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MARCH 2009

New golf company debuts in Atlanta Innovative Sports Events enters tournament management field

By Mike Blum

tarting a company in the current climate of challenging economic times requires a significant leap of faith, but John Couey is prepared to make that jump. Couey, who has a long history of working behind the scenes in the Atlanta golf market, has created Innovative Sports Events, which will assist nonprofits, charitable organizations and corporate entities in conducting fundraisers, primarily golf events. Innovative Sports Events (ISE) will manage the event “from beginning to end,” Couey says. “We’ll do more than just the golf. We’re a full service management company.” There are currently existing companies that work in the same field, but Couey believes ISE has something that will separate his company from those already operating – a Barco B-10 mobile LED display, also known as an electronic leader board or score board. A key for any fund-raising event is to secure sponsorship, and Couey feels having the LED display on site will benefit organizations in that respect, as well as ensuring that the sponsors receive sufficient bang for their bucks. “It’s great for sponsors and it goes beyond golf. It can be used at a soccer

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Barco B-10 Mobile LED Message Display

stint outside golf, returned as Southeastern Region Tournament Sales Director for American Golf in the late 1980s. Couey joined Killearn, Inc., in 1996 as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Eagle’s Landing, one of the metro area’s outstanding private clubs. Killearn has developed and owns a number of great Georgia golf facilities, among them

STEVE DINBERG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Waterfall Country Club, Kingwood Golf Club & Resort, Durham Lakes Country Club and Eagle’s Brooke Country Club. During his years with Killearn, Couey says he has built “a very good following. I have a large data base of loyal customers.” Because of the economy, there may not [ See Innovative Sports, page 6 ]

GSGA

tournament, for youth baseball or a 5K run. But for us, it’s mainly about golf tournaments.” Couey has more than 30 years experience in the golf business, working in several different aspects of the industry. He spent most of the 1970s as a manager and golf professional at one of Atlanta’s busiest facilities – North Fulton Golf Club, and after a

Georgia Golf Business

Georgia Golf Course Owners Association

w w w . g g c o a . c o m

Tiger Woods among Masters questions

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Bartram Trail part of Augusta golf scene

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Harris English part of strong Georgia team

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Instruction Fore You

You Can Have More Power and Consistency By Tom Losinger PGA Director of Instruction Bridge Mill Athletic Club Quite often you hear or read that if you want to hit the ball further you will have to give up consistency or if you want more consistency you have to give up some distance. Well,

while there may be some truth to that, I would argue that if you master the following concept, you can have it all! The concept is to learn to swing wide to narrow. What do I mean? The big picture idea is that you want your downswing arc to be a smaller half circle than your backswing arc. If you traced them, the two arcs will create kind of a crescent moon shape. Almost every single player on tour achieves this action (Sergio Garcia would be this idea on steroids) in their swings whereas the average player rarely achieves this.

say this feels like a slight loop. Also, sensing that the right arm is now working under the left arm can be a pretty good feel. You decide.) Warning: Do not increase the bend (Cupping) in the left wrist. You will hate golf forever if you do this! The ball will go high, right and short. Zero fun!  The benefits of this move are that the shaft gets on plane easier and the right arm and the club head get closer to the body which is the beginning of creating “dynamic lag.” This is the narrow part. This “narrowing” will continue until the left arm is at about 9:00. Notice how the club head is now pointed at about 1:00 and the right arm has mostly disappeared behind the left arm.

3021 Kalah Place, Marietta, GA 30067 770-933-04GA (Office) 770-953-6638 (Fax) golfforegeorgia.com [email protected] PUBLISHER

Golf Media, Inc. John Barrett EDITOR Mike Blum CONTRIBUTORS

Tom Losinger Jackie Cannizzo, Women’s Golf Editor Steve Dinberg Lake-Finlay Image Group Joseph Field Georgia Golf Course Owners Association Cindy Acree, Executive Director MARKETING & ADVERTISING

J.R. Ross, Sales Representative Rick Holt, Corporate Sales ART DIRECTOR

Lori Montgomery [email protected] GEORGIA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA PRESIDENT

Jim Arendt, Chicopee Woods Golf Course

Backswing Keys 

At the 9:00 position of the left arm, the club head should be short of 12:00. Preferably in the 10:30 to 11:00 range.

 Two things to pay attention to: The left wrist will have minimal hinge and the right elbow will have minimum bend to it. Also, notice how the right arm is slightly above the left arm at this point.

 The benefit of this is that the backswing will have less speed and more width which will help immensely in the transition from backswing (wide) to the downswing (narrow).

In fact the average player, many times has the opposite action, with the downswing being wider than the backswing. This is a major contributor to power loss as well as inconsistent contact with the ball. Please look at the pictures and I will try to give you some keys to help you achieve this and I will also give you one big warning.

Downswing Keys

 Near the top of the swing when your weight transfers subtly and smoothly to the front foot, the left wrist will increase its hinge (Right wrist can bend back slightly) and the right elbow will begin to increase its bend. (Many people

This helps create speed without even trying as a smaller radius will move much faster than a long one at this point. It will now be much easier for your power to be stored up until the moment of truth. If you work on this move, then your impact should start to look like the picture on the right. Distance and consistency!

VICE-PRESIDENT

Patrick Richardson, Wilmington Island Club SECRETARY

Brian Stubbs, Country Club of Columbus HONORARY PRESIDENT

Danny Elkins, Georgia Golf Center

Tom Losinger is a PGA Master Professional and the 2001 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year. He can be reached at 770-345-5557 or at [email protected].

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bud Robison, West Point, Ga Marten Olsson, The Club at River Forest Steve Godley, Jekyll Island Golf Club Bob Elmore, Bacon Park GC Ted Fort, Marietta Golf Center Richard Hatcher, Ansley GC Jeff Dunovant, First Tee of East Lake Scott Mahr, Barnsley Gardens Resort Clark Spratlin, Blue Ridge Golf & River Club Dan Mullins, Classic Golf Management Michael Raymond, Reynolds Landing John Crumbley, Mystery Valley Golf Club

Forecast

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mike Paull

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ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/

Questions surround Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

College golf preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

JUNIOR GOLF DIRECTOR Scott Gordon

Cink may be lone Georgia hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Golf FORE women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

OPERATIONS MANAGER Jeff Ashby

Golf in Augusta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Golf FORE juniors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Georgia PGA 2009 preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 PGA pro-file: Bill Robinson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Course reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Pat Day SECTION ASSISTANT Traci Waters

FOREGeorgia is produced by Golf Media, Inc. Copyright ©2008 with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content is prohibited. Georgia PGA web site: www.georgiapga.com

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Waterfall Country Club

Innovative Sports Events

Eagle's Brooke Country Club

[ Continued from the cover ]

be as many first new charity and corporate outings as in the past, but ISE is positioned to assist those who do conduct an event for the first time. ISE will concentrate on “tournaments with history as community events. They’ll continue. The golf tournament business will maintain, at least at some level.” From his personal experience and his knowledge of the industry, Couey says “2008 was not that bad a year,” and is hopeful that the downturn in the economy will not have a major impact on the outing industry. That’s where the Barco B-10 mobile LED display comes in. “Every tournament tries to attract a major title sponsor,” Couey points out. “But at a lot of tournaments, the sponsor is

not getting a bang for his buck. “Having the ability to offer such a great marketing tool enhances the effectiveness of golf tournament groups to attract both title and major sponsors by giving the sponsors what they seek most – high CAPTION and a great return on their visibility sponsorship investment. The Barco B-10 mobile LED display works just as well for other sports tournaments and events.” Couey recognizes that for tournaments to be successful on an ongoing basis, the participating individuals must have an enjoyable experience that will encourage them to return to the event. The use of personalized gifts helps create that atmosphere, and ISE will work in concert with vendors to provide products at substantial savings off retail.

