Golf Today NW Edition - August 2010 Issue

CELEBRATING 23 YEARS IN THE WEST, CELEBRATING 23 YEARS IN THE WEST, NOW IN THE NORTHWEST! NOW IN THE NNORTHWEST! • WWW.GOLFTODAYNW.COM • NUMBER 18 • AUGUST 2010• WWW.GOLFTODAYNW.COM • NUMBER 18 • AUGUST 20100

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Are You Ready For The 6th Annual BoeingClassic Champions Tour Event?Golf Today’s Putter Buying Guide for 2010Taking the Trouble Out of Tetherow

And Much, Much More!

2 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE NORTHWEST EDITION AUGUST 2010

BENEFICIARY:

AUGUST 2010 GOLF TODAY MAGAZINE NORTHWEST EDITION 3

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ON THE COVER • AUGUST 2010:

What does August mean to you? For me, it’s the excitement and expectation of watching a Boeing 777 jet cruise up the 18th fairway and fl y overhead the TPC Snoqualmie clubhouse to mark the

offi cial start of the 2010 Boeing Classic Champions Tour Event! Th e Boeing Classic scheduled for Aug 23-29 now attracts an incredible fi eld of golf pros, including rookies Fred Couples, Corey Pavin,

Mark Calcavecchia, Paul Azinger, Tom Lehman, and Tom Pernice Jr, among others. Seattle’s very own premier PGA Champions Tour event continues to get better every year and is enthusiastically supported

and embraced by Northwest patrons as “their” event. Make sure you mark your calendar to experience PGA Golf at its best and watch defending champ Loren Roberts attempt to once again conquer

the 7,264 yard, par-72 Jack Nicklaus-signature TPC Snoqualmie course. Watch him and other PGA pros take on the pin at the infamous 14th hole “Bears Canyon.” I know I’ll

be watching closely! See page 9 for more information.

–Cameron Healey, Publisher/Editor

7 FEAST OR FAMINE: YOU WANTED WORLD CLASS GOLF, WELL HERE IT IS! By Cameron Healey

8 LOCAL TEEN SELECTED AS SEMIFINALIST FOR RBS ACHIEVERS OF THE YEAR AWARDSBy Cheri Brennan

9 ARE YOU READY FOR THE 6TH ANNUAL BOEING CLASSIC CHAMPIONS TOUR EVENT?By Cameron Healey

10 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: SOCIAL MEDIA REVEALED PART ONEBy Michael Rosas

11 SPOKANE’S FORE WOMEN GOLF APPAREL & ACCESSORIES FILLS A NEED!By Robyn Sciuchetti

12 HIP, HIP, LET’S STRETCH!By Diana Del Garbino

14 HOW TO CURE THE ‘REVERSEPIVOT’By Derek Mount

15 GOLF TODAY’S PUTTER BUYING GUIDE FOR 2010 By Terry VanderHeiden

16 ESCAPE TO VANCOUVER ISLAND FOR A GOLF & SPA GETAWAYBy Robyn Sciuchetti

20 TAKING THE TROUBLE OUT OF TETHEROWBy Cliff ord Cowley

23 MIKE LEWIS JOINS TETHEROW AS DIRECTOR OF TETHEROW GOLF ACADEMY

24 TOUR STRIKER IS GOLF’S NEW OVERNIGHT SUCCESS STORY

26 FIELD SET FOR AJGA JUNIOR AT WENATCHEE

32 HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR LOCAL GOLF PRO? BANBURY’S BEN BRYSONBy Cliff ord Cowley


Oh, where to begin! Just make sure you’ve had your “Wheaties” this month as you plan on taking in as much golf as you can digest and your schedule will allow. Puget Sound prepares for what will be as close to golfi ng nirvana as we have ever ex-perienced. By the time I had to put pen to paper or fi ngers to keyboard, the winner of the 2010 U.S. Senior Open had yet to be decided, but I can assure you the likes of legends Fuzzie Zoeller, Tom Watson, and Freddy “Boom Boom” Couples are in the middle of duking it out on the

vertically-challenging Sa-halee Country Club. Will defending Champ Fred Funk tear up Sahalee and run away with another record-breaking 20-un-der par performance? Or will Sahalee with an average fairway width of only 26 yards eff ec-tively neuter the length and power of guys like Couples? ”Shiver me timbers!” comes to mind as we wait to fi nd out who hoists the Ouimet Trophy!

The good news for Seattleites is that the choices for prestigious events continues in Au-gust when you’ll have the choice of getting up close and personal with the World’s best amateurs as they compete for the prestigious 110th U.S. Amateur Cham-pionship hosted at the Robert Trent Jones II masterpiece at Chambers Bay on Aug 23-29. If you recall, Northwest na-

tive Ryan Moore won the event in 2004 and shares the accolade with household names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nick-laus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods among others. Will Chambers be the testing ground for our next big-name golfi ng

phenomenon to join the pro ranks? I would think the USGA is anxious to see how the world’s best amateurs fare on the exposed Scottish links track that will host the prestigious U.S. Open in 2015!

Feast Or Famine: You Wanted World Class Golf, Well Here It Is! by CAMERON HEALEY

continued on page 28

2009 Boeing Classic Winner Loren Roberts


Local Teen Selected as Semifi nalist for RBS Achievers of the Year Awards

by CHERI BRENNAN

Among the spectators at the just-con-cluded U.S. Women’s Open at the historic Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania was 18-year-old Jamie Kirsila of Bellevue and her father, Jim. She earned the trip and a chance to vie for a $10,000 scholar-ship for being one of ten semifi nalists for the RBS Achievers of the Year Awards. As a semifi nalist, she receives a $2,000 scholarship.

Now in its seventh year, the RBS Achievers program, created by Th e Royal Bank of Scotland Group in conjunction with Charter One and Citizens Bank, recognizes outstanding participants of Th e First Tee.

Kirsila, who lost her mother to breast cancer ten years ago when she was only eight years old and has a learning dis-ability, became involved in the First Tee of Greater Seattle program in 2004. She is now at the Eagle level (the fourth in a progression of fi ve levels) and volunteers with the youth development program at Crossroads Par 3 Golf Course in Bel-levue.

“As an outlet from the pain of my mom’s struggle with cancer, my dad en-rolled me in Th e First Tee.” Kirsila wrote in her essay for the Achievers award. “It has given me a solid foundation for my

life,” she stated, adding she made the var-sity golf team her freshman year. “Playing on a team kept me motivated to always try my best. Golf keeps me grounded with a

fi rm grip on reality as well as my club,” she wrote.

Th e RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize deserving students for ac-complishments in their daily lives while

overcoming diffi cult circumstances. Th e scholarship awards are not based on academic achievement or exceptional golf skills. Th e program rewards young

people that exhibit Th e First Tee Nine Core Values while demonstrating leader-ship, community service and teamwork. The First Tee Nine Core Values are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confi dence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment.

Joseph Brown, 17, from Th e First Tee of Nashville, and Deloise Daniels, 16, from Th e First Tee of Southern Nevada were this year’s winners of the $10,000 scholarships.

“While Jamie exemplifi es all the core values, we are particularly impressed with her perseverance,” said Heidi Wills, exec-utive director of Th e First Tee of Greater Seattle. “It’s been a pleasure to watch her gain confi dence and assume responsibility as she interacts with younger participants. Clearly, she has earned respect from the younger kids, her peers and our staff and volunteers,” Wills commented.

While a student at International School, Kirsila focused on sports psy-chology for her senior project. She



Are You Ready For The 6th Annual Boeing Classic Champions Tour Event?

What began as the newly minted “Boe-ing Greater Seattle Classic” in 2005 and the brand new stop on the PGA Tour Champions Tour, Th e Boeing Classic (as it is now known) now attracts an incredible fi eld of 78 Champions Tour golf pros, including rookies Fred Couples, Corey Pavin, Mark Calcavecchia, Paul

Azinger, Tom Lehman, and Tom Pernice Jr, among others (“rookies” doesn’t quite sound right, does it?), and has perhaps more importantly contributed nearly $3 million over the last 5 years for Th e Heart Institute at Virginia Mason and other lo-cal charities. While the tournament ben-efi ciary in 2010 is Th e Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, a worldwide leader in autoimmune disease research, and Th e Boeing Company now fi rmly entrenched as the title sponsor, Seattle’s very own premier PGA Champions Tour event continues to get better every year.

Th e fi eld is always competitive and despite the often relaxed and congenial atmosphere at the challenging 7,264 yard, par-72 Jack Nicklaus-signature TPC Snoqualmie course, these guys come to Seattle to win. Th ough a young event, you would be remiss to ignore the seven-way tie in 2007 or the fact that Tom Kite has won twice here. Th e memory of the mini duel between Mark O’Meara and defending Champ Loren Roberts last year affi rms that Th e Boeing Classic is fun but not without skilled players. And with hometown favorite Fred Couples sit-ting atop the leader board of the Charles Schwab Cup and the likes of Tom Leh-man, Nick Price, and Bernhard Langer hot on his heels, these legends are slated to provide Northwest patrons with an opportunity to witness swashbuckling

golf in a setting that is punctuated by the impressive Mount SI and the beauty of the panoramic Snoqualmie Valley. Yes, the view from the club house down the 18th fairway is tough to compare! In fact, TPC Snoqualmie was awarded the ‘best

view from the clubhouse’ on the Cham-pions Tour!

Th ese guys love to come to Seattle and genuinely enjoy the opportunity to get up close and personal with Northwest fans. “Th e Champions Tour professionals

really enjoy playing in the Pacifi c North-west in front of our crowds, with great weather and beautiful scenery. Th is is a stop on the Tour that they have told me they really look forward to each year, and we love having them here,” says Tourna-ment Director, Michelle DeLancy.

