Thursday, October 28, 2010

Can the PGA and LPGA Tour bring Asian golf to the ROW?

The popularity of golf is escalating to a fevered frenzy in Asia but can the PGA and LPGA Tour help bring this emerging market to the rest of the world?

With the WGC-HSBC Champions event combining the talents of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for a possible dream match and Michelle Wie needing a bodyguard to keep fans at bay during the LPGA Malaysia, Asian golf fans are coming out in droves to witness star power in professional golf.

The Asian golf market is relatively unknown here in the USA but has plenty of events during the season sanctioned by the Asian Tour, OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour. It appears as if all of the Tours operate independently of each other instead of combining strength to create one professional commission with larger purses and better known talent. The LPGA has already established the Japan and Korean Tours but the Ladies Asian Golf Tour remains a separate entity.

In July, Tim Finchem made rumblings that there may be more PGA Tour events springing up in China, Japan and Korea. Currently there are two such events; the inaugural Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia (co-sanctioned by both the PGA Tour and Asian Tour) and the HSBC-WGC event in Shanghai.

In other words, if you can't bring the Asian Tour to the USA, bring the action of the PGA Tour to Asia.

Although the number of Asian golfers is "increasing in the majors" as Tim Clark has mentioned, Ernie Els doubts that golfers will make the long trip to the region. This, in my opinion, may keep Asian golf segmented from the rest of the world.

"It's a very long way from the U.S. to Asia so any more golf tournaments over here," said Els. It's going to be tough for players to travel. They have a full schedule anyway in the U.S. but it will be interesting to see what the commissioner [Tim Finchem] thinks about it."

Luke Donald has agreed with Els adding that more events on the PGA Tour roster may make the field "a little bit diluted." On the flip-side, Donald sees golf as global adding, that "people want to see the U.S. players playing in Malaysia, China or Japan"

"New events like this tend to increase fan support for the game and create awareness that there are great places around the world to play golf in."

Even though every win still counts and the event money is good, the Asian Swing might deter golfers because of the distance to travel. On the flip side, the Asia-Pacific Classic has a very solid group making the trip: the top twenty-five players on the FedEx Cup standings along with the top ten golfers from the Asian Tour and five sponsor exemptions for a select group of forty will play in this week's event.

Adding the star power of Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis to the region for last week's LPGA event in Malaysia will also help gain momentum for an Asian Swing. With all of the professional Tours working together to bring golf into the region by coinciding their events, this Asian Swing can be a success for the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Asian Tours and most importantly, the fans and the growth of golf.

Also read about golf supremacy in Russia?

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Monday, October 25, 2010

Golf supremacy for Russia at the Olympics?

With a golf academy currently being designed in Moscow, are the Russians eyeing domination at the 2016 Olympics?

 

The golf course design practice founded by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson with partners Ross Perrett and Tim Lobb has been commissioned to design a new golf academy at Moscow’s Luzhniki Olympic Complex. 

 

The landmark development will introduce golf to Europe's largest sports center, venue of the 1980 Olympics and 2008 Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea, which boasts facilities for more than forty different sports with five million visits per year.
 


The new golf academy will include a new 9-hole par-3 golf course, driving range, practice putting, family adventure golf, plus a spacious clubhouse with indoor golf simulators.

 

Luzhniki Olympic Complex, Moscow

 
TPL principal Tim Lobb said: “The golf academy at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex will be an important development for Russia. This will be the closest golf facility to the city centre and will be a family friendly and social venue that will enable the people of Moscow to experience, enjoy and learn to play golf.
 


“It is a very exciting project to be working on and, with the return of golf to the Olympics in 2016, is befitting of the Luzhniki Complex’s vision to be a legacy of Olympic sport.”

  Among the Russian sports stars who have benefited from the facilities at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex are tennis aces Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. The question is, could Russia’s first golf star emerge from Luzhniki’s new golf academy?
 