Attention to detail and the personalization of the tournament experience are key elements in the success or failure of charitable golf events, and Couey has a long track record of involvement with tournament operations, as well as working in the management and marketing end of Killearn’s two golf-connected hotels. During his time with Killearn, Couey worked as Director of Sales and interim General Manager of the Inn at Eagle’s Landing, which housed many of the LPGA players who were competing in the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. Couey worked directly with the LPGA in housing the players, including many of the tour’s most prominent names. After his lengthy stint with Killearn, Couey spent a year at Callaway Gardens, booking golf groups and tournaments before returning to Killearn to help get the new Eagle’s Brooke Country Club up and

running. His variety of experiences in the golf industry has prepared him for multiple roles required to conduct charity tournaments. In his lengthy career with three major golf companies, Couey has organized and managed over 1,000 golf events which have raised in excess of $3 million in charitable donations. Couey and his company are not alone in the Atlanta market, but he believes the combination of his experience and the appeal of the Barco B-10 mobile LED display will set Innovative Sports Events apart from the competition. “It adds so much of a different flavor,” he says. Banners alone don’t have much impact, but the LED displays provide a forum for some “wonderful graphics. It’s key to attracting a title sponsor. “Innovative Sports Events has assembled a small but very effective and experienced team of associates who excel in hosting and organizing golf tournaments. ISE has experience in the marketing of other athletic events not related to golf. We also have a special events associate who can help with the marketing of business openings, radio and television events and any other public or private happening.” Couey can be contacted at 678-833-1616 (office) or 770-380-0949 (cell), or at [email protected]. The company’s web site www.innovativesportsevents.com is expected to be operational by mid-March, and Couey says it will be “x-treme and memorable.”

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Lots of questions surround Masters Can event regain drama after 3 years of no roars?

By Mike Blum

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STEVE DINBERG

uestions, questions, questions. With the 2009 Masters approaching, there is a great deal of uncertainty pertaining to the first of golf’s four major championships, most of it having to do with some of the players expecting to contend for a green jacket, but some regarding the tournament itself. Is Tiger Woods fully recovered from knee surgery that sidelined him for the second half of 2008 and the early stages of the ’09 season? And if so, can he solve the mysteries of the more Tiger-resistant Augusta National, which has limited him to one Masters title the last six years? Can Phil Mickelson shake off his nondescript performances in the majors since his

Phil Mickelson

disastrous effort on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open? Mickelson, who would have won a third straight major with a par on that hole, has not seriously contended for a fourth major title since, and got off to a rare stumbling start this year on the West Coast before winning in LA. Does he still have what it takes to play at the level required for a major triumph? Is Vijay Singh capable of becoming the second 46-year-old to win in Augusta? Singh closed out the ‘08 season with four victories against star-studded fields, but had to take a few weeks off early this season for minor surgery and has been hobbling since his return. Can Padraig Harrington translate his success last year in the British Open and PGA Championship into a third straight major victory in Augusta? Harrington has back-to-back top 10 finishes in the Masters, and has more than proven his ability to raise the level of his game in the most

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pressure-filled situations. But can he do it at Augusta National? Are any of the game’s rising young stars – Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas, Adam Scott – ready to claim a first major championship? Since Augusta National was significantly lengthened in 2002, three players not known for their power games have won the Masters, including each of the last two years. Who is the next player in the Mike Weir/Zach Johnson/Trevor Immelman mold capable of scoring a victory on a course that is supposed to favor those who bomb it off the tee? And for those who have access to Masters tickets or just watch on television, can the tournament produce the Sunday heroics that has been noticeably absent in recent years? The past three Masters, all conducted after Augusta National was extended to its current length of almost 7,450 yards, have been devoid of serious suspense as the leaders made their way down the stretch, a situation totally out of character with the tournament’s dramatic history. From 1990-2002, the winning score of Augusta never ventured above 280, and only once in that span was it higher than 279. Since 2003, only three golfers have finished with scores in the 270s —Mickelson in 2004 and Woods and Chris DiMarco in ’05, with the latter two producing the last pulsating Masters finish. There has been considerable carping by many of the game’s top players regarding the recent changes to Augusta National’s storied layout. There has been a general agreement that Masters officials needed to do something to counter the improvements in equipment that have rendered many classic courses too short for modern tour players, but the question often posed is whether the renovations have gone too far. Along with adding more than 500 yards in length in the past decade, Augusta National officials have tightened the course with the addition of trees on several holes, have introduced a “second cut” (thin layer of rough) to increase the difficulty of holding the already demanding greens, and have continued to keep the putting surfaces as slick as agronomy will allow, while placing pin positions in treacherous locations. In addition to the absence of major drama on Sunday the last three years, there has been a noticeable paucity of the low scores that helped fuel the traditionally thrilling Masters finishes that produced so many roars over the years on Augusta National’s memorable back nine. Art Wall’s 66 in 1959. Bob Goalby’s 66 in 1968. Gary Player’s 64 in 1978. Jack Nicklaus’ 65 in 1986. Nick Faldo’s 65 in

1989 and his relentlessly efficient 67 in 1996. All relics of a Masters past that may never be re-visited. Mickelson shot 69 on Sunday both times he won, including his back nine surge that could be the last of its kind in 2006. Johnson also closed with a 69 when he won the next year with a 289 total, the highest winning score in Augusta in a half-century. Last year’s Masters ranks with the least exciting in tournament history, as Immelman went wire to wire for his victory. There were fewer than 25 scores in the 60s in last year’s tournament (only one below 68) and Immelman recorded three of them the first three days. With his three closest pursuers after 54 holes shooting 77, 78 and 79 the final round, Immelman’s 75 was sufficient to produce a victory that was never in doubt on Sunday, something that had not happened in the tournament since Woods annihilated the field in his 12-stroke runaway in 1997. Shortly after Woods broke the 72-hole tournament record with an 18-under 270 total, the first wave of changes to Augusta National began, with several holes lengthened a modest amount. The changes had little effect on scoring, with Woods challenging his tournament record in 2002. David Duval was two strokes back of Woods at 274, the lowest runner-up score in Masters history and the fifth lowest total ever at Augusta National. When the Masters participants arrived for the 2003 tournament, the course had been lengthened by some 300 yards. Pretournament speculation ventured that the power players like Woods, Singh, Mickelson and Ernie Els would benefit the most from the added yardage, but that proved not to be the case. Mike Weir and Len Mattiace tied at 281, the highest winning score since 1989, with neither player remotely fitting into the bomber mold. The unlikely duo produced some Sunday drama down the stretch – Mattiace shot 65 —before Weir emerged the champion after a sloppily-played playoff. The next two Masters featured a pair of memorable late Sunday afternoon duels, with Mickelson blistering the back nine to overtake Els in 2004 and Woods holding off the outgunned but not outmatched DiMarco the next year. However, the birdie by Woods on the first playoff hole was about the last moment of real Masters-style drama. Mickelson did not need a Sunday charge to score his second Masters victory the next year, turning in perhaps the most controlled effort of his career to win by a deceptively narrow twostroke margin. Braving cold and windy conditions that

