U.S.AdaptiveGolf AlianceHelps DisabledPlay LPGATour ComingtoGrand RapidsinJune Father’sDay GiftIdeasfor GolfingDads More Womenare PlayingGolf June202
As you can easily see, Michigan is a busy place for golfers in June. Numerous local events, qualifiers, professional tournaments and outings will keep golfers occupied. The Meijer LPGA Classic will be held June 16-19 at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids. This event always identifies the best women golfers on tour, plus it raises millions of dollars for Simply Give to help feed those in need. With all the negative verbiage that is being passed around about the PGA Tour and Saudi-Backed LIV Series in their battle for domination of men’s golf, it is hard to remember the billions of dollars that are raised every year for charity through golf events. The PGATour is very proud of the $3 billion it has generated for charities associated with their tournaments. The LIV doesn’t seem to understand the charity concept and seems to only want to put more money into professional golfer’s pockets, that are, as you probably noticed, already bursting at the seams. The total amount raised for charity via golf activities is over $4 billion every year. In fact, the professional tours only contribute a small percentage of that number. The LPGA and PGA Tour combined generate less than $400 million annually. Millions of golfers play in thousands of outings every year to help fund charitable works in their communities. In fact, if you have played in a charity outing in the past, you should get a pat on the back and a great big ‘atta boy (or girl)’ for helping raise needed funds. Don’t stop there, check out the golf outings in your local area this year, get your favorite foursome together, enjoy a day on the links and ultimately help someone that needs it. I have a lot of golf planned for June myself. I hope I see you on the Back 9 of a charity golf outing. June Is a Great Golf Month in Michigan FRED ALTVATER PUBLISHER Back 9 Media Group Also Publishes: Ohio Golf Journal Indiana Golf Journal Back 9 Report Michigan Golf Journal
NOW, THIS IS GOLF Go to BoyneGolf.com or cal l 855-554-0289 BRING YOUR “A” GAME. With 10 magnificent courses, and non-stop flights to TVC from 17 popular destinations, why wait? Lock in your 2022 golf plans today.
Michigan Golf Journal is Published By Back 9 Media Group Publisher: Fred Altvater, USGTF Teaching Professional Advertise with Michigan Golf Journal, Contact us for more information Be sure to take advantage of the links to social media, videos and other content provided within the articles 30 FIND INSIDE 06 18 24 32 U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance is Helping Physically Disabled Across the World Women’s Golf Continues to Grow History Surrounds 122nd U.S. Open at Brookline Michigan Will Host Two LPGA Events Father’s Day Gifts for a Golfing Dad Picture of the Month 06 18 10 13 15 27 Len Ziehm Book Review: Tiger & Phil Titleist Introduces NEW Tour Speed & Tour Soft Rush Job: The Life of a Tour Professional Michigan Golf News 24 26 28 20 Our Contributors Tips to Get the Most From Your Practice Session Mississippi Gulf Coast Offers Something For Everyone Our Favorite Videos 40 30 32 41 Michigan Golf Journal
The U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA) is a national coalition of 40 adaptive golf organizations with one U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance is Helping Physically Disabled Across the World They modify the rules and equipment to fit each individual need to allow people with disabilities to become involved. There are several benefits for the physically impaired to take up golf. The swing can improve balance, as well as hand-eye coordination. It can improve decision making, increases endurance, as well as range of motion. Being involved in a physical activity, like golf, builds strength, improves self-esteem, plus as one of the USAGA members told us, “being out there makes me feel normal.” mission, “to make playing golf a reality for 20 million physically disabled individuals who want to play.” Through the USAGA, member associations work together to conduct a series of tournaments, provide instruction and serve individuals across all disability types. Regardless of current health, physical, mental, sensory capability and wellbeing of the individual, the USAGA introduces the game and encourages everyone to play. Michigan Golf Journal
According to the 2010 US census bureau, nearly 19% of the population has some type of disability. In a study conducted by Indiana and Clemson Universities: • 10 % of persons with a disability play golf. • 22 % of those with disabilities played golf before incurring their disability but are not playing now. • 35 % of individuals with disabilities are interested in learning but are not currently playing golf. The study also identified key factors why those 35 percent would like to play, but are not: • 33 % are uncomfortable playing in front of others. • 31 % believed that the course staff would not know how to assist them. • 36%said that theyneeded a better understanding of the fundamentals of golf. golf tournaments around the country that culminate with the National Adaptive Golf Association’s (NAGA) National Amputee & Disabled Golf Championships and the 32nd NAGA National Senior Amputee Golf Championship that will be held October 24th28th at Celebration Golf Club in Celebration, Florida. The USAGA works with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to assign a fair handicap rating system that takes into account the individual • 38 % stated a need for lessons specific to their disability. Instruction With the instruction available through the USAGA member organizations, they are trying to meet these concerns. USAGA AdaptiveGolf coachesworkwith participants on fundamentals such as balance, posture, setup and swing path. USAGA clinics use regular and adapted golf equipment to best fit the needs and abilities of the participants. A list of instructional clinics can be found at the USAGA website by clicking on the Clinics tab. Note to Golf Instructors: if you would like to become more involved and help teach physically disabled golfers, learn more by contacting USAGA’s Director of Golf Operations, Jonathan Snyder, at jsnyder@ usaga.org Competition The U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance hosts a series of
