Luke Donald

I’m one of these guys that places big hardware over how much money is stuffed into a golf bag.

Meaning? I judge a player’s greatness not on how many money titles he wins, or even how many Texas Valero Opens he captures. For me, it’s about Majors and that means the four big events of the year, the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open (or, ahem, The Open Championship) and the PGA Championship. Win one of those and you are a PLAYER in my eyes.

I look at it this way. Not too many pundits are ever going to say Andy North was one of the game’s greats, even though he’s one of the nicest people I have ever met. But he won two U.S. Opens! That’s big in my book and every time I think of North I think of those two Opens. You win one Open and you’re a made man. Win two in my book and you’ve done something special, even if, like North, you win only one other title on the PGA Tour.

So, I’m out of character when I say I’m so impressed by what Luke Donald did this year. No, he didn’t win a Major. Indeed, he hasn’t won one in his career, which I think changes in 2012. He’s too good of a ball striker and short game player not to grab at least one or two of the big ones during a career that is still in its prime.

But Donald did something that has never been done before and that gets me excited: He won the money titles on both the U.S. and European tours. Nope, never been done before in the same calendar year. Greg Norman did it but his titles came in different years. For Donald to win both in the same year is quite impressive, a “major” feat if you will.

His accomplishment was aided by the fact that winnings from a number of tournaments, such as the World Golf Championship events and the Majors, count on both tours. But you’ve still got to perform consistently well throughout the season whenever you tee it up, whether it is in Augusta or Dubai and Donald did just that this year.

I love what Luke Donald did. I’m still not ready to call him a great player because he needs that Major. I hope not having one doesn’t start to get to him like it has other fine European players, such as Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood. I can’t figure out how both of those studs never captured a Major title with all the talent they possessed and possess. Westwood’s still got a chance. Maybe he’ll pull a Darren Clarke and win one later in his career. But Westie needs a big title to lay claim as being one of the great players of the last two decades.

What Luke Donald did this year could springboard him to a fabulous 2012. That means not only being the number one player in the world according to some computer and having enough money to buy his own 747, but also collecting one of those beautiful trophies they give to the winners of the four Majors to put on his mantle.

The View Back to the 11th Tee. (Photo by Mark Eucalitto)

The Magical 11th at Crystal Springs (Photo by Mark Eucalitto)

This is a little tale about golfing guts, glory, disappointment, screaming schoolgirls, and bad manners. Yes, a lot can happen on a par-three.

The wandering Fearsome Foursome of myself, Mark Eucalitto, Dana Mosher and Vin Serella were enjoying a round at the Crystal Springs golf course, which is part of a fab lineup of tracks at the resort of the same name in northwest New Jersey. We drove our carts up a hill to the 11^th hole where spread before us like golfing Valhalla was the layout’s famed par-three, known as “The Quarry Hole.”

As you walk to the tee a marvelous sight unfolds some 75 or 80 below, the aforementioned quarry, with its black waters menacing and fearful, a small, tree-studded hill some 170 yards away and a massive green snaking past the quarry and back around the hillock. To add to the difficulty a yawning bunker sits to the back left of the green. (There’s also a wetlands below the tee box and a bunker in front of the sprawling green that didn’t come into play this day.)  In the distance, the hills of the Sussex Highlands rise and serve as a perfect backdrop to the visually exciting par-three.

Okay. I know all about the 17^th at Cypress Point, the 11th at Pine Valley, the 17^th on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass and so many other island greens and magical short holes. But the 11^th at Crystal Springs is the most impressive par-three I have played.

While the hole can be relatively easy if the pin is stuck in the front portion of the green (nothing more than a seven- or eight-iron) the day we played the flag was just barely visible in the shadows at the very back of the putting surface, some 185 yards away. Intimidating? How about gut-check time? We began to ponder what club we would hit as the foursome in front of us began to putt.

But first a lesson in proper golf course etiquette. Naturally, the 11^th backs up with groups because of its difficulty and majesty that demands you linger a bit and take it all in. The foursome behind us, instead of laying back a respectful amount of distance, drove up behind us on the very tight tee box area. Two players, without saying a word, get out, step onto the tee and start getting a read on the distance to the flag with a yardage finder.

