Field Set for AJGA Junior at Wenatchee

Wenatchee Golf & Country Club to host 99 junior golfers, Aug. 9-12

 The American Junior Golf Association’s only event in the state of Washington will be held at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club, Aug. 9-12. This is the AJGA’s third year in Wenatchee, and the tournament will feature 99 junior golfers from 10 states and Canada, with the host state being represented by 22 participants.  Last year’s Boys Division champion, Macgregor Hoobery of Santa Maria, Calif., will return to defend his title. Hoobery bested the field by two strokes after firing a final-round 5-under-par 67. Sulman Raza Eugene, Ore., and Mark Wyllie of San Jose, Calif., will both return with experience after tying for third in the 2009 AJGA Junior at Wenatchee. Lorens Chan of Honolulu, will return as well after an eighth-place showing in 2009. Chan is the highest-ranked boy in the field at No. 77 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has already notched a win in 2010 at the AJGA Nebraska Junior at Quarry Oaks. Jennifer Yang of Coquitlam, British Columbia, is the highest-ranked player in the field and will play in her second tournament at Wenatchee. Ranked No. 53 in the Polo Golf Rankings, she has compiled four top-five junior golf finishes and placed 11th at last year’s event. Morgan Thompson of Tualatin, Ore., picked up a third-place finish at Wenatchee Golf & Country club in 2009. A rising senior, Thompson is ranked No. 64 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has finished inside the top 15 in each AJGA event she has entered. A shotgun practice round will be held Monday, Aug. 9, at 2 p.m. First-round play will begin Tuesday, Aug. 10, with tee times for each round running from 7 a.m. - 12:20 p.m off the first tee at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. An awards ceremony will immediately follow the final round, Thursday, Aug. 12. Guests are welcome to attend and admission is free. Prior to the event, an 18-hole K¹² Qualifier will be held on Monday, Aug. 8, at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. K¹² Qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to “play their way in” to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or earn a Tournament Exemption or Performance Star for a future event. The K¹² Qualifier Series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events. During the tournament week, some of the top juniors who will be participating in the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee will also take part in the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament Monday, Aug. 9. The Junior-Am will be a 9 a.m. shotgun start at Wenatchee Golf & Country Club.  An excellent opportunity to entertain clients, reward employees or enjoy a tournament round with some friends, the Junior-Am allows amateurs to play a competitive round of golf with future stars of the game. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Charles Howell III, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Grace Park are just a few of the thousands of talented players who participated in AJGA Junior-Ams when they were teenagers. Supporting golf at the grassroots level, Junior-Ams allow the AJGA to make contributions to local junior golf charities and programs in hosting communities. In 2010, the proceeds of the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee Junior-Am will benefit the Washington Junior Golf Association. To participate, contact Sean Riley at (678) 425-1710. For more information, please contact Kristi Bradley (kbradley@ajga.org) in the AJGA Communications Department at (678) 425-1790 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.

How Well Do You Know Your Local Golf PRO?

by Clifford Cowley

PRO File:
Ben Bryson
Occupation: Head Pro BanBury Golf Course
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Pro Status: Class A 

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

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

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

Ben’s inroads to becoming a professional stem from an impressive playing career. In high school, he was Nevada’s High School State Champion (2001), and in college, he played PAC-10 golf for Washington State, including a low competitive round of 60.  In 2002, he was the Northwest Wilson Intercollegiate Champion at Bandon Dunes and in 2004, he was the Boise State Bronco Fall Invitational Champion.  Ben definitely walks the walk.  

After graduating in 2005, he went to work for BanBury and has been there ever since. In 2008, he was named the Rocky Mountain Section PGA Assistant Golf Professional of the Year.  Undoubtedly, Ben can definitely teach what he walks.

Feast or Famine: You Wanted World-Class Golf Events, Well Here They Are!

by Cameron Healey

Oh, where to begin! Just make sure you’ve had your “Wheaties” this month as you plan on taking in as much golf as you can digest and your schedule will allow.  Puget Sound prepares for what will be as close to golfing nirvana as we have ever experienced.  By the time I had to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, the winner of the 2010 U.S. Senior Open had yet to be decided, but I can assure you the likes of legends Fuzzie Zoeller, Tom Watson, and Freddy “Boom Boom” Couples are in the middle of duking it out on the vertically-challenging Sahalee Country Club. Will defending Champ Fred Funk tear up Sahalee and run away with another record-breaking 20-under par performance? Or will Sahalee with an average fairway width of only 26 yards effectively neuter the length and power of guys like Couples?  “Shiver me timbers!” comes to mind as we wait to find out who hoists the Ouimet Trophy!

