The U.S. Senior Open comes to Washington State

by Kelly Handley

The narrow fairways and fast greens of Washington’s Sahalee Country Club will be the place where golf’s top seniors compete in the 2010 U.S. Senior Open.  

Much ado has been made with Fred Couples, a Seattle native and astute golfer, taking the title of Honorary Chairman.  Couples, as you will recall, won the 1992 Masters at age 46 and competed again this year, taking 6^th place.   Additionally, Couples has played in the U.S. Ryder Cup, President’s Cup, Open Championship, and held the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.   Has he earned his spot at the U.S. Senior Open?  Definitely.  

Other noteworthy golfers who will be competing against Fred Couples are Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Ben Crenshaw, Fred Funk, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Peter Jacobson, Mark O’Meara and Fuzzy Zoeller.    The field of players will be put the test at Sahalee Country Club beginning July 29^th with the fourth and final round commencing on Sunday August 1^st. 

Equally lucky as these men who have had such amazing careers, so are the fans living in the Northwest. The field of golfers, all 156 gentlemen, will bring their best game to this event now in it’s 31^st year being held for the first time in our region.  Sahalee Country Club, an absolutely perfect venue for the U.S. Senior Open, will host the event on their impressive grounds, making it more feasible than ever for those in the area to have the opportunity to see a major golf event.  

Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish is a classic golf course that requires players to hit the ball with accuracy.  The fairways, which are heavily lined with trees, demand precise drives.  The recently redesigned bunkers which add difficulty and variety to the course demand control as well as patience.   The impressiveness of the course is easily verified with accolades from Golf Digest, naming Sahalee on the Top 100, the only Washington course to make the list. 

The Senior Open festivities get underway July 26^th when the players begin taking practice rounds and spectators can begin watching and learning.  Unique to the event will be a temporary on-site Founders Museum adjacent to the 18^th fairway.  The museum will feature the history and development of golf at Sahalee as well as for the Northwest and USGA.  To honor local charities, each day of the Open, a different organization will be recognized, giving several agencies and groups a chance to showcase their cause and efforts.  Expect to see Special Olympics Golf, The First Green and The First Tee to name a few.  Additionally, Wednesday July 28^th is Military Day with free admission for Servicemen and Servicewomen, while kids under age 17 have free admission all week when accompanied by an adult.   

The U.S. Senior Open is a big deal but, happily, not at a painful price.   A ticket to the practice rounds runs $20 while tickets to the Championship rounds are $45 daily.  Upgrades are available, allowing access to The Trophy Club or package prices, allowing you to attend all four days of the Championship for the price of three.  However, the best deal is the Ultimate USGA Package.  For $165, you have weeklong tickets, practice and championship rounds, for the U.S. Senior Open and for the U.S. Amateur (August 23-29) at Chambers Bay, Washington’s newest course in University Place.  Additionally, that package gives you first rights to purchase tickets to the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, yet another major event in our region and one that is always sold out.  

This is an event that you cannot dismiss as it is a major opportunity for Washington State and Northwest residents.  If you have a young golfer, make plans to get him or her to the course on Tuesday July 27 for the Junior Exhibition where Fred Couples will demonstrate and teach your kids a trick or two.  Get your friends together and make your way to Sammamish’s Sahalee Country Club and watch the best, wisest pros compete for that 2.6 million dollar purse on those soon-to-be famous (or more famous) fairways.  

For more information and ticket sales, please visit www.2010ussenioropen.com or call (877)281-6736.

Mike Weir Takes Title At 2010 World Skins Game at Bear Mountain Resort

by Robyn Sciuchetti

Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, British Columbia was the site of the 2010 World Skins event.  Each year the event is held in a different Canadian province to raise money for a local charity.  Five professional players from five different countries participated.  This year’s participants were Mike Weir (Canada), Fred Couples (United States), Retief Goosen (South Africa), Ian Poulter (England) and Camilo Villegas (Columbia).

Players play a traditional skins format where the low score on each hole wins the prize money for that hole.  If there is a tie, the prize money carries over to the next hole until there is a winner.  $360,000 was up for grabs; $15,000 for holes 1-6, $20,000 for holes 7-12 and $25,000 for holes 13-18.  Retief Goosen looked like the early favorite after starting strong with 5 skins on Monday and earning $75,000.  Ian Poulter earned one skin on Monday for $15,000.  No other skins were captured on day one with $80,000 in carryover skins moved to Tuesday.

Fan favorites Fred Couples and Mike Weir were held skinless along with Camilo Villegas on the first day of play.  The PGA players, Goosen, Weir, Villegas and Poulter commented on the perfect green conditions at the Bear Mountain - Mountain Course after a rugged U.S. Open the prior week.  All were glad to be taking part in a relaxed format after the stressful U.S. Open.

On Tuesday, the prize money grew to $270,000 and 12 skins when birdies were hard to come by and no winners emerged on any of the 9 holes.  To decide the winner, a chip-off was held on the 18^th hole from 125 yards.  Mike Weir edged out Camilo Villegas by about eighteen inches much to the delight of the Canadian crowd.