athlete’s particular disability. As a result, USAGA has identified and defined 14 different sport classes by which golfers with disabilities are ranked. The USAGA Golf Ranking System (USAGR™) allows equitable scoring at USAGA sanctioned events. From their annual series of tournaments each year the top players are recognized, and national para-golf teams are chosen for international competitions. matches being held biennially. The 2022 Cairns Cup was just completed, May 7-14 at the Seve Ballesteros designed Shire Club in London, England. The Ryder Cup style format includes team and singles matches. Team USA prevailed for the win, but that is not the most important thing in this golf tournament. Two 16-man teams comprised of physically disabled golfers came together in a friendly competition. All the competitors play hard but are happy to be involved and to compete. To watch a promotional video about the Cairns Cup click here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vWfBtw_q3uY The 2024 Cairns Cup will be held at The Fortress Golf Club in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Golfers come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. The USAGA is working to provide a place for individuals with disabilities a chance to learn, compete and enjoy an athletic endeavor. A Disability is NOT Inability! The Carins Cup: A Disability is Not Inability The Cairns Cup is one such international golf tournament featuring serious golf competition for physically challenged golfers. It sprang from the 2018 Phoenix Cup, which was held in Florida. Billy Cairns was a member of the European Team, but unfortunately died soon after arriving in Florida for the competition. The emotions created by his death and the camaraderie between the two sides led to the Michigan Golf Journal
The U.S. Open will be held June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts near Boston. This historic club hosted the 1913 U.S. Open won by a 20-yearold amateur Francis Ouimet, when he outdueled the great Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. Seeing this son of immigrants, successfully defeating two of the game’s greats, on a course reserved for the upper class, ignited a huge golf boom in this country. Ouimet’s victory is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of sport andwas elegantly History Surrounds 122nd U.S. Open at Brookline By Fred Altvater This is the 13th time that the number of entries exceeded 9,000. Entries were accepted from golfers in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and 79 foreign countries. Jon Rahm won this event last year at Torrey Pines in California. He is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, behind Scott Scheffler, who won the Masters Tournament in April. Other fully exempt players include 11 past champions, Bryson DeChambeau (2020), JimFuryk (2003), Dustin Johnson brought to the big screen in the movie, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” This will be the 122nd U.S. Open Championship hosted by the United States Golf Association, which first began in 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island, with England’s Horace Rawlins getting the win. Any golfer with a handicap index of 1.4 or less is welcome to qualify for the U.S. Open. Only 48 players are fully exempt into the 2022 tournament. With a total field of 156 golfers, 9,265 hopefuls submitted entries to qualify for the remaining spots, including a couple of past champions, Graeme McDowell and Lucas Glover. Local qualifiers have already been held at 109 courses in the U.S. and Canada. Two final qualifiers were held in Dallas, Texas and in Japan on May 23. In addition, ten locations in Canada and the United States will host final qualifiers on June 6th. Michigan Golf Journal
(2016), Martin Kaymer (2014), Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Rory McIlroy (2011), Justin Rose (2013), Webb Simpson (2012), Jordan Spieth (2015), Gary Woodland (2019) and Tiger Woods (2000, 2002, 2008). The top 60 on the Official World Golf Ranking, as of May 23 and June 6 will also be fully exempt, plus anymultiplewinners of PGA Tour events that award a fullpoint allocation for the seasonending Tour Championship will also earn exemptions. The Country Club has hosted the U.S. Open three times previously, 1913, 1963 and 1988, with each requiring an 18-hole Monday playoff. In 1988, Curtis Strange won the It is rare that the general public is invited inside the gates at this exclusive private club. It should once again provide an excellent setting for the 122nd U.S. Open. first of his two consecutive U.S. Open titles, when he defeated Nick Faldo by four strokes. Both Ouimet (1913) and Julius Boros (1963) needed extra holes to hoist the U.S. Open Trophy. The Country Club is one of the original five founding member clubs of the USGA and will host its 17th USGA championship.