The good news for Seattleites is that the choices for prestigious events continues in August when you’ll have the choice of getting up close and personal with the World’s best amateurs as they compete for the prestigious 110^th U.S. Amateur Championship hosted at the Robert Trent Jones II masterpiece at Chambers Bay on Aug 23-29.  If you recall, Northwest native Ryan Moore won the event in 2004 and shares the accolade with household names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods among others.  Will Chambers be the testing ground for our next big-name golfing phenomenon to join the pro ranks?  I would think the USGA is anxious to see how the world’s best amateurs fare on the exposed Scottish links track that will host the prestigious U.S. Open in 2015!  Yes, the U.S. Open!  But there is somewhat of a scheduling conundrum facing Puget Sound golfing fans as there is one more “must-see” PGA event to consider. Yep, our annual favorite on the regular Champions Tour, The Boeing Classic, is slated to tee off at TPC Snoqualmie on Aug 27-29. 

Hmm, what to do? The answer may well lie with the format for each event, or whether or not you can pull a “sickie” from work for that week!  The 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship will be contested at Chambers Bay Golf Course where 312 players initially compete using the stroke play format contest Chambers for one round and The Home Course hosting the other in nearby DuPont on the Aug 23rd and 24th. The field whittles down to 64 spots at which point on Wednesday the competition reverts to match play for the next five days culminating with a 36-hole event at Chambers Bay on Sunday, Aug 29. The Boeing Classic, however, kicks off on Friday, Aug 27 where 78 Champions Tour pros compete for a purse of $1.9 million. The players play only 54 holes of stroke play and all players continue through to Sunday! Good luck deciding how to manage this smorgasbord of watching and learning from the world’s best amateur and professional golfers right here in Puget Sound!   Golf Today will be out there glued to the action and hope to see you out there! 

What’s New!
Can you believe that we get to welcome a new golf course in Washington State next year? Yes, the economic recovery is not a myth after all!  The Squaxin Island Tribe in Shelton, WA broke ground on Salish Cliffs way back in 2006, but the economic climate put the brakes on and there were other priorities such as a major expansion project at its Little Creek Casino Resort, where Salish Cliffs will serve as an amenity. But last spring, renowned golf architect Gene Bates (Yes, of Circling Raven fame!) and his construction crew got to work on the approx 180 acre course, which is now slated to open in the spring of 2011. Golf Today had the good fortune of spending some time with architect Gene Bates who graciously took us around the construction site and explained his vision for the par-72 7300 yard Championship track! With elevation changes of 600 feet, Salish Cliffs is not for the faint hearted; however, Bates has made sure to design a course that rewards sound shot making while not overtly penalizing the average golfer either. In fact, the course is surprisingly open with multiple sets of tees and a drainage system that is second to none. Stay tuned for additional progress reports during the fall, but by all accounts Salish Cliffs is touted to be another Bates standout. “What I want people to say when they walk off Salish Cliffs is, “Wow.  What an experience. I don’t know who designed it, but I want to come back,” concludes Bates.

Hip, Hip, Let’s STRETCH!

by Diana Del Garbino

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

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

Hips: The hips are one area on the body that bares a great deal of responsibility. They provide stability for weight bearing, such as standing, walking or running. They allow mobility of the legs and they transmit the loads from the upper body to the lower body and down the leg. This requires your hips to be in top working shape. It also means that if there is tightness in one of the 17 main muscles of the hip, it usually radiates through the lower back or down to the knees. The hips have to move the largest muscle in the body-  the gluteus maximus–and it also has the longest muscle attached to it- the sartorius.  So how do we keep this muscle loose and in good working condition? Simple stretches that don’t OVERSTRETCH the ligaments, but keep the actual muscles pliable and strong. Strengthening the muscles in the hip will help with stability in your swing (slide and sway) and increase your muscular endurance (the 17 & 18^th hole won’t be so hard, physically). 

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

Knees: There are no actual muscles in the knee, only muscles starting from the pelvic girdle (hip) or the thigh. The knee is made of tendons that are holding it in place and are responsible for movement. Overuse on these tendons can lead to injuries. Lack of muscle in the hip and quadriceps can leave the knee vulnerable to injury. Stretching of the iliotibial band which runs from the outside hip to below the knee can relieve a lot of pain in the knee and/or hip, as can having strong abductor muscles, which then help to support the knee. 

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

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

Diana Del Garbino is a certified golf fitness instructor through the Titleist Performance Institute and coaches beginner through advanced golfers at Muscles in Motion-Professional training studio in Lake Oswego Oregon. For more information about the program visit www.mymusclesinmotion.com.