For 2010, the event is supporting the dream of 16-year-old Jeneece Edroff who envisioned a “home away from home” for children’s families that need to travel to Victoria from other parts of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands for medical care in the same tradition as the Ronald McDonald House.   The facility will be called “Jeneece Place”.  She has raised over $1 million dollars with penny drives to support special needs children.   

Over $925,000 was raised for Jeneece Place at the event.  Telus officials later announced they would increase the donation to an even $1 million.

From Plywood to Three Wood/Nine Hole Gem is a “Jewell”

by Clifford Cowley

You’ve heard of the Jewel of the Nile and the Crown Jewels, but have you heard of the Jewell of West Medford?  Southern Oregon is known for its par three courses.  In previous issues, I have written about Laurel Hill Golf Course and Quail Point–two little nine hole gems, in Southern Oregon, you can play in an hour and a half without maxing out your debit card.  Let me share another nine hole gem that is truly a jewel, Stewart Meadows Golf Course.

Lay-up, laminate, cut up and ship.  For years, Jerry Lausman made sure those words rang true in his plywood operation, off South Pacific Highway, in Medford, Oregon.  His business savvy kept him and his employees in paychecks for many years.  In the early 1990’s, Jerry decided he’d had a good run in the valley, and he wanted to give  something back to the community.  So, next to the mill, on an old orchard, adjacent to Stewart Avenue,  he built an executive par three course. 

Head Pro, Dan Coughlin, calls Stewart Meadows a jewel not only because of its  manicured fairways and greens, but also because of its location. “Stewart Meadows has a strong appeal to juniors and the golfer of modest ability, but it is perfect for the senior traveler,” says Dan. “The course is relatively flat and easy to walk.  Perfect for the morning or afternoon exercises.” Carts are also available.  “It’s also conveniently located near shopping and overnight facilities,” he adds.

The course itself is like a walk in the park with a reason to stroll.  You half expect to see swing sets and slides.  As a matter of fact, #9 parallels the playground of Jefferson Elementary next door, and Fichtner-Manwaring Park is across the street. Amenities include a state of  the art practice facility featuring a driving range with real grass tees, a chipping and putting area, and practice putting greens at the driving range and in front of the club house. 

Opened in 1994, the course plays comfortably from the white and red tees, at 2658 and 2466 yards respectively, while the tips, at 2910 yards, provide a formidable challenge to the avid golfer.  Every hole has a sand trap strategically placed, thirty-nine in all.  There are four large ponds, over 800 trees, and at least four holes are guarded by a creek that bisects the sixty-two acre layout. 

The course provides ample opportunity to use all your clubs.  Except for the par threes, you can choose to use a driver on every hole.  When I played the course, I played with my wife and niece. My favorite was #4.  At 324 yards, I could easily lay up to the 150 marker and then get on in two with my seven or eight iron.  But, I like trying to hit my drive between the two large trees just beyond the 150.  Who lays up, right?  My niece’s favorite was the 176 yard, #5 hole because she could use her driver to the green.  At 195 yards from the tips, it rivals any par three on the PGA tour.  The finishing holes provide risk and reward for any golfer.  Both have OB fences on the left and trees can get in your way on the right.  Number 8 has a narrow, sweet spot, landing area on the drive, but an easy chip onto the green if you hit it just right.  Number 9, the only par 5, at 450 yards, can be reached in two.  If you got the guts, take the shot, but an errant second shot to the green can leave you in the sand, behind some trees, or with a difficult chip to a two-tiered green.   Some decide to lay-up to the sand traps and chip on in three.  Yeah, right.    

When you are done with your round, you’ll want to stop by for a hamburger and your favorite beverage at the Tee Time Cafe.  I had a basket of fries (my favorite).  My wife and niece had a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.  They were all delicious.  If you have a morning tee time, be sure to include their pancakes for breakfast.

Stewart Meadows Golf Course certainly lives up to its billing. This gem is truly the Jewell of West Medford.   

To learn more about how to get there, where to stay and rates, visit July’s edition of Golf Today Magazine: Northwest Edition.

Idaho’s Priest Lake Golf Course and Hills Resort Offers Aplenty

by Cameron Healey

When we featured Idaho’s Priest Lake Golf Course on our March cover earlier this year, I secretly began planning for a spring road trip to both play the course and stay at the charming and picturesque nearby Hills Resort. Yes, a trip to North Idaho was in the cards and when the opportunity made itself available in mid-May, I jumped at the chance to explore and play somewhere new. Yes, I was a bit like a kid at a candy store with an unabashed sugar rush!