sent scores soaring most of the week, Johnson put together an efficient final round 69 to win by two in ’07 over a stuck-in-neutral Woods and South Africans Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. That made it six runner-up finishes for South African golfers since 2000 in the Masters, with Immelman following countryman Gary Player into the winner’s circle last year. After three straight years of victories by Mickelson and Woods, Johnson and Immelman re-established the parity that has existed between power players and those who rely more on finesse to take home a coveted green jacket. Despite the long-held belief that Augusta National is a layout that strongly favors the powerful, history sheds some doubt on that proposition. Woods, Mickelson and Singh have won seven of the last 12 Masters, but the other five champions during that stretch are all at the opposite end of the power hitter spectrum. Prior to Woods’ emergence as the dominant player in the game, the Masters went through a lengthy stretch when shortto-medium hitters ruled the lush fairways and treacherous greens at Augusta National. Between 1984 and 1996, Nick Faldo won three Masters, Ben Crenshaw and Bernhard Langer won two each and Jose Maria Olazabal scored the first of his two Masters titles. Augusta native Larry Mize, who likewise relies more on precise iron play and a deft touch with the putter than length off the tee, also won during that stretch. With only six Masters having been played since Augusta National was significantly lengthened after 2001, the jury is still out on how the changes have impacted the tournament. But after three straight years of little drama, tournament officials may be reconsidering how they set the course up, particularly on Sunday if the conditions are expected to be on the difficult side. Among the attributes that set the Masters apart from the other three majors was the possibility that players could do deep into red figures if they got on a roll, and the likelihood that heroics were going to be required on the back nine the final day to take home the green jacket. The past few years, the Masters has become more like the other majors, with its most recent champions grinding their way to victory. That may be the way you win a U.S. Open (2008 being an exception), but traditionally that’s not how it has been done in Augusta. We’ll find out pretty soon whether tournament officials want to continue down that path, or if they miss the Sunday roars that have been such a huge part of the Masters for decades. MARCH 2009

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Cink may be lone Georgia Masters hope Coming off best ever showing in Augusta

By Mike Blum

n recent years, the Masters field has typically included a healthy number of players with strong ties to the tournament’s home state, including multiple natives of Augusta. With a little over one month remaining before the 2009 Masters, only two Georgians were among the 90-plus players to have qualified for the tournament, with former Masters champion Larry Mize – now a Champions Tour member – one of the two.

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into the first of golf ’s four major championships. With a late 2008 victory in the Disney Classic and a tie for second in the seasonopening Mercedes Championship, Love has moved into the top 60 in the rankings. One or two more strong showings will enable him to return to Augusta after missing the tournament last year for the first time since 1990. Love’s Masters resume includes a pair of runner-up finishes in 1995 and ’99 and six top 10s in 18 starts. In 1995, Love was on the verge of missing the Masters when he

STEVE DINBERG

Stewart Cink

Duluth resident and former Georgia Tech standout Stewart Cink is the lone Georgian among the PGA Tour players who is currently eligible tee it up in Augusta. Sea Island’s Davis Love is in position to move into the top 50 in the World Rankings, which would earn him a spot in the field. But the remaining Georgians have just a handful of events left in which to score a victory and claim a late invitation

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won in New Orleans the day before Masters week began in Augusta. It took a courageous effort by Ben Crenshaw to hold off a determined charge by Love, who closed with a 66 to finish one stroke off the lead. Love’s 72-hole total of 275 was the lowest score ever at the time for a Masters runner-up, and now ranks second behind David Duval’s 274 in 2001. The two players with the perhaps the

strongest desire to qualify for the Masters are Augusta natives Charles Howell and Vaughn Taylor, both of whom will need a tournament victory a la Love in ’95 to earn an invitation. Howell has fallen well outside the top 100 in the World Rankings and Taylor is no longer in the top 200, as both are coming off disappointing seasons in 2008. Howell has played in each of the last seven Masters, but his streak may be about to end. He squandered an opportunity to pick up a win in the 2008 Fall Series at the Turning Stone Resort and opened ’09 with a strong showing in Hawaii, but did not play well in California, where he has a history of success. After tying for 13th in the 2004 Masters, Howell missed the cut three of the last four years. Taylor was in danger of losing his exempt status on the PGA Tour before a tie for second in the next-to-last tournament of ’08. He managed just one other top 10 the entire season as he slipped to 90th on the money list, his poorest showing in his five seasons on tour. Taylor has played in the last three Masters, tying for 10th in 2007, when he briefly held the tournament lead late in the third round. Cink has missed the Masters just once since 1997, his rookie season on the PGA Tour. He did not qualify in 2003, the only time since 1998 he has not been in the field for a major championship. To that point, Cink had never finished higher than 23rd in six starts in Augusta, but in his five starts since, has never finished lower than 20th. Last year, Cink posted his best ever finish in the Masters, placing third behind champion Trevor Immelman and runner-up Tiger Woods, Cink’s playing partner in the final round. “Playing with Tiger Woods on Sunday at the Masters is about the pinnacle of professional golf,” Cink said after his third place finish. Cink began the final round in sixth place, seven strokes behind Immelman. With birdies on the first two holes, Cink quickly cut his deficit to four, but consecutive bogeys at holes 9, 10 and 11 ended his faint hopes of a victory. “It was exciting out there and I got started really well. Starting off like that – birdie, birdie – when everyone in the crowd was thinking that the guy I was playing with was going to go birdie, birdie; that was kind of fun.” Prior to the three straight bogeys that knocked him out of contention, Cink was unable to cash in on birdie opportunities at 7 and 8, which stalled what little momentum he still had entering one of the toughest stretch of holes on the course.

“I let the last three par-fives go, and three bogeys in a row on the three toughest holes. So I played basically the way a lot of guys played today. I made some bogeys, I made some birdies. I had fun, but it wasn’t quite enough.” Actually, Cink played better than just about everyone else who teed it up on a difficult day to play golf on one of the world’s most demanding courses. Of the 22 players who began the final round at even par or better, Cink’s 72 matched the lowest score. The only other players in that group to shoot 72 the final day were Woods, Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson. With three of the four players who started the day between Cink and the leader shooting scores of 77 or higher, Cink found himself in a battle for second place after a pair of birdies at 14 and 16. Cink, Woods and Brandt Snedeker, who was playing in the final group with Immelman, were tied for second coming down the stretch, with Woods taking second outright with a birdie on the 72nd hole. “He clipped me on the last hole,” Cink said of his playing partner. “I had a couple choice words for him walking off the green, but what can you say. He’s Tiger Woods.” Cink has gradually played better over the years at Augusta National, which he feels is simply a matter of feeling more comfortable on a course with many subtle challenges. “I don’t find as many surprises here as I used to. I always used to be surprised once or twice a day by pin placements and by the way shots played. Now, I’ve got memories or notes written in my yardage book. So I’ve got something to remind me of what a certain shot may play like. And I guess that all falls under the category of experience.” Cink may also have benefited from a change in the PGA Tour schedule, which moved the now-defunct Atlanta tournament from the week before the Masters to mid-May each of the last two years. Cink’s home is located in the Sugarloaf subdivision, which made that week a particularly hectic one for him every year. Over the years, Cink’s play in the BellSouth Classic began to slip, and his efforts in Augusta did not improve appreciably, at least until last year. With the chance to focus more on the Masters prior to the tournament, Cink produced his best showing ever in Augusta last year, and will be looking to match or surpass it next month.

