Summer KO Competitions

March 2009
The draws for the Summer KO Competitions have been made and are now available in the Clubhouse. Each Round has a completion date, however competitors are responsible for the arrangement of their own ties. Although the top named individual is the challenger, both opponents are to make every effort to arrange ties.

All competitors are reminded of the requirements of providing your intended opponent with 14 days notice and 3 alternative dates. On completion of a tie, the successful player(s) is/are responsible for ensuring that the board has been updated. Failure to do so may result in dealys to in arranging subsequent ties.

All difficulties in arranging ties are to be reported to the undersigned at the earliest opportunity.

Good Hunting!

F Martin
Comps Sec

Trophies

March 2009
The following Trophies have not yet been returned to the Club. Individuals are to ensure that the undermentioned trophies are returned to the Club as soon as possible:

Winter League Trophy - Ray Michie/Norman Fenwick
Tankard Trophy Runner-up - Grant Martin
Autumn Meeting Best Nett - Mark Tinker
Spring Meeting Best Nett - Ray Michie
4 Club Challenge - Ian Scott
Transco Cup - Ian Scott
Captains Day Trophy - Dave Findlay
George Black Memorial Trophy - Rory Tinker

Wie versus Sorenstam: which brand would you buy? Extreme golf experiences, Rich Beem's sand-trap easy out and old vs new golf balls

March 2009

Click here to listen.




Branding a product is supposed to personify the qualities inherent in the celebrity whose name is on the package. Tiger Woods' name, for example, has been chosen not only because he is a champion but because he is credible, likeable and probably the most visible person on the planet. Woods basically embodies all of the most sincere qualities of golf while, at the same time, adding a youthful "hip-ness" to any product he endorses.

Annika Sorenstam, although presently retired from golf and expecting a child, has decided to remain in the public eye by 'capturing her essence' in products from wine to perfume, all prominently displaying the moniker "Annika". "The scent will particularly appeal to golf enthusiasts, career-minded professionals and active, fashion-forward women," mentioned a press release. "Like Annika, the fragrance will be casually elegant and unpretentious."

Sorenstam will be celebrated this week by the Golf Channel, which will include highlights of her illustrious career.

Michelle Wie is now interested in branding herself as opposed to her early career in which Sony, Nike and Omega took advantage of her celebrity in order to advertise their products. These contracts are ending soon and the way Wie's LPGA career has been wavering, those winnings may not be enough to sustain her!

If Michelle becomes her own brand, would you be comfortable buying a product endorsed by her even if she's never been a champion within her own sport?

Popularity seems to be winning out over achievement. Name and face recognition may be all that Michelle Wie needs to succeed. As long as magazines like "Time" consider her to be a person who "shapes the world" her "brand" will be triumphant.




Golf for Beginners also discusses extreme golf travel experiences throughout the world, ranging from a $1 million dollar golf hole off of a mountaintop in South Africa where the only way to get to the teebox is by helicopter to a crocodile-guarded water-hazard in which you can play it safe or take your chances. Which would you do?

We also include a sand trap visualization tip from Callaway Golf staff professional Rich Beem and a few thoughts on why picking up that golf ball you find in the woods may not be such a great idea!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!


Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by MyrtleBeachGolf.com, 866-409-2177.

Photo Credit: The Scented Salamander, Theworsthorse.com


Credit: YourGolfTravel.com

April Monthly Medal

March 2009
The first medal of the season takes place on Saturday 4th April. The sign-in sheets, currently held in the weekend competitions folder in the clubhouse will be removed on Thursday afternoon, after which the draw will be made, and posted not in this blog, but also at the Club. If you have not already done so, ensure your name is on the sheets before 1200 hrs on Thursday. Late entries will not be accepted under any circumstances.

F Martin
Comps Sec

Handicaps and Monthly Medals

March 2009
New members are reminded that Monthly Medal Competition cannot be entered in order to obtain a Handicap. If any new member requires a card signed by a Committee member, contact details for all can be found in the front of your Fixtures book.

All players who have annotated the sign-in sheets for the April Medal "for handicap" will not be entered into the draw for that competition.

F Martin
Comps Sec

AND THE TIGER LEGEND GROWS.......

March 2009


I've read in books that Tiger's father would tell him to "let the legend grow". Tiger has listened to that piece of advice and continues to live it. The video above is one small snapshot but he has been doing this his entire life.

Tiger is not human. In his third tournament back after an 8 month layoff due to major knee surgery, on the hardest course the tour has played this year, five strokes down to begin the day, Tiger birdied the 72nd hole at Bay Hill for the second straight year to win by one stroke. He also made the putt in near darkness.
This was his 6th, yes 6th win at Bay Hill and the third time he has made a birdie on the last hole to win. You can't really describe what this guy is doing. Truly ridiculous.