If you are from the Northwest there is a very good chance that you are familiar with Priest Lake (The largest lake Trout caught in the United States was caught at Priest Lake, and weighed 57 lbs. 8 oz), its location, history, and legacy of the Hill family in Idaho. If not, Priest Lake is located in the northernmost part of the Idaho Panhandle with the northern end of the lake extending close to the Canadian border. As an expat-Kiwi, I’ll acknowledge that my familiarity with the area was modest, so I took much interest in learning more about the story behind the Resort and the development of the Priest Lake Golf Course. 

Patriarch George Hill founded Hills Resort located at the southern end of 18 mile long Priest Lake in Luby Bay in 1946. After returning to Spokane from naval service, he quickly realized that the city was not for him and spent every summer at his parent’s lake home at Priest Lake. His love for Priest Lake encouraged him to purchase a small fishing resort in 1946 and married Lois Montecucco, also a Spokane native, and together Hill’s Resort became a reality. Today, the resort is truly a family affair with second generation Teri, Craig, Scott, and Lois all pitching in to help run the resort, which is open year-round for lodging. According to the Hill family, New Year’s Eve is their busiest night of the year; in fact, the area has become an ideal location for conferences and retreats.  

Upon arriving at the not-so-small Priest Lake after a short road trip via Spokane, WA, my immediate impression, as we rolled into the car park, was first, “wow” and then, second, how incredibly charming the lake side Resort was including its collection of rustic style cabins and chalet-style units befitting the rugged outdoor wilderness. Each cabin was situated either breathtakingly close to the lake shore (lake front suite with fireplace) or only a stone’s throw from the main Lodge where we were introduced to the much-vaunted restaurant offering stunning lake views. Local fare included their specialties such as Huckleberry Pancakes made with locally picked wild huckleberries or the barbequed baby back ribs cooked on their open-view mesquite grill, but if mushrooms are your thing, the locally picked fresh wild Morel mushrooms are a must-have. Just remember to bring your alpine-sized appetite as the breakfast portions literally kept me hunger-free through the entire 18 hole round later that morning. 

Yes, after spending 20 minutes leisurely exploring the secluded sandy beach, I had little choice but to promptly vanquish any work-related thoughts, turn off the cell phone and simply enjoy the moment. Throw in some alpine golf and you’ve got the makings of a very memorable trip. That being said, with an 8 A.M. tee time scheduled the next day at the Priest Lake Golf Course, I took it upon myself to review the course, its history and quickly learned that its beginnings were formed out of a farmer’s meadow that was for sale on Highway 57 in the 1960s. The first nine holes were built from this meadow with the owners planning to eventually create a legitimate 18-hole golf course, that which became a reality in 2003. Generally considered more diverse, the back nine is characterized by undulating fairways, dramatic rock outcrops, a lush forest, and natural wetlands. Priest Lake Golf Course offers golfers an 18-hole, par 72 course over 6500 yards (not long) with a course and slope rating of 70.8 and 128 from the blue tees and 67.3 and 119 from the ladies tees. Priest Lake offers golfers of all abilities an opportunity to play a “Real McCoy” alpine golf course that is nestled amongst some of most beautiful natural settings I have played. Yes, Priest Lake reminds me a little of the John Steidel-designed Sun Country Golf Course in Cle Elum ,WA. Tight, tree lined fairways, blind approach shots into elevated greens, dog legs left and right, and natural scenery that is as close to pristine as you can get. Now, while the greens at Priest Lake failed to light the stimpmeter on fire, the greens did roll true and are the result of sound course management and experience. Given Priest Lake’s elevation of 2000+feet above sea level, Mother Nature can and will, on occasion, cool overnight temps to below freezing, which can result in frost damage to the greens and compromised putting surfaces. A little growth is a good thing and it didn’t take long before we became accustomed to the speed of the alpine putting surfaces. While Priest Lake does offer a number of holes that should pique your curiosity or provide ample challenge to the point where your composure dissolves in an instant, there were a few that are worth noting and are both equally delightful and diverse. On the front nine, my favorite was hole #7, a 268 yard straight away par-4 earmarked by a forced water carry, which is a natural pond guarded by tall Douglas Firs on both sides of a narrowing fairway that rises in elevation. Those with the game can go for the green, but if you are slightly off with the tee shot, you can expect to hear your ball bouncing off timber. I elected for accuracy (yes, conservative) and used a six iron off the tee ensuring my ball carried into the safe landing area leaving a manageable uphill pitching wedge (albeit blind) into an elevated green. Just make sure you get it there on your second or be prepared to watch your ball roll back down the slope towards your feet. Yep, fun hole!  My pick on the back nine would have to go to the par-5 503 yard hole #14. While not long by any means, to ensure a good score requires you to swim between the flags. How so? As you look down the fairway, your attention is not only captured by the incredible vista that unfolds before you, but also the narrowing and slightly rising upslope towards an apex or crest that is bordered by two rock outcrops guarding proceedings from above. You probably won’t reach this point off the tee unless you’re blessed with the genes of Aquiros or Johnson (Dustin)! A hybrid or fairway metal should work off the tee to ensure you stay clear of the tall trees on the left side, a constant companion and reminder to hit the middle of the fairway and the natural wetlands that border much of the hole on the right side. Hit it there and you’ll need to drop another pill. Your second shot will need to factor the narrowing and rising fairway towards the crest, but provided you stay straight your ball will enjoy the additional roll provided by the down slope towards the waiting and relatively straightforward green. Just remember that the flag is not visible until you reach the crest of the upslope after hitting your second, so you just have to make a good swing!      