 

The first golf course in Russia was established in 1989 and has fourteen courses currently in operation. The Russian Golf Association is creating a five-year plan to establish a future in golf by increasing the number of courses to one-hundred, boosting the number of golf lovers to 100,000 and having a few golfers winning tournaments in time for the 2016 Olympics.

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Greg Norman, Annika Sorenstam worried about the future of golf

In an effort to find innovative ways for golf to be more "affordable and accessible", Greg Norman, Annika Sorenstam and golf creative thinkers convened at the fourth annual Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

This 'call to action' in Thailand was only one of several forums designed to effect a change in the sport in order to attract more newcomers and to keep the golfers that already play interested in the game. Earlier this year, a Golf Business Forum in Turkey tackled similar questions with both Norman and Sorenstam in attendance.

Believing interest in the sport has hit its limit and is now declining, Hud Hinton, Troon Golf president and chief executive officer warned that, "The game is too expensive to play, too difficult to play, too expensive to operate and the pace of play is too slow."

Greg Norman came up with an interesting idea regarding the premise that it takes too long to play a round of golf.

"There's nothing to say that a golf course has to be 18 holes. Why shouldn't 12-hole courses be successful in Asia?"

Although it seems like an age-old question, what suggestions would you make in order to improve the sport and to bring in newcomers?

My idea?
Children are the future of the sport so perhaps add golf to a school's curriculum? Instead of just playing dodge-ball in a gym where kids learn it's okay to hit one another in the head with a ball, golf can also teach the nine basic principles of the First Tee Program.

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Tiger Woods earnings down but still $30 million richer than Phil Mickelson

According to SI.com, Tiger Woods may have dropped $9 million in earnings from last year but he is still the number one golfer on tour and still about $30 million ahead of Phil Mickelson!

Tiger Woods Phil Mickelson

In spite of his scandalous year, advertisers dropping like flies and nary a win in sight, Tiger Woods earned a whopping $90.5 million: only $20 million in "salary" from PGA Tour standings but $70 million from endorsements! In spite of being dropped by Gatorade, ATT and Accenture (see below), Woods' $10 million FedEx Cup bonus helped keep him in the number one position on the "Fortunate 50", ahead of Mickelson, LeBron James and Alex Rodriguez, whose Yankees salary of $33 million with only $4 million in endorsements barely halves Woods' home run.

Here is a list of Tiger Woods' corporate partners and sponsors, according to Golf.com, which helped keep Tiger Woods ahead on the money list:

1. Nike - "Just Do It"
2. EA Sports
3. Tag Heuer - "What are You Made of?"
4. Gillette - "The Best a Man can Get"
5. Accenture - "Go Ahead, Be a Tiger"
6. AT&T - "Reach out and touch someone"
7. Gatorade - "It's in Tiger, is it in you?"

Although Greg Norman recently stated, "...He'll come back and win golf tournaments, but he won't be as dominating as he used to be," I think that Tiger Woods' "B" Game was good enough to take home trophies. Once Woods starts winning regularly and this part of his life slowly fades into the past, companies will start returning to "Team Tiger".

People have very short memories and in golf, that's a good thing!

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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Phil Mickelson unveils HSBC Champions official World Golf Championships trophy

Two-time HSBC Champions winner Phil Mickelson has helped to unveil the new trophy for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions: 'The Old Tom Morris Cup', reports Tim Maitland.
The new cup and name are in keeping with the other three World Golf Championships events, which also boast similarly-designed Wedgwood trophies named after golfing legends. The World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship awards The Walter Hagen Cup to the winner, the World Golf Championships-CA Championship offers The Gene Sarazen Cup, and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational winner holds aloft The Gary Player Cup.

 “I am really fond of the original trophy, which can happen when you win something more than once,” says Mickelson, who lifted the 2007 HSBC Champions and then became the first winner of the tournament following its elevation to World Golf Championships status in 2009.

“But the new trophy has even greater worldwide significance. First, it is instantly recognizable as one of the WGC prizes, second, it carries the name of one of the legends of golf. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it is proof of just how fast the game of golf in China and Asia has evolved and how significant that growth is to the world of golf,” the four-time Major champion adds.