Tip: If you are going to do something as rude as these guys did at least say something to the group ahead of you, like maybe “Hi, nice day,” or, “Do you mind if we get a look and a read.” Nothing from these jerks. Except that one of the guys yelled to the group playing the hole below to “Hurry up.” As my buddy Mark says, the tee box is sacred ground. Unless you are next to hit, stay off it and give the group playing the hole their space. Not wanting to make a fuss, especially with such a difficult tee shot facing us, we kept quiet, gave them a glare when we left and played the hole verrrrry slowly.

Back to the task at hand. Mark and Dana hit first with Mark putting the ball in the back left bunker and Dana hitting a pure seven-wood to within 20 feet. I pulled a four-iron, blocked the dopes behind us and the view out of my mind and struck a solid shot that caught the green and rolled to within 35 feet. Whew. Vin also joined Mark in the back bunker.

Actually finishing the hole out was anticlimactic, except for the view back to the tee from the green, with the white and gray cliffs rising from the quarry. Just fabulous.

Another aside: Prior to our putts, Dana had to scold several girls from a nearby school that were running amuck close to the green. “This is a golf course, for crying out loud.” Told you a lot can happen on a par-three.

Anyway, Dana two putts, Mark and Vin take bogeys out of the sand, so it’s up to me to two-putt to tie the hole or somehow drop the birdie putt. Too concerned with the line I came up five feet short and missed the par putt. What began with such a satisfying shot ended in bitter disappointment. It would have been a sweet par. It’s what makes golf so mesmerizing and frustrating. It took me one shot to go 175 yards from a tee 80 feet above the ground, over a quarry pond, and three strokes to get down from 10 yards. Go figure.

But today the only thought I have is that tee shot, soaring majestically high in the air, its arch over the quarry probably some 200 or more feet, and landing softly on a putting surface that I could hardly see. Nice.

If only every par-three could be like the 11^th at Crystal Springs.

Check this super course out (there are plenty of other interesting holes on the layout), as well the other tracks at Crystal Springs Resort, like the linksy Ballyowen, which we played in the wind and 45-degree temperatures, and Wild Turkey, two of the better courses in Jersey.

Visit www.crystalgolfresort.com for more information.

South Carolina's The Founder's Club

To say the Grand Strand of South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach has lots of great golf courses would, of course, be an understatement.

But Classic Golf Group is taking excellence to a new level. In business since 1986, Classic Golf Group arranges play at several of the area’s top rated courses, including the Founder’s Club at Pawley’s Island, which earned this year’s Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association Course of the Year honors.

“Classic Golf Group offers an exceptional experience on four award winning quality courses for a competitive price because of our commitment to the game, the product and to the customer,” says Sherri Crawford, director of marketing for the firm. “Our target audience varies based on the time of the year. Overall it consists of locals, hotel package play, walk-in guests and members at specific groups or courses.”

Other courses in the impressive Classic Golf Group portfolio include Indian Wells Golf Club, the 2004 winner of the MBGOA Course of the Year award, 2006 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year, Burning Ridge Golf Club, and Black Bear Golf Club, which has hosted major tournaments.

“Classic Golf Group would like to add new clubs in the future should the right opportunity arise and the golf industry has stabilized,” says Crawford.

The firm draws its clients from the Myrtle Beach area, all of South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Canada, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Tennessee, Chicago, Atlanta and New Jersey.

The reason for Classic Golf Group’s success is really quite simple.

“We offer a quality product with excellent customer service at an affordable price,” says Crawford.

This year’s Myrtle Beach Golf Course of the Year, the Founder’s Club, is defined by waste bunkers that run alongside almost every fairway, providing visual contrast when set against the layout’s lush green fairways.

Classic Golf Group handles every aspect of a golf trip through its Classic Golf Getaways division. It also offers a Classic Player Card that entitles the holder to deep discounts and a free gift, and Classic Gift Certificates to any of the four courses.

For more information, visit, www.ClassicGolfGroup.com

View from the tee at the ninth hole at Golf Club at River Oaks. Photo by Mark Eucalitto

It has always hit me as quite remarkable that two of the best new courses built in New England during the past decade are located about a five minutes crow’s flight from one another, Bulls Bridge Golf Club in Kent and The Golf Club at River Oaks on the Sherman/New Milford town line in western Connecticut.