While Northwest golf afi cionados are

naturally excited and appreciative to have the likes of the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur come to town this year, the Northwest has not exactly been crowned the USGA event capital; however, that is changing rapidly with Gold Moun-tain slated to host the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur and Chambers Bay the 2015 U.S. Open! Also, consider that since Th e Boeing Classic event began in 2005, nearly 300,000 fans have stamped their collective seal of approval and adorned the Boeing Classic one of their perennial favorites. You probably should too! Th is event is here to stay.

AREAS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

ON THE COURSE

Canyon Club

Th is club was so popular in 2009, that they have doubled the size of the hos-pitality suite that is located on the 14th

green. Th e energy of the crowd and the view point looking out towards the tee box to watch PGA TOUR Champions Tour pros decide whether or not to hit across the canyon is second to none. And, if you want a break from all the ‘Canyon’ action, and want to see who’s teeing off from the 18th tee box, all you have to do is literally turn your head and from the sun deck on the back of the Canyon Club



by CAMERON HEALEY

What a great month July turned out to be. It has been incredible; lots of sunshine, dry fairways, tight greens, and golfi ng two-a-day or until the sun goes down.

However, since I have a consulting business it is wise to get back to work though it pains me to leave the course. Just as amazing as the perfect golf weather is the high numbers of questions new or perspective clients have for me regarding Social Media, Twitter, and Facebook. Okay, so you’ve heard from someone, maybe your golf customer or best friend, tell you that this social media thing and social networking stuff is great and you should get involved. Maybe it will help in the economic downturn we are in. Maybe you heard something about how you can use Twitter for your business. But there are some complexities to this phenomenon.

With your interest piqued, you have to understand the details if you are going to jump in and have social media work for you. Questions to ask and answers to seek include: How do you feel about getting out there and joining the Social

Media experience? What can be gained? Where would you start? What should you do fi rst?

As promised, this will be the first of a three-part series on Social Media Strategy that promises exciting tips and how-to articles in the coming months. Th e whole point behind this is to get you interfacing with Social Media before the holiday season.

So with that in mind, let’s get started. Before you can truly start, you have to

“listen”. Listening is your fi rst move in understanding social media. Th at means you need to read the blogs that are out there; specifi cally the blogs about golf. Read from diff erent media outlets. Go visit Twitter.Com and more importantly http://search.twitter.com to learn what people are saying about golf. Read comments on people’s blogs and iden-tify which posts generate reader responses. Still not convinced? Th en proceed to http://twendz.waggeneredstrom.com and enter any variation of golf and see what the results are. Do you want to see if a golf blog or golf website has

any social media presence? Head right to website www.socialmention.com or www.howsociable.com and see what they have and don’t have in regards to social media. If you really want to hit the ground running, go straight to SEO MOZ and download the free toolbar which integrates into your browser. With this browser you now have a social media tool and a search engine op-timization toolbar. Start using resources like Google, Technorati.com and Dig.com to start listening to conversations that are out there.

Now you’re ready for step one. Let’s start here.

FIRST THE PLATFORM: A BLOG

No matter what, the very fi rst piece of social media real estate to start with is a blog. It’s a website with a lot of built in features that make it useful from a search perspective and simple from a content creation perspective. Th at alone is worth the price of admission.

Industry Outlook: Social Media Revealed Part Oneby MICHAEL ROSAS

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a blog. Its a website with a lot of built in features that make it useful from a search perspective and simple from a content creation perspective. Th at alone is worth the price of admission.



Spokane’s Fore Women Golf Apparel & Accessories Fills A Need!by ROBYN SCIUCHETTI

FORE!Women Unique Apparel and Accessories is enjoying its second full sea-son of operation. On July 31, 2008, they opened their doors in downtown Spokane at 122 S. Monroe. Jeannette DeLisle and her two daughters, Andria and Angela Malone had been frustrated about the lack of options for women’s golf attire in Spokane. While enjoying a round of golf one night, they decided to open their own

shop to address this need.FORE!Women is a golf clothing store

catering to women only. A vast selec-tion of tops, shorts, capris, skorts, vests, jackets, sandals, shoes and accessories from Sport Haley, Tail, Pedal Pushers, Jamie Sadock and more are available. New clothing lines are consistently being added to keep the choices fresh. Th e store is a great alternative for ladies looking for

matching or complementary outfi ts to wear during tournament or event play. Sandbagger sandals are spike-less with a molded foot cradle and an orthotic which are comfortable and versatile to wear on or off the course. One great trait of the clothing items carried by FORE!Women is the fact that they are free of logos and can be worn to work,

out on the town or as day-to-day wear. If you are planning a warm weather vaca-tion during the winter months, consider FORE!Women as your choice for cruise wear or building a wardrobe for that trip to Hawaii.

When you fi nd yourself shopping at FORE, you can count on the staff to keep track of your purchasing history. In fact, if someone is gift shopping, they can visit the store to learn which styles you prefer; which brands you own; as well as your correct size and avoid duplicating items already in your closet! FORE!Women is building their customer database to keep records of purchases, which will also en-able them to contact you once new lines arrive that may be of interest to you.

Store hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Saturday; however, they will stay open later by appointment. Along with their main store in down-town Spokane, a small assortment of the FORE!Women collection is also available at Clarke-Stevens Golf at 116 E. Nora. Look for their ad on page 19.

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Hip, Hip, Let’s STRETCH!by DIANA DEL GARBINO

When you participate in a sport, you accept the risk of injury and golf is no ex-ception. While you need not worry about being battered by a linebacker, golfers have their fair share of injuries that can impede their success on the course. Th ink only those who golf on the PGA tour are at risk? Th ink again! We are all vulnerable. Professional golfers will get more overuse injuries and the amateur golfer will get more injures due to lack of conditioning.

If you’re out there on the golf course

just on the weekends or a couple of times a week and you’re not in a conditioning pro-gram you’ve increased your risk of injury. So let’s address some of those areas that feel tight or causing you discomfort. Th e lower body; hips and knees, are overlooked by the average golfer. Forgetting about your lower body can really have you guess-ing as to how to get more range of motion and less pain.

Hips: Th e hips are one area on the body that bares a great deal of responsibility. Th ey provide stability for weight bearing, such as standing, walking or running. Th ey allow mobility of the legs and they transmit the loads from the upper body to the lower body and down the leg. Th is requires your hips to be in top working shape. It also means that if there is tightness in one of the 17 main muscles of the hip, it usually radiates through the lower back or down to the knees. Th e hips have to move the largest muscle in the body- the gluteus maximus--and it also has the longest muscle attached to it- the sartorius. So how do we keep this muscle loose and in good work-ing condition? Simple stretches that don’t OVERSTRETCH the ligaments, but

keep the actual muscles pliable and strong. Strengthening the muscles in the hip will help with stability in your swing (slide and sway) and increase your muscular endur-ance (the 17 & 18th hole won’t be so hard, physically).

Figure 4 stretch: Sit in a chair with your knees bent and your back very straight. Bring your right leg up to your left knee and place your ankle on top of your knee. Your right knee may be elevated, and if so, place your right hand on your knee just to keep it from coming towards your chest. Now sitting very tall, lean forward from your hip towards your bent leg. You will feel a stretch in your right hip. Hold this position for 20 seconds after you feel the fi rst pull on your hip. You don’t want to OVERSTRETCH the ligaments. Repeat 4 times. Repeat on the left leg.

Knees: Th ere are no actual muscles in the knee, only muscles starting from the pelvic girdle (hip) or the thigh. Th e knee is made of tendons that are holding it in place and are responsible for movement. Over-use on these tendons can lead to injuries. Lack of muscle in the hip and quadriceps can leave the knee vulnerable to injury.

Stretching of the iliotibial band which runs from the outside hip to below the knee can relieve a lot of pain in the knee and/or hip, as can having strong abductor muscles, which then help to support the knee.

IT band foam roller: Using a foam roller, lie on your side and place your right hip on the roller. Bring your left foot across your right leg, and place your left foot on the fl oor. Roll over your side down your leg towards your knee. Th en roll back to-wards your hip. You are looking for places that feel more painful. Continue rolling over the IT band of your leg for 1 minute. Repeat on the left side.

Remember a strong body is not made in a day, but it will get you a longer drive, that will get you closer to the green, which will make your second shot easier, and you will lower your score!

Diana Del Garbino is a certifi ed golf fi t-ness instructor through the Titleist Per-formance Institute and coaches beginner through advanced golfers at Muscles in Motion-Professional training studio in Lake Oswego Oregon. For more infor-mation about the program visit www.mymusclesinmotion.com.

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How To Cure The ‘Reverse-Pivot’by DEREK MOUNT

When a golfer has their body weight moving forward during their backswing and backwards during the downswing and follow through, they are using a ‘re-verse pivot’ in an eff ort to get the ball in the air. Th is motion is the exact opposite of what they should be doing (loading up their body weight on the rear leg/ foot on the backswing, releasing it towards their front leg/ foot as the club comes down, then fully releasing to the front side at the fi nish). Th e result of the reverse pivot is generally poor contact, low trajectory, slices, pulls, and weak shots.