When Tiger was getting ready to come back, it was very funny to me to hear many sports writers questioning whether he would ever be the same. These people are not very bright. Before his injury, Tiger had won 10 out of the last 13 tournaments he had played and was on the verge of a record breaking 2008 season.

Although still not 100% healthy, he is now in the best physical shape he has been in for a long time, and his mental game is far and away better than anyone else on tour. This win at Bay Hill was his 66th as a professional which puts him seven behind Nicklaus and sixteen behind Sam Snead for best all time. He could possibly surpass Jack this year.

The 2009 Masters is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated tournaments in a long, long time. We have Tiger now regaining top form, Mickelson coming off two recent wins, Harrington going for his third straight major, and several other big name players looking for their first Masters win. My money is on Tiger as usual.

Can you say Grand Slam?

FINAL REMINDER

March 2009
Gentleman, this is the last reminder to those who have not yet paid their CLUB subscriptions. The first events of the season are due to take place, and there remain a number of individuals have have signed up to these events who have not yet updated their annual CLUB fee. If your CLUB subscriptions are not paid, you will be removed from the draws prior to the commencement of play and/or any KO tie that you have been drawn in will be awarded to your opponent(s).

Your CLUB subscriptions are separate from the Centre subscription, so if you are in any doubt, please contact the Club Treasurer as soon as possible and ensure that your CLUB fees are up to date.

F Martin
Comps Sec

Drainage Project #9

March 2009
We were able to get the drainage installed on #9 fairway.  Last year we had some issues with heavy Monsoon rain.  The water collected in certain areas for over a week while the temperatures rose to 95 degrees.  The areas suffered turfloss because of the water heating up and basically cooking the grass in those areas.  

When I moved to Arizona from Oregon I noticed that there was a shift from trying to remove water from the course to managing the water applied to the course.  In Oregon we had elaborate drainage systems for every low area and could never add enough drainage each winter.  Once I arrived to Arizona I had to be analytical about the central control and how the water was applied to the course.  Having little rain all year the importance resides on the irrigation system.  When I finally came to the mountains in Payson to manage The Rim Golf Club I feel much more comfortable with the property since it is the closest to an Oregon climate.  The irrigation
 systems is still #1 priority, but we also must get water off the course from the monsoon season.

The Drainage we installed on #9 fairway is directly related to the damage we received last year from the standing water.  We sodded these areas last year soon after we had the problems.  Now with the down time of the cooler weather we were able to install some drainage in the previously sodded areas.

I have posted some pictures to show our process.  We first painted out the areas that we needed to trench.  Then we took a sod cutter and stripped away the sod for later replacement.  The trencher dug an 18-20 inch deep trench 51/2 inches wide.  We cleaned all the DG out and away from the trench and backfilled the trench with pea gravel 2".  We then layed a 4" perforated pipe in the trench and backfilled with pea gravel,  making a gravel envelope aroung the pipe about two inches above the pipe.  Then we layed out the bunker liner material in the trench to ensure drainage without contamination from the above sand.  The we leveled the trench with our old fairway plugs from last year that we composted.  I feel that we may have made a mistake back filling with the plugs because it was all basically thatch.  When we were trying to pack the plugs down we watered them and it was like a sponge.  I will keep everyone posted on this outcome since we may need to redo these after a short while.  After leveling the trench we put the sod back and cleaned the area.

The things that I have learned from this process was that drainage is still a simple process. Coming from Oregon I know that we never really over did the process.  Drainage is not rocket science and overthinking the process can become detrimental.  Since moving water from point A to point B with a grade of around 1% or more is half the battle. The second part is how you backfill the trench.  We have all read the books from Beard on The Best Management Practices and the book may be a 500 page book but it is full of common sense.  Keeping things simple is key to labor savings and functionality.   I am hoping when the monsoons come the drainage will do its job but until then I will remain skeptical. 
   

Course Management Tips

March 2009


“One of the worst mistakes you can make in golf is trying to force the game.”

Jack Nicklaus

Excerpt from "The 20th Hole Golf Book Series"

• When teeing off, use approximately 85% of your full power for better accuracy. Swing with enough force to hit the ball a sufficient distance, but keep your swing in control and maintain your balance. Hitting the fairway is the first step to making a good score on the hole.

• For approach shots, aim at the middle of the green, regardless of where the pin is located. Doing this will help you hit more greens over the long-term.

• When the pin is on the far left or far right of the green, be wary of short siding yourself. This is when you aim directly at a pin, miss the green on the short side, and leave yourself a difficult chip or pitch without much green to work with.