I had the opportunity to play both of these private gems this year and it is difficult for me to choose which one I prefer. It’s kind of like deciding between chocolate chip or chocolate swirl ice cream. I mean, they both taste great. If I were to compare I would say there are more spectacular holes at Bulls Bridge, especially, one, two and 12, with the first tee maybe the most dramatic view on a golf course in Connecticut. While River Oaks may not have the visual wow factor of its competitor up the road, the routing is just as good and unique in that a number of the track’s holes on the back nine hug the Housatonic River, which was visible through the shedding trees when we played this week. And the look from the tee box on the ninth hole reminds one of playing golf in northern New England rather than  Connecticut.

There are differences between the two in ways other than their routings. Bulls Bridge is a golf club, pure and simple, while River Oaks is more of a country club, with tennis courts and a pool and a huge dining facility. There are also homes (several quite stunning) near the course at River Oaks, while Bull’s Bridge is unto itself. But the real reason people join these clubs is for the golf and it’s great at both venues.

Ralph Salito is the new head pro, director of golf, teaching pro and several other titles at River Oaks, joining the club earlier this year after a long and stellar stint at Richter Park Golf Course in Danbury, Ct., ranked annually as one of the better municipal courses in the United States. Ralph is an accomplish player, having won a number of prestigious tournaments and he can still can move the ball around the course with skill and success.

We got to play River Oaks on perhaps an ideal autumn afternoon, temperatures around 60, a bright sun and no wind, which only enhanced the experience. Robert McNeil designed the course that opened in 2003 and he built into it challenge and fairness. The fairways are rather generous on the par-fives and longer par-fours and tighter and strewn with fairway bunkers on several of the shorter par-fours. The greens are fairly large and kept on the fast side, although this time of year the grass grows a little thicker and slows the roll of the ball down.

While the course is no push-over it is eminently playable for guys like us, 8 to 10 handicappers, as long as you play the proper set of tees, which for us on this day were the whites, measuring around 6,100 yards. The tips play 6,730 yards with a slope of 138 and a course rating of 73.8. The layout  plays to a par of 70 and has five par-threes, which cuts into the overall length, so don’t be fooled into thinking 6,100 yards is easy. It’s not, even for the best players.

Perhaps the best hole on the front side is the 435-yard (back tees) par -four ninth, which starts from a dramatically elevated tee box and affords a spectacular view of the fairway below and the hills in the distance. The second shot is across a natural area with a huge bunker guarding the right side of the putting surface. I made par and it felt like birdie.

Number 12 is a real nice short par-four that plays about 300 yards. But the drive must be pure to avoid several large fairway bunkers, and the second shot is to a green that is hidden from sight on the fairway.

The finishing holes are all very good, which adds to the satisfaction of playing the course. A well-designed golf course should always reach a climatic ending in style and River Oaks does that. After a nice par-three in the woods at 15 there’s a short par-five (503 from the tips) that can be reached in two by the big hitters, and then comes the course’s signature hole in my estimation, the 210-yard par-three 17^th that plays across a pond to a narrow green. The 18^th is solid, a double dogleg par-five that demands a lusty drive, a well-placed layup and a short iron into a large green that is protected by  bunkers.

All in all, River Oaks is as good a golf course as you will find in the state. If you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and test out this beauty. Check out www.clubriveroaks.com.

The Cape is a wonderful venue for fall golf, with the courses in good condition and the competition for tee times nowhere near as intense as during the summer months. Courses on the Cape will stay open all winter, providing Old Man Winter doesn’t send snow or ice pelting down on the peninsula that sticks out like a flexed arm into the Atlantic Ocean.

Starting at Bourne and ranging to Truro, the Cape boasts a wide variety of layouts–from exclusive private clubs to little nine-hole gems that never fail to delight. Many courses offer fabulous fall greens fees.

Cranberry Valley Golf Course, designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva and located in Harwich, is well a maintained course and features a superb routing that flows easily over beautiful terrain, which includes marshes and, of course, a few cranberry bogs.

Management enhanced the course a few years ago through an extensive bunker redesign and restoration, overseen by noted architect Mark Mungeam. Several fairway bunkers were relocated so as to come into play to protect par against today’s modern equipment, although the best players can still dare to fly the traps off the tee.

Cranberry Valley isn’t overly long, 6,745, but there are a number of dogleg holes that add invisible yardage and demand proper club selection and shot placement off the tee.