Michigan Will Host Two LPGA Events LPGA fans will have two opportunities, one in June and the other in July, to see the best women golfers in the world competing in Michigan. Meijer LPGA Classic The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will once again be held at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, June 1619. Last year, Nelly Korda s l i p p e d past Leona Maguire to garner her fifth LPGA career win and her second win of 2021. The following week, Korda won the Women’s PGA Championship and went on to capture the Gold Medal at the Japan Olympics, in August. Maguire went on to be the star of the European Solheim Cup Team that routed the Americans at The Inverness Club in Toledo, in September. This will be the eighth year this event has been held since 2014. It was canceled in 2020, due to COVID. It is a 72-hole stroke play tournament, with 144 players vying for a piece of the $2.5 million purse. $1.1 million for Simply Give and has increased that goal to $1.2 million for 2022. If you would like to get up close and personal with the LPGA stars, volunteer to help during the Meijer Classic and do your part to raise dollars for the Simply Give program. To learn more visit: https:// meijerlpgaclassic.com/. Blythefield Country Club always seems to produce a quality winner. Lexi Thompson won here in 2015, So Yeon Ryu in 2018 and Brooke Henderson won the Meijer Classic twice, 2017 and 2019. Meijer partners with hundreds of food banks and pantries through its Simply Give and food rescue programs. In 2021 the Meijer LPGA Classic raised
Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational is the only two-person team event on the LPGA Tour schedule and has been a huge success, since it began in 2019. Cydney Clanton teamed with Thidapa Suwannapura to win that inaugural event. It was not held in 2020 and the Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya won it last year. The purse has been raised to $2.5 million for 2022 with the first-place team splitting $607,600.00. It is slightly different from normal weekly LPGA tournaments as the first round will be held on Wednesday, July 13 and concludes on Saturday, July 16. There will be a full slate of activities surrounding the tournament including concerts, a kid’s zone, veteran’s hospitality suite, as well as a Special Olympics 3-hole challenge. To learn more about the week’s schedule, or purchase tickets visit: https://www.dowglbi.com/. If you can’t make it out to the Midland Country Club to watch in person, the final round will be broadcast live on CBS. Michigan Golf Journal
Putting Arc Does your father struggle with the dreaded 3-Putt Syndrome? It is a malady that affects many golfers especially after raising children. A once confident young man with steady nerves and a smooth putting stroke becomes a mere shell of himself on the greens from the stresses of dealing with children. Not toworry, we have a cure for dear old dad. The Putting Arc has helped thousands of golfers improve their putting strokes, lower their scores and increase their enjoyment of the game. The Putting Arc is the number one training aid that helps groove a perfect putting stroke. Simply Father’s Day Gifts for a Golfing Dad follow the correct path and the hands, arms and shoulders rotate as one unit, which creates a square clubface through the stroke. Find them in golf shops around the country, or visit their website: https://theputtingarc.com/ By the way, Dad will be in a better mood when he gets home from the course, when you want to borrow the car, or a quick $20.