• If you are a more advanced player, you may be able to control the shape of your shots as well as the trajectory. If this is the case, when the pin is located on the front of the green, play a high shot. If the pin is located on the back of the green, play a lower shot and have the ball run up to the cup. When the pin is right, start the ball at the middle of the green and fade it into the flag. When the pin is left, start the ball at the middle of the green, and draw it into the flag.

• Again, if you are advanced, try to hit the proper side of the fairway with your tee shots. For instance, on a par 4, let’s say the pin is on the far left of the green. You will want to aim for the right side of the fairway with your tee shot, giving you the best angle to the pin with your approach shot.

• When questionable shots arise, always assess the risk and reward of the shot.

• When playing on fast greens, try and leave the ball below the hole with your approach shots. This way, you will have uphill putts in which you can be more aggressive.

• Stay within your comfort zone on the course. Don’t attempt crazy shots that you have never practiced before, unless you are willing to accept the risk.

• If you get into trouble, play the smart shot back to the fairway. This way, it may only cost you one stroke. If you go for a shot with long odds, you may end up in a worse spot and put up a high number on the hole.

Cutworm Activity

March 2009

We have had an interesting last two weeks with cutworm activity.  We began catching young cutworms in our pitfall traps the weekend before last.  We sprayed shortly after the positive ID.  We sprayed Tees, a ring around the greens and hot spots on south facing slopes in the rough.  The next day we had unbelievable control.  We had cutworms from all instar stages throughout the areas we sprayed from super tiny to decent in size.  We thought we were in the clear after our application last week.

This week we were still talking about the amazing control that we had.  We we
re fired up about the timing we had.  Then we started to notice some cutworms on the p
utting green.  We started to check all the greens.  Only a few greens were positve for cutworms.  I think our mistake was that i had our spray tech. spray a ring around the greens near the native and not next to the green.  The areas that are affected are near the edge of the greens.  These guys are super tiny but nonetheless are causing damage.

Yesterday the wind was too great for an application at night which I like to do since cutworms are nocturnal.  The spring here has wind each afternoon so we are going to have to spray this morning.  We are using a product with little odor so the members should not be bothered.  I am hoping a morning application will get good control later in the evening.

Yesterday we also added to our IPM program toolbox.  We added a black light trap.  This will help us monitor the peak flight of cutworm adults and Masked 
Chafer adults.  Both of these insects have been a problem in the past and we are still nursing thin areas from late damage from white grubs last year. 
 I am hoping this light trap will alert us early and we can provide the best control methods possible.

I will let you know how the application goes today.  We are getting our chemical delivered th
is morning for our morning application.  

Australian Golf

March 2009
I completed playing Australia's top ranked courses in March 2010 and my course writeups will be posted between May and July. For those that can't wait for my impressions, a sneak preview below:

8. Royal Melbourne(Composite)- Australia's Pine Valley
21. Kingston Heath - One of the most bunkered courses in the world
43. New South Wales - A microcosm of the best of the world's golf holes
50. Royal Adelaide - A real sleeper and worthy to be among the world's best

Barnbougle Dunes - Really spectacular and one of the top three in the country

Lost Farms - Wow!

Annual Captain’s Drive In - Saturday 28th March 2009

March 2009
The draw for the Captain's drive in has been made and is below. Captain's Team in Red, Vice Captain's in Blue

1 L.Duncan & R.McGeoghegan C.Davidson & C.Sturgis

2 M.Melville & M.Strachan
B.McGowan & A.Grewar

3 D.M.Alexander & M.McDiarmid
D.Gillespie & J.Taylor

4 A.M.Blair & P.Maxwell P.Crockart & J.Douglas

5 J.Davidson & L.Haynes
S.McGibbon & W.Nicoll

6 G.S.Allan & D.Butchart
R.Peacock & M.West

7 A.Donaldson & S.Peacock
E.Ritchie & G.Allardice

8 G.Haynes & K.Campbell
I.Clark & M.Nicol

9 S.Schofield & C.McNab
L.Bushby & J.Merry

10 G.Dolby & S.Barber
I.Butchart & L Robb

11 J.McGeoghegan & M.Robertson
K.Macleod & A.Ross

12 Mike Bell & S.Bushby
B.Jackson & R.Ingram

13 D.Thomson & M.Young
M.Scott & R.Fraser

14 Matthew Bell & S.Thomson
S.A.Robertson & J.Griffiths

15 C.Fairweather & K.Findlay
R.Milligan & J.Groom

16 T.Ogg & H.Robb
M.Truswell & S.Scott

17 F.Barber & S.Fenner
E.Gray & H.Dawson

18 G.Martin & E.Ralston
C.Brand & D.Dawson

The following groups are the 2nd set of teams to drive off from the allocated tee

1 A.Hughes & A.Ramsay D.Gordon & R.Michie

5 F.Moran & D.J.Alexander F.Martin & R.Tinker

6 A.Morrison M.MacGillivary

12 A.Jones & I.Taylor C.McDonald & A.Low

18 J.Scott & F.J.Moran S.Bolderson

Competition information

The competition format will be a 4 ball better ball stableford with ¾ handicap difference using the ladies stroke index.