Course services include a driving range, putting greens, pro-shop, lessons, and the bar and grill that offers wraps, sandwiches, salads, and a libation or two to satisfy your hunger. Managed by long time resident Chris McDirmid and Director of Golf Bruce Perisho (more recently associated with Palouse Ridge), Priest Lake is in good hands, well managed, and offers very good value for your golfing money. Come early Spring or the Fall, you can play Priest Lake for $1 per hole of $18 for the round! Combine the nearby Hills Resort and you have a stay and play package that is second to none. Easily said? I don’t think so. With family in tow, including my 4-year-old twin boys, Hills Resort is as charming and idyllic a setting there is and caters for both families and individuals. Does that mean that the hard-core golfer will be playing into Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the family dog in tow? Not at all! If you want to play golf or pursue other recreational activities at Priest Lake, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, or chasing bears are both easily arranged and accommodated, though Priest Lake is not open year round.  If you are looking for your winter golf fix, I’d suggest you use a pink ball and attach your clubs to the back of a snowmobile! The reality is that you can expect anywhere from 39 to 173 inches of snowfall in the area, which means the golf course becomes a groomed area for classic Nordic style skiing; in fact, there is a 7 mile groomed loop trail that connects the resort to the golf course. 

Priest Lake Golf Course offers quality golf in an absolute beautiful setting. I would not be surprised if the course is added to the Idaho Golf Trail at some point in the near future. It certainly deserves its place in the mix!   [On a personal note, my gratitude and sincere thanks to GM Chris McDirmid who graciously (and courageously) took it upon herself to provide supervision to my children while my wife and I had the pleasure of playing the course. Cheers Chris!]

For more information about Hills Resort and Priest Lakes Golf Course, please visit www.hillsresort.com or www.priestlakegolfcourse.com.

Pure Indulgence: Northwest Wine Country Golf

An Associated Press article dated March 31^st and which appeared in the Washington Post, LA Times, New York Times and on ABCnews.com describes how the Washington wine industry is no longer the cottage industry it was 20 years ago or the slighter larger niche industry it had grown into by the turn of the century. With over 650 licensed wineries, it is now a major player in the State’s economy, generating over $3 billion annually and ranking second only to California (in the US at least) in terms of size, output and, to a lesser degree, quality.  Indeed, Washington’s wines have been competing very favorably with the best that the Golden State can produce for quite a while now. In Wine Spectator’s 2009 list of the world’s top 100 wines, Washington had eight entries compared with 15 from California.

It’s a similar story with the two States’ golf industries. At last count, there were somewhere between 900 and 950 courses in California while Washington possessed a little over 300. And while California always boasts a dozen or more courses on the popular national magazines’ various ‘best of’ lists - public, private, municipal, new, modern, classic, resort, etc - Washington can rely on Chambers Bay, Gold Mountain, Semiahmoo, Palouse Ridge, Sahalee and now Wine Valley, which celebrated its first birthday on June 6^th, to ensure it attracts its share of national and international attention.

Wine Valley, the Evergreen State’s newest great course, may be a 2009 vintage but it looks considerably older. It fits into the landscape like a glove and shares numerous characteristics with many of America’s classic courses. It’s very picturesque for one, but didn’t manufacture its good looks by resorting to the sadly clichéd ‘flowers and fountains’ approach to beautification that so many golf courses around the world have felt the need to adopt.  Rather, it let Mother Nature toot her own considerable trumpet. 

One wonders how different this course would have looked had it been built in the 1980s or ’90s. No doubt, a million gallons of water a day plus a gazillion tons of fertilizer, pesticide and whatever else the superintendent had knocking around the maintenance shed would have been used, getting it to look as green as possible. A good deal more earthwork would have been necessary in order to establish the fake mounds and faux-dunes that were all the rage at the time; petunias and half a dozen other alien plant species would have been introduced to give the place a dash of much-needed color and a large lake would almost certainly have been dug in front of the 18^th green, adding a little drama to what is now a very boring hole (I’m joking, of course; it’s actually a rollicking good three-shotter).

Thankfully, with the game moving slowly out of its much maligned period of gratuitous over-consumption, Wine Valley could be designed to look and play like a fast-running inland links, making it infinitely more enjoyable than it would have been were it a softened target-style course that required the imagination, strategy and guile of a clueless donkey to play.