In choosing Old Tom Morris the world’s local bank has found a figure recognizable to the established golf world. HSBC chose one of the famous names in the history of Scottish golf because the pioneering work “Old” Tom Morris did in the 1800s to shape the game of golf is symbolic of the pioneering work being done in Chinese golf now.

“Old Tom represents the birth of the game of golf. Asia, China and the WGC-HSBC Champions in varying ways represent the future of the sport and, you could argue, will in time be looked at as being part of one of the most dramatic shifts for golf since Old Tom’s era,” says Giles Morgan, HSBC Group Head of Sponsorship.

“The WGC-HSBC Champions could be described as the nucleus which has shaped the way tournament golf in Asia is evolving and developing on the world stage, in the same way the Old Tom Morris helped shape and define the sport of golf” he adds.

Padraig Harrington, Ireland’s three-time Major winner, describes Old Tom as one of the bedrocks on which the sport was built.

“He’s the heritage of the game! He was one of the first Open Champions and won it four times; it adds a lot to an event when it has heritage and I know it takes a long time to build heritage, but this helps" said Harrington. "It’s a trophy that anyone would be proud to lift and they’ll be proud of the association with Old Tom Morris and the history that goes with that. It’ll help the players feel even more about the event and it’ll make it that little bit more special.”


Morris was greenkeeper and golf professional on the Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland; a four-time winner of The Open Championship and ranked among the top links course designers of the 19th Century. Among the 75 courses he designed or remodelled are some of Scotland’s world-famous courses, including Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Dornoch.


“You’re talking about one of the legends of the game. You talk about Tom Morris you’re talking about Prestwick and St Andrews and you’re talking about a game steeped in history; the legends of the game are hugely important to us!” exclaimed 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell.

“Guys like him shaped the game we play now. How different would it be if you didn’t have Old Tom Morris, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods?  How big is the game now? A TV spectacle, a global game, you just look at the milestones of the game and he’s one of them.”

In one way or another, “Old” Tom influenced almost every aspect of the sport. He helped to set up the first (British) Open Championship in 1860 and competed in every Open until 1896. Various authorities and experts have attributed everything from standardising the number of holes to 18, the size of the golf hole, the appearance of bunkers and several fundamentals of greenkeeping to the influence of “Old” Tom.

“Old” Tom Morris, who was born in St. Andrews in 1821 and died there in 1908, is remembered as a true pioneer and exponent of golf.

In recognition of his service, the R&A has hung his portrait on permanent display in its clubhouse, while the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's most prestigious honour is the Old Tom Morris Award.


WGC Winners
16 – Tiger Woods (USA)*
3 – Geoff Ogilvy (AUS)
2 – Phil Mickelson (USA)
2 – Ernie Els (USA)**
2 – Darren Clarke (NIR)
1 – Hunter Mahan (USA)
1 – Ian Poulter (ENG)
1 – Henrik Stenson (SWE)
1 – David Toms (USA)
1 – Kevin Sutherland (USA)
1 – Steve Stricker (USA)
1 – Jeff Maggert (USA)
1 – Mike Weir (CAN)
1 – Vijay Singh (FIJ)
1 – Stewart Cink (USA)
1 – Craig Parry (AUS)
*plus 2000 World Cup
**plus 2001 World Cup


HSBC Champions
Format: 72-holes, stroke play, no cut
Field: Approximately 78 players, consisting of tournament winners from around the world and the best players from the International Federation of PGA Tours, as dictated by each Tour’s money list, order of merit, etc.
2009 – Phil Mickelson (USA) 271 (-17) (Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China)
2008* – Sergio Garcia (ESP)
2007* – Phil Mickelson (USA)
2006* – YE Yang Yong-Eun (KOR)
2005* – David Howell (ENG) 268 (-20)

* = Before granted WGC status


Bridgestone Invitational*
Format: 72-holes, stroke play, no cut
Field: Members of the most recent United States and International Presidents Cup teams and the United States and European Ryder Cup teams. Players ranked among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. The past year’s Major winners.