MARCH 2009

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Golf in Augusta offers varied options Quality public, private courses not seen on TV

By Mike Blum

hanks to the Masters, Augusta adopted the title of “Golf Capitol of the World.” But that designation only applies one week out of the year. The other 51 weeks, Augusta is a mostly unnoticed city on Georgia’s eastern border, known mostly for its medical facilities and military base. But during that one week in early April each year, the eyes of the sports world focus on Augusta and the first of golf ’s four major championships. In addition to the 90-plus players who comprise the Masters field, golfers from all over bring their clubs with them that week to tee it up at one of the local courses, enabling them to tell their buddies back home that they played Augusta. Just not Augusta National. For a city with perhaps the most famous dateline in all of golf, Augusta is not exactly a hotbed of golf the other 51 weeks of the year. Most of the prominent local courses

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other then Augusta National are located outside Augusta/Richmond County, either in suburban Columbia County to the west or just across the Savannah River in South Carolina. Three of the area’s top daily fee courses – Jones Creek and Bartram Trail in Columbia County and the River Club in North Augusta, S.C. – are just outside the city/county line, as are a number of outstanding private clubs – West Lake and Champions Retreat in Columbia County and Mt. Vintage Plantation and Sage Creek in South Carolina. Other than Augusta National, the only courses in the city are Augusta Country Club, a venerable private club that borders its more famous neighbor behind the National’s 12th green, and a handful of daily fee facilities, one of which is located on a military base (Fort Gordon). Augusta’s most prominent daily fee club is Jones Creek, which is currently focusing more on rebuilding its membership base than attracting outside play. The semiprivate facility opened in the mid-1980s

and was the first solo design project by acclaimed golf course architect Rees Jones. After a successful early run, during which the course achieved the reputation as one of the strongest layouts in the state at a daily fee facility, Jones Creek has undergone a succession of ownership changes, most of which did not advance the club’s standing. The club went private for a while, was renovated by Tom Fazio and spent some time in bankruptcy before recently being acquired by a local ownership group, which has given the club local ownership and management for the first time. Gregg Hemann and Ray Mundy, who have both served as head professionals at the course and have 25 years combined at Jones Creek, are part of the local operation, and are helping restore the club’s slightly tarnished image. “We’re working hard to upgrade the facility in every way,” says Hemann. “When we got here, this was a somewhat fractured facility.” The course was renovated in 2003, with the greens changing from bent grass to a more heat tolerant Bermuda. There were

Jones Creek Golf Club

Bartram Trail

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also some changes made to the greens complexes to make them a little friendlier for players of modest ability, along with some alterations to a few holes. The new ownership is working mostly on restoring some aspects of the course lost to neglect, including the planting of trees for both strategic and ornamental purposes to replace some lost over the years. “We’ve provided some stability that will help long term and we see this as an opportunity to prove to people what Jones Creek can be,” Hemann says. Jones Creek is not a particularly lengthy layout (around 6,900 yards from the tips and 6,400 from the member tees) but the slope rating 139/133 is more indicative of the challenge it poses. Relatively tight tree lines, several meandering creeks and the still-challenging greens complexes make the course a worthy test, with an interesting mix of holes displaying the architectural acumen of Rees Jones, even at the early stages of his design career. Bartram Trail, also located in Evans, is the newest of the Augusta area courses, opening in 2005. The course is a public facility and a member of the Audubon Wildlife Society, and has been a strong supporter of junior golf, hosting a Georgia PGA Junior Tour event among others. The course, designed by North Carolina-based architect Rick Robbins, is a par 72 layout with five par 5s and five par 3s, and is the only area daily fee facility with bent grass greens. The layout includes several elevation changes and includes a number of marshes and wetlands that require some forced carries, but is not an especially demanding course, with mostly generous landing areas and fairly tame greens complexes. Apart from the par 3s, most of the trouble is off the tee, and the five par 5s provide some scoring opportunities, provided you keep it in play. The course measures just 6,700 yards from the back tees and a little over 6,200 from the blues, but the number of hazards in play account for the respectable slope numbers (137/129) despite the absence of serious length. Augusta’s two long time daily fee courses are Forest Hills and Augusta Golf Course, the city’s municipal course known to the locals as the “Cabbage Patch.” Forest Hills is owned and operated by Augusta State University, and is a Donald Ross design from the 1920s with a long and varied history. The course was requisitioned by the military for World War II, with the college assuming operations in the 1970s. The course has undergone two renovations since, once to replace holes converted to use MARCH 2009

for college dorms and once to add a considerable amount of length from the back tees. The course can now be stretched to over 7,200 yards, but with five sets of tees, it remains playable for its members and daily fee visitors. From the white tees (6,335) it remains an enjoyable test, although the once traditional Ross design has been obscured over the years. Augusta GC has also undergone some changes over the years to accommodate a new practice facility and clubhouse, both of which resulted in significant alterations to a few of the holes. The course is short (around 6,000 yards from the back tees) and quite narrow in spots, with some tiny greens that require precision on approach shots and a creative short game. Goshen Plantation, Pointe South and Gordon Lakes, a military course open to the public, are located on Augusta’s south side. Goshen Plantation began as a private club and was designed by the same architect responsible for West Lake (Ellis Maples), but has been semi-private for most of its existence. With the addition of a number of new back tees several years ago, Goshen is now listed at more than 7,400 yards, with shorter well-spaced tees providing friendlier options. Apart from the additional length, Goshen remains a first rate, parkland style design that places demands on both accuracy and power (for those tackling it from the tips) and includes an excellent group of par 3s,

MARCH 2009

including one of the best and potentially most fearsome in the state, depending on which tees you play from. Pointe South is a much shorter (6,500 yards) and less demanding layout, although the tight tree lines and some sharp doglegs require well-positioned tee shots to take advantage of the absence of length. The layout features more undulation from tee to green than most of its area counterparts, but overall it’s a player friendly track with equally friendly rates. Gordon Lakes is a well-regarded layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opening for play in the mid-1970s. The Ault-Clark design group added a new nine in 2001 and the original nines have both been renovated. The facility will host an annual Hooters Tour event that has been played at three other area courses over the years. One of the best daily fee courses in the Augusta area is located in South Carolina, although it’s the closest to the city’s downtown district, just across the Savannah River on a site that was swampland not that long ago. The River Club is an interesting Jim Fazio design and is unlike anything else in the area, bearing more resemblance to courses in Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach. The layout is as flat as any Florida course, with plenty of water in play but not many trees, and offers some nice views from the 13th Street Bridge above it and of the

New golf facility in Duluth A unique, family oriented golf facility is about to open in Duluth. The Georgia Trail at Sugarloaf, will feature a 9-hole, par-31 course, 18 holes of mini-golf, and a driving range with a short game practice area and an expansize putting green, as well as a clubhouse with a pro shop, restaurant and meeting facilities. PGA instructor Ernie Boshers is part of the ownership group for the facility, which is located on Satellite Boulevard. Information: 770-497-4653; www.gatrail.com.

modest downtown Augusta skyline. Augusta’s two established private clubs other than Augusta National – Augusta Country Club and West Lake – have both hosted the Georgia Amateur, along with other state and regional events. The Country Club had its original Donald Ross design extensively renovated several years ago, and borders Augusta National behind the National’s 12th green/13th tee. The club produced PGA Tour star Charles Howell (Vaughn Taylor grew up at Goshen) among several future tour players. West Lake has been around for four decades, and its classic Ellis Maples design includes one of the state’s most interesting set of greens complexes, which keeps both its members and tournament visitors on their toes. Like the Country Club, West Lake is a hotbed of activity Masters week,

drawing a host of celebrities. In recent years, the Augusta area has added some high profile private clubs, among them Champions Retreat in Columbia County and Mt. Vintage Plantation and Sage Valley in South Carolina. Champions Retreat, with 27 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, hosted the 2007 Georgia Open and received very positive reviews for everything except the August weather in Augusta. Mt. Vintage Plantation enjoyed a short run as the host of a recent LPGA tournament, and is a first class layout and facility, with Sage Creek an exclusive and decidedly upscale addition to the Augusta golf scene, modeling itself after the city’s most famous club.

GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM

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Georgia PGA schedule includes familiar sites By Mike Blum

T

he 2009 Georgia PGA schedule includes a number of familiar sites for the Section’s tournaments, with one new venue for a prominent event and a change of dates for another. The new course is Heron Bay, which will host the Yamaha Atlanta Open June 8-9. It will be the second straight year the tournament has ventured from its traditional home in the metro area’s northern suburbs, following 2008 host Newnan Country Club. Heron Bay is among the newest Canongate courses, opening in 2004. The Jeff Burton designed layout has ample length from the back tees, plenty of hazards in play and large greens that are well protected by both water and sand. It is likely the strongest of the 20 Canongate courses in metro Atlanta and should prove to be a worthy test for the state’s top club professionals and amateurs. The past few years, the Atlanta Open has been the first significant Section event on the schedule, with most of the tournaments in a five-month span from June to October. The Yamaha Match Play Championship, which has been a late-season tournament for

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most of the last three decades, will now be the season opener, scheduled for March 23-25. The tournament returns to Callaway Gardens, the former host of the PGA Tour Southern Open from 1991-2002, for the third straight year. Country Club of the South instructor Shawn Koch will be looking to become the first player to win the tournament back-to-back since Clark Spratlin won the second of his three Match Play titles in 2002. Also moving to an earlier date is the Griffin Classic, which was played in early October last year. The tournament, a fixture on the Georgia PGA schedule since 1992, has typically been played in mid-July, and returns to its Summer dates this year (July 13-14). Koch scored his second Section win in a two-week stretch last Fall in Griffin. For the second straight year, Barnsley Gardens will be the site of the Your Community PhoneBook Georgia Open Aug. 6-9. Bryant Odom, a mini-tour player with experience on the Nationwide Tour and a former assistant at Sea Island GC, won last year’s tournament by five strokes. The E-Z-GO Georgia PGA Championship remains at Sea Island GC, with this year’s event scheduled for

Matt Peterson

Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at the Retreat Course, which will be the tournament site for the third time in six years. Spratlin, the head pro at the yet-to-open Blue Ridge River & Golf Club, won last year on the Seaside layout, one of three Sea Island GC courses that have hosted the championship. The Georgia PGA Professional Championship, the Section’s qualifier for the PGA Professional National Championship, continues its journey around the state, moving this year to Achasta GC in Dahlonega. The tournament will be played Sept. 21-22. Jeff Hull, an instructor at the University Course in Athens, won last year at Crystal Lake in Hampton. Hull will lead a group of 10 Georgia PGA members into the 2009 PGA PNC, which will be played June 28-July 1 in New Mexico. The top 20 finishers from that event qualify for the PGA Championship, with Georgia PGA members Sonny Skinner and Tim Weinhart both making it into the field last year for one of golf ’s four major championships. The newest event on the Georgia PGA schedule is the Chicopee Woods Players Championship, which will be played for third time June 23-24. The tournament is played over all three nines at the Gainesville course, with 27 holes played both days of competition. Hull won last year in sudden death against Cherokee CC instructor Russ Davis. One day events include the Pro-Pro Scramble at Berkeley Hills March 9; the Section qualifier for the Nationwide Tour event in Athens at Jennings Mill March 31; and the Pro-Assistant at Champions Retreat May 26. The Section qualifier for the Nationwide Tour event in Valdosta will be played April 7 at Orchard Hills. The biennial Billy Peters Cup match against the GSGA is back at Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course Oct. 18-19, with

the Georgia PGA’s season concluding Dec. 7-8 with the Pro-Pro Championship at Jekyll Island GC. Callaway Gardens will again be the site of two Georgia PGA events this year, as the nationally known resort will also host the Yamaha Georgia Senior Open May 1819. The tournament was also played at Callaway Gardens last year, with David Nell becoming the second straight amateur to win the tournament. The E-Z-GO Georgia PGA Senior Championship will be played Oct. 5-6 at Cartersville CC, with the event doubling as the Section’s qualifier for the PGA Senior PNC later this year in south Florida. Davis was the 2008 winner. The state’s senior club professionals have a busy late-season schedule, with the Junior-Senior Championship Nov. 16-17 at Ocmulgee State Park’s Wallace Adams course, the annual Senior Challenge Cup against top Georgia amateurs Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at Barnsley Gardens and the Senior ProPro Championship, held concurrently with the Pro-Pro at Jekyll Island GC. The Section’s Senior Division has been conducting tournaments since 2001, with Georgia PGA members competing against the state’s top amateurs in those events. A total of 13 tournaments are on the 2009 Senior Division schedule, played at courses in every corner of the state, as well as six in the metro Atlanta area. The Yamaha Georgia Women’s Open will again be played at SummerGrove in Newnan, the third time in the last five years the course has hosted the tournament. This year’s dates are July 8-9 with amateur Margaret Shirley looking to win for the third time in four years. Shirley won at Canongate-on-White Oak in 2006, and claimed her second title last year at SummerGrove.

MARCH 2009

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15

Robinson makes big move to Augusta club Ex-Highland pro now at Forest Hills

By Mike Blum

T

he club professional business can frequently be a transitory one, but it is not unusual to find PGA members who spend lengthy stints at one club. Bill Robinson was one of those.

PGA Pro-file GEORGIA

For 19 years, Robinson was the head professional at Highland Country Club in LaGrange. Last year, however, Robinson felt it was time for as change and moved across the state, taking the vacant General Manager/head professional posi-

tion at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta. “It’s a big change,” says Robinson, who started at Forest Hills last summer. “I loved Highland. The members were like family. But I needed something different. I think maybe I got a little stale there.” In moving from Highland to Forest Hills, Robinson went from one side of the state to the other, and from a private club to a semi-private facility which is owned and operated by Augusta State University. Robinson’s job responsibilities have also changed. At Forest Hills, he is more of a General Manager, making decisions that impact the club as opposed to primarily relating to the operation of the golf shop. Things are also moving at a faster pace than Robinson had become accustomed to in LaGrange. Highland did only around 15,000 rounds of golf

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per year, while the numbers at Forest Hills are more than double that. “We do a lot of public play here and a lot more outings.” Forest Hills also serves as the host of an annual college tournament played the week before the Masters. After a few years at Champions Retreat, a private club in neighboring Columbia County, the tournament is returning to Forest Hills in early April, which will represent Robinson’s first experience at life in Augusta during Masters week. “I’ve enjoyed being over here in Augusta. It’s the mecca of the world as far as golf and I’ve got some great people working for me.” Robinson is not entirely unfamiliar with the experience of being around a major championship. He was an assistant at Atlanta Athletic Club when it hosted the 1981 PGA Championship, and spent some time as a club professional in Austin, Tex., Asheville, N.C., and St. Augustine, Fla., before deciding to come back to his roots. A native of Cedartown, Robinson returned to the state as head professional at Highland, and spent almost two decades there before taking the job at Forest Hills. During his time in LaGrange, Robinson was a big part of life at Highland Country Club, taking part in the addition of a new

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clubhouse in the late 1990s and helping get a pro-am for a local hospice up and running. The pro-am drew some top players to Highland, with the event raising around $750,000 in 11 years. Before arthritis in his hands and tendonitis in his elbow made golf a much less enjoyable experience, Robinson was among the better players in the Georgia PGA Section. Robinson won the Section Championship in 1991, and was part of winning teams in the Pro-Pro Championship and SeniorJunior Championship. He qualified for several tour events in the state, competing in PGA Tour events at Atlanta Country Club and Callaway Gardens, as well as a Nike Tour event in Macon. He also made three starts in the PGA Club Professional Championship, making a strong run one year at earning a spot in the field for the PGA Championship. “I had an opportunity to get there and I know it would have been a really great experience but it didn’t quite happen.” At one point, Robinson thought he might spend the rest of his professional life at Highland, but that also didn’t quite happen. After his early experiences at Forest Hills, he now hopes this will be his last stop. “I enjoy doing what I’m doing and that’s a big part of it. That makes it easy.”