Gear Up Sportswear Does your dad need a little help with his apparel scripting when he heads to the course? Gear Up Sportswear can help with that. Gear Up Sportswear is the BEST Golf shirt on the market and guaranteed to never shrink, fade or wrinkle. They come in a wide variety of styles and sizes to fit every dad. Company owner, Terry Desmond designed a golf shirt for real men, plus the moms like them too. Visit their website today and order a couple to surprise your favorite golfing dad on Father’s Day. https://gearupsportswear.com/ SQAIRZ SQAIRZ Golf Shoes have been scientifically proven to create better balance and stability through the golf swing, which in turn provides more distance and accuracy on every shot. Six-time major champion Nick Faldo is a believer and wears them when he competes on the Champions Tour. For the third consecutive year Golf Digest named SQAIRZ the “Best Men’s Golf Shoe.” Since the company was founded in 2020, SQAIRZ has been named to Golf Digest’s list every year. Learn more about SQAIRZ from CEO Robert Winskowicz, in this Back 9 Report interview. Mou – insert rectangle for video Sepp Straka was wearing SQAIRZ golf shoes, when he won the Honda Classi c in February on the PGA TOUR. They will help your dad, too. Don’t forget to ENTER your Dad’s name to win a Collector’s Pair of SQAIRZ Golf Shoes signed by Sir Nick Faldo. Register Here: https:// michigangolfjournal.com/registercontest/ Michigan Golf Journal
Golf Lessons Are you tired of hearing your father complain about his lack of a competent golf game? Well, you can do something about it. Instead of buying a new club, balls or attire, give a gift certificate for a golf lesson, or two from a qualified golf teaching professional. Dad’s enjoyment will go up and you might just become his favorite child. If you’re located in southeast Michigan visit: https://toledoohiogolflessons.com/ Greens Fees Every dad wants to play more golf. The perfect gift for Father’s Day is to buy him a round on you. Your Dad’s favorite course will be happy to provide a gift card, or certificate for a round of golf. If you reallywant tomake dad happy, set aside the time to play with him. For any father spending a few hours on the golf course with his children, or grandchildren is a gift that will not soon be forgotten.
Women’s Golf Continues to Grow More and more women are learning that golf is the perfect healthy athletic endeavor for themselves and their families. COVID certainly gave golf a boost due to it being the only safe sports activity during the pandemic. Now that the worst of the shutdown is over, golf is still reaping the benefits of more people finding the game to be a fun and healthy activity for the whole family. For 2021 the National Golf Foundation is reporting that 6.2 million women played on a golf course and comprise 25% of all golfers. Over 3 million juniors played golf in 2021. That number was similar to 2020, when golfers under the age of 18 grew by 24%. Of the total number of junior golfers, 36% were girls. That is a tremendous increase from 20 years ago, when only 15% of kids playing golf were girls. Women’s professional golf tournaments are now being broadcast on network television. The Golf Channel has had a long history with the LPGA, but now with several LPGA events being aired on CBS and NBC, the game will reach even more households. Attendance at golf tournaments like the U.S. Women’s Open and the Solheim Cup are reaching new levels of attendance. At the Solheim Cup last year in Toledo, total attendance reached in excess of 100,000 attendees and would have been even higher if travel restrictions had been lifted on Europeans wanting to attend. NCAA Women’s golf teams can be seen competing in collegiate events on televisions Michigan Golf Journal
across the country. The NCAA Championship is aired on the Golf Channel, as well as the East Lake Cup. The USGA’s Women’s Four-Ball and Women’s Amateur are also broadcast. All of this airtime gives young girls, watching at home, a chance to dream and see themselves in that same place. As a result, more young women are competing on high school golf teams and entering high profile AJGA tournaments. For 2022, the LPGA has a record number of events available for competition with players vying for a record $87.5 million of total prize money. Just a few years ago there were no LPGA events in Michigan. Now the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational are two of the most popular stops on the LPGA Tour. Plus, the EPSON Tour visits Michigan for three events. The Island Resort Championship, in Escanaba, Firekeepers Hotel Championship is contested in Battle Creek and new in 2022, Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA will be contested at Travis Pointe Golf Club, June 13-18. Women are indeed finding golf to be an attractive and safe method to connect with friends, spend time outdoors in a safe environment, and get some exercise in a fun way.