Bay Pointe Country Club in Onset offers a fun routing and a course that is easy to walk. The course, located just a mile from the Cape Cod Canal on the mainland side of the Cape, plays only 6,201 yards from the tips and is a par 70. It is a shot maker’s course, one where correct club selection and accurate positioning is rewarded more than brute strength off the tee.

The terrain of Bay Pointe is gentle, except for some hilly sections on the opening two holes, the first a par-five that measures close to 500 yards and the second the longest par-four on the course at 465 yards.

The layout also features one of the few island greens in Massachusetts, the seventh hole, which plays only 100 yards from the back tees. But you had better hit it right on the number or double bogey comes into the equation.

A few miles away is Sandwich Hollows Golf Club, which offers views of Cape Cod Bay to the north from several holes. The course is bordered by hundreds of acres of conservation area to the east, west and south, giving golfers the feeling of being isolated from players on other holes.

Sandwich Hollows features a number of par-fours on the short side, several long par-threes, and challenging par-fives, one of which (the sixth hole) measures close to 600 yards from the tips.

Up Route 6 a bit from Sandwich Hollows is the Yarmouth’s 45-hole facility that includes Bayberry Hills Golf Course and The Links 9 and Bass River Golf Course.

The original 18 holes at Bayberry Hills was designed by the team of Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva and opened for play in 1986. The layout can be stretched to almost 7,200 yards. The track features seven par-fours of over 400 yards and three par-threes over 200 yards, including the monstrous 241-yard 17^th hole. Number four is a good par-four, playing around 400 yards with water guarding the right side of the fairway landing area and the front of the green.

The Links 9 was opened in 1999 and is a fun course to play if you want to tack another nine holes onto your round or are merely looking to fit a little golf in between sightseeing or walking the beach. A number of the holes are doglegs, which makes approach shots tricky if you don’t put your tee shot in the proper position. Number nine is a 195-yard par-three that demands a solid shot over water to reach a medium size green.

In contrast to the modern look of Bayberry Hills, Bass River Golf Club offers a 100-year-old course that the legendary Donald Ross renovated and expanded in 1914. The layout rolls along among trees and sandy hills and features narrow fairways, small greens and views of nearby Bass River.

The club’s signature hole is the sixth, a 169-yard three par that plays across the river. The layout is on the short side, but the holes demand good shot making and a deft touch around the greens, a Ross trademark.

The Captains Golf Course is Brewster offers 36 holes of very good golf on two distinct 18-hole layouts. The club bills itself as the Cape’s premier public golf facility. The conditioning here is always top notch, the golf is challenging and scenic, there are two practice greens and a driving range, a restaurant, a staff that is always available for lessons, and a fully-stocked pro shop.

The two courses–The Port and The Starboard–are solid routings. The Port plays to a yardage of 6,724 yards and has a slope of 131 and a rating above its posted par of 72, which gives an indication of the difficulty of some of the holes. Perhaps the best is the 573-yard, par-five eighth. A pond guards the putting surface and there are several large fairway bunkers to complicate matters.

The Starboard Course plays around 6,800 yards and has a slope of 122. It’s a bit more “player friendly,” with wide fairways and large greens and fewer bunkers than its sister track, which makes it more suitable for seniors and mid-handicappers. Number 18 is a great finishing hole, a 534-yard par-five that can be reached in two by big hitters.

Falmouth Country Club is a town-owned club that has 27 holes of golf–an 18-hole, par-72 course and the nine-hole “Talon” layout that appeals to players of all abilities, especially seniors, ladies and juniors.

FCC’s holes have a “Carolina” feel, and it is real treat to play here during autumn when the warm breezes blow off the Atlantic Ocean and the sun shines through the tall pines that line much of the layout.

FCC’s Championship Course plays 6,665 yards from the tips and has a par of 72. There is a nice mix of short, mid-length and long par-fours that will have you hitting every club in your bag, both off the tees and on approaches to the medium-sized greens.

The Talon Course plays 3,455 yards from the tips and, despite its reputation as a “family” course, the track has quite a bit of bite, such as the monstrous, 495-yard par-four first hole.

Quashnet Valley Country Club in Mashpee is considered one of Cape Cod’s true gems.