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17

Bulldogs shooting for third national title Ranked No. 1 with talented, veteran squad

By Mike Blum

T

he Georgia men’s golf team has two NCAA claimed Championships over the past decade, and given the talent on the current squad, a third title is a definitely possibility. On paper, the 2008-09 Georgia team is stronger top to bottom than the 1998-99 squad, and has more depth than the 2004-05 team. All five starters return from the 2007-08 team that finished third or better in 8 of its 10 tournaments before a disappointing eighth place finish in the NCAA Championship. The Bulldogs won their last two events of the Fall season and begin the Spring as the No. 1 ranked team in the country. When asked if his team is as good as the two that brought NCAA titles back to Athens, Georgia coach Chris Haack responded, “They’ve got the potential to be. “They are all veteran players. It boils down to how they play. They have the

College

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PREVIEW

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chance to be one of the best teams I’ve ever had.” Like the previous two championship teams, the ’09 Bulldogs have a pair of talented sophomores to go along with a strong group of juniors and seniors. The ’99 squad was led by sophomore Ryuji Imada, a top 15 player on the 2008 PGA Tour, while the sophomore duo of Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd keyed the ’05 title team. Harris English and Russell Henley broke in with outstanding freshman seasons, with English winning individual titles in two of his first three starts for the Bulldogs and Henley earning second team All-America honors. Henley finished strong with a win in the NCAA East Regional and added a second title in the Isleworth Invitational last Fall. Senior Brian Harman slipped a bit last season after making second team AllAmerica as both a freshman and sophomore. Harman posted several strong showings in tournaments in the state, but did not play nearly as well outside Georgia. Junior Adam Mitchell and senior Hudson Swafford joined Henley as second team All-Americans last year, but Mitchell struggled in the Fall. Russell Henley

Fortunately for Haack, he has some talent behind his five starters, with Georgia’s depth providing plenty of competition to determine who makes the traveling team. Freshman Patrick Reed, who reached the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Amateur (as did Mitchell) to almost qualify for the ’09 Masters, made three starts in Georgia’s four Fall tournaments. Senior Michael Green has also worked his way into the lineup during his previous three seasons on the squad, but his playing time has decreased each year. “We’ve got two or three guys who can consistently push our starting group,” Haack says. “They can’t just sit around. They’ve got to get after it and we saw that this Fall. We finally got our main group together at Isleworth, and they played pretty well.” Georgia won the event for the fourth time in five years, dominating a strong field to finish 17 strokes ahead of its closest competitor. Off the strength of that victory and one in the Bulldogs’ previous tournament in Macon, they ended the Fall as the top-ranked team in the country. “That gives us a little more incentive,” Haack says. “But we were in the same position last year going into the season and finished eighth at nationals.” Haack has enjoyed considerable success as Georgia’s head coach since taking over the program in 1996, keeping the Bulldogs a consistent championship contender without having to recruit very much outside the region. Georgia’s 1999 championship consisted of three players from metro Atlanta and two from Florida. The ’05 squad had two Georgians, two from the Carolinas and a Canadian, one of a very few Bulldogs in recent memory not from Georgia or a neighboring state. This year’s starting five consists of three Georgians – Harman (Savannah), Henley (Macon) and English (Thomasville) — and two from just across the state border. Mitchell came to Athens from Chattanooga, with Swafford a Tallahassee resident. Reed and Green are both Augusta residents, with Reed moving to the state after graduating from high school in Louisiana. “I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve been able to do this with kids from our region,” Haack says. “There are enough good players here in the Southeast that I haven’t had to recruit much nationally or go the overseas route.” The Bulldogs’ three home grown starters have one strong connection, having won three of the last four GSGA Championships. Harman (2005) and English (2007) both won the Georgia

Amateur just prior to beginning their freshman seasons in Athens, with Henley taking the title last year in between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Both Henley and English were major contributors last season as freshman, and much will be expected of them this season and for the remainder of their college careers. Harman made an immediate splash as a Bulldog, winning the individual title of the NCAA Preview in his first college start. He entered Georgia as one of its highest profile recruits ever, compiling an exceptional junior resume and competing on the 2005 Walker Cup just before arriving on campus. While Harman has enjoyed a successful career thus far with the Bulldogs, the level of his play has not quite reached the heights some would have anticipated. “I’d love nothing more than to see him go out on a high note.” Haack says of Harman. “He’s been a steady player. He’s never missed a tournament. If he can catch a little of that swagger and confidence, he can be as good as anyone in the country.” After opening its schedule in late February in Puerto Rico, Georgia begins a busy stretch of tournaments March 15 in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs will host the annual Linger Longer Invitational at Reynolds Landing on Lake Oconee March 22-24, and plays at Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta April 5-7. Georgia will again be the host team for the SEC Championship at Sea Island GC April 17-19. Georgia won in Puerto Rico by 12 strokes with a 38-under 826 total. Swafford shared medalist honors at 204, with Henley and Harman tying for third at 206 and English 12th at 211.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets missed the NCAA Championship last year for the first time in more than a decade, and followed an unexceptional Spring season with an up-and-down showing in the Fall. Tech was runner-up to Georgia in the Brickyard Collegiate in Macon and was also second in the Match Play Championship, but the Jackets did not finish better than sixth in their other three starts. Senior Cameron Tringale wraps up an outstanding career this Spring, and is coming off a Fall season that included his third career win in the Brickyard Collegiate and a team-low score in each event. Other than poor showings in the first and last starts of his junior season, Tringale has been a consistently successful performer since his first event as a freshman and has played in every tournament the past 3 ½ seasons. After playing sparingly his first two seasons, David Dragoo broke into lineup full time last season, and notched his first career top 10 in the Fall in Tech’s Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm. MARCH 2009