Dan Hixson, a young(ish) designer from Portland, saw potential the moment he set foot on site and determined to make Wine Valley enjoyable for all - scratch men looking to beat its par of 72, 25 handicappers looking to beat 100, win a few dollars off their buddies and come home with roughly the same number of balls they started with, plus environmentalists who, with some justification, had grown weary of golf’s huge appetite for environmentally-unsympathetic chemicals. “I was really dedicated to making something sustainable, environmentally-sound and which everyone could get around,” he said shortly after the course opened. “But I also wanted to keep it of high quality and design to stimulate excitement from great players to higher handicaps. John (Thorsnes, Director of Golf) and I discussed at length what we felt were good and bad examples of courses that claimed to be for everyone, but really weren’t. It’s a fine line.”

Hixson remained conscious of that line all 225 days of the construction process, and did an excellent job of remaining on its more desirable side. He had very little experience to draw on having completed only one other solo project - Bandon Crossings in Oregon - but the final result was exactly as he had planned - simultaneously difficult, exacting, straightforward and accommodating, and always enjoyable.

Something else that’s always enjoyable in Walla Walla (or anywhere else for that matter) is a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or a dry but powerful Syrah such as Dunham Cellars’ 2006 Lewis Vineyard Syrah which was released on March 1^st and which, according to the Winemaker Taster’s Notes, is steeped in rich chocolate, caramel and vanilla with a velvety textured mid-palate.

“We’re very excited about it,’ says the cellars’ owner Mike Dunham, whose son Eric is the senior winemaker and who established the winery in an old WW2 aircraft hangar at the city’s regional airport in 1998. “It’s exquisite and has been elevated to ‘Island Wine’ status which means that if I was ever stranded on an island, like Tom Hanks in Castaway, I would be happy if all I had with me was this wine.”

Dunham lives with his wife JoAnne on the 3^rd hole at Walla Walla Country Club and is an accomplished player having been part of the Oregon State University golf team back in 1964-65. He won the Walla Walla City Championship in 1960 and was the country club’s champion in 1973, ‘74 and ‘95, the year JoAnne won the Ladies club championship for the fourth time. Golf has long been a passion for Mike Dunham, but it is wine that fills his days now.

The Hangar Lounge tasting room was runner-up in Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best Winery Tasting Room’ competition last year and is, of course, the perfect place to try not only the Syrah, but some of the winery’s other creations such as Three-legged Red named for Eric’s dog Port which he saved (minus his front right leg) from a pit-bull in 1994, and any of the Cabernets which attracted something of a cult following in the 1990s. In addition to them, try the 2006 Pursued by Bear, a wine Eric produced in conjunction with actor Kyle MacLachlan who first became aware of Dunham Cellars when looking for a home-state wine for his wedding reception. Move on to the Jeff Dunham collection that the comedian created with his namesake winery using his on-stage characters for the label.

A visit to Dunham, one of Walla Walla’s 100+ wineries, is certainly recommended especially if you can make it down to celebrate the grape harvest at one of its D-Day events planned for August 27^th, 28^th and 29^th when live music, food to order, wine by the glass and other attractions will be offered.

Of course, Dunham Cellars won’t be the only place combining great wine with live music and food this summer.  Leavenworth, home to nine wineries,  is the perfect stop-off point before or after a game at Leavenworth or even the Prospector Course at Suncadia 55 miles south on Hwy 97. Known as “The Heart of Washington Wine Country,”® the Tri-Cities region is home to more than 160 wineries all within a one-hour drive.

And following a game at Columbia Point or Horn Rapids in Richland, you should get along to the Barnard Griffin Winery on Tulip Lane for the ‘5 for $5 at 5pm’ event where you can sample five of the cellar’s 15 wines for $5 starting at, yes, 5pm. Also, Tagaris Winery is a must-visit that offers not only award winning wines (look for the Platinum winning 2007 Mourvedre and Malbec) but also the highly patronized Summer Concert Series with live music each Friday and Saturday evenings thru the month of September. Slightly nearer to Seattle, a jaunt around the Lake Chelan AVA with stops at any one of Tsillan Cellars, Tunnel Hill, Nefarious, Chelan Estate or Karma on your way up to Bear Mountain Ranch for one of Washington’s most scenic rounds is just about the perfect way to spend a summer weekend.

To steal a familiar line that Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw use in their adverts for the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida; if you love Washington wine and you love its golf courses, you’ve got to go. 

Useful Websites

washingtonwine.org

wineyakimavalley.org

wallawallawine.com

lakechelanava.org

visittri-cities.com

The Importance of Proper Ball Position

by Nathaniel Johnson

It is no secret that golf requires a trained eye and strong analytical skills.  It requires practice and concentration and it requires that you hit a small ball with a big club with accuracy.  Just as important as bringing your clubs to the course is understanding ball position. With every student I instruct, this is the most misunderstood concept. Having the proper ball position will ensure that you can make the correct contact and give you the best opportunity to hit a better shot. With better shots, you can score better and make this great game much more enjoyable. You can have a great swing, but without the correct ball position it’s very difficult to hit a great shot.