How to cure the ‘reverse-pivot’

by Derek Mount

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

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

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

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

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

Use analogies with other sports
When throwing a baseball, football, javelin, shot-put, horse-shoe, hitting a tennis ball, rolling a bowling ball, or even skipping a rock, the body weight always comes forward (to the front foot) when executing the follow through. This is always the most effective way of performing each action and will produce the most powerful, efficient result. The golf swing is no different. For some reason, when a new golfer tries to hit a golf ball, they have the urge to try and help the ball into the air rather than perform a natural, athletic motion that should be ingrained through experiences with other sports. They should learn to trust the loft of the club, hit down and through the ball, and finish on the lead side. The ‘up on the right toe’ drill for chip shots and the ‘walk-through’ drill for the full swing should help.

Derek ‘Jeff’ Mount is a USGTF Golf Teaching Professional who teaches at the King City Golf Course in King City, OR. He can be reached at 503-577-8807 or email djm8181@yahoo.com.

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

by Robyn Sciuchetti

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

FORE!Women is a golf clothing store catering to women only.  A vast selection of tops, shorts, capris, skorts, vests, jackets, sandals, shoes and accessories from Sport Haley, Tail, Pedal Pushers, Jamie Sadock and more are available.  New clothing lines are consistently being added to keep the choices fresh.  The store is a great alternative for ladies looking for matching or complementary outfits to wear during tournament or event play.  Sandbagger sandals are spike-less with a molded foot cradle and an orthotic which are comfortable and versatile to wear on or off the course.   One great trait of the clothing items carried by FORE!Women is the fact that they are free of logos and can be worn to work, out on the town or as day-to-day wear.  If you are planning a warm weather vacation during the winter months, consider FORE!Women as your choice for cruise wear or building a wardrobe for that trip to Hawaii.

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

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

Industry Outlook: Social Media Revealed Part One

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

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

With your interest piqued, you have to understand the details if you are going to jump in and have social media work for you.  Questions to ask and answers to seek include:  How do you feel about getting out there and joining the Social Media experience?  What can be gained? Where would you start?  What should you do first? 

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

So with that in mind, let’s get started.

Before you can truly start, you have to “listen”.  Listening is your first move in understanding social media. That means you need to read the blogs that are out there; specifically the blogs about golf.  Read from different media outlets.  Go visit Twitter.Com and more importantly search.twitter.com to learn what people are saying about golf.  Read comments on people’s blogs and identify which posts generate reader responses. Still not convinced? Then proceed to twendz.waggeneredstrom.com and enter any variation of golf and see what the results are.  Do you want to see if a golf blog or golf website has any social media presence?  Head right to website www.socialmention.com or www.howsociable.com and see what they have and don’t have in regards to social media. If you really want to hit the ground running, go straight to SEO MOZ and download the free toolbar which integrates into your browser. With this browser you now have a social media tool and a search engine optimization toolbar. Start using resources like Google, Technorati.com and  Dig.com to start listening to conversations that are out there. 

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

First the Platform: A Blog
No matter what, the very first piece of social media real estate to start with is a blog.  It’s a website with a lot of built in features that make it useful from a search perspective and simple from a content creation perspective. That alone is worth the price of admission. 

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

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

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

Company communication/website:  This is for companies who have a website and give members the ability to log in. Golf organizations and country clubs who already have an established website should consider the potential of a blog.  Just imagine having a site that can be used as a tool for communicating with members, the public, and useful as a membership campaign tool.

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

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

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

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

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

Nonprofit: Depending on the cause, you could use Twitter using the cause’s name, or you can reach out as an individual.  

In all cases, use your picture for the avatar or profile picture, not a logo.  Aim for a candid shot that’s not a stuffy professional photo or an overly cropped picture.  And while the handy tool that lets you update Facebook and Twitter all at once seems efficient, it can be misconstrued to mean that you don’t respect your individual audiences at those outposts.

 Always put enough information in your profile to promote that you are both a business person as well as a human being. On Facebook, consider which applications you add to your profile. Yes, being a pirate or a vampire might be fun, but it might also make someone question your professional intent. Do feel free to share your interests in books or movies or sports, and make sure your status messages aren’t always and forever about your business interests or people might be less engaged after a very short amount of time.

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

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

Avoid writing “me too” blog posts about the latest news in your vertical. Chances are, someone else is doing it better, and your “me too” is just a throat-clearing proof that you’re not creating original content. Work harder on doing something original instead of just pumping out “I read this article about” types of posts, unless you’re going to expand on the ideas, and/or recast them for your particular audience. 

The most important thing to remember here is that your social media undertaking is move to start interfacing with your customers, clients, community, and contributors. If you have a golf business, pro shop or you’re a club maker, one of the first things you should do with a blog is ask you customers to take a survey. That’s the first step. 

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

Fourth Step: Experiment
If something is not working, try something else. If you’re not using analytics and stats packages to learn more about your web visitors, you’re missing out.  If you aren’t learning how these social media elements tie to your business and you’re just using them as another isolated thing, then you’re missing the whole reason to start (for businesses, at least).