The ladies will receive an additional 1 stroke.

Captain’s team to wear red and the Vice Captain’s team to wear blue

The Captain’s will make their respective drives at 10.30

The match will then start at 10.45

Please arrive early so you can place where you think the drive will land

Greens Mowing Training

March 2009
Another Monday and another training session for the crew.  I am trying to push good habits for this upcoming season.  I have committed myself to having a training session each Monday since the course is closed.  Last week we explained bunker raking.  I have learned over the years of being a superintendent that you can never explain things enough.  Repitition is key.

The greens mowing training was a success.  I explained the proper way to transport the mowers.
  This is important since the walk mowers we use are expensive and precise.  A mower flopping around in the back of a trailer can not only damag
e the equipment but can also ruin the adjustment and compromise the hieght of cut.

The next procedures we went through is the process before we begin the mowing practice.  I asked the crew to stop the mower at the edge of the green and first walk the green to check for ball marks, Hi-Lo plugs and to also remove the flagstick from the hole.  We have had problems with the flagstick getting clipped from the greens mower because the employee would try to grab the flagstick as they were going by with the mower.  The edge of the mower catch the flagstick and shreds the fiberglass.

The last procedure I explained to our crew was the turning of the mower.  While the bunkers are close to the greens edge and we can't prevent turning on the collar, we can prevent turning on the collar on the rest of the green.  Turning just outside the collar in the rough is ideal for wear during the heat of the summer and when we are topdressing green.  The roller on the mower grinds away at the low cut grass.

The crew responded well to the training seminar and i think we are going to start out the season on the right foot.  Each job on the course is very important to add to our overall quality.  If everyone pitches in to make this course better we can accomplish a lot.

Tiger Woods taking a lesson from Michelle Wie, Sorenstam delivers, golf tips from Leadbetter and Rick Smith

March 2009

Click here to listen.




Michelle Wie reportedly received $700,000 in appearance fees to attend the Asian Tour's 2006 SK Telecom Open. Tiger Woods' bonus for showing up at the Australian Masters will top the $3 million mark with the state government footing half of the bill! Are appearance fees a good idea and can they help fuel a weakened economy?

Crowds no doubt swarm to an event where Tiger Woods is in the mix. A report from Ernst and Young stated that an estimated "10-20,000 overseas and interstate visitors would travel to the southern city to see Woods." That translates into over $19 million dollars in income for Australia! This is a win-win situation for the Masters but the Open, which plays only two weeks later, will probably suffer with a lax in funding and attendance.

Endorsement deals are lining pockets but, in the future, will larger-than-life players require appearance fees before even deciding to play? Phil Mickelson's presence at the Barclays in Singapore grossed him seven figures, Michelle Wie is said to have received over $20 million in just one season and, although fees for LPGA golfers are far less than their male counterparts, Annika Sorenstam earned over $12 million off-course and champions like Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis are known to travel to events on private jets.

In this new media age, you can even "rent" your very own sports personality right off of the internet! Procurement agencies such as Mastergolf.com claim to be able to "turn events into sold-out standing room only spectacles". Gulbis is said to command a mere $18-38,000, Nancy Lopez' fee is over $35k and Crenshaw and Couples top out at over $65,000 each.

Although no blame is to be exacted in this column, one of the earliest golfers paving the road with appearance fees could be tracked down to Greg Norman who, as far back as the mid-nineties, is said to have commanded honorarium upwards of $200,000 and fuel for his private jet.

Top golfers are now considered celebrities and are basically being paid to perform. Whether they win or lose, they are still the draw that bring fans, and their dollars, out to the courses. So I ask, is it better to be Tiger Woods who happily accepts, and seeks out, appearance fees or Lorena Ochoa who, according to her brother and manager, is "not the kind of girl who's looking for options to be on TV or in magazine articles,” but "just wants to be the number one player in the world."




Also, on this week's Golf for Beginners show, Barry and I offer several swing drills. One assist comes from the David Leadbetter Academy which can help set your hand position in your backswing and the other drill comes from Rick Smith whose drill will help increase your accuracy!

We also talk about Annika Sorenstam's two big announcements and their effect upon the LPGA Tour!


Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!


Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by ResortsGolfandSpa.com, 866-643-6078.