Placing the ball in the proper position in your stance is critical to arriving in the correct impact position. Impact is the moment of truth in the golf swing. The ball’s flight is completely determined when the club strikes the ball and with the ball positioned correctly in your stance, you can consistently control the flight of the ball.

As the club approaches impact, the club should be descending into the ball. The club contacts the ball and continues down into the turf. The divot should be on the target side of the ball. Shorter irons are designed to strike the ball at a steeper angle (bigger divots) and longer clubs are designed to swing at a shallower angle (smaller divots).

The number one problem I see with my students is that they play the ball too far back in their stance (right of center for a right handed golfer). With this position, it’s very difficult to hit the ball straight and consistent. The ball will tend to go right because the club can’t square up to the ball and the clubface is open at impact. As you keep hitting it right, students will try to manipulate the swing by using more hands and arms in the swing to close the clubface. All this does is create more problems and more inconsistent golf shots.

The ball placement varies with the club you select. To assure that the club head arrives at impact with the correct angle of approach, right-handed golfers should use the following ball positions:

• Play your shorter irons (wedges, 9-iron and 8-iron) in the center of your stance. These clubs have the most upright lie angles. This position encourages a steeper angle at impact, producing a divot on the target side of the ball.  
• Play your middle irons (7-iron, 6-iron and 5-iron) one ball left of center. This position encourages a slightly shallower angle of approach with a slight divot on the target side of the ball.
• For your long irons, hybrids and fairway-woods play the ball two balls from center. This position places the ball at or near the bottom of the swing for the shallowest angle one can achieve when the ball is on the turf. There should be a very little divot. 
• For drivers, the head of the club should be ascending slightly. To encourage an ascending hit, position the ball even with the inside of your left foot, at least three balls from center.

Understanding and using the correct ball position is important for hitting consistent shots and having consistent ball flight control. Practice and use these positions and your accuracy and ball striking will improve.

Nathanael Johnson is the Store Manager/Director of Instruction at GolfTEC South Lake Union. He can be reached at 206-357-6885 or email njohnson@golftec.com.

Nicklaus Conducts Clinic and Fundraiser for Wounded Veterans

by Cheri Brennan

Shortly after Jack Nicklaus arrived at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club for a clinic and fundraiser for American Lake Veterans Golf Course, the clouds parted and the Golden Bear basked in the sunshine and adoration of fans whose ages spanned several generations.

Between discussing his warm-up routine (”so he won’t hurt himself”) and demonstrating the nuances of gripping the club, ripping a drive and chipping the ball, the legendary golfer traded quips with his 1969 Ryder Cup team member, Ken Still.  Tacoma native Still, the master of ceremonies for the special event and a board member and volunteer for Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course, had recruited his lifelong friend to help with the renovation and expansion plans at the unique facility near the VA Hospital in Lakewood, Wash.

Little did Still know how committed Nicklaus would become:

• The internationally sought-after designer who can command top dollar for his services is contributing design services valued at $500,000to create nine new holes at American Lake Veterans Golf Course.
• He agreed to serve as honorary co-chair of the campaign to raise funds for building the new course and making other improvements at the existing nine holes so the golf experience becomes more accessible.
• He traveled to Palm Desert, Calif. in November and now Tacoma, Wash. to conduct clinics and fundraisers for “Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course.”
• And just for good measure, he brought along a box of hybrid clubs from Nicklaus Golf Equipment, presenting one to each of the wounded veterans who took part in the clinic and donating the remainder to ALVGC for the loaner sets at the golf course.

When his donation of services was announced, Nicklaus, the 2008 recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, remarked, “I was moved to see the amazing efforts at American Lake Veterans Golf Course where our wounded warriors learn to play golf with the help of an incredible army of volunteers.”

At this week’s clinic he reiterated his respect for those who have served and sacrificed by quietly stating, “This is done out of love.”

Mutual admiration was palpable throughout the clinic, which was sponsored by “Bill McGovern & Friends” with generous support from the Tacoma Country & Golf Club.

For Vietnam veteran Jim Martinson, who lost both legs in 1968, one piece of advice from Nicklaus that resonated had to do with playing within your capabilities. “If I can get to where I can do a bogey every hole at my time and where I’m in my life right now, that’ll be great.  Someday, maybe I’ll move on to par, but be happy with where you’re at and enjoy the game,” said Martinson, a Paralympics Gold Medalist who took up golf last year. He plays from a SoloRider, an adaptive cart designed for golfers with physical impairments. 

Also taking part in the Nicklaus clinic was Lt. Col. Danny Dudek.  While serving in Iraq in 2007, his feet were paralyzed from a roadside bomb. He also has limited mobility in his hips from the same incident. Dudek spent four months in rehabilitation, then worked as the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Warrior Transition Unit executive officer. A year ago he took command of its Warrior Transitional Battalion, the first Wounded Warrior to assume that position. He resumed playing golf last year and during the clinic wowed onlookers with his ball striking abilities. 