2010 – Hunter Mahan (USA) 268 (-12) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2009 – Tiger Woods (USA) 268 (-12) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2008 – Vijay Singh (FIJ) 270 (-10) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2007 – Tiger Woods (USA) 272 (-8) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2006 – Tiger Woods (USA) 270 (-10) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2005 – Tiger Woods (USA) 274 (-6) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2004 – Stewart Cink (USA) 269 (-11) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2003 – Darren Clarke (NIR) 268 (-12) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2002 – Craig Parry (AUS) 268 (-16) (Sahalee CC, Washington, USA)
2001 – Tiger Woods (USA) 269 (-12) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
2000 – Tiger Woods (USA) 259 (-21) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
1999 – Tiger Woods (USA) 270 (-10) (Firestone CC, Ohio, USA)
*From 1999- 2005 known as NEC Invitational


CA Championship*
Format: 72 holes, stroke play, no cut
Field: 65-70, including 44 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Rankings and leaders of the six Tours' Official Money Lists/Order of Merit.
2010 – Ernie Els (RSA) 270 (-18) (Doral, Florida, USA)
2009 – Phil Mickelson (USA) 269 (-19) (Doral, Florida, USA)
2008 – Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 271 (-17) (Doral, Florida, USA)
2007 – Tiger Woods (USA) 278 (-10) (Doral, Florida, USA)
2006 – Tiger Woods (USA) 270 (-23) (The Grove, Hertfordshire, England)
2005 – Tiger Woods (USA) 270 (-10) (play-off) (Harding Park, San Francisco, California, USA)
2004 – Ernie Els (RSA) 270 (-18) (Mount Juliet Conrad, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland)
2003 – Tiger Woods (USA) 274 (-6) (Capital City Club, Atlanta, Georgia, USA)
2002 – Tiger Woods (USA) 263 (-25) (Mount Juliet Conrad, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland)
2001 – Cancelled (Bellerive, St. Louis, Missouri, USA)
2000 – Mike Weir (CAN) 277 (-11) (Valderrama, Spain)
1999 - Tiger Woods (USA) 278 (-10) (play-off) (Valderrama, Spain)
*From 1999-2006 known as American Express Championship

Accenture Match Play Championship
Format: Match Play
Field: Top 64 available players (Based on the Official World Golf Ranking)
2010 – Ian Poulter (ENG) 4&2 vs Paul Casey (Dove Mountain, Arizona, USA)  
2009 – Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 4&3 vs. Paul Casey (Ritz-Carlton GC, Arizona, USA)
2008 – Tiger Woods (USA) 8&7 vs. Stewart Cink.  (Ritz-Carlton GC, Arizona, USA)
2007 – Henrik Stenson (SWE) 2&1 vs. Geoff Ogilvy  (Gallery,  Arizona, USA)
2006 – Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 3&2 vs. Davis Love III (La Costa, California, USA) 
2005 – David Toms (USA) 6&5 vs. Chris DiMarco (La Costa, California, USA) 
2004 – Tiger Woods (USA) 3&2 vs. Davis Love III (La Costa, California, USA) 
2003 – Tiger Woods (USA) 2&1 vs.  David Toms (La Costa, California, USA) 
2002 – Kevin Sutherland (USA) 1 up vs. Scott McCarron 1 up (La Costa, California, USA) 
2001 – Steve Stricker (USA) 2&1 vs. Pierre Fulke (Metropolitan GC, Victoria, Australia)
2000 – Darren Clarke (NIR) 4&3 vs. Tiger Woods (La Costa, California, USA) 
1999 – Jeff Maggert (USA) 38 holes vs. Andrew Magee (La Costa, California, USA) 