Fellow senior Taylor Hall of LaGrange led Tech with a fifth place finish in last year’s ACC Championship and was unbeaten in the Match Play event, but made only one other start in the Fall and was not among the six players who competed in Tech’s Spring season opener in Hawaii. Junior Chessonn Hedley has been a major contributor since his freshman season, but did not play especially well in the Fall and struggled in Hawaii last month. In one stretch spanning his freshman and sophomore seasons, Hadley notched eight straight top-10 finishes for Tech, including a tie for fourth in the NCAA Championship as a freshman and a win in the Carpet Capital Collegiate in the Fall of ’07, but has been outside the top 10 in his last nine starts Sophomore John-Tyler Griffin made his first impact for the Jackets in the Fall with a tie for third in the Brickyard Collegiate, and was in the starting lineup when Tech opened its Spring schedule. Tech was ninth out of 17 teams in Hawaii, with Tringale tying for 10th and Dragoo one shot back in 12th. Freshman James White of Acworth was also a starter in Hawaii after making the lineup twice in the Fall, and will be one of several Tech golfers who will battle for a spot in the lineup throughout the Spring. Eight different Tech players cracked the

starting five in the Fall, Chinese freshman Minghao Wang among them. Since 1998, the Jackets have finished eighth or better seven times in the NCAA Championship, including three runner-up showings, but the chances of a seventh top-5 finish in that span this year appears to be a long shot. Augusta State (43), Georgia State (47) and Georgia Southern (50) all begin the Spring ranked just inside the top 50 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Only three of Augusta’s top 10 players are American, with three of Georgians competing for playing time against the Jaguars’ international recruits. Redshirt freshman Brendan Gillins of Savannah tied for eighth in Chattanooga, where Augusta scored one of its two runner-up finishes in the Fall. Sophomore Carter Newman of Evans and freshman Taylor Floyd of Macon are also battling for spots in the lineup, with both seeing action during the Fall. The Jaguars have six tournaments on their Spring schedule, including the Administaff ASU Invitational April 4-5 at Forest Hills GC. Georgia State’s top three players are European, but the other six players on the roster are from Georgia and all are vying for the 4 and 5 slots in the starting lineup. Sophomore Alan Fowler of Gainesville finished the Fall schedule with three

straight solid showings, including a tie for ninth in the Rees Jones Intercollegiate at Daufuskie Island, S.C., where the Panthers placed second. Sophomore Alex Castro of Alpharetta made two starts in the Fall, with sophomore Brent Paul of Columbus, redshirt freshman Jared Cagle of Gainesville and senior Tim Freund of Greensboro making one appearance each for the Panthers, who also took third in a rain-shortened event in Hartford, Conn. Georgia State, which is coached by former PGA and Champions Tour player Joe Inman, has three home state tournaments on its Spring schedule, playing in Augusta, the Schenkel E-Z-GO in Statesboro, and will host its conference tournament April 17-19 at Callaway Gardens. Georgia Southern won twice in the Fall in Florence, S.C., and the Mizuno Intercollegiate at Savannah Quarters CC. Senior Jordan Johnstun, who played his high school golf in LaGrange and now lives in Evans, was third for the Eagles in their win in Florence and turned in a strong final round showing in Savannah to finish tied for 20th and help lift the Eagles to victory. Sophomore Logan Blondell was the individual medalist in Savannah. The Eagles will host the annual Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational at Forest Heights CC March 20-22 and will also appear in the Augusta State tournament.

Georgia Women The Georgia women’s team is still looking to get back to its former national status after a coaching change and a revolving roster the past few seasons. Georgia opened its Spring season with a solid showing in Puerto Rico, tying for third after being in second place after 36 holes. The Georgia women are competing with only five scholarship players, including freshman Tess Fordham of Metter and Athens’ Leigh Crosby, who transferred from Central Florida. Senior Mallory Hetzel and junior Carolina Andrade are the team’s only two veteran players, and begin the ’09 season by placing 12th and 16th respectively in Puerto Rico. Talented freshman Marta Silva Zamora, who like Andrade came to Athens from Spain, was fourth in Georgia’s season opener, just two strokes behind the individual champion. Georgia tied for 10th in last year’s NCAA Championship, but lost one starter to graduation and two of the team’s international contingent have since left the squad. The team’s Spring schedule includes the annual Liz Murphey Classic, which will be played at the University Course in Athens March 27-29.

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19

Golf FORE Women

Women the ones to watch in 2009 By Jackie Cannizzo Women’s Editor PGA Professional Country Club of Roswell The world of women’s golf is growing in Georgia as well as all across the United States. Although the economy is tough for the world of golf and it remains to be seen if we will see the game of golf grow, shrink or stay the same, women’s golf is still on the rise. According to the National Golf Foundation, women golfers were the only category that actually had double digit growth in 2008, about 19 %. The PGA, USGA and LPGA are firmly behind the push to keep women happy and wanting to learn the game. In Georgia, there are several associations dedicated solely to women. Also there are many opportunities for women to participate and learn the game throughout the year in Georgia and we will try to list them and feature them as we go. If you have a women’s event of any sort that you wish to be listed please email me at [email protected]. In addition to the growth in the women’s game at the amateur level, the hottest rookies and players this year on the LPGA are American born and will be taking center stage when the tour cranks up this year. Michelle Wie, Stacey Lewis and Vicki Hurst are the star rookies on tour, and in the opening event we saw Wie contend for her first title and Lewis and Hurst finished in the top 20. Although the best player to have played the game (Annika Sorenstam) has retired, other young stars like Lorena Ochoa and Paula Creamer are

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poised to lead women’s golf to what may be one of its best seasons. Creamer has made it her personal mission to promote the game and carry American golf on her shoulders. Creamer has spearheaded a program called “adopt a player.” This program is in conjunction with the 2009 Women’s Open at Saucon Valley CC in Pennsylvania in July. Players who volunteer are adopted by area 3rd and 4th graders and will communicate throughout the year by email. This program is designed to promote golf to kids, but also keeping in mind the value of their school curriculum. At the Women’s Open, the school children will wear color coded t-shirts to correspond with their adopted player. “This is an opportunity for us LPGA players to give back and also to connect with fans in a whole new way. I am very excited that so many of my fellow professionals are with me on this” says Creamer.

Hottest Equipment for Women

Equipment companies are also taking notice that women need to be catered to and that their equipment needs are different than men. Women need equipment that is tailored to their game. For example, there are few women on the LPGA tour that hit 3 or 4 irons, so women need hybrids or lofted fairway woods. Because of that, many manufacturers are selling iron sets that start at 5 or 6 irons, or sometimes it’s a combo club in that position. Then adding a hybrid and spacing out the lofts to accommodate

the needs of women. It is important that women have equipment that really enhances their game, not hinders it. So ladies, if you are still using your husband’s old clubs, or an old set from the 1970’s or 1980’s, it’s time to upgrade. If you are taking instruction, hopefully your instructor is paying attention. If you go to one of the off course retailers, ask them to show you some of the following brands and sets that will probably be much better than what you are using now: Cleveland Hi Bore Bloom starts with a high lofted driver, 5 wood, hybrid and 5 irons. You can also get a putter just right for you as well. Clubs may be bought separately or as a set. They also have several options on the driver loft depending you’re swing speed and ability. Ping Rhapsody is the women’s version of the rapture series by Ping. This is a set with lightweight options, combo irons, lofted drivers, hybrids and fairway woods. Ping doesn’t sell sets. They promote fitting more than any company and they allow you to really get the clubs you need. Cobra Transitions combine 4 and 5 utility woods with 6 and 7 hybirds with wide soled irons 8 – pw. The clubs come with a high launch lightweight shaft to allow women to hit the ball high and far. There is also a LDM high lofted driver designed for maximum distance. Taylor Made Burner products have been one of the hottest selling in the past two years, with a whole line dedicated just to women. The lightweight heads and shafts are designed for women to be able to maximize power. There are drives with different lofts, fairway woods, hybrids and irons for all types of players. Callaway Gems is designed for beginning golfers with draw bias irons, high lofted

woods and of course the famous two ball putter. It is purchased as a set and is a great way for women to get started.