Golf News Michigan U.S. Open Local Qualifiers Monday May 2, five players made it through U.S. Open local qualifying at Muskegon Country Club. Tyler Copp from Ann Arbor took medalist honors by firing a six-under par 66. Beau Breault, Bradley Smithson, an amateur from Grand Rapids, Kyle Gaines and William Anderson an amateur from Portage also move on to final qualifying June 6th. On Tuesday, May 3, Ann Arbor’s Patrick Wilkes-Krier, Otto Black and Payne Gniewek, U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifiers Two qualifying tournaments will be held for the USGA’s U.S. Junior Amateur. The Meadows Golf Club at Grand Valley State University will host the first event on June 13th. One week later, June 20th a second qualifier will be held at Washtenaw Golf Club. The U.S. Junior Amateur will be held July 25-30 on the Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails Courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. In all 264 spots are available for the USGA event. Two days of stroke play will narrow the field to the top 64 players for match play to decide the winner. Past winners of the U.S. Junior Amateur include, recent Masters Champion, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris and Jordan Spieth. Tiger Woods won this event three consecutive years 1991-1993. both from Brighton, along with Jamie Guisinger from Troy earned chances to move on to the final qualifier stage for the 122nd U.S. Open. The four players qualified at the local qualifier held at The Orchards Golf Club. UM Golf Team member Hunter Thomson fired a five-under par 65 to take the medalist honors at a local U.S. Open qualifier at Phoenix Country Club to make it through to the next stage on June 6. Final qualifying will take place Monday, June 6 at nine locations across the country. Michigan Golf Journal
U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Qualifier A qualifier for the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur will be held at Radrick Farms Golf Club on June 21st. Olde Stone Golf Club in Bowling Green, Kentucky will host 156 competitors for the U.S. Girls Junior Championship July 18-23. Music Star Kane Brown to Perform at Ally Challenge Four-time American Music Awards winner, Kane Brown will headline the fifth annual Community Concert presented by Ally at the Warwick Hills Golf Club Saturday, August 27th following the second round of the Ally Challenge. “The Ally Challenge will once again bring worldclass entertainment to our tournament weekend, fulfilling our promise to make The Ally Challenge the premier event in the Flint/Grand Blanc area,” said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer, Ally. “These concerts make both Friday and Saturday can’t miss days at the tournament and we hope they’ll get a lot of the community out to Warwick Hills to support local charities.” The concert will be held in conjunction with the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, August 22 – 28 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.
U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier A qualifier event will be held at Springfield Country Club June 22 for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be held July 30-August 4 in Alaska at the Anchorage Golf Course. Two Michigan Teams in USGA Four-Ball Championship Former UM Golf Teammates, Christian Vozza and Matthew McLaughlin shot 12-under par over the first two rounds of stroke play to finish T-4 and qualify for the match play portion of the USGA Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham. It took 20 holes to win their first match and stretched their second match to 24 holes, eventually losing to Ty Gingerich and Cole Harris. Bradley Bastion from Shelby Township and Anthony Sorentino from Rochester Hills finished runner-up at the Battle Creek Country Club qualifier. In Birmingham, they were two-under par for the first two rounds of stroke play, but missed the cut to qualify for the match play portion of the tournament. Michigan Golf Journal
UMWomen Compete in NCAA Championship The University of Michigan Women’s Golf Team qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. Hailey Borja and Ashley Lau both finished T-13 in the individual portion of the tournament. The UM Women’s Team was a combined 47-over par for three rounds well off the pace to make it into the top eight teams that battled in match play to decide the NCAA Division I Team Championship.
Len Ziehm Book Review: Tiger & Phil The bottom line is that `Tiger & Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry’ stands by itself. I’ll take issue with calling this, “golf’s most fascinating rivalry.” Having written about the sport for well over 50 years, I still lean a bit more towards Nelson versus Hogan, or Nicklaus versus Palmer. Both seemed to be more intense personal rivalries, than Woods versus Mickelson. Harig has nicely blended the careers of Woods and Mickelson into a very comprehensive and balanced report that begins when both were amateurs, plus it captures both the highs and lows as professionals. I was personally involved in many of those highs and lows, which made the book even more intriguing to me. I especially loved the reading about Mickelson’s building frustration through 46 major championship attempts, until he won his first major at the 2004 Masters. Harig’s account of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, with Phil once more relegated to runner-up behind Payne Stewart, but flying home for the birth of his At first, I felt bad for Bob Harig, a friend of mine, who authored the recently released `Tiger & Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry.’ Bob and I both grew up in the Chicago suburbs and became friends covering the pro golf scene for various media outlets. Publishing deadlines are tricky, and that meant he couldn’t include the most recent developments in the lives of these two great golfers. Tiger’s dramatic return to the 2022 Masters and successfully making the 36-hole cut, after his long layoff and recovery from his tragic auto accident, could not be included. Phil’s controversial stance and fall from PGA Tour grace involving the Saudi-backed golf tour and Phil’s efforts to leverage other players into joining the rival league, could also not be included. However, upon further reflection, I realized the lack of attention to those newsworthy items was not relevant. There will be much more to cover in the careers of both Woods and Mickelson, which will provide Harig with more than adequate material for a sequel. By Len Ziehm Michigan Golf Journal
first child the next day, was a touching moment in the book. Phil’s collapse on the final hole of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and ultimately handing the title to Geoff Ogilvy, illustrated Phil’s frustration of six runners-up in U.S. Open competition. It is still the only major championship that Phil has failed to win. As for Tiger, his flops in competition were few and far between, making his run of victories seem all the more staggering. The 2008 U.S. Open win in a playoff with Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines, on a broken leg, is perhaps the most dramatic of them all. His story is not yet complete, whether you love him, or hate him, Woods’ numerous battles with off-course issues make him front page news every time he makes a comeback. Their personalities and backgrounds are as completely different as are their playing records. Both were less than spectacular in Ryder Cup play, a fact that has always puzzled me. While the exploits of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been covered extensively by media over the years, Harig’s version of combining their careers into one book was a great idea. Both are still competing and there is still more to tell. Hopefully, Bob Harig will be one to do it the best. Find Bob Harig’s, “Tiger & Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry” on Amazon at: amzn. to/3LucxXn
Fast Facts Titleist Tour Speed 3-piece construction Urethane 346 dimple cover High speed 1.55” diameter core High flex mantle casing layer White or yellow Manufacturer Suggested Retail: $40.00 per dozen Titleist Tour Soft 2-piece construction 4CE 346 dimple cover Large 1.60” diameter core White or yellow Manufacturer Suggested Retail: $35.00 per dozen Titleist Introduces NEW Tour Speed & Tour Soft By Ed Travis Titleist has introduced new versions of the 3-piece Tour Speed and the 2-piece Tour Soft golf balls citing enhanced distance and overall performance. The three-piece Tour Speed and two-piece Tour Soft both use a quadrilateral dipyramid dimple pattern, which creates a penetrating flight. Plus, they are priced significantly less than the premium Pro V1, or Pro V1x models, which are targeted for lower handicap players. The Tour Speed has a soft feel, and the Tour Soft is even softer. Both fall in the mid-trajectory category with low spin for the longer clubs and medium spin rates with short clubs. If you tend to have a slower than average swing speed, or tend to lose a bunch of golf balls, these may be perfect for your game. The basic choice would appear for those not choosing to use the more expensive, but popular Pro V1 and Pro V1x, but still want to use a Titleist ball. Tour Speed’s, urethane cover provides added control around the greens with a higher ball flight than the Tour Soft. The Tour Soft will work better for golfers with slower swing speeds and is considered a distance category ball. Titleist is the leader in golf ball technology and manufacture. These new golf balls should help them maintain their superiority. Michigan Golf Journal
“Gentlemen Please Repair Your Ball Marks!” Hail damage to one of the greens on Pitman Golf Club, Hereford, Texas at the beginning of May. It would take a ton of guys with divot tools to fix those divots. Best way to fix this? For light hail damage regular mowing and rolling will suffice. For these deep craters, verti-cuttingandsand topdressing several times will be required. It will take a couple of weeks for the smoothness and a consistent roll to return. This is how the game should be played. Ambitious challenges. Stunning views. An old-school Donald Ross layout, and Pete Dye’s modern gem. It all comes together at Indiana’s favorite golf destination. frenchlick.com/golf • 888-936-9360 Just the way golf intended. Management reserves the right to cancel or modify any event without notice. Must be 21 years or older to enter the casino. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.9.WITH.IT or text INGAMB to 53342! Picture of the Month
R u s h J o b : The Life of a Tour Professional The life of a tour professional is not all glitter and big checks. James Nicholas is a young golf professional trying to make his way on the Korn Ferry Tour. He did not make it into the field for the AdventHealth Championship in Kansas City, Missouri, via the Monday qualifier. He was the ninth alternate, with very little chance of getting into the field and decided to fly back home to New York the following day. Arriving home his status had improved to the seventh alternate position by Wednesday evening at 7:30 PM EDT. A couple hours later at 9:30 PM EDT, he found out he was now the first alternate. He decided to return to Kansas City in the hope that a spot may open up.While sitting at LaGuardia Airport, for his return flight on Thursday morning, he learned that Eric Cole dropped out and he was officially in the field, if he could get there on time. By Fred Altvater Michigan Golf Journal
