglette, President of The Golf Academy explains that the idea behind the program is to bring the knowledge and discipline of golf into the schools.

Freglette, who currently is the Golf Sales Manager at Woodmont Country Club, has plans to bring the program to the rest of private and public schools in Broward County .

Former Arrowhead Golf and Country Club in Davie has reopened after a 3 year hiatus due in part to the construction of I-595, following a complete redesign by golf course architect Harrison Minchew. The course's new owner, The Town of Davie, announced the course will now be called Davie Golf And Country Club. The entire golf course was totally rebuilt, with several holes rerouted and more than 900 trees, thousands of aquatic and xeroscape plantings installed — along with new greens, bunkers, cart paths, irrigation system and new grass. The new course now has four sets of tees playing from 6,398 to 4,900 yards with a par of 70. There is also a lighted driving range.

DAVIE GOLF COURSE OPENS

Canadian golf giant ClubLink announced that it has acquired the 54-hole Palm-Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach, Florida, from Palm-Aire Associates Limited Partnership. The purchase price was US$7.2 million

The acquisition gives ClubLink a total of 11 18-hole equivalent championship courses in Florida with a combined membership of more than 4,500 members. In the Fort Lauderdale area, the three Palm-Aire championship courses join the 36-hole Woodlands Country Club in Tamarac, acquired in April 2011, and Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, acquired in October 2010. ClubLink made its first foray into Florida in September 2010, when it acquired five 18-hole equivalent championship courses and two 18-hole equivalent academy courses in Sun City Center, south of Tampa. Palm-Aire Country Club is one of the premier golf facilities in the region with two full-service clubhouses. In 1959, William Mitchell designed the Palms course. Tom and George Fazio collaborated to design the Oaks course in 1971 and the Cypress course in 1972. Plans will be announced in the near future for a multimillion- dollar restoration program for Palm-Aire’s golf courses and clubhouses.

CLUBLINK ACQUIRES PALM-AIRE COUNTRY CLUB

World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship tournament officials have announced a new ticket option for the 2012 event, "Monster Seats," located adjacent to the 18th green at TPC Blue Monster at Doral. These new "Monster Seats" will offer fans the opportunity to watch the exciting action at TPC Blue Monster at Doral's famous finishing hole from a vantage point never before made available to the general public. The 2012 Cadillac Championship returns to South Florida and TPC Blue Monster at Doral, March 7-11. The many amenities that accompany the purchase of the open-air, bleacher-type "Monster Seating" area include access to a reserved section next to No. 18 green, Wednesday-Sunday; complimentary beverages with full bar service; and complimentary spectator guides with pairings sheets. "Monster Seat" ticket holders will also have access to the Doral Clubhouse for upgraded food options and numerous resort amenities for an additional purchase. Premium parking options are also available to "Monster Seat" ticket holders for an additional purchase. Tickets for the 2012 WGC – Cadillac Championships can be purchased via www.ticketmaster.com

NEW TICKET OPTIONS FOR CADILLAC EVENT

Now that the LPGA Tour has granted full playing rights for the 2012 season we expect great things from Lexi.

Coral Springs resident Lexi Thompson began her illustrious professional career on June 16, 2010. She started by signing sponsorship deals with Cobra-Puma Golf and sports giant Red Bull. Although 2010 was a great year as she earned over $300K in prize money at the LPGA (without LPGA status), 2011 will be the year to remember for the 16-year old prodigy. Since becoming the youngest player ever to win on the women's tour and after being accepted full time for the 2012 LPGA season, Thompson has been spending much of her time the same way as many teenagers do -- chatting away on social media. Thompson responded to countless followers regarding her victory at the Navistar LPGA Classic at Prattville, Ala.

“I think I can go pretty far, but

I'm not going to get ahead of

myself. I'm just going to take one tournament at a

time and see what happens”

Thompson's first LPGA tournament in 2011 was the Avnet Classic via a sponsor's exemption where she finished tied 19th, then She missed the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the LPGA Championship and at the U.S. Women's Open and tried but failed to Monday qualify at the State Farm Classic. At the Evian Masters, she finished tied for 36th. She continued to play regularly on the local Fuzion Tour, through the spring and summer. Navistar LPGA Classic by a five-stroke margin over LPGA Tour rookie Tiffany Joh. At age sixteen she became the youngest winner ever on the LPGA Tour, breaking the previous record set by Marlene Hagge at age 18 in 1952

Images Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

Adams 9088 UL driver Adams has been pushing the limits of the speedy lightweight drivers now for the past couple years. It started a few years ago with the original Speedline driver. Since then Adams has refined the design; with the newest version being the 9088 UL driver. The UL stands for Ultra-Light. It is light and long. It plays at 46”, swing weight of D0 and total weight under 300grams. Easy to swing and will offer excellent results. Recommended for the Mid to High Handicapper Retail Price $ 300.00