The 6,601-yard, par-72 championship layout offers an approachable routing for all golfers, yet one that can be tricky and baffle the best players at times. A number of the holes are lined with waste areas or wetlands, which means that you’d better keep the ball straight off the tee if you want to enjoy your round.

The seventh hole is a great par-five, playing 525 yards from the tips and big hitters can get on or close to the putting surface in two shots with a big drive. But water runs almost all the way down to the green on the left side and the fairway is somewhat narrow.

The Brookside Club in Bourne calls itself a public club with a private feel. The layout was originally designed by Mike Hurzdan and refined by John Sanford 15 years ago. It offers very good conditions and an approachable routing, one that pleases beginners and scratch golfers alike.

The first hole is a 460-yard par-four that tests you right out of the box, and the 10^th hole is a nice par-five that plays almost 600 yards and tumbles softly downhill to the green.

Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth, a town that is considered part of “the old Cape,” has 27 holes of great golf.

The Championship Course is a test but it won’t beat you up. The 251-yard 17^th, perhaps the most difficult short hole in the region, demands a lusty tee shot over a waste area and a yawning bunker that sits some 15 feet below the putting surface.

The club’s Challenger Course is a super spot for beginners and high-handicappers to have some fun. The layout plays only 2,264 yards from the back and is a par-33. Conditions on the Challenger track are just as good as on the Championship Course.

Visit www.capecodchamber.org for individual course website information.

Surrounded by a few of my close friends and family and an Army honor guard that saluted dad for his service in Europe during World War II in tear-jerking fashion, Armond Torsiello was put into the ground next to my mom, who had passed away almost 17 years ago. They handed me the flag that was draped over dad’s coffin, saluted and thanked me for my father’s service to his country, a service he was so proud of and told me about often, especially in his later years. Another of America’s Greatest Generation gone from the earth by not forgotten.

I owe my father everything I am, of course. He helped care for me when I couldn’t care for myself, picked up after my messes when I was a dumb teenager, helped my family through occasional tough financial times with an ease that only parents can pull off. And he never asked anything in return. I like to think that I did indeed pay dad back later in life by making sure he was fine and happy at the senior housing apartments where he lived in peace after my mom died, and then ensuring he was well cared for and loved when he entered a rest home a year and a half ago.

One of the greatest gifts my father gave me was a love for and participation in sports. Baseball, basketball, tennis, bowling and football, he loved it all and passed that precious gift down to an eager son, his only child. One of my first memories was watching the 1958 National Football League championship game between the New York Gants and the Baltimore Colts on a cold, early December afternoon. Dad was upset because Johnny Unitas was my favorite player and I rooted for the Colts, while he was a New York Giants fan.

There were meetings with great Giants players of the 1960’s during “sports nights”  at dad’s veteran’s club, guys like Del Shofner and Y.A. Title, who would drive up to Torrington, Ct. for $500 bucks and a dinner and sign autographs for wide-eyed kids like me until their hands hurt.

Dad never pushed sports on me, rather I absorbed them through osmosis and he loved every minute of it. As I sat next to his casket this week listening to a bugler blow taps, I was taken back to the day when dad brought me to my first Major League baseball game. I recalled vividly how green the grass looked as we walked out of the tunnel and into the stands at Yankee Stadium. I got to see Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit home runs that day and I still have a button my dad bought for me of Maris hanging in my office.

Dad also instilled in me a love for golf. He wasn’t very good at it but he liked the game a lot, found it fun to hang out with his brothers and work buddies and walk nine holes on a regular basis. There was the first set of Wilson woods (persimmon) and irons my parents gave me for Christmas and days of being dropped off at a local golf course during the summer, where me and my cousins and friends would spend the entire day playing the game, I think for something like three bucks apiece.

We all caught the golf bug. Arnold Palmer was big then and Arnie was cool. I set up a nine-hole course in our backyard and used plastic golf balls to play fantasy matches between the famous players of the day. One of my friends even went so far as to build a dirt course in an abandoned gravel pit behind his house.

Dad and I would play occasionally. He was a lefty swinger and never really mastered the game, although he became a steady bogey golfer once he retired and joined a league. He and my late uncle, Chet, would get a kick out of how far my cousin and I could hit the ball with our new drivers that seemed so large back then but appear nothing more than 3-woods by today’s standards.