Usually, when a golfer does a reverse pivot rather than the proper weight shift, it means that they are trying to help, scoop, lift, or fl ip the ball up into the air, rather than trusting the loft of the club to do this. Th e longer a golfer uses this technique, the more diffi cult it is to cor-rect. Th is is one of the reasons why it’s so important to take a series of lessons or fi nd a ‘mentor’ early on in the learning process. If a golfer comes to me for lessons and they have a reverse pivot, there is a process I go through to correct it. Take a look at some key points:

START WITH CHIP SHOTS

If someone has a reverse pivot in their full swing, I can guarantee they do it when chipping and pitching too. When the reverse pivot golfer hits a chip shot, they have the ball too far forward in their stance, and they use excessive wrist motion (un-hinging the wrists) through contact. Th ey will always fi nish the shot with their body weight on the rear foot. Th is type of swing rarely results in good contact because the club head will be ahead of the hands at contact (thin shots are most common, but fat shots can creep in too). Also, if the golfer happens to somehow achieve good contact, the ball will fl y too high in the air and typically

land short of the hole. Th e goal of a chip shot should be to hit

the ball on a low, running trajectory that utilizes the roll on the green rather than fl ight in the air to get the ball close to the hole. In order to do this, the golfer must contact the ball with the hands ahead of the club head and the body weight on the lead side of the body. If someone is strug-gling with this, they should hit some chip shots with their front foot planted on the ground and only the tip of the rear shoe on the ground. When chipping balls with the body in this position, it is very diffi cult to have any body weight transfer to the rear side of the body (which is the goal of the drill), and the golfer will get the feeling that they are leaning onto their leading (front) side a bit. Th is will result in shots that are hit more crisply, on a lower trajectory, and will also impart a feel for trusting the loft of the club and getting the body weight left.

WALK-THROUGH DRILL

Th e best drill I know for curing the reverse pivot in the full swing is the walk-through drill. Simply set up a ball on a driving range mat, take a swing, and right after contact step forward with the rear foot (so that the rear foot passes the front foot and steps towards the target). Th is is eff ective because it forces the golfer to get their body weight over to the leading side as they release the club. When they make good contact on the ball, they will see that the ball goes higher, fl ies straighter, and fl ies further. For years, Gary Player did this move on the golf course during rounds which speaks volumes about its value as a drill. He would hit his shot, walk through with the right foot, and just keep on walking towards his next shot, casually fl ipping his club to his caddie. To the ‘reverse pivot’ student, this move will feel extremely awkward (because they are actually used to backing away from the target during the follow through) and they will likely experience a great amount of frustration just trying to get the rear foot to come forward after contacting the ball. Th e harder this is to accomplish, the greater their degree of reverse pivot. Reverse pivot golfers should stick with it though, because having the body weight coming through the ball rather than away from it is crucial to hitting good shots.

Use analogies with other sportsWhen throwing a baseball, football, javelin, shot-put, horse-shoe, hitting a tennis ball, rolling a bowling ball, or even skipping a rock, the body weight always comes forward (to the front foot) when

executing the follow through. Th is is always the most eff ective way of perform-ing each action and will produce the most powerful, effi cient result. Th e golf swing is no diff erent. For some reason, when a new golfer tries to hit a golf ball, they have the urge to try and help the ball into the air rather than perform a natural, athletic motion that should be ingrained through experiences with other sports. They should learn to trust the loft of the club,

hit down and through the ball, and fi nish on the lead side. Th e ‘up on the right toe’ drill for chip shots and the ‘walk-through’ drill for the full swing should help.

Derek ‘Jeff ’ Mount is a USGTF Golf Teach-ing Professional who teaches at the King City Golf Course in King City, OR. He can be reached at 503-577-8807 or email [email protected].

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Th e game of golf can be frustrating. You drive the ball well. You are hitting greens in regulation but you can’t putt to save your life. You know it. You even start desperately trying to hit your irons closer to the hole to help reduce the pos-sible three-putt. You start pressing and now you aren’t hitting greens either. In an attempt to make up for your poor put-ting, you try to “steer” your drives into the fairway to give you a better chance with your irons. Now things are going awry on the tee box.

Become a better putter and you will have lower scores. It’s just that simple. Good putting will bring you confi dence in every aspect of your game. It’s the key to the game of golf.

Putting practice is boring compared to hitting balls on the range. How can you get enthused about committing some more time to practicing on the putting green? Th at’s easy; get a new putter. A new putter will almost always drive you out to the putting green for extra practice. It gives you hope. Most of all the new technological advances in putter design will help you sink more putts, even if you don’t add any time to your putting practice.

To help you choose which putter will be your game changer, Golf Today Magazine has put together a 2010 Put-ter Buying Guide.

Nike Golf (www.nikegolf.com)Nike has three putters in this year’s

buying guide. Two from the IC line of mallet putters, the IC 20-20 and the IC 20-15 MOI and the recently introduced putter--Th e Method.

Wi t h the midsize

mallet, the IC 20-15 MOI, and the larger

mallet, the IC 20-20, Nike has taken how a putter looks from the golfer’s perspective to a whole new level. After years of research by their Director of Vision Science, Dr. Alan Reichow, Nike decided to reduce the Visual Noisethat is related to most of the putters on

the market today.Each putter is designed in a muted,

dark green color. Th is color choice helps reduce the distracting elements of the putter and highlight the important parts. Th e head and the shaft are painted a soft, non-refl ective green but the alignment aids are a vibrant sliver. Th e face of the putter and the corresponding alignment lines stand out very well when you are standing over your ball.

You can imagine the benefi t of looking down to see only the alignment lines and the ball. No hot spots, no refl ections no distractions. Essentially, there is no visual noise.

Th e IC 20-20 is larger and has open space in the back of the putter. Th is moves the weight to the back and outside edges of the putter head. Th e IC 20-15 is slightly smaller but a solid putter head. Areas of the putter are carved out in an

eff ort to move the weight to the back of the putter head.

With weight on the back and out-side edges, this helps keep the putter

head straight as it makes its way through impact.

Also from Nike is the new Method 001 putter. Th is is a traditional

looking blade putter but Nike added today’s technology to the mix and created something special. Th e Method was produced by

the demands of the pro golfer on the PGA Tour and as it turns out – this putter gar-nered two wins in 2009.

At first glance, the Method looks like a com-mon blade putter with weight on the heel and toe of the putter head. Underneath the tra-ditional looks is where Nike sep-arates them-selves from the

rest of the blade putters on the market. Th e weight in the heel and toe is in the form of more than 30 grams of tungsten weight inserts that pull overall weight off the face and put it where it is needed--in the bottom heel and bottom toe of the putter. Th is creates a much more stable blade putter through impact.

Th e new Polymetal Groove Technol-ogy on the putter’s face is another leap forward. On traditional blade putters,

the ball comes off the face with backspin fi rst, then

turns into over spin. Th is over spin is where the putt

tracks online. When it is back spinning it can get off course

easily. Th e Polymetal Groove Technology minimizes the

backspin just off the face and imparts a forward roll at impact – thereby creat-ing a true roll to the cup.This Polymetal Groove

Technology also dampens the vibration at impact, which gives

the golfer a softer touch and a better ability to feel the putt.

It is no surprise that tour pros every-where are putting the Method into their golf bags. It might help your game, so check it out.

STX (www.stxputters.com) STX has a huge line of

putters all built

around the con-cept of Soft Face Tech-

nology. Th e concept is that the putter face is indeed made out of a soft material that allows the golfer to “feel” the putt. Th e STX soft face

technology provides better direction control and greatly

decreases the ball skid eff ect. Th e featured putter in this buying

guide is the Envision TR. Th e Envision TR has an interesting square head shape that is not only stylish but it also distrib-utes the weight of the putter, balancing the heel and toe for a higher moment of

inertia. MOI (moment of inertia) is a gauge of the putter to resist twisting of off -center putts.

Th e shaft of the Envision TR has a proprietary double bend that moves the hands forward for proper alignment. Couple these innovations with the soft face of the STX putters and you have a remarkable tool for sinking putts.

Slotline Putters (www.slotlinegolf.com)

Th e Slotline company has three put-ters in the buying guide this year Th e SSI-691, SSI-692 and the SSI-693. While the 691 and 692 are very similar except for the angle of the off set of the shaft, the 633 is quite diff erent.

The SSI-691 and SSI-692 are blade style putters with one

m a i n i n n o v a -

tion that you will not see on oth-

er blade putters. Not only are the putters weighted

with two fi fteen gram weights in the heel and toe, but the total weight of

the putter head is 360 grams. Th is increased weight improves the MOI and stability of the putter through

the stroke.Th e SSI-693 is more of a mid-mallet

style. It too has the weights added to the bottom of the putter head, but

the mallet design allows for weight to be distributed to the back and low behind

the face.Th e face on all three of these

putters is made of tri-milled 6061 Aluminum that gives the golfer the sensitivity he or she needs to feel the putt

c o m e off the face.

Th e gold/brass look of the face is

very classy, so it looks as good as it works.

Th e key feature of Slotline put-ters is the SLOT & LINE alignment

system. Th e SLOT & LINE alignment system works like this: As you stand over you putt and look down onto the putter,

Golf Today’s Putter Buying Guide for 2010 by TERRY VANDERHEIDEN



Escape to Vancouver Island for a Golf & Spa Getawayby ROBYN SCHIUCHETTI

What do you think about when you hear Vancouver Island? For me, Victoria, British Columbia immediately comes to mind with the spectacular Butchart Gardens and old English downtown sites like Th e Empress Hotel and Parliament Buildings. Don’t forget about the Inner Harbour and Fishermen’s Wharf with amazing fi sh and chips! While these are all fun to experience, Victoria and Van-couver Island also have many wonderful golf courses and spa options to enjoy. While I was attending the Telus World Skins event in June, I had the opportunity to explore some of what Vancouver Island has to off er outside of the typical tourist activities.

Vancouver Island’s Golf Trail includes 12 championship golf courses and cov-ers 250 km (155 miles) of Vancouver Island. It begins in Victoria with fi ve courses (Olympic View, Highland Pacifi c, Arbutus Ridge and the Bear Mountain Resort Mountain and Valley courses), travels north through Cowichan Valley wine country (Cowichan Golf & Country Club and Duncan Meadows Golf & CC) towards the ocean beaches of Parksville and Qualicum Beach (Morningstar Golf Course, Pheasant Glen Golf Resort and Fairwinds Golf Club) and comes to an end in Campbell River (Crown Isle

Resort & Golf Community and Storey Creek Golf and Rec Society).