His flight was slated to arrive in the Kansas City airport at 10:47 CDT, so there was ample time to make a 12:05 CDT tee time. Easier said than done. His flight leaving New York was delayed by over an hour. When the flight finally arrived in Kansas City, a stewardess asked other passengers to wait to disembark to allow James to jump off first. Everyone was clapping and cheering for him to make it to the course as he deplaned and did his best O.J. impression, racing through the airport. He knew he didn’t have adequate time to retrieve his clubs and left them spinning on the baggage carrousel. Eric Cole’s caddie was waiting outside the terminal to rush him to Blue Hills Golf Club, site of the AdventHealth Championship. Without, clubs, balls, shoes, or glove, he lined up replacement equipment from the Blue Hills Head Golf Professional. With borrowed equipment and running from the car to the first tee, he striped a drive down the first fairway to begin his round. Unfortunately, the first two rounds didn’t go his way and he missed the 36-hole cut. When asked if he would do it all again, he answered, “Yeah!” “In this game, all you need is a chance. There are so many kids back home wishing they had a chance. The next chance I get, I’m going to take, and hopefully that one turns out right.” Here is a video link to James Nicholas’ post round interview from the Korn Ferry Tour: https:// fb.watch/da4UDjOzYZ/
Tips to Get the Most From Your Practice Session Are you one of those golfers that never goes to the range? And when you do simply reach in the bag for the ‘Big Dog’ and starts slicing, hooking and topping mishit drivers? Here are a few tips for getting more benefit from your time spent on the practice range. 1. Start by stretching and warming up before you even take the first swing. You aren’t as young as you once were and those muscles in your back and shoulders are tight from hours sitting at a desk staring at a computer. 2. Pull your pitching wedge and hit a few full swings with it. The wedge is the easiest club in the bag to hit and sets a better rhythm as you move up to longer clubs. By Fred Altvater Michigan Golf Journal
3. Don’t stand there and bang out more than a few balls with each club. When you are on the course, you never hit the same club consecutively, unless you have missed it so badly the first time you need a mulligan. 4. Pick a target. When you are playing on the course, you always have an exact target that you are trying to hit. Work a driver into a fairway, fly a 7-iron onto a green, or chip to a certain spot on a green. Visualize a particular hole on your course and play that hole on the range. You won’t believe how much that single tip will help you on that hole the next time you play it. bombs on the range, but those chunked, or bladed chip shots are just as important as a 300-yard drive, maybe more so. 7. Have a plan. School teachers have a lesson plan for every day of school. Good golfers have a practice plan and stick to it. Keep a log of good shots versus poor efforts. Work on those weak areas and watch your scores come down. I hope these few tips help and you are able to fleece your golfing buddies for a couple bucks next time out. 5. Work on the club that you struggle with on the course. Don’t simply ignore it and give it a time out. You have to develop a loving relationship and spend time nurturing it. 6. Don’t forget to practice short game, chipping and putting. Everyone likes to show off hitting
By Fred Altvater I can safely report that golf opportunities in Mississippi are abundant and enjoyable. On a recent trip to the Magnolia State, we were able to visit several top golf courses and resorts that would make any buddies trip, girls golf getaway, or family vacation the best ever. This was not my first trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast; I have always enjoyed my time there and this trip did not disappoint. The white sandy beaches, warm breezes and deep blue water of the Gulf Coast will calm any troubled soul. This trip my eyes were opened to spectacular golf, the best Mississippi Gulf Coast Offers Something For Everyone Michigan Golf Journal
dining to be found, as well as plenty of options for entertainment away from the golf course. The first thing you notice, when you arrive in the Gulfport/Biloxi are the number of casinos and high-rise condos stretching along the beautiful white beaches. There are 12 casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with every game of chance known to modern man. We enjoyed staying in the Island View Resort, which actually includes two casinos, the Beach View and the Island View. The Beach View is smoke-free and both offer live entertainment. I can confidently report that the dining in the area is first rate. On our very first night we were treated to one of the most delicious meals prepared by the resort’s chef. Every item was a piece of culinary art and the Bread Pudding for dessert was the best I have ever tasted. My roomwas located on the 8th floor and afforded a gorgeous view along the beach. Since hurricane Katrina, nearly every hotel, restaurant and