Photo Credit: © GameLife

Caddyshack Scene of the Week - 6

March 2009

Golf Highlights of the Week

March 2009
  • Retief Goosen wins the Transitions Championship. Goosen is regaining the form that won him two U.S. Opens and his game is rounding into shape heading into the Masters. Goosen could be another major champ currently playing well to look for at Augusta to go along with Mickelson, Harrington, Els, and Tiger.

  • Tom Lehman had the lead for one day at the Transitions, and at the age of 50, that was a nice accomplishment. He couldn’t hold on, but it was nice to seem him playing well again.

  • Jim Furyk opened the Transitions as the leader with a first round 65, but then shot 78 in the second round to barely make the cut. This is a perfect example of golf in the way one day everything can be great, and the next day everything can be a disaster.

  • Tiger announced he will be playing in the Australian Masters in November. This will be his first trip down under since 1998, and I’m sure he will enjoy the three million dollar appearance fee he will be receiving.

  • Annika Sorenstam announced she is pregnant. There will soon be another junior golfer to compete with Tiger’s kids.

  • Lorena Ochoa opened with the lead at the Mastercard Classic. She continues to show why she is the #1 female in the world. She seems to be at the top of the leader board in every tournament she plays.
  • Tiger announced he will play at Bay Hill next week where he is the defending champ and made another ridiculous putt on the 72nd hole last year to win by one stroke. Obviously, this will make the tournament much more interesting. Check the video to catch the entire 72nd hole scene from last year

  • Countdown to the the Masters: 17 days

Knock Out Competitions

March 2009
Closing date for the Knock-Out competitions is Saturday 28th, the Captain's Drive-In. The sheets will be removed after that event, and the draw posted on the Notice board in the hallway, along with competition rules for each format, as in previous years.

So, what are you all waiting on, get your names down and enter.

Leitfie Links Championship

March 2009
Another windy day welcomed the second round of the Leitfie Links Championship, with the winning scores as follows:

Nett

1st. Fergus Martin - Nett 60 ((On Countback)
2nd. D Findlay - Nett 60
3rd. F Moran - Nett 62

Gross

1st. G Martin - 70
2nd. M Scott - 71
3rd. F Moran - 78

2's

The single two over both rounds was recorded by M Scott.

Overall Scores Over Two Rounds

Gross

1st. Grant Martin 72 + 70 - Total 142
2nd. M Scott 73 + 71 - Total 144
3rd. F Moran 79 + 78 - Total 157

Nett

1st. D Findlay 59 + 60 - Total 119
2nd. FJ Moran 58 + 65 - Total 123
3rd. F Moran 63 + 62 - Total 125

Well done Grant and Dave, great play chaps in tricky conditions.

Improve Your Swing With A Mirror

March 2009


An excellent tool to use for improving your swing is a full length mirror. Set up with a club and view yourself from the front view, side view, and back view. The main fundamentals to always focus on first will be your grip, posture, ball position, and alignment. The mirror is perfect for checking your set up and posture. Since I don’t have any professional pictures posted, look in any golf magazine and copy the posture of the pros at set up position.

Swing slowly and make sure your club is in the proper position at different points of your swing. Check to make sure the club is not going past parallel and that the club is pointing towards your target line at the top of your backswing. Make sure you are able to keep your balance throughout your swing and maintain balance in the finishing position.

The mirror can especially be beneficial if you are trying to make specific swing changes such as shortening your backswing or swinging on a more inside – out path. If you don’t have an instructor to watch every swing or you’re not using periodic video analysis, the next best thing is a full length mirror. This is the only way to watch yourself and make sure you’re getting the club in the proper position. Focus on one swing change at a time and work on it over and over in the mirror until it becomes a natural part of your swing. Once the first change has become ingrained into your swing, move onto the next change.

If you don’t already have a large mirror, purchase one for your basement or garage. If you belong to a gym, there are usually mirrors in the studio or group exercise room and this is a great place to work on your swing. Overall, using a full length mirror is one of the best tools to use for improving your swing, and can be great for working on your swing throughout the winter.

Trophies and Club Membership

March 2009
Could I remind all those who have Trophies that they are to be returned to the Club as soon as possible. Additionally all members are to ensure that their Club Memberships are paid and up to date, prior to the start of the season.

F Martin
Comps Sec

Captain's Day

March 2009
How time flies, almost April already and time for the clubs to get dusted off, shoes to get re-spiked, and finally your entry in for the Captain's Drive-In taking place on Sat 28th Mar, if you have not done so already.

The big question for the day must be:

Will our erstwhile skippers drive go right or left?

Leitfie Links Championship - Round 2 Draw

March 2009
The draw for the second round of the Leitfie Links Championships is below:

1030. M Scott, S Schofield & M Melville
1037. FJ Moran, D Findlay & E Ritchie
1045. G Martin, F Martin & F Moran

Best of luck fellas!