Blood Pressure Monitor Wrap the Blood Pressure Monitor around your arm and plug it into your iOS device. Based on your doctor’s advice, select either the single measurement mode or the 3-measures in a row mode in order to get a mean average. At the end of the measurement, the full results, including the systolic, diastolic blood pressure and BPM, are saved on your iOS device, so you don't have to worry about manually updating your health overview from day to day. http://www.withings.com Retail Value $129.00

Tour Edge CB4 Driver The CB4 Tour driver offers a classic Tour shape and deeper face preferred by better players. The club is designed for golfers who want a tour-caliber low launch, exceptional workability, and inspired feel. The all titanium head features an ultra-thin crown and cup face, giving it a lower center of gravity, impressive feel, and the lowest-spin Exotics driver yet. The CB4 is constructed from a brand new 5-1-1-1 titanium material. This new titanium is harder, denser, and stronger than 6-4 Ti and has better elongation properties for thinner walls and exceptional rebound. Recommended for the Low to Mid Handicapper Retail Price $ 329.00

Axis 1 Umbra Putter The Axis1 Umbra and its predecessor the Eagle share one thing in common, is all about balance. By putting the heel weight into an area that’s ahead of the putter face, the center of gravity moved to the sweet spot in the club, which also happens to align with the shaft. Placing the putter at address and relaxing your grip just a bit and you will immediately feel the balance. Recommended for any level of player Retail Price $ 299.00

Taylormade R11 Driver Besides the white paint, the R11 has a combination of FCT, MWT and ASP what Taylormade calls 3D tuning. These three adjustable parts of this driver allow any golfer to get the exact setting they desire. The possibility of so many different combinations, can be dizzying. Recommended for any level of player Retail Price $ 299.00

Bushnell Neo GPS The Bushnell Neo provides an excellent blend of basic golf GPS functionality and an extremely attractive price point In an environment in which manufacturers seem to be competing solely on the number of fancy bells and whistles the Neo provides distances to the front, middle and back of the green, and to up to four hazards/targets, and doing it for 1/3 of the price of the more sophisticated units. Retail Price $149.99

ECCO Spikeless Golf Shoes Spikeless shoes are becoming the rage in golf. Just about every golf shoe company now has some version of them. The first real shoe to gain popularity is the ECCO Street shoe worn and made popular by Fred Couples. The ECCO Street shoes have a distinct look to them; many will say they are skateboard like shoes Retail Price $140.00

Cobra Women’s Golf Apparel and Equipment For Cobra, women’s golf equipment and apparel is serious business. Golf shirts, skorts, pants, hats and outerwear are more than just clothing — they’re golf equipment, providing moisture management and protection from the elements. http://www.cobragolf.com

Fila Golf Heralding the sleek lines at the root of the Fila brand for nearly a century, the latest golf styles emphasize timeless sophistication, luxurious fabrics and technical characteristics. Enhancing the individual's athleticism without hindering the natural features of the body, Fila Golf apparel blends premium and eco-friendly fabrics with moisture wicking, quick drying and antimicrobial properties, and other technical characteristics. http://www.shopfilagolf.com

Adams IDEA a70S Keri Max 12-Piece Set If you have a taste for the finer things in life … and especially in golf, the Keri MAX Set was designed with you in mind. This integrated 12-piece set features the latest in golf club design and technology with the aerodynamic Speedline Fast10 Driver and the easy-to-hit Idea a7OS MAX hybrids and irons. And you’ll look as good as you play with the very stylish cart bag that features upgraded materials, functional pockets and dividers and even extras, like the attached accessory bag. There isn’t a set in golf, designed specifically for women, that can match the Keri MAX Set. Retail Price $999.00

Portable Espresso Maker Make a tasty cup of espresso on the go with this portable, hand-powered espresso maker that features a built-in pump that supplies 16 bars of pressure to brew in seconds. The maker is compatible with most espresso coffee pods (not included). Retail Value $ 169.00

Vinturi Wine Aerator Wine needs to breathe. Enjoy your wine from the very first sip with the aerator recommended by over 100 Napa/Sonoma wineries. Savor peak flavors and bouquet in the time it takes to pour a glass. Uncork the holidays with the easiest way to enhance your red wine experience. Set includes the Vinturi Essential Red Wine Aerator, no-drip stand, filter screen and Vinturi Tower. Retail Value $ 69.95

Beats Solo HD Headphones Special Edition headphones will go straight to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Proprietary titanium coated driver technology ensures they preserve every bit of the lush bass and vital details of your music. Plus, the ingenious tri-fold design make for easy storage when not in use. Solo HD's cable also features Monster ControlTalk™ for iPod® playback control and iPhone™/music phone hands-free calling. Retail Value $119.99