Note: From 2000 to 2006 the World Cup was a WGC event. Winners as follows:
2006 - Germany (Bernhard Langer/Marcel Siem) 268 (play-off) (Sandy Lane, Barbados)
2005 – Wales (Bradley Dredge/Stephen Dodd) 189 (Victoria Clube, Algarve, Portugal)
2004 – England (Paul Casey/Luke Donald) 257 (Real Club, Seville, Spain)
2003 – South Africa (Rory Sabbatini/Trevor Immelman) 275 (Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA)
2002 – Japan (Shigeki Maruyama/Toshimitsu Izawa) 252 (Vista Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
2001 – South Africa (Ernie Els/Retief Goosen) 264 (play-off) (Taiheiyo Club, Shizuoka, Japan)
2000 – United States (Tiger Woods/David Duval) 254 (Buenos Aires GC, Argentina)



Golf for Beginners thanks Tim Maitland for this informative article.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Are BornFit Skorts too sexy for Golf?

The sexy Oxford "little skort that could" from BornFit combines great styling with comfort for the golf course but should there be a warning label on the package that it offers too much "sass"?

The "new" mom is the target audience at Bornfit, where activewear meets maternity. No longer are mommies sitting on the sidelines watching the action. Instead, moms of today are runners, golfers and involved participants in sports, and that is why they NEED this skort!

When I first removed the BornFit Sassy Oxford Skort from its package I wondered if it would even fit me but I was happily surprised: this skort is really comfortable. Also, the no-chafe undershorts coupled with the moisture-wicking Poly/Spandex fiber allowed me to walk the course comfortably concentrating on golf.

Okay, so I looked for pockets for my golf accessories (tees, ball mark repair tool, etc) and found a small concealed one on the inside of the Bornfit skort. Not enough for golf activewear in my opinion but then I realized that, when I wore this golf skort (also great for running and tennis), it didn't matter if it had pockets or not...I looked and felt great!

"Slipping into a BornFit skort brings the inspiration to achieve your goals and cross that finish line," says Jamie Meyer, athlete and competitor, who has participated in many BornFit-sponsored events, including the Tri for the Cure.

Maybe a little too sexy for the golf course? NAH!

“When we feel confident, we can achieve anything we want to do,” says co-founder of BornFit Lisa Welch. You’re more likely to get out and exercise if you feel good doing it-that is why I created BornFit.”

BornFit is an apparel collection for active moms of all ages that was co-founded in Colorado by athlete and Mom to three boys Lisa Welch. The fitness collections flatter the figure and were founded on the premise that we are all BornFit. The beauty of being 'fit' is that it comes in all different sizes, shapes, interests and passions. BornFit is sold in running stores and retailers nationwide.

Besides the Sassy Oxford Skort, women golfers should also check out the BornFit Wilder Skort (named after Laura Ingalls Wilder) and other pieces from the BornFit activewear collection.

An additional thumbs-up to BornFit for giving a percentage of sales each month to causes that align with their mission ie: Girls on the Run, Jenny's Light, Women for Women Iinternational and many more.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Montgomerie Warns Westwood That Tiger Woods Will Bite Back

Europe’s winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has warned his star player Lee Westwood to expect a backlash from Tiger Woods when he takes away his position as the world’s number one golfer.


The Englishman, who was the bedrock of Europe’s victory at Celtic Manor last week, is projected to take over the top spot in the Official World Rankings when the world’s leading players arrive in Shanghai for the WGC-HSBC Champions in the first week of November.


 

credit

 

With Lee Westwood resting his injured calf and Tiger Woods not scheduled to play before China either, the 37-year-old from Worksop will overtake the American superstar by virtue of losing fewer points from the back end of the two-year period that the standings are calculated from.


However Montgomerie says that Westwood has got to expect an immediate response when Woods gets to Shanghai.


“He won’t like being number two at anything and he’ll come out fighting, which is great for the tournament, fantastic for the event,” said the 47-year-old Scotsman, talking at a HSBC Charity Golf Day in Hong Kong to raise money for the children’s charity UNICEF.


“Knowing Tiger as I do he’ll probably go out and win the HSBC World Golf event, you’ve got to think that" continued Montgomerie. "He came out and played superbly in the (Ryder Cup) singles match. He was two down after two (holes) against Francesco Molinari and then was nine-under for the next 11 holes.  It was incredible golf! When he’s spurred on like that there’s nobody better. I think it’s great for the tournament, great for the tournament, having to have Woods win. I think he won’t be far away from doing so, but it’s a great, great, strong field again.”