Top 100 Rankings

March 2009
Hot off the press!  

The Rim Golf Club rankings have been updated by Golfweek.  Yesterday the rankings became official and we have moved up the list for the first time since 2002.  We definitely have had struggles over the past few years.  Last year was the first year we were able to use our newly developed Integrated Plant Management Program.  

Joe Trombino and I have worked hard over the past year to re-organized the way The Rim has been managed.  Even with the economy in shambles the course will still thrive only because of the maintence program in place.  Soon to come is a newly created Best Management Practice program for water conservation/use efficiancy.  This will help us target any in-efficiancies we may have in our water usage program and begin to save more water then we already have. 

Our plan is to give our membership the Top 50 course they deserve.  We have worked hard over the past two and half years I have been here to create the best management plan possible.  I think this is the first year that we are starting to see the fruits of our labor.  Last year was the firt year the course made it through the summer without devastating turf loss to disease and insects in a few years.  Next year will not be any diferent.

Here is the link for you guys to look at the rankings for this year.

Natalie Gulbis Celebrity Apprentice The Wedding Gowns In Episode 3

March 2009
Natalie Gulbis On Celebrity Apprentice
(Natalie Gulbis and Team Athena discuss their ideas for selling wedding gowns.)

Episode 3 of the Celebrity Apprentice featured the men's and women's teams trying to sell wedding dresses to raise money for charity. Project managers Tom Green and Brande Roderick squared off as the teams were provided make shift stores to sell the wedding dresses in.

Natalie Gulbis is still flying under the radar with really not much involvement. Not sure if thats a good thing or bad thing for Natalie Gulbis.

Dennis Rodman was AWOL, Tom Green was late and hung over.... well the men sealed their own fate. In the end, Tom Greene was fired and Dennis lives another week.

Wie joins Woods in media circus, Tiger hated by Esquire writer, golf ball trivia, Taylor Made Adidas golf shoes

March 2009

Click here to listen.




Step right up! The circus is in town and is performing at a golf course near you! Watch as Henrik Stenson performs his schluoss to the delight of sighing maidens. Be mystified as IMG jumps through hoops to insure maximum visibility for Michelle Wie! Delight as unimaginable trick shots made by Phil Mickelson inspire awe!

For the piece de resistance, you might even catch Tiger Woods juggling golf balls just before the Masters Tournament!

Ringling Brothers Circus claims to be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but both the PGA and LPGA Tour players are stepping up efforts to entertain in addition to playing golf just for the "sport" of it.

"Golfers" are now being renamed "stars", NBC News sent a reporter to cover Woods' return and, according to Bob Verdi, "the gathering of writers, broadcasters, and photographers around Tiger was substantial." Even sponsors such as Northern Trust are jumping on the bandwagon, creating a more carnival gala within their sponsorships by integrating the world of entertainment with golf.

Certain LPGA golfers have struck out on their own, searching for popularity through alternative means. Natalie Gulbis is a headliner on Celebrity Apprentice, Michelle Wie is now the new media darling of IMG, whose clients include Woods, Sorenstam, Creamer and Pressel and let's not forget the introduction of the Wilhelmina 7!

The Golf Channel and J Golf (Korea) have also joined forces with the LPGA, envisioning a merge of talent and sport. Carolyn Bivens mentioned, "JBC provides the LPGA with a progressive, creative partner prepared to showcase our golfers and tournaments across an array of platforms."

But are the Tours drawing the attention or are professional golfers yearning to step out of anonymity to become more relevant?





Golf for Beginners offers up some golf ball trivia this week with the help of David Feherty and talks about new golf shoes available from Taylor-Made Adidas which can actually help improve the distance of your shots!

We also wonder if Chris Jones from Esquire magazine has any validity in his hatred toward Tiger Woods.


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Photo Credit: © Inside the Mind of a GeeC

Training Days

March 2009
The season at The Rim Golf Club is officially underway. We have begun a training program to ensure quality on the course. In the past it has been tough trying to get a handle on all the turnover through the summer months with seasonal employees that seem to not care about the work but more about the check. The training program will be done every Monday throughout the season to train our staff on the proper procedure of maintenance. Since we are closed on Monday this gives us ample time to thouroughly discuss a topic with hands on training.

Our first topic this year was the Bunker Maintenance training. We touched on many aspects of bunker maintenance. We also explained to our employees that these areas are the most labor intensive areas on the course. Even more so than greens. We use between three to four guys in the bunkers for five hours each morning hand raking the 75 bunkers on the course. We also have bunker on our range that need some maintenance through the season.