Michael Buble Christmas A young man with an old soul and richly resonant vocals. Michael Bublé has breathed new life into the traditional pop vocal form. Beginning with a shimmering string section and glistering harps, “ It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas” sets off this sesonal release. Channeling the spirit of Bing Crosby, Bublé duets with Shania Twain on “White Christmas.” He also croons over the swinging snow-topped favorite “ Holly Jolly Christmas.” It’s the perfect way to set a cozy mood when the weather outside is chilly and the mistletoe is hung. Retail Value $13.99

2011 First Tee Charity Golf Classic presented by WALMART

The First Tee of Broward held its annual First Tee Charity Golf Classic at the picturesque Weston Hills Country Club. The First Tee of Broward officially became a chapter in June 2003 and is managed by Smart School, Inc. The program serves youth from elementary to high school age and is housed at Lauderhill Golf Course Learning Center. The winners of the event were PGA Professionals and staff members from Heron Bay Golf Club including Coach Rob and David Glasby, PGA.

22

Review: Ping G20 Driver

Getting “Bubba” long

Ping staff player Bubba Watson is known for his length off the tee. He regularly is near the top statically in driving distance tournament after every tournament. It is amazing to watch him smash his Ping driver. Amateurs wish they could drive the ball that far. Well the Ping G20 driver is going to get you “Bubba” long.. Every time Ping comes out with a new driver it is exciting yet simple. They aren’t building drivers with all kinds of bells and whistles, they aren’t painting them wild colors, instead they work on the internal design to make them longer and easier to hit compared to their previous model. The G20 is no different. It is longer and straighter than previous Ping drivers. As always Ping offers the best customization process of any golf company. I have praised it in all my Ping reviews and will continue to do so. If golfers want to get better and have the best equipment; it needs to be fit for them.

Written by Ryan Heiman Independent Golf Reviews

But honestly sometimes you just want to walk into a golf store and walk out with a new club. So if you are going to walk into most golf stores you are going to see the Ping G20 with a variety of lofts with basically the stock shaft as the only option, the Ping TFC 169D either standard or tour. The tour is lower launch and less torque. The D3 swing weight at 45.75” topped with Pings ID8 grip is the common set up. I’ve never been a fan of stock shafts, simply because the "made for the masses" shafts are typically cheap, inconsistent and rarely fit my swing. So I was skeptical of playing a G20 off the rack driver, especially as I consider all the fitting options Ping offers. But after the many rounds I’ve played with the Ping G20, I can’t imagine getting better numbers or results with any other shaft. This driver is a cannon right off the shelf. It is a mid-launch shaft with mid/low spin. The feel is crisp and smooth.

The head itself is a full 460cc with plenty of girth front to back and side to side. It has a relatively deep face and sits square. It is painted a charcoal color on the crown, it has the Ping half-moon alignment aid and the bottom has a mostly polished sole with some red and black paint. On the course is where you get “Bubba” with it. My first drive was so impressive. I hit an absolute bomb right down the middle of the fairway as straight as can be. It felt so hot off the face and rose gently to a mid/high launch and just carried and carried until it descended bounding down the fairway. For the rest of the rounds, it just simply was a copy of that first drive over and over. It was as consistent and long drive as any driver. It was one of the longest drivers I’ve hit off the rack. I found it to be a great combination with my G20 3-wood (that I was able to reach a couple of par 5s) I’ve never reached before in 2. It was long for other people too. I was paired up with a high handicapper for one round and he had just bought the Ping G20 driver, similar specs to mine. He was really struggling with all of his clubs except the driver. He was bombing it far beyond his ability.

Jack and Barbara

Nicklaus Charity

Wine Dinner

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, recognized worldwide as the first family of golf and tireless philanthropists with a passion for children’s charities, recently hosted a charity wine dinner benefitting the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation at Morton’s in West Palm Beach. A near-capacity gathering of almost 200 people attended the event which raised more than $55,000. The mission of the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation is to provide support for activities that advance and enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of childhood diseases and disorders. In addition, it supports not-for-profit programs and projects aimed at children's health, safety, and well-being.