Th e site of the 2010 Telus World Skins event, Bear Mountain Resort Mountain Course opened in 2003. Two years later it was rated the #1 golf course in all of Canada. Co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son Steve, it is a par 72, 7212 yard, 18-hole course; 5014 yards from the

front tees. Its elevation climbs to 1100 ft. changing throughout which lends to amazing views of the Victoria Harbour, coastline and Olympic Mountain range. Th e course includes a par 3, 141 yard 19th hole with an incredible panoramic view – perfect for the friendly wager among your foursome. In 2009, the Valley Course opened featuring wider fairways and larger greens at 6807 yards and par 71 and 4674 yards for the ladies. Bear Mountain Resort has resort accommodations of 156 guest rooms available at Th e Westin Bear Mountain.

After enjoying a round at either the Mountain or Valley course (or both), I recommend taking a break and treating yourself to a spa treat-ment at the onsite Sante Spa. In addition to traditional spa choices, the Sante Spa off ers three “Golf Treatments” at Bear Mountain. A great option for couples, Th e Mul-ligan is a river rock foot soak with feet and lower leg massage accom-panied by the refreshment of a cold beverage on the patio overlooking the grounds with stunning views of the mountains. Add a pedicure for an extra treat. Fore the Face is a specially designed facial which

works to replenish moisture and reverse skin damage from hours on the links. It is complemented by a scalp massage. Th e Eagle Massage focuses on the lower back, shoulders and arms to relieve aching joints and muscles after a round or two on the course.

For dinner, visit any of the four din-ing options at Bear Mountain Resort:

Panache for fi ne dining, Copper Rock Grill & Lounge, Kuma Sushi or Jack’s Place sport pub. You may also choose to head back to Victoria’s Inner Harbour for fresh seafood or brew pub fare.

While still in Victoria proper, take pleasure in another spa treatment at Spa at the Grand which is located inside the Hotel Grand Pacifi c in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. It has a relaxing Asian feel and

off ers a full menu of spa services. I highly recommend the Ylang-Ylang: De-Stress Body Treat-ment, a very gentle exfoliation, wrap, massage combination that will revive you and prepare you for a day outdoors. Spa at the Grand also has packages available for him and her. For Her includes a facial, eye treatment, manicure, pedicure and Swedish massage. For Him is comprised of a facial, pedicure and sports massage.

After the event had concluded at Bear Mountain, I drove up island to the Parksville/Qualicum

Beach area where there are three courses to choose from a mere 30 minutes apart: Pheasant Glen, Morningstar and Fair-winds. Before my fi rst round, I checked into the Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort. Th ey off er many lodging choices from cottages to ocean front condo-miniums and spa bungalows. Its ocean-side location is breathtaking.

When I checked into my room at 11am, I couldn’t believe the beach stretched out over 3km at low tide. Right outside your room is the opportunity for the warm-est beach swimming in Canada once the water returns. Once settled, I headed to town and had lunch on the seaside patio where there is a brand new boardwalk that spans the length of the beach which invites one to explore.

I played twilight on the back nine at Morningstar. Several holes require stra-tegically placed shots whether you want to lay up to avoid a stream or sand trap or try to clear them in hopes of shaving off a stroke. Fairway bunkers challenge on much of the course as well. Bullfrogs serenade during afternoon play and eagles can ruin your concentration if they fl y overhead during your backswing.

Canadian golf architect Les Furber designed both the Morningstar and Fair-winds courses with undulating greens that are either long and narrow or short and wide. Morningstar’s signature 12th hole demands a left favored fairway shot followed with a tricky approach over a railroad tied bunker that nearly lines the entire front of the wide rolling green. I need to play that hole again! Morningstar has hosted many Canadian Pro events and measures in at 7018 yd, par 72 from the back tees and 5313 yd, par 72 from the front tees.



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Taking the Trouble Out of Tetherowby CLIFFORD COWLEY

You’ve heard about it. You’ve read the articles. You’ve even read the reviews. Everything that has been said and written about Tetherow Golf Club is true—sort of. Some say it is too diffi cult, but there is a key to playing Tetherow.

I am a 10 handicap. Most “destination” golfers range from an 8 to an 18. I have played Bandon Dunes, Pacifi c Dunes, and Bandon Trails. In fact, I played all three in a whirlwind weekend tour, with three of my buddies. Th ose places kicked my rear end. You see, I have a problem with tight lies—I can’t hit ‘em. When we played the Bandon Trio, I spent the whole weekend trying to change my swing to fi t the terrain conditions (sparse grass, fast, undulating greens, trouble all over the place, and the wind, let’s not even talk about the wind). David McLay Kidd, the famous architect of Bandon was also the designer of Tetherow. Based on some of the reviews I had read, I went there expecting an experience like I had at

Bandon. Sure the course was diffi cult, at times. At 7,298 yards from the tips, what course isn’t? Sure, it has fairways that are manicured to tight lies. It’s a Scot-tish links style course. Sure, it has fast, undulating greens. Hello! Scottish Links!

Bandon! David McLay Kidd! Some people even say the course is TOO hard. Simply, not so. Tetherow Golf Course is a beautiful, thoughtfully designed, second to none, award winning course that will not only leave you satisfi ed, you will want to come back for more—if you play it right.

Now, here’s the secret. Th e key to playing Tetherow is the caddies. On the day I played, I was fortunate enough to hook up with Jake Edwards. Jake has been with Tetherow from the beginning. After beginning a career in construction, he pursued his dream and is now an As-sistant Pro. In the winter, he travels to Palm Springs to work at another golf course (tough life, huh?). His fi rst job at

Tetherow was caddying. When I pulled up to the club house, he met me with a cart, loaded up my bag, and escorted me to the pro shop. Inside, the head pro, Ca-leb Anderson, greeted me by name from behind the counter, and directed me to

the driving range where Jake had already set me up with a pyramid of Nike range balls. Jake pointed out the distances and immediately went to get me a drink and snack. Nice! I felt pampered, schmoozed. After hitting a few balls and thinking I was ready to make an attempt at the course, we moved to the #1 tee.

The course is not difficult—if you know where to hit—and you can hit where you want. Th e fairways are meticu-lously manicured by the greens crew and the greens are fast and true. As we wound our way through the fi rst two holes, and into what is called Kidd’s Corner, a beau-tiful, circular stretch of holes in a bowl like setting, I marveled at my ability to navigate my way around the course. I was

only one over. Later, as Jake pointed out “the highlands,” an upper plain of eastern high desert, I marveled at how the course and the setting were one in the same. Th e blending of golf course with the natural terrain almost hid the course from view.

I was taken in by the stunning view of the Cascade Mountains, the rolling hills, and the panoramic vistas of the eastern Or-egon high dessert. Th e blue-green sage, the grey-brown soil, and the fallen, time worn trees assailed my senses. Th e scenic wonderland of the course was awe inspir-ing. No wonder Tetherow was the very fi rst course in Oregon to become a Certi-fi ed Audubon International Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International.

All of a sudden my game began to fall apart. I was listening to what Jake said about each hole, the yardage, and where to hit, but I was so enthralled by the views, and I was so giddy about playing well, I lost track of what I was doing. My game suff ered. I began to think Tetherow was too good to be true.

Tetherow’s Hole #17


RATES:(SUMMER)

Sun-Wed: Green fee $60-$125. Th e $60 rate is a twilight rate after 4 pm.Th ur-Sat: Green fee $60-155Rates vary based on time of day and availability.All rates include green fee, range balls, cart and forecaddie. www.tetherow.com/summerrates

AWARDS2009-2010

#3 America’s Best New Courses—Golf Digest

#5 Best Courses You Can Play in Oregon/ State-By-State Ranking—Golfweek

Finalist for National Development of the Year—Golf Inc.

2008-2009

#6 Best New Courses in the Coun-try—Golfweek

Best New Courses—Links Magazine

HOW TO GET THERE

Off Hwy. 97, take the Reed Market Rd Exit heading westTh en SW Century Drive to Mt BachelorTurn right on Skyline Ranch Rd.Tetherow is on the right side

WHERE TO STAYTh e following businesses have estab-lished relationships with Tetherow. Some even off er discounts if you stay with them and play the course.

Oxford Hotel ............................ 5 starswww.oxfordhotel.conm(541)382-8436

Phoenix Inn .............................. 4 starswww.phoenixinn.com(541)317-9292

Ameritel Inn ............................. 5 starswww.ameritelinns.com(541)617-6111

Seventh Mountain Resort ....... 4 starswww.sterlinghotels.com(541)382-871

As we readied for the 13 hole, Jake told me to hit left to a certain area. It looked like trouble. It looked like rough. I didn’t want to. I couldn’t see past a certain spot he told me to hit, but as he explained what was beyond I took his word for it. My hit was right of the target. “Uh oh,” I said.

“Th at’s ok,” he answered. “I knew you were going to hit it more right than what I said. I just didn’t want you to hit too far right because that’s trouble for sure. You ended up exactly where I wanted you to go.”

“Ahhhhh, I see,” said Grasshopper to his “golf ” master. Jake had fi gured out my game, my swing, what I could and couldn’t do. Like I said, the key to suc-cess at Tetherow is the caddies. Th ey know the course. Th ey can size up a person’s abilities in an instant. It’s their job. Th ey work for their clients. Just like any other successful businessman. After I realized what was going on, I listened to Jake, and did what he said. I started to hit good again. Trust your caddie, Lad-die. I fi nshed out the round with a tidy little 92. Sure, 20 over par. Sure, I’m a 10 handicap. Sure, it is a championship course. Sure, you can get yourself into trouble and add some shots to your score if you get stuck in a tough spot on the “undulating greens.” But you know what? Tetherow is worth the experience.

My favorite holes were #2, 11, 13, and 17. Number 2 is a 546 yard par 5. With a good drive, it can be reached in two, and it’s down hill on the second shot. I love shots from an elevated area. But, the green is guarded by traps, hills and hum-mocks. If you got the guts, take the shot.