We rake the bunkers with sring leaf rakes. We drag the rake behind as we walk through the bunker trying to produce the straightest lines possible. We leave a gap fro
m the edge all the way around the bunker as to not pull sand from the edges and expose the liner underneath. Then we finish with the ring around the edges evenly spaced from the edge of the bunker. The employees are asked to take a look before leaving the bunker to make sure the bunker is smooth.

The training was signed off from each employee ensuring that they und
erstood that if the job was not completed the way that it was explained they would be written up. We have a three strike policy and if you can't figure out your job within three tries then
we have to let you go. It is a fair
process.

Overall the training will help us better serve our membership. We want only the best playing conditions for our members.

Justin C. Ruiz, CGCS

Ocean Forest (Sea Island)

March 2009


The Ocean Forest golf course (ranked #84 in the world) is located on St. Simons Island in the resort of Sea Island, Georgia. Although Sea Island is a resort, the Ocean Forest course is private and you must play with a member. The course was designed by the Harvard-Yale educated Rees Jones and opened in 1995. It hosted the Walker Cup matches in 2001, the youngest course to do so. Although Rees has modified or renovated many U.S. Open courses, Ocean Forest is his only course ranked among the world's top 100 courses.

Ocean Forest is a pretty private affair and most people are even unaware of its existence. To get into the Sea Island resort you have to go through a guard gate, which you can do if you are staying at the resort or playing one of the resort courses. Once inside the Sea Island enclave, to get into Ocean Forest you have to go through a second guard gate as well, after driving several miles down to the tip of the island. This is the only course I have played in all my travels with a double guard gate. The entrance only says 'Private' and there are no signs that say Ocean Forest.

The Golf Course Design


The course is located on the end of a barrier island where the Hampton River meets the Atlantic Ocean and the area is blessed with pine trees, sand dunes, oak trees, marshes, wetlands and a river estuary. The principles Jones used to design the course are:

1. Small greens. The average green size is 5,300 square feet. The notable exception is the par three 17th green, which has an 11,000 square foot green
2. Greens with low profiles, in order to maintain playability in high winds
3. Slopes around the greens which direct missed shots away from the hole

To quote Jones, "I learned from Brookline that you don't need extraordinary length if you have small greens. When the targets are smaller, the penalty for missing them is magnified because there is a greater likelihood that they will be missed."


The 12th green at Ocean Forest showing Jones' design philsophy around the greens

Jones' term for the green designs at Ocean Forest is 'straight back', which means that there are no greenside features to throw wayward shots back toward the hole or stop balls that have been played too long.

The greatest dangers at Ocean Forest are behind the greens. What makes the course unique is that it is essentially a links course, but without one of the central features of a links course, which is the ability to bump and run shots up to the green. The way Jones designed the greens, you have to pitch the ball onto them, which requires you to hit the ball high, as opposed to bumping it up. The approaches to most greens are narrow, with bunkers on both sides, making it a demanding course, particularly if the wind is blowing.


Ocean Forest from the air


The routing is good at Ocean Forest; Jones had a lot to work with and used it all: the marsh areas, the sand dunes and the areas along both the river and the ocean. The course starts in marsh and wetlands, then you get a brief glimpse of what is to come as the fifth hole backs up to the river with views of the ocean in the distance. While standing on the fifth green, the land you see across the river is all owned by the arrogant, disgraced, bumbling-idiot, Katrina-style bailout leader, ex-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who both owns the private island and had a personal vendetta against Lehman Brothers. Enjoy your ignominious retirement, Hank. You should hope they don't try to bring criminal charges against you for your incompetence. "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!"

Sorry about the tirade, but it did make me feel better.

View from the par three 5th tee box

The Golf Course

Through the first five holes, the views of the water are fleeting; you see only enough to build your interest and curiosity because the course is routed inland again after this hole, playing back through the marsh and dunes. The same thing happens again when you get to the 12th and 13th holes; you think you will now play along the water from then on, but the course is again routed back inland before you re-emerge for the brilliant climax of the 17th and 18th holes along the ocean. Jones saved the best for last.

The opening hole on Ocean Forest follows the design philosophy of both Prestwick and the National Golf Links of America, which is of a short, relatively easy hole. Put a big asterisk next to that, however, since this is your first shot of the day and water is in play. At Prestwick, it's the slice over the stone wall and onto the railroad tracks that can ruin your start; at National, a shot into the high fescue; at Ocean Forest, the trouble manifests itself in the form of the 'Mullet Pond' that borders the left side of the fairway. I call it the 'Mullet Pond' because the pond is full of mullet, and they jump high out of the water with a frenetic frequency. When you hit your second shot on the first hole (and your tee shot off the 9th hole), you will absolutely be distracted by the jumping mullet.