EWGA kicks off season

The Atlanta Chapter of the EWGA will kick off its 2009 season at River Pines in Alpharetta with a unique event that will feature a “Big Break” type format. The event is March 7 at 10 a.m. on the Par 3 course and each hole will have a special skill on it that the foursome will be challenged to. Adams Golf will also be on site presenting a demo day on the range for all EWGA members and guests. For more information go to: www.EWGAtlanta.com. Georgia Women’s Golf Association is a 36 hole tournament consisting of two GWGA members with a USGA handicap of 23 or less. This year’s event will again be held at Jekyll Island Club on April 28th & 29th. Go to www.gwga.org.

Women’s Events UPCOMING

March 24 Atlanta Women’s Golf Association: Opening Day and Luncheon at Dunwoody CC March 31 The Landings Women’s Golf Association: Cancer Tournament April 15–17 GSGA Women’s Match Play: Sunset Hills CC in Carrollton April 28-29 GWGA Four Ball: Jekyll Island Golf Club

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The Georgia PGA Junior Tour began its 2009 schedule last month in Statesboro, with the lowest scores in both the boys and girls divisions turned in by golfers from the youngest age groups. Elizabeth Kim of Martinez, competing in the 11-14 age division, was the overall girls winner with a 171 total, three strokes ahead of 15-18 champion Dona Kioseff of Valdosta. Diane Lim of Norcross was second in the 11-14 division at 175, with Katarina Hodge of Dublin the 15-18 runner-up at 177. Will Watson of Evans was the boys 11-13 winner with scores of 77-78--155, seven strokes ahead of age group runner-up James Clark of Columbus. Because the players in the youngest age group play from shorter tees, they are not eligible for the overall boys title. Paul Bruckner of Alpharetta and Walker Hill of Statesboro tied for first in the 16-18 division at 156, with Bruckner taking the age group and overall title in a

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playoff. Parker Brown of Marietta was third in the age division at 161, followed by Aden Faddis of Cartersville at 162. Aaron George of Dahlonega shot 158 to take first in the 14-15 age group, with Sanders Park of Alpharetta second at 164. The Georgia PGA Junior Tour’s next tournament is March 14-15 at the Brickyard at Riverside in Macon. Cateechee in Hartwell will host a Georgia PGA Junior Tour event March 28-29.

Pisciotta, Collura win SJGT event

Paul Bruckner

Caitlin Pisciotta of Alpharetta and David Collura of Athens were the girls and boys winners in a recent Southeastern Junior Tour event at Daniel Island, S.C. Pisciotta shot 76-76—152 to finish five strokes ahead of her closest competitor, and Collura came from six strokes back after the first round to win with a 147 total. Will Evans of McDonough was second at 148 after opening with a 69. Russell Sabol of Martinez won the boys GSGA

Watson, Bruckner, Kim among winners

Golf FORE Juniors

12-13 division at 160, with Jack Gibbs of Evans second in the 14-15 age group at 154. Emily Kurey of Alpharetta was second in girls 12-14 at 169. Two Georgia teams won SJGT 4-Ball titles at the Robert Trent Jones Trail Grand National Lake course in Opelika, Ala. Emilie Burger of Hoschton and William Meason of Alpharetta won the mixed team division by a whopping 13 shots with

Elizabeth Kim

a 133 total. Blaine Woodruff of Acworth and Ollie Schniederjans of Power Springs shot 132 and won the boys division in a playoff. The SJGT tournament at Callaway Gardens was postponed due to inclement weather and has been re-scheduled for Nov. 7-8. Upcoming SJGT events will be played at Dublin CC March 27-28 and Jekyll Island April 4-5.

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Course Reviews Highland Golf Club (Semi-Private) 2271 Flat Shoals Rd., Conyers 770-483-4235; www.highlandgolf.com STAFF: Jody Stephens is the PGA golf professional; Leroy Reed is the Superintendent PAR/YARDAGE: Highland GC is a par 72 with 4 sets of tees: Gold (6,817 yards); Blue (6,362); White (5,915) and Red (5,383). COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.9/129 (Gold); 71.0/125 (Blue); 68.6/121 (White); 71.0/123 (Red). ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the metro Atlanta area’s most time-tested layouts, opening for play in 1961. A long time area favorite, Highland offers a quality layout with excellent course conditions considering the affordable fees. Its mostly level, compact nature makes it an easy course to walk, and you will not find many facilities in all of Atlanta that provide more value for the cost. With only a handful of holes where length is much of a factor, Highland is a comfortable layout for players of modest ability, but it is far from a pushover. The tree-lined, straightforward front nine offers little in the way of serious trouble, at least until you reach the short but potentially perilous par-5 ninth, which includes one of only two hazards in play on the outgoing nine. The par-3 10th comes back to the clubhouse, with the nature of the course changing markedly once you tee it up on 11. The back nine includes a number of challenging and distinctive holes, with the 11th one of the metro area’s stouter par 4s, owing to a pond that protects the front left of a sizeable green with multiple levels and some devilish pin positions. Coming in, you will encounter a well-placed tree in the fairway (13), one of Atlanta’s finest and most appealing over-water par 3s (15), a lengthier par 5 with water in play (17) and a true road hole (16), where the tee shots have to take into account traffic coming to and from the clubhouse parking lot. The excellent putting surfaces are on the small side and mostly open in nature, and require some precision from the fairway and a deft short game touch to produce a score you would expect from a course with neither significant length nor an abundance of trouble. An enjoyable, modestly challenging layout that is well worth the trip out 1-20 for those who don’t live in Conyers.

Golf Club of Georgia, Lakeside (Private) One Golf Club Drive, Alpahretta 770-664-8644; www.golfclubofgeorgia.com

STAFF: Jeff Paton is the PGA Director of Golf; Randy Waldron is the Superintendent PAR/YARDAGE: Golf Club of Georgia’s Lakeside Course is a par 72 with four sets of tees: Gold (7,017) yards; Blue (6,657); White (6,043) and Red (5,109). COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.6/144 (Gold); 72.7/138 (Blue); 69/8/131 (White); 70.3/130 (Red). ABOUT THE COURSE: One of the state’s premier golf facilities, Golf Club of Georgia is an absolutely first rate operation with two disparate Arthur Hills designs – the more traditional Lakeside layout and the more modern, target-oriented Creekside course. Lakeside is the better known of two, serving as host for a former Senior PGA Tour event, as well as the Georgia Amateur, Atlanta Open and the club’s two upcoming events – the Georgia Cup and U.S. Collegiate Championship. Lakeside features a wonderful collection of holes in immaculate shape, and is highlighted by some superbly-crafted greens complexes that are as demanding as almost any you will encounter. Slopes, ridges and multiple tiers are found on a majority of the holes, and when the greens are rolling at their quickest, there are some spots you simply do not want to be putting from. With an exception or two, Hills has provided ample room to drive the ball, and length is only a serious concern on a handful of holes, with just one par 4 longer than 432 yards from the back tees. Lakeside features an exceptional quartet of par 3s, three of which have to carry water. The scenic but intimidating fifth is 200 yards from the blues with a lake lurking menacingly just off the left edge of the green. The gorgeous 13th is all carry with a sloping green that is a 3-putt waiting to happen if you venture too far from the hole. Water is also very much in play on three of the outstanding group of par 5s, and a hook off the first tee makes it four with hazards. The 607yard 11th is one of the state’s most beautiful holes, but shorter hitters may not appreciate the view when taking a rip from long range with Lake Windward inches off the edge of the green and the hole cut perilously close to it. The somewhat understated group of par 4s includes a splendid quartet that average under 340 from the blues, with the well protected greens necessitating strong iron play to avoid putts and short game shots that require more skill than you likely possess.

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