On number 11, a 466 yard, par 4, I hit the fl ag stick on my second shot. I couldn’t see it, but I heard it. Th e green is guarded by a high bunker, and you need to fl y it and stop short on the green. Number 13 is a 588 yard par 5. It seems easy enough, but you can get suckered into thinking it’s not that bad. A large pond guards three quarters of the green, and you have to be accurate on your third shot to avoid the water. Visually, it’s a gem. Number 17 is the Quarry Hole. It’s Mr. Kidd’s favorite. It’s an old pumice quarry with a green at one end. Visually, a golf hole doesn’t get much better. It’s just plain “purty.”

After the round, I thanked Jake for the Zen lesson and went to the club house for lunch. I had the Edin’ Burger and my partner had a Cobb salad. Both were de-licious. Th e dining room has a complete menu with a variety of faire to choose from. Chef, Rian Mulligan’s American Fusion Cuisine, puts an interesting twist on your favorite American dishes.

In the 18,000 square foot club house, the open beam, rough hewn timbers with high ceilings give the lodge its unique resort feel. Th e expansive patios off er spectacular views of the course and driv-ing range while enjoying an after round beverage with your golf buddies and add-ing up your scores.

Amenities include a state of the art teaching academy run by award winning teacher, Mike Lewis, and the pro shop includes everything you need for your golf game from clothes to tees. Th ere are men’s and ladies’ locker rooms that rival any resort, including members’ lounging areas for both men and women where

they can enjoy a favorite card game or catch a game on big screen TV. Th e resort is also c o m m u n i t y conscious. Ac-cording to Sta-cy Pickavance, Tetherow’s sales and marketing director, the resort is com-pletely set up for group events such as wed-dings, or com-pany get togeth-ers. And, every Sunday, they make the driv-ing range into a mini-par three for the kids with contests, prizes and food.

Tetherow pro-vides an unforgettable, Scottish links resort golf experience from beginning to end. I found my preconceived notions were ill conceived, and I for one, will enjoy going back again. You can really take the trouble out of Tetherow, IF you listen to your caddy.

Cliff ord Cowley is a regional editor for Golf Today Magazine | Northwest Edition. He can be reached at cliff [email protected].

SPECIALS:

Mulligan Special/Take Two: Book a tee time from now until the end of September and receive a complimen-tary green fee the same or following day. $195 includes two rounds of golf, carts and forecaddie for both days.

Couples Special: Two rounds of golf including carts, range balls, forecaddie and a $25 restaurant voucher for as low as $120 a couple. Applies to times booked between 1:30-4:00 pm. Valid any day. www.tetherow.com/couplesGroup rates are available for 16 play-ers or more at 40% off the regular rate. Rates include a cart, range balls, and forecaddie.

For more information or to reserve a tee time contact the golf shop (541)388-2582


Pheasant Glen in Qualicum Beach may be my new favorite course. It prob-ably has something to do with the fact that I broke “100” for the fi rst time after playing for ten years. It wasn’t just a 99 either, it was a 96! I even scored par on the (ladies’) hardest hole. Th e course nicknamed “Nature’s Golf Course” is so peaceful and relaxing that I was put at ease immediately. It is tucked away from highways with no home construction; so there is no fear of an errant shot ruining your day by landing in someone’s yard. Pheasant Glen is a walkable course with an amazing view of Mount Arrowsmith. My biggest obstacles of the day were the par 3 holes, none of which I could par. Grassy meadows and creeks adorn the wide open front nine, while the back 9 is heavily treed with Douglas Fir and feels like a diff erent course. In 2005, Pheasant Glen was renovated from a par 69 course to a 6700 yard championship par 72 by modifying holes 16 through 18, which then received the distinction of “the three toughest fi nishing holes in BC” by the BCGA Executive Director of 2006 & 2007. Th e forward tees measure in at 4812 yard par 72. If you should desire to brush up on your game while on vacation, the Brent Morrison Golf Academy at Pheasant Glen off ers private instruction,

semi-private instruction for groups of 2-4 or game evaluation where the instructor joins you for a 9-hole round to see you in action and share tips.

Th e Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara is the largest resort spa in British Columbia and the #1 Spa in Western Canada as ranked by Spas of America compared to over 700 others spa and wellness facilities in North, Central and South America. Th e Grotto is a 2500 square foot cavern-like warm water mineral pool with a two-story cascading waterfall, accompanied by a whirlpool. Th ere is a private patio if you choose to curl up with a magazine or book before or after your treatment. Natural minerals and trace elements refresh the body and senses. Use of the mineral pool is complimentary with any spa treatment on your day of service. Grotto Spa suites with soaking tubs for two are off ered for couples wishing to share the spa experi-ence. Packages include wine and cheese & fruit plate or champagne with chocolate covered strawberries. Facials, manicures and other treatments may be added as well.

After an incredible facial, I headed up-stairs to the Tree Top Tapas & Grill for endless tapas. Yes, “endless”. Th e grill is available solely for the spa’s robed guests. Th e Chef ’s Choice selection is the way to go. Over three hours later, I was incredu-

lous at the fresh assortment and combina-tions that Chef Eric Edwards showcased from the gazpacho duo shooters of spicy tomato & red pepper and sweet honey-dew & cucumber to the grilled fl atbread with caramelized onions, goat cheese and

bacon; the crab and shrimp roll with avo-cado mousse; not to mention the salmon, lamb, duck, chicken, pork and snapper creations. It was all magnifi cent and ac-companied by a nice variety of BC wine. Tigh-Na-Mara prides itself on featuring West Coast cuisine throughout all of

their dining facilities and uses organic and locally grown products as much as possible.

Th e next morning, I checked out of Tigh-Na-Mara and drove south towards to Nanaimo to play Fairwinds. Fairwinds

boasts over 70 sand bunkers and beautiful ocean views and is often referred to as a “thinking golfers” course. Th e signature 16th hole is 330 yard hole from an el-evated tee box with water to the left and bunkers short of the green on both sides.

continued from page 16

Hey! Try Me Out



Mike Lewis Joins Tetherow as Director of Tetherow Golf

AcademyPGA Professional, Mike Lewis, has

recently joined Tetherow Golf Club in Bend, Oregon as the Director for their new Tetherow Golf Academy. Lewis will be providing individual and group instruction, but will also focus on

golf schools for incoming resort guests and visitors to Central Oregon.

Construction for the Tetherow Acad-emy will begin in the fall of 2010. Th e 1,700 square foot building will host three teaching bays using “Motion Analysis Technology” powered by Taylor Made.

Th e “Motion Analysis Technology” will allow Lewis to work with resort guests

to electronically track every motion of their golf swing, give visual feedback and instruction, and communicate with students personally, through email, CD’s, or on line viewing from anywhere in the world. “Th e interactive, electronic coach-ing system allows me to fi t guests for clubs, analyze their swing and work with them on their putting,” says Lewis.

Lewis is a PGA Director of Instruc-tion and was previously the Director of Instruction for the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf at Pronghorn in Bend. Originally from Utah, Lewis also owns the South Mountain Academy in Salt Lake City and Skelet Golf LLC, a golf

instructional company providing teaching curriculum and technology packages for golf facilities.

He was the 2002 Utah Section PGA Teacher of the Year and has conducted numerous workshops including one at the 2009 Pacifi c Northwest Section meeting in Bandon Dunes.

One of Mike’s passions is working with young golfers. In 2008, he implemented the Central Oregon High School golf program working with students from Bend, Sisters, and Redmond with the goal of producing collegiate level golfers. Of the 36 kids who have gone through

the program, fi ve have moved on to play at the collegiate level. “We are defi nitely making an impact on these kids by giving them some structure to their practice, mental approach, and recommended changes in technique,” says Lewis. “Kids are the future of golf. I love watching young people mature through the game, and it’s nice to know that I may have a part in helping them become responsible adults.” For more information, please call 541-388-2582, 541-410-3434 or visit www.tetherow.com.


Tour Striker is Golf’s New Overnight Success Story

Tour Striker, the new train-ing golf clubs designed by teaching professional Martin Chuck, PGA, director of golf at Tetherow Golf Club in Bend, Oregon, has been launched to overwhelming sales success, with thousands of training clubs already sold in just a few weeks after its national launch in May 2010.

“Tour Striker is a club that teaches golfers the tour play-ers’ secret to ball striking,” said Gary McCord, a veteran star of the PGA Tour and long-time television golf commentator. “Why are professional golf-ers as good as they are? Well, because regardless of their swing style or shape, their impact position—a downward strike with the shaft leaning forward—is the same. And that’s what will happen to golf-ers of all skill levels when they start practicing with the Tour Striker.”

Th e original Tour Striker 8

iron, Tour Striker Pro 7 iron and Tour Striker 56-degree wedge training clubs feature distinctive designs that have little clubface below the “sweet spot” unlike a traditional club. Th e clubs have been designed so golfers intuitively teach themselves how to deliver the “sweet spot” of the club to the ball like an expert ball striker.

“I found myself teaching so many golfers who were trying to scoop the ball at the bottom of the swing,” said Chuck. “Th at was how they tried to get the ball in the air. I wanted to create a club that would teach them to hit down on the ball with forward shaft lean. I’ve accomplished that with Tour Striker.”

Many experts agree that practicing with the Tour Striker will automatically change a golfer’s swing and ball striking and they will quickly learn to apply forward shaft lean which will increase lag, add club head speed and improve their impact position naturally while practicing.

“Most amateurs have a hard time com-ing over the top, and they cast the club a little early,” said PGA Tour Winner Kevin Streelman. “Th is action results in them losing both their lag position and their impact position, and ultimately any power they’ve created. Th e Tour Striker ensures that golfers maintain the optimum posi-tion, so it’s really a great practice tool to

constantly work on your game.”“Perfect,” said Randy Smith, instructor

to Justin Leonard and other PGA tour pros, in a Golfweek interview about Tour Striker. “Th is forces golfers to get into the proper position if they want to hit the ball.”