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

Take the time to listen, to create and to experiment.  Then listen again.  

Mike Rosas is the principal of AS Group Marketing/The Alternative Solutions, LLC. He can be reached at 425-742-3679, mike@thealternativesolutions.com, or visit www.thealternativesolutions.net for more information.

Local Teen Selected as Semifinalist for RBS Achievers of the Year Awards

by Cheri Brennan

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

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

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

“As an outlet from the pain of my mom’s struggle with cancer, my dad enrolled me in The First Tee.” Kirsila wrote in her essay for the Achievers award.  “It has given me a solid foundation for my life,” she stated, adding she made the varsity golf team her freshman year.  “Playing on a team kept me motivated to always try my best. Golf keeps me grounded with a firm grip on reality as well as my club,” she wrote. 

The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize deserving students for accomplishments in their daily lives while overcoming difficult circumstances.  The scholarship awards are not based on academic achievement or exceptional golf skills.  The program rewards young people that exhibit The First Tee Nine Core Values while demonstrating leadership, community service and teamwork.  The First Tee Nine Core Values are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. 

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

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

While a student at International School, Kirsila focused on sports psychology for her senior project.  She devoted months of research, job shadowing, and teaching children life skills through golf, culminating in a two-day clinic that she planned, organized, and conducted. 

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

The First Tee of Greater Seattle was formed in 2001 from a collaborative effort involving the Broadmoor Golf Club Foundation, The First Tee, the board of Municipal Golf of Seattle and the City of Seattle. It   became the 106th chapter of The First Tee the following year. 

Programming in Seattle began in 2003, with 224 kids participating at Jefferson Park Golf.  In 2004, The First Tee of Greater Seattle expanded to Jackson Park Golf Course serving 505 children. Expansion continued in 2005 with the addition of the Crossroads Par 3 Golf Course in Bellevue, with service to 676 kids.  More than 1,000 children currently participate at four golf facilities. In addition, more than 23,000 local students are served through Life Skills programs offered in public school physical education classes through The First Tee’s National Schools Program.

The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, FL at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.  Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.  Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 3.5 million participants in 50 states, over 3,400 elementary schools and five international locations - Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore.   Former President George H. W. Bush serves as honorary chairman.  The First Tee Founding Partners are The Masters Tournament, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and the USGA.

Mike Lewis Joins Tetherow as Director of Tetherow Golf Academy

PGA Professional, Mike Lewis, has recently joined Tetherow Golf Club in Bend, Oregon as the Director for their new Tetherow Golf Academy.  Lewis will be providing individual and group instruction, but will also focus on golf schools for incoming resort guests and visitors to Central Oregon.

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

The “Motion Analysis Technology” will allow Lewis to work with resort guests to electronically track every motion of their golf swing, give visual feedback and instruction, and communicate with students personally, through email, CD’s, or on line viewing from anywhere in the world.   “The interactive, electronic coaching system allows me to fit guests for clubs, analyze their swing and work with them on their putting,” says Lewis.

Lewis is a PGA Director of Instruction and was previously the Director of Instruction for the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf at Pronghorn in Bend.  Originally from Utah, Lewis also owns the South Mountain Academy in Salt Lake City and Skelet Golf  LLC, a golf instructional company providing teaching curriculum and technology packages for golf facilities.

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

One of Mike’s passions is working with young golfers.  In 2008, he implemented the Central Oregon High School golf program working with students from Bend, Sisters, and Redmond with the goal of producing collegiate level golfers.  Of the 36 kids who have gone through the program, five have moved on to play at the collegiate level.  “We are definitely making an impact on these kids by giving them some structure to their practice, mental approach, and recommended changes in technique,” says Lewis. “Kids are the future of golf.  I love watching young people mature through the game, and it’s nice to know that I may have a part in helping them become responsible adults.” For more information, please call 541-388-2582, 541-410-3434 or visit www.tetherow.com.

The McKennon Golf Bag Company acquires Jones Sporting Goods, creators of the iconic Jones Bag

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

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

The deal will see Jones relocate operations and corporate offices into McKennon Golf’s existing facility in Lake Oswego, Oregon. McKennon will also take over as the President of Jones Sports.

“We have also been prototyping a new version on the original bag,” McKennon explained. “We have taken design cues from our McKennon Player’s Bag and combined them with the original Jones Bag.  We have a waiting list of buyers and it isn’t even out of the testing stage yet.”

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

“Our products exist at the intersection of too little and too much” said McKennon, a former All-American at Lakeridge High School and collegiate player at Oregon State.  “Jones was founded 40 years ago on that same strategy. ” It’s a perfect fit.” For more information, please email Mike@themckennongolfbagcompany.com.

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