Westwood will first have to complete his recovery from an unusual injury high in his calf which forced him to withdraw from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this summer and has made him schedule another break this month. 


Westwood took the rest of August and September off trying to shake off the injury, which causes swelling in his ankle and lower calf as fluid from the injured muscle drains down his leg. Having returned for the Ryder Cup, he announced after last week’s Alfred Dunhill Link Championship in Scotland that he was going to rest for the remainder of October. His goal is to return in time for the WGC-HSBC Champions from November 4th-7th, a target made more likely by the fact that specialists have told him the injury is not one that can escalate.


“Hopefully, he’s back playing again. It’ll be fantastic to have the world’s top three players, and Martin Kaymer will be there – he’s fourth – it’s fantastic! Fantastic for golf!” said Monty, before pausing to consider how he’d respond should Westwood ask him for advice on how to handle being the world’s number one.


“The only thing that Lee Westwood can do is come over to Shanghai and win! Lee’s playing as well as anyone in the world of golf right now, and as number one you’ve got to prove it.  I was number two to Greg Norman for a number of weeks back in 1996-97 and it’s a big deal when you’re up there. The expectation is that you are the best player in the world and you’re expected to go and prove it.


“Sometimes it’s not easy to do and Lee’s never been there before. I’m sure Lee’s nature and Lee’s personality will come through and he’ll be as anxious to win in Shanghai as Tiger… and as Phil, because if Phil wins in Shanghai he could probably go to number one. It’s very close and if Martin Kaymer has won a couple more events before then as well, he could be number one. It’s all go and it’s fantastic for the event,” said Monty, whose own personal goal, after dedicating the last two years to the Ryder Cup, is to get back into the winner’s circle in his own right and with it become the oldest ever winner on the European PGA Tour.

 

Thanks to Tim Maitland for sharing this great golf story with Golf for Beginners!

 

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Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Friday, October 08, 2010

Will eavesdropping on PGA, LPGA golfers bring more reality to golf TV?

Golf fans previously immersed in the FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup are now being fed more reality-based PGA Tour and LPGA events where golfers are mic'd up during their round. Golf Channel continues to test this format on TV with the assistance of a few willing participants.

Will this experiment in unrehearsed 'golfer to caddy chat' increase viewership?

In a nutshell, here are four choices for golf television viewing October 7-10.
In two out of the four events, professional golfers will have microphones attached so that fans can hear conversations with their caddies.



PGA Tour logoThe McGladrey Classic
Dates: Oct. 7-10
Venue: Seaside Course, Sea Island Golf Club, St. Simons Island, Ga.

  • Davis Love III Mic’d Up – Continuing a test with PGA TOUR players with microphones in 2010, Golf Channel will fit PGA TOUR professional Davis Love III with a microphone during Thursday’s opening round of coverage.  Viewers will have the opportunity to eavesdrop on conversations between Davis Love III and his caddy throughout the opening round of play. 



LPGA logoNavistar LPGA Classic presented by Monaco RV
                 Dates: Oct. 7-10
                 Venue: The Senator Course, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Ala

  •        Amanda Blumenherst Mic’d Up – LPGA Tour professional Amanda Blumenherst will be fitted with a microphone during Thursday’s tournament coverage and also will be the network’s Spotlight Player.
           At the Turn and Walk and Talk Featured – Val Skinner and Stephanie Sparks will interview players as they are walking the fairways during all four days of coverage as part of the network’s Walk and Talk feature.  On the weekend, they will interview players between holes 9 and 10 in the At the Turn feature.
            Battle for No. 1 Continues: Rolex Rankings No. 1 Ai Miyazato and No. 3 Cristie Kerr headline a field that includes No. 6 Na Yeon Choi, No. 8 In-Kyung Kim and No. 10 Paula Creamer.  Creamer, the reigning U.S. Open champion, will make her first appearance in Prattville.