casino has been renovated, or rebuilt. The room was modern, spacious and comfortable. While in Gulfport we played three golf courses, Windance Country Club, The Club at Diamondhead and Grand Bear Golf Club. Windance Country Club Windance Country Club is aligned withThe Island View Resort with stay & play packages available. The course was designed by Mark McCumber, opened in 1986 and features over 6,600 yards of challenging golf complete with breathtaking landscapes, rolling hills and lush greens. Since the Island View Casino Resort purchased the course in 2007, Windance has undergone significant renovation to make it one of the most enjoyable courses in the area, plus it is always immaculately maintained. Windance has a received a 4-star rating by Golf Digest magazine and has hosted Ben Hogan and Nike tour tournaments. Past winners include, Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, and Alan Doyle. Windance Country Club is the perfect addition to any golf trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The Club at Diamondhead The Club at Diamondhead has two championship golf courses, plus the only indoor/outdoor, state-of-the-art Golf Academy along the MS Gulf Coast. Ten lighted, hydra-clay tennis courts are available at The Tennis Club, plus the community boasts a marina with direct access to the Bay of St. Louis and an airport. Golf, tennis, swimming and boating, the Club at Diamondhead has it all. available using Trackman and FlightScope technology. Grand Bear Golf Club The PGA Tour C h a mp i o n s annually visits Gulfport for the Rapsican Systems Classic. It is normally held at Fallen Oak, yet another excellent course in the area, but due to renovations that took longer than planned, they could not host the event this year. Grand Bear, always in tournament condition, graciously stepped in. The tournament was won by Steven Alker and was held just a couple of weeks before we visited Grand Bear. I rate Grand Bear one of the best courses I have played anywhere. This Jack Nicklaus design gets out at a little over 6,700 yards. The Cardinal has a slope rating of 131 and five sets of tees to accommodate every skill level. The Pine Course is slightly more difficult with a 136 slope, but also allows players to choose from five tee options. If your game could use a little help, 2016 PGA Teacher of the Year, Hoppy Smith at the Academy at Diamondhead has everything to improve your swing. Individual lessons, club fitting and skill testing are all Both the Cardinal and Pine Courses at Diamondhead max Michigan Golf Journal
A+ marks for every feature. The course sits in the middle of the Desoto National Forest and requires a six-mile journey through a heavily wooded area to reach the beautiful log clubhouse. With no housing developments around the course, this is pure golf with only squirrels, deer and other woodland creatures to disrupt your golf. As we left the first tee and headed down the fairway, the green surround was gorgeous. The contours and framing of the bunkers combined with the undulations of the green fit nicely into the surrounding terrain and were very pleasing to the eye. Every subsequent hole experience was as good as the first. This is definitely one of Jack’s best works and worth the trip to Mississippi. covered with the black goo, they decided to build the world-class Mississippi Aquarium, that rivals anything that can be found anywhere in the world. They succeeded in creating a beautifully arranged aquarium that features nearly every type of fish to be found. Even alligators and crocodiles have their own residence in this all-inclusive attraction. If you visit Gulfport with children, the Mississippi Aquarium is a must see for every family. Mississippi Aquarium When Gulfport received their share of the damages BP Oil was forced to pay for the well leak disaster that left miles of Mississippi beaches With 62 miles of beautiful beaches, a wide variety of entertainment, excellent dining, casinos for excitement, plus great golf, what are you waiting for? Make your plans to head to the Mississippi Gulf Coast today.
Our Contributors This Month Ed Travis Ed Travis is a national award winning golf journalist and has had a lifelong love affair with the game. He has competed in tournament golf both as an amateur and as a senior professional and though his competitive days are behind him, he still plays regularly and carries a handicap of 2. Golfscribe@outlook.com Len Ziehm Len Ziehm spent 41 years as a golf columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. He now free lances golf travel pieces and posts for http://lenziehmongolf.com/. Find Len on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ lenziehmongolf/ Michigan Golf Journal
VIDEOS Brett Jaffee from CaddyTime.com wants every golfer to have their own caddy at courses across America, as well as, Internationally. Simply visit their website caddytime.com, or download the CaddyTime APP. Pine Needles is set to host the U.S. Women’s Open June 2-5, the Pour Tour makes every visit FUN. Newly renovated Southern Pines is a mustplay, PLUS there is fantastic dining, shopping and other outdoor activities for the entire family. Latest News and Rumors about Greg Norman and LIV Golf During the PGA Championship rumors were flying and opinions about the Greg Norman’s Saudi-Backed LIV Investment Golf League were rampant. Back 9 Report sorts it all out in this video. Who’s YOUR Caddy? Always Something NEW Happening at Pinehurst Watch Now Watch Now Watch Now
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