Th e Original Tour Striker is targeted for mid-to-high handicap golfers and those with slower swing speeds (under 90 mph with driver), while the Tour Striker Pro is geared for dedicated players with higher swing speeds and a handicap of 10 or less. Also available is a Tour Striker for women and younger players who wish to improve their game. Th e ladies/junior model is slightly shorter than the regular Tour Striker (35 inches vs. 36 inches) and has a graphite shaft appropriate for women and juniors.

Th e Tour Striker training clubs are cast of 433 stainless steel. Th e vibration damp-ening logo affi xed within the back cavity

helps reduce shock on miss-hit shots while developing your ball striking skills. Th e lie angle and shaft length may be modifi ed at a nominal additional fee.

The Tour Striker commercials and instructional videos are produced by ac-claimed golf production and marketing company, Th e Golf Agency.

Th e Tour Striker and Tour Striker Pro training clubs are available for $99.99. For more information and to order clubs, please visit www.tourstriker.com.

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Don’t worry as much about the fea-tures, although certain companies make blogging platforms that go above and beyond simple content publishing. Find format that works for you; add-ons and whizbangs are not entirely necessary, but bare-bones, no-frills blog is about as ap-pealing as plain paper bag. My main point here is that a blog can be used as a website, an e-commerce site, a place to compile a weekly newsletter, and, with the right plug-in, your blog can also be used to email weekly promotional fl yers as well.

Now, let’s break that into three poten-tial scenarios. We will focus the three scenarios aimed at golf.

Personal Brand: I’d buy your own do-main name and host it somewhere inex-pensive, but with good service. Godaddy.com is ideal. Th is is for somebody who wants to write a golf blog, write about golf gear, and maybe sponsor OEM links on your blog. If you have a golf shop and want to sell through your blog, you could also give golf club building advice. Whatever your expertise is in golf, you can share your knowledge, favorite golf sites and whatever you want to with your readers to know about.

Company communication/website: Th is is for companies who have a website and give members the ability to log in.

Golf organizations and country clubs who already have an established website should consider the potential of a blog. Just imagine having a site that can be used as a tool for communicating with mem-bers, the public, and useful as a member-ship campaign tool.

Nonprofi t: With storytelling and pic-tures as the backbone, a non-profi t or not-for-profi t organization can raise an incredible amount of awareness for its cause. No question about it, stories and pictures are powerful contributors to these endeavors. Considering that our news programs and newspapers consci-entiously devote a percentage of their reporting to human- interest stories, we know that readers and viewers listen. In this case, a blog can become a springboard to attract volunteers, community partici-pation and funding.

SECOND STEP: OUTPOSTS

In all cases, I would build outpost that would help me reach into diff erent places and communicate with people wherever they may be. Depending on your needs, you might use diff erent tools. At the very minimum you should start accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Face book.

Let’s look at how this works for our three examples.

Personal: Use Twitter to build relation-

ships and share interests. Use Facebook to learn about groups and events of interest. Keep LinkedIn active and updated and stay involved in the answering of ques-tions part of the site. Goal here: keep your name out there, far ahead of when you might need anything from anyone.

Company: Use Twitter as a way to show that you are human. Use Facebook as individuals and LinkedIn as individu-als, but with a group purpose. You might participate in other people’s groups. You might fi nd friends with like interests or similar demographics and reach out to them that way. Be human. Th at’s the main goal here.

Nonprofi t: Depending on the cause, you could use Twitter using the cause’s name, or you can reach out as an individual.

In all cases, use your picture for the ava-tar or profi le picture, not a logo. Aim for a candid shot that’s not a stuff y professional photo or an overly cropped picture. And while the handy tool that lets you update Facebook and Twitter all at once seems effi cient, it can be misconstrued to mean that you don’t respect your individual audiences at those outposts.

Always put enough information in your profi le to promote that you are both a business person as well as a human being. On Facebook, consider which applications you add to your profi le. Yes, being a pirate

or a vampire might be fun, but it might also make someone question your profes-sional intent. Do feel free to share your interests in books or movies or sports, and make sure your status messages aren’t always and forever about your business interests or people might be less engaged after a very short amount of time.

THIRD STEP: AUDIENCE

Once you have a primary place to express yourself (your blog), and a few outposts where you can communicate in a less structured, more real-time way (out-posts), the next step is to fi nd like minds. For the three examples I gave, it would be an important thing to build a level of followership and interaction across your platforms, so we’ll cover this all as one group, not as separate goals.

My best advice about building com-munity and audience is this: be helpful. Write blog posts that others can use (like this one, for instance). Th e more you can help others, the more they’ll come back.

Avoid writing “me too” blog posts about the latest news in your vertical. Chances are, someone else is doing it better, and your “me too” is just a throat-clearing proof that you’re not creating original content. Work harder on doing something original instead of just pumping out “I

watch your favorite pros twice! Canyon Club passes are available for $50/dayand includes Canyon Club access, beer, wine, soda or water and a hot dog or wrap. Great value! Do keep in mind, however, that the cost of this pass is in addition to the cost of a daily, weekly or tournament ticket.

In addition, new for 2010, patrons can enjoy a viewing area on the 9th green, which is open to the public. Th is truly is a great spot to watch the players tackle the par 3,207 yard ninth hole while enjoying a beverage from the bar on the sundeck on top of the bleachers.

Delta Global PavilionDelta Global Pavilion* PassesThe Delta Global Pavilion is the

swanky luxury skybox on the 18th green, complete with leather couches, fl at screen TVs and a sundeck complete with a gorgeous view of the Snoqualmie Valley. Now if the allure of the ever pres-ent selection of great food and beverages doesn’t convince you this is the place to be, then perhaps the knowledge that a Champions Tour professional will stop by for a visit on the Friday (8/27) and Saturday (8/28) might just seal the deal! Yes, just make sure that it’s a glass of

orange juice in your hand when someone like defending champ Loren Roberts or Freddie Couples comes barreling over to say hello! One day pass’s can be pur-chased for only $150.

WHAT MAKES THE BOEING

CLASSIC SPECIAL CHECK LIST!

You’ve most likely experienced the Recent U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee and now wonder what makes the Boeing Classic special to Washington State. Of course, not to take anything away from the excitement generated by the Senior Open, but the following is a quick hit list of what makes the Boeing Classic so special to Northwest patrons each and every year!

Th e Boeing Classic is an annual • event. Yes, this is the 6th year, and more than $3 million has been raised for local charities.Friday is FREE gate admission • thanks to Golf GalaxyA Boeing Jet fl ies over the course • to offi cially kick off the tourna-ment on Friday, August 27th at 11:20am. As a licensed pilot, this is a personal favorite for me! Is there any other PGA Event that kicks off this way? Local community members and •





Field Set for AJGA Junior at Wenatchee

WENATCHEE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB TO HOST 99 JUNIOR GOLFERS, AUG. 9-12

Th e American Junior Golf Association’s

only event in the state of Washington will be held at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club, Aug. 9-12. Th is is the AJGA’s third year in Wenatchee, and the tournament will feature 99 junior golfers from 10 states and Canada, with the host state

being represented by 22 participants. Last year’s Boys Division champion, Macgregor Hoobery of Santa Maria, Calif., will return to defend his title. Hoobery bested the fi eld by two strokes after fi ring a fi nal-round 5-under-par 67. Sulman Raza Eugene, Ore., and Mark Wyllie of San Jose, Calif., will both return with experience after tying for third in the 2009 AJGA Junior at Wenatchee. Lorens Chan of Honolulu, will return as well

after an eighth-place showing in 2009. Chan is the highest-ranked boy in the fi eld at No. 77 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has already notched a win in 2010 at the AJGA Nebraska Junior at Quarry Oaks. Jennifer Yang of Coquitlam, British Columbia, is the highest-ranked player in the fi eld and will play in her second tournament at Wenatchee. Ranked No. 53 in the Polo Golf Rankings, she has compiled four top-fi ve junior golf fi nishes

and placed 11th at last year’s event. Mor-gan Th ompson of Tualatin, Ore., picked up a third-place fi nish at Wenatchee Golf & Country club in 2009. A rising senior, Th ompson is ranked No. 64 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has fi nished inside the top 15 in each AJGA event she has entered. A shotgun practice round will be held Monday, Aug. 9, at 2 p.m. First-round play will begin Tuesday, Aug. 10, with tee times for each round running from 7 a.m. – 12:20 p.m off the fi rst tee at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. An awards ceremony will immediately follow the fi nal round, Th ursday, Aug. 12. Guests are welcome to attend and admission is free. Prior to the event, an 18-hole K12 Qualifi er will be held on Monday, Aug. 8, at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. K12 Qualifi ers give juniors an opportunity to “play their way in” to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or earn a Tournament Exemption or Performance Star for a future event. Th e K12 Qualifi er Series off ers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events. During the tourna-ment week, some of the top juniors who will be participating in the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee will also take part in the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament Monday, Aug. 9. Th e Junior-Am will be a 9 a.m. shotgun start at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. An excellent opportunity to entertain clients, reward employees or enjoy a tournament round with some friends, the Junior-Am allows amateurs to play a competitive round of golf with future stars of the game. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Charles Howell III, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Grace Park are just a few of the thousands of tal-ented players who participated in AJGA Junior-Ams when they were teenagers. Supporting golf at the grassroots level, Junior-Ams allow the AJGA to make contributions to local junior golf charities and programs in hosting communities. In 2010, the proceeds of the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee Junior-Am will benefi t the Washington Junior Golf Association. To participate, contact Sean Riley at (678) 425-1710. For more information, please contact Kristi Bradley ([email protected]) in the AJGA Communications De-partment at (678) 425-1790 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.