Champions Tour logoConstellation Energy Senior Players Championship
Dates: Oct. 7-10
Venue: TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Md.

 
 
  • Season’s Final MajorAn elite field headlines the Champions Tour’s final major of the year, including Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Fred Funk, Corey Pavin, Jay Haas, Mark Calcavecchia, Hale Irwin and Tom Watson.
  •  Langer Going for Three Major VictoriesBernhard Langer will attempt to match Jack Nicklaus as the only Champions Tour professional to win three major championships in one season.
  • Homecoming for FunkThe Maryland native and former University of Maryland golf coach returns to a familiar venue and will attempt to equal Langer’s achievement in 2010 by winning back-to-back Champions Tour majors.



European Tour LogoAlfred Dunhill Links Championship
Dates: Oct. 7-10
Kingsbarns Golf Links, Kingsbarns, Scotland
Carnoustie Golf Links, Angus, Scotland
Old Course, St. Andrews Golf Club, St. Andrews, Scotland



  • World-Class Field: Nine members of the successful European Ryder Cup Team and captain Colin Montgomerie headlines the world-class field that also includes three-time major champion Ernie Els, two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, major champions Michael Campbell, Paul Lawrie and John Daly, who returns to the site of his 1995 Open Championship victory.






  • Sports and Entertainment Celebrities Featured International celebrities will compete this week, including Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Kyle MacLachlan, Huey Lewis and Michael Flatley.  Sporting legends from the world of soccer, tennis, soccer and skiing are also scheduled to compete.






  • Unique Tournament Format – Contested on three of the world’s best known and respected courses – the Old Course at St. Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Golf Links – 168 teams consisting of one professional and one amateur will play the first three rounds on the three courses in rotation.  The top-60 professionals and ties, plus the 20 leading teams, will play the final round at the Old Course at St. Andrews on Sunday.






  • Wednesday, October 06, 2010

    TaylorMade Golf Consumer Demo Experience for New Burner 2.0 Irons

    "Unstoppable 8" Taylor Made Golf Demo Tour Offers Consumers a Unique Opportunity to try Burner 2.0 irons and other TaylorMade Products, Compete in Contests and Win Prizes!



     TaylorMade Golf Company captivated a global audience by unveiling the next-generation Burner 2.0 irons via worldwide webcast on September 9. A month later, TaylorMade Golf is presenting consumers in eight cities across the country with a unique opportunity to experience the performance of the Burner 2.0.



    Called the "Unstoppable 8 Tour," each event is designed to offer golfers a venue where they can try for themselves the Burner 2.0 irons as well as other TaylorMade equipment.

    "Unstoppable 8" refers to a set of Burner 2.0, eight clubs designed to promote tremendous distance.


    "All you need to know about the Burner 2.0 irons is that they're long, really long," said Mike Ferris, vice president of the Burner product category.

    "We want to players of all levels with the opportunity to experience it, so we devised the Unstoppable 8 Demo Tour, which is a new way for us to introduce golfers to our products and engaging them with our brand. Each of the eight Unstoppable 8 events is a major production unto itself, and we've devoted a lot of time, effort and resources to ensure that attending an Unstoppable 8 event will be fun, informative and memorable."



    Attendees of Unstoppable 8 Demo Tour events will have the opportunity to:


    • Try the new Burner 2.0 irons
    • Participate in the Unstoppable 8 Demo Challenge
    • Meet members of TaylorMade's R&D and Product Development teams – the people responsible for the creation of Burner 2.0
    • Win "on-the-spot" prizes
    • Enter a sweepstakes to win a set of Burner 2.0 irons and other prizes
    • Pre-register at TaylorMadeGolf.com/Burner for a free gift when you attend

    The Unstoppable 8 Tour is scheduled to visit eight key Sun Belt markets; the public is invited and admission is free. The date of the first event, October 9 in San Diego, is the day after the Burner 2.0 becomes available at retail nationwide. The complete list of Unstoppable 8 dates and locations:


    • October 8 — San Diego, CA — Encinitas Ranch Golf Course
    • October 23 — Houston, TX — Golf Advantage School at the Clubs of Kingwood
    • November 6 — Palm Springs, CA — Marriott Shadowridge
    • November 6 — Orlando, FL — The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club
    • November 13 — Phoenix, AZ — TPC Scottsdale
    • November 13 — Tampa Bay, FL — Legacy Golf Club
    • November 20 — Miami, FL — Doral Resort
    • December 5 — West Palm Beach, FL — PGA National Resort & Spa

    TaylorMade Burner 2.0 irons say that they are ideal for any player who wants an easy-to-launch, distance-enhancing iron that also offers excellent feel and playability. With the Burner 2.0, TaylorMade has created eight individually engineered irons designed to be even better than their predecessor, the enormously popular first-generation Burner irons.


    For more information on the Burner 2.0 irons or the Unstoppable 8 Tour, visit www.taylormadegolf.com/burner. Consumers who pre-register online for the event in their market will receive a free sleeve of Burner golf balls upon arrival to the event!


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    Monday, October 04, 2010

    Most scenic golf holes on vacation in Mt. Washington Valley, New Hampshire

    New Hampshire Map

    There is still time to play golf and vacation in the Mt. Washington Valley region of New Hampshire! The scenery is magnificent, the food is fresh and delicious and, if you have never seen a moose in its natural habitat nor driven on the Auto Road to the top of Mt. Washington, you still have a chance before the first snowfall...then, it's ski season!


    The region’s eight golf courses should stay open until November 1st or the first snow.  Here’s a look at the most scenic holes for leaf peeping and putting in Mt Washington Valley, New Hampshire.




    MT WASHINGTON VALLEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE
    MOST SCENIC GOLF COURSE HOLES:


    Androscoggin Valley Country ClubAndroscoggin Valley Country Club: Number Eighteen.  During foliage, the color and the mountains contrasted with the blue sky make the scenery here breathtaking.

    Mountain View Grand Hotel, Spa & Golf:  First Hole.  From the tee box, there are mountain views on three sides with the hotel behind the golfer.

    Hales Location Golf Course: Number Five. This hole has a par 5 with a backdrop of Cranmore Ski Area aflame in color in the fall and a well bunkered, rolling fairway.

    Indian Mound Country Club:  All of them.  Look for a fall slide show gallery with scenic photos from throughout the course here: http://www.indianmoundgc.com/press/slideshows/fall2009.php

    North Conway Country Club: Number 14. This is the longest par four on the course, with all four teeing areas surrounded by towering maple and oak trees.  The long second shot (third for most ladies) is to an elevated, tiered green framed by giant bunkers right and left. The panoramic views of Mt. Washington and the Moat Range from the green are spectacular.

    Province Lake Golf Club: Number Eleven. Medium length par 3 overlooking the scenic Province Lake with the mountains in harvest hues as its backdrop.

    Waumbek Country Club: First Hole.  Magnificent view of the Presidential range as a backdrop. The same view is available for #18 too.

    Wentworth Country Club: Fifteenth Hole. 460 yards, par 5, downhill tee shot, second shot over water to green on highest spot of the course overlooking all of Jackson Village.


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    Friday, October 01, 2010

    Golf Professors offers online golf instruction by the Pros

    A team of some of the most talented golfers, and long time professionals, launch a website featuring online golf lessons taught by qualified professionals and professional instructors across the country.

    Nicole from the Golf Professors website
    The Golf Professors gives the golfing community the unique opportunity to learn from professionals at an affordable rate. A golfing industry-first, the Golf Professors not only offer online golf lessons, but also provide members with live online clinics and personal Q&A sessions from the professionals.

    Future plans for the website include an individual swing analysis, giving users services with direct feedback on their golf swing from the Professors themselves. All of the golf lessons are filmed in high definition and cover a variety of topics designed to benefit any golfer from beginner to competitive golfers alike.

    For more information about The Golf Professors, visit http://thegolfprofessors.com
    and join them on Twitter.com/thegolfprofs