OF 1 Green


The first green at Ocean Forest

The second hole plays along a stand of trees, the third plays by the dunes and the fourth plays by the wetlands.


The 4th hole seen from the tee

The ninth hole, a 151 yard par three has a Biarritz feature in the front, the jumping mullet, and an occasional crocodile sitting nearby the pond. It's a nice short par three that requires a precise tee shot over water and offers no bailout option.


The 10th hole at Ocean Forest

The 10th hole was my favorite on the course. Jones calls ten "the most thought provoking, risk-laden hole." The tee shot on this 545 yard par five demands a shot hit to a fairway which is set at an angle, over marsh grasses. It is a classic risk-reward shot. The further to the right you can successfully hit, the closer to the green you are. A shot hit short of the fairway is gone. There is a beautiful marsh along the entire right side of the hole. The green is treacherous, well protected by bunkers and has a lateral hazard on the right and to the rear.


The 10th green

The 13th, a 381 yard par four, plays along the Hampton River and has a stream running through the fairway, which means most players have to club down off the tee in order to avoid hitting into the hazard.


13th fairway bordering the Hampton River

Fifteen is a short par three at 165 yards. My advice is take one more club on your tee shot. It plays longer, even though it is set on level ground; you have to hit it the entire way there over marsh grasses with a cross-wind blowing across the green.


The par three 15th

The nice par four 16th

The 16th hole is quite good. It plays 425 yards from the back tees and is a dog-leg left where you have to hit through a chute of trees. The hole requires you to shape your shot off the tee and land on the left side of the fairway. The book The World's 500 Greatest Golf Holes ranks this hole as one of the hardest in the world to get on in regulation. Part of their logic is that there is usually a fresh breeze blowing across the marsh near the green, and the green repels balls. Behind the green, there is no margin for error because there is a shaved area that trickles down into a lateral hazard. I'm a hack and got there in two, so I'm not sure about their assessment.

OF 17


The par three 17th

The first time the course has a hole bordering the Atlantic Ocean is on the long 217 yard par three seventeenth. The seventeenth green backs up to the ocean and is wind-swept, with winds blowing across the marsh nearby.

OF 17 green

The 17th green


Believe it or not, there are only a handful of holes on courses ranked in the top 100 in the United States that play along the Atlantic Ocean. Seminole sorta-kinda has a couple of holes. Maidstone has two or three, The Ocean Course at Kiawah has several and these final two at Ocean Forest. The eighteenth hole is 480 yards, plays along the Atlantic from tee to green, and is a tough finishing hole with a small green that slopes back to front and is well bunkered.

OF 18-5

Approach to the 18th green


Ocean Forest

The locker room at Ocean Forest is among the best I have seen. It is on a par with Seminole, San Francisco and Mayacama. The locker room has its own library; a nook with a giant fireplace and card table; a cozy seating among the lockers, and the top of the room is adorned with animal heads.





Ocean Forest reminded me of another exclusive southern club, The Honors Course. Both encourage walking, have great caddy programs, have a great respect for the traditions of the game, particularly amateur golf, and both exhibit true Southern hospitality.

Walter Hagen once said he didn't want to be a millionaire, he just wanted to live like one. Staying at Sea Island will allow you to fulfull Walter's fantasy. It's expensive, but it is a true five star resort and worth it.

The Seaside course, also located at Sea Island, a few miles from Ocean Forest is not ranked in the top 100 courses in the world, but does rank as one of the top public courses in the country. Personally, I think it is a better course than Ocean Forest and I will do a detailed write-up of the Seaside course next. It is also the easiest way for most people to see the design work of the genius architects H.S. Colt and C.H. Alison, and in particular their unparalleled ability to route a course. Those that followed my travels to Japan know how highly regarded Charles Alison's design skills are. His partner, H.S. Colt, was involved in Royal Portrush and Pine Valley. Playing the Seaside course is a good chance to see how great this pair were without traveling half-way around the world or without gaining access to a private club.

Why is Ocean Forest ranked so high in the world? A little inside-baseball might provide some insight. Gary Galyean, who wrote the club history after the Walker Cup matches in 2001, also serves as chairman of Golf Magazine's top 100 courses jury. Rees Jones also rates courses for the magazine as does the owner of Sea Island, Bill Jones III. It can't hurt to have three people associated with the course on the rating panel. As we say in Brooklyn, "You know what I mean?"

Ultimately, Ocean Forest is like local boy Davis Love III. All the essential elements of greatness are there, but there is just something I can't put my finger on that keeps me from becoming a big fan.


Post Script


There are four courses ranked on the world top 100 in the state of Georgia. I have now finished playing three: East Lake, Peachtree and Ocean Forest. You all know which one I still need.



Driftwood immediately behind the 17th green

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