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Yes, the U.S. Open! But there is some-what of a scheduling conundrum facing Puget Sound golfi ng fans as there is one more “must-see” PGA event to consider. Yep, our annual favorite on the regular Champions Tour, Th e Boeing Classic, is slated to tee off at TPC Snoqualmie on Aug 27-29.

Hmm, what to do? Th e answer may well lie with the format for each event, or whether or not you can pull a “sickie” from work for that week! Th e 2010 U.S. Ama-teur Championship will be contested at Chambers Bay Golf Course where 312 players initially compete using the stroke play format contest Chambers for one round and Th e Home Course hosting the other in nearby DuPont on the Aug 23rd and 24th. Th e fi eld whittles down to 64 spots at which point on Wednesday the competition reverts to match play for the next fi ve days culminating with a 36-hole event at Chambers Bay on Sunday, Aug 29. Th e Boeing Classic, however, kicks off on the78 Champions Tour pros compete for a purse of $1.9 million. Th e players play only 54 holes of stroke play and all players continue through to Sunday! Good luck deciding how to manage this smorgas-bord of watching and learning from the world’s best amateur and professional

golfers right here in Puget Sound! Golf Today will be out there glued to the action and hope to see you out there!

WHAT’S NEW!

Can you believe that we get to welcome a new golf course in Washington State next year? Yes, the economic recovery is not a myth after all! Th e Squaxin Island Tribe in Shelton, WA broke ground on Salish Cliff s way back in 2006, but the economic climate put the brakes on and there were other priorities such as a ma-jor expansion project at its Little Creek Casino Resort, where Salish Cliff s will serve as an amenity. But last spring, renowned golf architect Gene Bates (Yes, of Circling Raven fame!) and his construction crew got to work on the approx 180 acre course, which is now slated to open in the spring of 2011. Golf Today had the good fortune of spending some time with architect Gene Bates who graciously took us around the construction site and explained his vision for the par-72 7300 yard Championship track! With elevation changes of 600 feet, Salish Cliff s is not for the faint hearted; however, Bates has made sure to design a course that rewards

sound shot making while not overtly pe-nalizing the average golfer either. In fact, the course is surprisingly open with mul-tiple sets of tees and a drainage system that is second to none. Stay tuned for ad-ditional progress reports during the fall,

but by all accounts Salish Cliff s is touted to be another Bates standout. “What I want people to say when they walk off Salish Cliff s is, “Wow. What an experi-ence. I don’t know who designed it, but I want to come back,” concludes Bates.



Friday, Aug 27 where

Ballinger Lake Golf Course ..... 12BallKaddie ................................. 23Best Western University Inn .... 17Boeing Classic ........................... 2,3Boeing Employees Credit Union ...... 4Carnation Golf Course ............. 14Chicks Golf, too ......................... 18Clover Island Inn ........................ 1Club Glider .................................. 8Erin Szekely ............................... 25Forewomen ................................ 19GolfNOW.com ........................... 27GolfTEC ..................................... 34The Home Course ..................... 12Jorgensen Golf ............................. 7

Lopaka Putters .......................... 24

Maplewood Golf Course ........... 11

McCormick Woods ..................... 5

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

Northwest Cadillac Dealers ...... 36

Palouse Ridge ............................ 18

Spokane Regional CVB ............ 33

Sweet Spot Putters .................... 28

Tanman Products ...................... 26

Tayleur Mayde Golf Tours ....... 19

The Home Course ....................... 9

Tom Wells Golf .......................... 18

University of Idaho GolF .......... 13

Warrior Custom Golf.................. 5

... Index of Advertisers for August 2010 ...

Th e McKennon Golf Bag Company (www.themckennongolfbagcompany.com) recently announced that it has completed the purchases of Jones Sport-ing Goods, makers of the classic Jones Bag (www.jones-golf.com). McKennon acquired Jones from the Oregon based Yoshida Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We just bought a legendary company that has sold over 1,000,000 golf bags,” said McK-ennon Golf founder and CEO Mike McKennon. “Jones virtu-ally created the pure carry bag and the original designs from 1971 are still relevant today. You will see those iconic designs again exactly the same as they were in the 70’s and 80’s, right down to the original logo.”

Th e deal will see Jones relocate opera-tions and corporate offi ces into McKen-non Golf ’s existing facility in Lake Os-wego, Oregon. McKennon will also take over as the President of Jones Sports.

“We have also been prototyping a new version on the original bag,” McKennon explained. “We have taken design cues from our McKennon Player’s Bag and

combined them with the original Jones Bag. We have a waiting list of buyers and it isn’t even out of the testing stage yet.”

Founded in 2009, the Lake Oswego, Oregon based company is one of the fastest growing golf bag companies in the industry and boasts a line-up of 6 separate hand-made leather golf prod-ucts including the fl agship Player’s Bag.

“Our products exist at the intersection of too little and too much” said McKen-non, a former All-American at Lak-eridge High School and collegiate player at Oregon State. “Jones was founded 40 years ago on that same strategy. “ It’s a perfect fi t.” For more information, please email [email protected].

The McKennon Golf Bag Company acquires Jones Sporting Goods, creators

of the iconic Jones Bag

Don’t get distracted by the amazing view of the ocean in the distance. Fair-winds is 6204 yards, par 71 from the back tees and 5173 yards, par 71 from the front. Th e greens are immaculate and wildlife can be seen throughout your round. I witnessed a mama deer with her fawn nibbling on shrubs on the practice green before my round and then saw them again later on the 9th hole strolling along the water.

In June 2009, Fairwinds was certifi ed by the Audobon Cooperative Sanctu-ary Program for its commitment to En-vironmental Stewardship. One of only eight British Columbia golf courses with this distinction, it has demonstrat-ed environmentally friendly practices in Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use and Reduc-tion and Safety, Water Conservation and Water Quality Management.

Now that I have tempted you with all that Vancouver Island has to off er, aren’t you ready to start planning your own vacation? With very mild temper-atures, Vancouver Island is the perfect year round golf and spa destination, so get your clubs and travel documents ready! For more information, please visit www.golfvancouverisland.ca

continued from page 22continued from page 25

read this article about” types of posts, un-less you’re going to expand on the ideas, and/or recast them for your particular audience.

Th e most important thing to remember here is that your social media undertak-ing is move to start interfacing with your customers, clients, community, and con-tributors. If you have a golf business, pro shop or you’re a club maker, one of the fi rst things you should do with a blog is ask you customers to take a survey. Th at’s the fi rst step.

For instance if I was a club builder who operated a website that emailed weekly ad fl yers, the fi rst thing I would do is survey my clients by email, or send them an ad fl yer to take a survey. I would also be collecting email addresses from every customer who walked through the door. Find out what other types of golf-based facilities they frequent and ask them what type of golf gear they are interested in. Finally, I would take a look around at all the other golf shops and see what type of new product they carry and what they aren’t carrying.

FOURTH STEP: EXPERIMENT

If something is not working, try some-thing else. If you’re not using analytics and stats packages to learn more about

your web visitors, you’re missing out. If you aren’t learning how these social media elements tie to your business and you’re just using them as another isolated thing, then you’re missing the whole reason to start (for businesses, at least).

Experiment. Try new things. I try something new every day. It might be a blog post. It might be a strategy about how I can get more people to do X instead of Y. It might be something as simple as reaching out to other people in new ways. But experiment. If you just sit around doing the same things you did last year or fi ve years ago, you might as well turn in now.

Take the time to listen, to create and to experiment. Th en listen again.

Mike Rosas is the principal of AS Group Marketing/The Alterna-tive Solutions, LLC. He can be reached at 425-742-3679, mike@thealternativesolu-tions, or visit www.thealter-nativesolutions.net for more information.

devoted months of research, job shadowing, and teaching children life skills through golf, culminating in a two-day clinic that she planned, organized, and conducted.

Kirsila recalls fi nding comfort in golf during her mother’s battle with cancer. She also developed her golf skills, earning a spot on the varsity team as a freshman. She played on the Newport High School golf team where her teammates selected her as team captain during her junior and senior years. She hopes to continue playing competitive golf at a Division 1 college while pursuing studies to

become a pediatrician.


s is the principal of AS rketing/The Alterna-ons, LLC. He can bet 425-742-3679,alternativesolu-

sit www.thealter-utions.net formation.


STAFFPUBLISHER / EDITOR . . . . . . . Cameron Healey

[email protected] MANAGER. . . . Sydney Healey

[email protected] DIRECTOR . . . Kris Hansen

[email protected] EDITORS: . . . . . Kelly Handley

REGIONAL EDITORS . . . . . . . . Cliff ord Cowley Wayne Scottcliff [email protected] [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . Cliff ord Cowley, Tony Dear, Diana Del Garbino, Bob Duncan, Kelly Handley, Derek Mount, Rick Newell, Terry VanderHeiden, Dan Stark, Erin Szekely, Brett Wilkinson, Ina Zajac

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

www.GolfTodayNW.com • [email protected]

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

ISSN 1524-2854

CLASSIFIEDS

GOLF ACCESSORIES

New Golf Products!Do you have a new golf product? A new golf service? Give

Cameron a call at Golf Today Magazine. Get results with us and grow. For more information, call 425-941-9946 or

email [email protected].

HOUSE OF KANGAROO GOLF SHOES

HOUSE OF KANGAROO GOLF shoes are

made from kangaroo leather which is one of the light-

est & strongest leathers! Walking 18 holes feels like

walking a few blocks. Try a pair today! Phone#: 1-800-

597-9091www.hoknorthamerica.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIESVIDEO NEWSLETTERS FOR CAR Dealerships Become a distributor for the only service and sales video newsletter in the automotive industry. See examples at www.iDriveNews.com. For more infor-mation, call 800-697-3806 Ext. 3.

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

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

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

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

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

LEFT HANDED GOLF CLUBSDEMOS AND NEW CLUBS, some good used ones, men’s

and women’s. Many name brands and knock offs at 50% below

retail. I’ll email you the list. Shipping at the true cost, not inflated:

[email protected].