Clinic participant Army Spc. Michael Ballard views golf as an important part of his rehabilitation. Shortly after being deployed to Afghanistan, Ballard, a medic in a Stryker brigade, sustained permanent damage to his right femur and left knee from an improvised explosive device (IED). The avid golfer also has an artificial right hip as a result of his injuries. Ballard makes daily visits to the gym, but says, “Golf can’t be duplicated in a gym.” 

Following the clinic and demonstration with the veterans, Nicklaus, the winner of 18 professional major-championship titles, patiently posed for pictures and signed autographs before resuming his “official” duties at a fund-raising reception in the clubhouse. Fans retrieved balls Nicklaus used during the clinic to present for autographs; one fan even scooped up divots, which he planned to transplant for his own field of dreams.

After an overnight stay as guests of Emerald Queen Casino (a donation to “Friends of ALVGC”), Nicklaus and members of his design team visited American Lake Veterans Golf Course to scope out the site of the new nine holes and confer with veterans on ways to enhance the accessibility of the existing nine holes.  

The timeline for starting construction has not been finalized. Harold “Pepper” Roberts, founder and president of Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course, the 501(c)3 tax-exempt fund-raising arm for the course, hopes to have two-thirds of the needed $3 million in the bank before breaking ground.

 Donations are welcomed and may be made online at www.veterangolf.org or by mail to: Friends of American Lake Veterans Golf Course, PO Box 99608, Tacoma, WA 98496. More information on the campaign, titled “A Course in Courage - Healing America’s Veterans through Golf” is on the website.

American Lake Veterans Golf Course is the nation’s only course designed specifically for the rehabilitation of wounded and disabled veterans. The existing facility which completed an 8,400-square-foot Rehabilitation and Learning Center that opened earlier this year, is operated, maintained and managed by more than 160 volunteers.

When the next phase is completed, ALVGC could become a prototype that can be replicated across the country. Among its benefits, it provides a much-needed mental and physical rehabilitation and recreational outlet where the growing influx of wounded and disabled warriors can regain hope, strength and confidence in a positive, therapeutic and accepting social environment.

Notes from the Golfing Newbie

by Sydney Healey

I’m pleased to introduce myself to you.  I’m Sydney, your newest Newbie.  I’m a mother of twin boys and husband to the publisher. I represent the typical thirty-something woman who is married to an avid golfer, and while I’ve grown up with golfers in the family I’ve never really taken up the game.  Until now. 

I believe golf - like many sports - is a sport that is either played regularly or isn’t played at all.  I don’t know many people who only golf once every few years, regardless of climate or economical status.  

I also believe that like many things in this world, it is somewhat rare for people to suddenly take it up mid-life.  There are dozens of theories as to why I suppose, but mine is rooted from the reason I never began this sport: fear of looking foolish. Isn’t that why many people resist trying or learning something new?  And let’s face it.  Golf can feel very intimidating.  For outsiders, the game’s terminology is pretty foreign material. Before I became The Newbie, I didn’t know what a birdie or bogey was.  A reference to a canary or Casablanca?  I now know otherwise.  

Admittedly, I was a little nervous about my first lesson at GolfTEC.  I’ve heard that Brett Wilkinson is one of the best teachers out there, but as a non-golfer and wife to a golf nut, I had hoped I would miraculously amaze and astound Brett with my natural swing and immediately be labeled the best first-timer he’d ever seen. This goes back to that whole barrier to learning something new. Unrealistic is an understatement.

Two reality checks became almost immediately clear:

• 1. I was really, really bad at swinging a golf club
• 2. I had the most professional and encouraging instructor a newbie could ask for

I began my session with several warm-up swings on my own. I appreciated the chance to get used to swinging at a net vs. open air, as well as desperately try to improve my game before my first swing analysis and coaching. Brett then had me show him my swing a number of times, and asked me several questions regarding my view of my hands at address, where on my feet I was putting more weight at various times of the swing, posture, etc. After about 6 swings, Brett aligned me with the swing analysis cameras and sensors and left me to swing a few more times on my own. After a few swings, Brett showed me how my swing looked on the video, and it was clear (to me at least) that I had already developed a few bad habits as the result of two factors in my early days of golf: I had only ‘played’ using the clubs of a 6′1″ man, and had only received instruction/coaching from someone trying to help me compensate for my height with those clubs.  From there, Brett showed me how my balance and shift in weight, hip alignment, grip and posture all added up in the speed and distance (both very low numbers) of my ball.

The result was that my form and posture were quite off, that I had a swing inhibited by fear and one that wouldn’t move dust off a tee, much less a golf ball.  Showing my swing in slow-motion on the video with a side-by-side of a golf pro.  Brett was able to illustrate some the techniques he recommended I try with my address, posture and backswing. He also provided me with a grip guide and showed me how I should handle the club.

So I went back to the tee and continued to try swing after swing, with Brett offering encouraging words and instruction each time.  I immediately found my ball was catching air, heading straight and I was simply feeling more comfortable. When Brett brought me over to show me the video of my new, improved swing I was truly pleased. I had made a huge improvement in my game, with my ball almost tripling in speed from the initial swing analysis!