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, Patty McDonald, Tylor Field, III

Cha Roon, Tim Rosaforte and Colin Wright

Kristen Gaeta, Julie Healey and Andrea Donten

Mike Eissey, Rose Garrido and Mickey Neal

Tom Benz, John Biondo and Tim Goering

15th Annual Catholic Hospice Golf Tournament Catholic Hospice celebrated their 15th Annual Swinging FORE Charity Golf Tournament at the world famous Shula’s Golf Club – Senator Course in Miami Lakes. This event benefits the patients and families of Catholic Hospice. This event is a major fundraiser for Catholic Hospice, a not-for-profit healthcare organization providing end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties. Catholic Hospice is dedicated to the preservation of the quality of life of people facing end of life issues. They provide pain control and symptom management, as well as spiritual and psychological support to over 500 patients and their bereaved families daily, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, ethnic background, handicap, diagnosis or financial resources. Catholic Hospice also sponsors programs such as the L’chaim Jewish Hospice Program, Stars Program a Hospice Care for children, Camp Hope, a bereavement camp for children as well as other bereavement support groups.

can be as big a problem as not thinking at all. If you appear to be paralyzed from too much analysis, chances are you will tighten your muscles and deliver a poor, inconsistent shot. Remedy; develop an easy routine in the driving range by separating the key elements (ball trajectory/aim, ball placement/lie, distance to target/club and tempo) the swing comes natural. If you are ready to hit your ball and you are thinking about your elbow, or thinking about keeping your head down or any other mechanical issues, you may not be enjoying the game as it was meant to be.

THE SECRETS OF BEING LONG OFF THE TEE

Written by Michael Berenger, PGA

There are several key elements in the golf swing and the perfect combination of these elements will certainly result in consistent long and straight off the tee. Most amateurs praise distance off the tee as essential to lower your handicap; although some golfers will debate on that fact, the reality is that the longer you are off the tee the shorter your next shot will be… End of the discussion! Swinging a shorter club for your next shot inspires confidence and gives you

an ability to either go for the green on 2 on par 5’s, or to look for a desirable landing area before the 3rd shot, to being able to hit wedges on par 4’s. Yes my friends, distance is one of the key elements of scoring. Over the last 20+ years of teaching I have noticed through my students that once you achieve these key ingredients everything else comes in natural. I have listed them in no particular order as they are all important to develop distance off the tee.. Clear your mind Thinking too much over the ball

; a few holes later we get into the rhythm and our pressure is gone and we start playing better. That rhythm and relaxation makes you play better because your muscles naturally perform better when they are relaxed as supposed to when they are tight. Remedy; just before you leave the driving range get the same club that you intend to use on the first tee and hit some balls. It will feel like you are playing a few “mulligans” before the round. By the time you get to the tee that anxiety feeling should be gone!

Tempo Your body needs to react and respond to the coil, uncoil of the golf swing. A fast backswing will result in a misalignment of your body trying to catch up with a forward energy of your arms. The result is usually a miss to the right (in right handed players). Remedy; Your hips, knees and the rest of the body need to be in synch with your swing, if you notice inconsistent shots and lack of distance then slow down a bit and let the natural flow of your swing take over.

Make a full shoulder turn going back, with your left shoulder turning all the way behind the ball at the top. Try to turn your hips no more than half as far as your shoulders. The tempo should be a nice smooth transition from backswing to swing. Relax The key to great length of the tee is to be relaxed. Have you ever notice that when you are on the first tee playing a golf tournament you are feeling anxious and in some occasions we tend to hit errant shots, however

Golf &Wine Restaurant reviews Events Afterhours Wine and Dine Liqueur Beach Scene Night Life

The February 2011 issue of Cigar Aficionado features an 8-page story about professional golfers who are seriously involved in the wine industry. The article –“Golfers Uncorked” – leads off with the story of how the Terlato and Nicklaus families came together to create a new and successful partnership in Jack Nicklaus Wines. Story excerpt: Bill Terlato...insisted that Nicklaus be involved in the winemaking from the outset. “We did the tasting of the blends. There is a great photograph taken where there are 50 wine glasses in front of us, hundreds of glasses on the table.” Wines from Ernie Els and Luke Donald are also featured: "More than a few [golfers] have ended up with the family-owned Terlato Wine Group. Bill Terlato is a good player himself, and really got started by working as an advisor to [Luke] Donald whose wines are produced by his company. Terlato’s company also imports Ernie Els wines to the United States."

Terlato, Nicklaus, Els & Donald Featured

“Certainly in the brand recognition area they had lots of offers flying around out there, but they all wanted their names attached to a quality wine,” says Terlato. “They think that having a high-quality wine fits with who they are as persons, and fits their brand,” “When we first came together I sort of tried to talk (Nicklaus) out of it,” says Terlato. “I told him that it wouldn’t be a case of just finding a commercial wine to slap his label on because we aren’t the right sort of people for that. I said you need to be involved, need to know about the wine, participate in the tasting and blending, understand where it came from, the vineyards and the lots. He was all okay with that.”

Luke Donald CHARDONNAY CARNEROS

Rating 91

Luke Donald NAPA VALLEY COLLECTION

Rating 93

Jack Nicklaus CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Rating 93

The South Florida Lexus Dealers