LOOKING TO TRAVEL OR WINTER NEST?2005 27’ TRAILBAY TRAVEL trailer. Barely used, and

beautifully kept. Slide-out living room and bunk house floor

plan. Sleeps eight comfortably. Fully equipped with awning,

stabilizer tow bars, two 10 gallon propane tanks, great stereo,

many other extras. Only $25,000. Call (530) 308-7482 or email

[email protected]

REAL ESTATEAFFORDABLE GOLF COMMUNITY LOT in Cool Pacific

Northwest Home lot for sale in Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club on the

Hood Canal in Union Washington. Walk to clubhouse & fairways.

Dues only $170 per month & come w/ full privileges for 2 on beau-

tiful 18 hole course consistently ranked among top 25 in the Pacific

Northwest. See www.alderbrookgolf.com for community details.

1/3 wooded acre on cul-de-sac. Electric and water in street. Septic

required. $85,000. Contact Sharon Roseme at [email protected]

or 916-663-3450.

LAKE LAS VEGAS GOLF RESORT: Live in this beautiful golf

community with three golf courses, two major hotels with gaming,

plus a wonderful 320-acre lake full of fish. Chose from custom

homes or custom lots to build your own dream home. Play a round

of golf free, this being our way of saying thanks to qualified people

looking for the right location. Call Earl or Anne at 702-460-2192 for

an appointment. (Re/Max Pros.) Check our virtual tour at wwww.

yourvegashome.com.


business executives sit on the tournament committee, and local partners and supporters return to the tournament each year. Th ey have a vested interest in both the charity cause and success of the Champions Tour Event.1000 volunteers each year and • over 250 are returning for their 6th Boeing Classic. Volunteers pay

to volunteer, so more money is redirected back to the tourna-ment benefi ciary.Champions Tour players are • truly fan friendly. You can play in a Pro-Am with them during the week, and watch them in tournament competition later that weekend. Th ey talk with fans as they walk the course, and autographs are available post round.Parking is close to the course, •

with easy access to the Interstate 90 free way.

HOW CAN I GET IN ON THE

ACTION?

Tickets are available at www.Boeing-Classic.com and are truly inexpensive. You’ll still have a bunch of moss remain-ing in your wallet after forking over only $20 for daily tickets, weekly $60, and three day tournament over the weekend

$40, which is just about the price of replacing a dozen Taylormade Pentas and, of course, you can come out to Snoqualmie on Friday FREE courtesy of Golf Galaxy.

Interested in Volunteering? You don’t have to be a golfer to volunteer. Volunteer opportunities are still available; in fact, volunteers receive a great package includ-ing shirts, tickets, and great prizes.

Want to Participate By Playing in the Pro-Am? Foursomes and Individual playing spots are still available but going fast! You can play with leg-ends like Tom Kite, Fred Funk, Mark O’Meara and more! You can also bid on a chance in being paired with Fred Couples.

Interested In Donating to the Event Charity: Th e Benaroya Re-search Institute at Virginia Mason? “Birdies for Charity” lets you guess how many birdies will occur during the tournament. Make a guess and win great prizes like a Pro-Am play-ing spot, Seahawks VIP experience or a Microsoft Xbox.

Feel Like Taking In Th e Fresh Air and Views of Th e Snoqualmie

Valley? Perhaps you would like to exercise. “Walk to Unlock the Im-mune System” a 5k walk on Saturday, August 28th 9am walk beginning on the 10th tee and fi nishing on the 18th

green just in time to see the fi rst tee time of the day. Enjoy the course with-out golfers playing, take in the scenery including views of the beautiful Sno-qualmie Falls, and get some exercise while helping to raise funds for Auto-immune Disease Research. Th e walk is $25 and includes free admission to the tournament on Saturday.

Th e 54 holes of tournament com-petition begin Aug 27-29. For more information, please visit www.boeing-classic.com.


MONDAY, AUGUST 23RD

8:30am, Seahawks Rumble at the RidgeJoin Seattle Seahawks Ring of Hon-or inductees, NFL Hall of Famers, plus local and national celebrities for the 2010 Rumble at the Ridge golf tournament. Imagine being paired with a celebrity golfer where each player in your foursome receives a special tee prize bag and compli-mentary food at four holes during the round. Breakfast is provided and you’ll enjoy a fabulous BBQ and Awards Ceremony afterwards.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24TH

12:00pm - Youth Clinic

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25TH

Korean Air Pro-Am Day OneTh e Korean Air Pro-Am provides an opportunity for corporate partners to play with a legend of golf during practice rounds at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge and in the process contribute to the charitable proceeds raised for the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason. 56 foursomes will play in the two-day event, with every amateur team paired with a Champi-ons Tour player. Th e pros and their caddies are true ambassadors of the game and engage with their groups for a dynamic and one-of-a-kind experience.7:30am Morning Shotgun1:45pm Afternoon Shotgun

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26TH

Korean Air Pro-Am Day Two7:30am Morning Shotgun1:45pm Afternoon Shotgun

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH

FREE Gate Admission to all fans courtesy of Golf Galaxy11:20am Boeing jet fl yover *subject to change11:30am Boeing Classic Round 1

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28TH

9:00am Walk to Unlock the Im-mune System (5K walk on course for charity)11:30am Boeing Classic Round 2,

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29TH

11:30am Championship Sunday6pm Boeing Classic 2010 Champion Trophy Presentation

Schedule Of Events:

Boeing Classic Week of Events


there is small cutout on the top of the putter head. Below that is a gold engraved centerline. If you are tilting the putter too far forward or too far back, you won’t be able to get a clear look at the line through the slot. It works much like a sight of a rifl e. Align the target line into the slot and you are ready to go.

Creating a system for repeatability will solidify your putting routine and thereby bettering your putting percentages on the green. Slotline is the only company that has the SLOT & LINE system for align-ing your putts.

TaylorMade Golf (www.taylorma-degolf.com)

Leave it to TaylorMade Golf to de-liver diversity in the putter world. The three en-

trants this year from TaylorMade Golf are remarkably diff erent from one another. Th ey are all from what TaylorMade Golf calls the Rossa line of putters.

First up is the Monza Spider Vicino. Th is is a mallet style putter that looks a bit like a sports car. Th e large alignment wedge, behind the face of the put-ter, tapers back softly to create a g r e a t look when

seeing the putter from the address position.

Th e head has two weights that are at-

tached that kind of look like headlights on

the rear of the vehicle. It is these two weights that

creates TaylorMade’s Mov-able Weight Technology, al-

lowing golfers to customize the weight of the putter for their own personal preference or for adjust-

ing before a round to match the greens they are playing.

It is this perimeter weighting

that allows TaylorMade

to achieve fan-tastic MOI. Th is

weighting keeps the face from twisting through

impact to get a consistent roll on the

ball. TaylorMade didn’t stop there. Th e face has a

composite insert with AGSI+ Technology to promote more forward

spin on the ball to keep it tracking the way the golfer intended.

Next up from TaylorMade Golf is the Rossa Daytona 6. Th is is a classic blade style putter with some state-of-the-art additions. Th e putter head is made from 304 stainless steel, with Tuscan nickel fi nish to give it that “sleek” look.

While looks alone wont help you sink putts, the face insert might. TaylorMade uses AGSI+ Technology in the insert with 14 groove lines positioned closer together. Th is promotes a better touch and a more effi cient spin resulting in a smoother roll of the ball.

If the Monza Spider Vicino is too large and the Daytona 6 is too small then you might like the mid-mallet version by Tay-lorMade. It is the Rossa Monte Carlo. Th is putter also has the AGSI+ Tech-nology built into the face insert. AGSI stands for Anti-skid Grove System Insert. Th is face is built to reduce “bounce” at

contact. Reducing bounce will give the golfer a smoother roll

of the ball. Th ere are twelve groves on the Rossa Monte Carlo.

Each groove is fi lled with a soft polymer that absorbs unwanted im-

pact vibration to give you that great “feel” of the putt.

Since the Monte Carlo is a mid-mallet shape, TaylorMade was able to move some of the weight back and low behind the face to help

reduce the possible twisting at con-tact. Th is makes this putter extremely

forgiving on mis-hits. Terry VanderHeiden can be reached

for comments, questions or suggestions via email at [email protected]


Ben Bryson Occupation: Head Pro BanBury Golf Course Location: Eagle, IdahoPro Status: Class A

Ben Bryson started playing golf at the age of 5. At the ripe old age of 7, he won his fi rst trophy. Th at’s when Ben’s love for the game became a way of life.

Some pros work at golf instruction for the money; Ben works at what he does because it’s a lifestyle. “It’s what I do,” says Ben with a smile. “I’m lucky,” he says. “Not everyone gets to do what they love and make a living at it, too. I enjoy all aspects of the golf business: manage-ment, operations, teaching, playing and merchandising.”

Ben is truly a player’s pro. He loves to share his knowledge of the game with others. “I experience my success through the success of my students,” he says proudly. “Th e best part about being a golf instructor is the satisfaction I get after a student hits ‘the perfect shot.’ I enjoy sharing that moment with them.”

Ben’s inroads to becoming a profes-sional stem from an impressive playing career. In high school, he was Nevada’s High School State Champion (2001), and in college, he played PAC-10 golf for Washington State, including a low com-

petitive round of 60. In 2002, he was the Northwest Wilson Intercollegiate Champion at Bandon Dunes and in 2004, he was the Boise State Bronco Fall Invitational Champion. Ben defi nitely walks the walk.

After graduating in 2005, he went to work for BanBury and has been there

ever since. In 2008, he was named the Rocky Mountain Section PGA As-sistant Golf Professional of the Year. Undoubtedly, Ben can defi nitely teach what he walks.

How Well Do You Know Your Local Golf PRO?by CLIFFORD COWLEY


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Documents

Golf Today NW Edition - August 2010 Issue