Brett discussed with me additional areas we will be covering in future lessons and more encouragement.  Under the care of Brett and the team at GolfTEC, I’m sure that I will continue to improve my game, and frankly become a lover of all things golf! Thank you Brett!    

I look forward to learning this game with you throughout the year. Developing a certain comfort with my swing, my grip and the very important golf etiquette are on my agenda. In advance, I thank you for walking through this process with me. You never know-maybe you’ll find yourself using this series to introduce this noble sport to someone in your life! 

For more information about GolfTEC, please visit www.golftec.com/seattle.

Jorgensen Golf contributes to NW golf community

By Marissa Dolan

Whoever said that small family owned-businesses would never thrive among large corporate-owned businesses was wrong. The Jorgensen’s family company is a prime example of this. This happy family of three, Julius, Diana and Juliana Jorgensen, own an inviting golf retail store called Jorgensen Golf in Mukilteo, WA, and each year they host the Jorgensen Golf Amateur Tournament Series at courses across Oregon and Washington. Lucas Montgomery, being the only full-time employee of Jorgensen Golf, is a great help to the Jorgensens, assisting them with store operations, tournaments, and club repair. Service at this store is both personalized and beneficial to all levels of golfers because they offer goods at all different price points and equipment for the amateur golfer to the professional golfer.

How does a small family-owned golf store make such a large impact on the local golf industry? It all started with the Jorgensen’s idea of hosting their own amateur golf tournament series in order to attract local business and to better serve the customer by providing them with this option. Julius and Diana knew they would need to offer a tournament in order to be competitive with other larger corporate-owned golf retailers such as Golf USA, Golf Galaxy and Puetz Golf Center. This year Julius and Diana are hosting their largest number of tournaments yet with 86 tournaments planned. In fact, in 2009, revenue provided by Jorgensen Golf to the region’s golf courses totaled over $110,000, not to mention the additional lodging, dining, cart rental, and merchandise sales. They encourage customers to join the Jorgensen Golf Club and to try and participate in 5-6 tournaments a year. 

By offering so many tournaments throughout the year the Jorgensen Golf Amateur Tournament Series allows enthusiastic players on a budget to get practice competing while stretching their dollar at the same time. There is no cash payout but rather a store credit is given, which can be redeemed in the form of store merchandise, repairs or private lessons.  Julius also offers fun side games before the tournaments begin such as skins or better nine, where players have an additional opportunity to win.  

A fairly recent addition to the tournament series is the opportunity for participants to compete at noteworthy clubs, like TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Meridian Valley, Canterwood, Mill Creek, and Vashon Island. Additionally, following a tough year for some courses, Jorgensen Golf Tournament players are welcome guests at a variety of golf venues. This is a quite attractive collaboration to golf courses and country clubs in Oregon and Washington because of the profits they receive from green fees, and it’s very exciting for Jorgensen Golf amateur golfers to get a taste of what its like to play like a pro! 

The best deals and prices go to those who are involved in the Jorgensen Golf Club. With over 300 existing members, Julius and Diana strongly encourage all their customers to join their club to receive special offers including 20% off all private lessons with Julius, Western WA PGA Pro-Ams, Free Full Swing Simulator Usage for Custom Fitting, 20% off all in-house club repairs, USGA GHIN Handicap PNGA Membership, Premier Weekly Tournament Series and more! Those over age 50 or under 18 receive a membership sign-up discount as well. For more information on how to become a member or store details visit www.jorgensengolf.com or call 425-349-1347.

Fortunate Reversal: The Home Course

In preparing to host the 2010 U.S. Amateur as the assisting course for Chambers Bay, The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. has completed the remodel of its 11^th and 12^th holes, with the new par-3 12^th officially opening on April 1.

The 11^th hole, once a mid-sized par-3 but now a risk-reward short par-4, was lengthened by building a new tee box requiring a drive over a gully, and toughened by adding a massive sod-faced bunker in the middle of the fairway 30 yards short of the green. The hole, which opened last fall, can be shortened to around 300 yards from the regular tees, giving golfers a chance to go for the green when the wind is right.

What used to be an average par-4, the 12^th hole has been completely rebuilt into a classic Redan par-3. Designed by Mike Asmundson, the course’s original architect, the green is based on one of the most famous designs in golf, dating to 1869 at North Berwick Golf Links in Scotland. The Redan design, characterized by a slope from front to back and from right to left, gained notoriety in the U.S. at the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, when players watched helplessly as their putts rolled forever on the 17^th green. The green on the new No. 12 is guarded on both sides by huge sod-faced bunkers, in keeping with the Scottish heritage, and the yardage can be stretched to 214 yards from the Dynamite Tees.  

With the back nine at The Home Course starting with a short par-5 10^th hole, this three-hole stretch - holes 10-12 - is now one of the most thrilling in Northwest golf.

Visit www.thehomecourse.com for more information.

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