Dad and my uncle would tell some great stories about their golf, like the time my uncle pulled a ball away from some deep rough so he could hit a shot and was reprimanded by his opponent for doing so. “Oh, be quiet, it’s just a game and we aren’t going to be around for much longer,” my uncle fired back and kept right on rolling the ball whenever he needed to.

Once, when playing with dad I noticed that every time he marked his golf ball on the green he threw the coin down so that it landed a few inches closer to the hole than it should have. I questioned him on it and he said, “What’s the big deal? It’s only a few inches,” and I never questioned him on it again.

He and my uncle would occasionally ask what one or the other got on a certain hole and they would answer, “Give me a five,” or “Give me a four.”  Which, of course, was bending the truth a bit, but again it was just a game, so what the heck.

Later in both my dad and my uncle’s lives, my cousin, Rick, and I would challenge them to a yearly match, offering them a stroke a hole in the best-ball format. The Old Guys usually prevailed but that’s the way Rick and I really wanted it to turn out anyway. It was more about re-bonding and expressing our gratitude for all the sacrifices our fathers made for us and the love of golf they instilled in us. I still laugh when I recall dad pumping his fist after he smoked a five-wood to a green on a par-four, knowing that his shot probably secured them the victory and the chance to hold the trophy for one more year.

Dad and I would enjoy sitting in front of the television set and watch the pros play. He loved Arnie and off-beat guys, like Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lee Trevino and then later found a special liking for Mark Calcavecchia and Rocco Mediate because of their Italian-American heritage. Of course, anybody I interviewed also became a favorite of his. He would read the stories I wrote with interest and comment on them when we saw one another. As they say, he was “involved” in what I was doing and it made me feel appreciated. And there is no better feeling you can get from your dad than the feeling of being appreciated.

His proudest moment on a golf course came when he won The Retirees Golf League championships at Eastwoods Country Club, a little nine-hole course in Torrington, when he was 80. I waited for him to come in on the last hole so I could find out what happened in the big championship match, and there was dad, riding on back of the golf cart with his partner, smiling and waving. We knew dad had finally won that darn cup, closing his opponents out on the eighth hole, after so many years of trying.

Dad is gone now but not really. He lives in my soul and in my memory and I’ll think of him every day, especially when I’m on a golf course, a place that he taught me to love and enjoy. In the end, the greatest gift a father can give to his child is just that, to love and enjoy life.

Dad stopped playing golf a few years back because he was having trouble with his balance. I’ll turn his left-handed sticks over to my daughter, who somehow picked up this backwards approach to the game from grandpa. Jen and her husband Brandon are having a baby in a few weeks and we will all try to infuse in him a love for anything involving a ball, just like my father did with me.

Goodbye dad. See if you can arrange a few more birdies and maybe an eagle for me. I miss you.

Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson is the coolest thing to hit professional golf since a fresh-faced Tiger Woods burst onto the scene and into our living rooms 15 years ago and made everyone fall in love with the game. Seems so long ago, doesn’t it?

But Ms. Thompson has a chance to reenergize a sport that needs new energy. The LPGA did the right thing in granting her playing status in 2012 even though she hasn’t yet had a chance to take her Justin Bieber posters off her bedroom wall.

Listen, the kid (16 years old) can play. And if she can win on a professional Tour like she did when she captured the Navistar Classic recently (by five shots no less) then she deserves a chance to keep playing and winning. Golf desperately needs a feel good story, some kid that we can get excited about and who will draw young fans (and, let’s face it, women) to the game the way Woods did when he burst upon the scene and performed magic for a dozen years.

We thought Michele Wie was going to revolutionize the sport for he ladies a few years back and she did, kind of. That was before she adopted an ass-backwards approach of spending much of her teenage years golfing and trying to play on the both the women’s and men’s tours, and then deciding go to college when she should be out living up to the hype that surrounded her when she was a 13-year-old bombing it 300 yards and beating men. I honestly think Wie is going to Stanford to tick her parents off. They ruled her life with such an iron fist when she was a kid and wound up depriving her of basic joys, like having a boyfriend and going to her high school prom. Instead, she played golf and then she played more golf and more golf until she was burned out. Remember those 88’s she was throwing up a few years back? I’m not one to knock education but it is difficult for me to understand anyone with the athletic talent that Wie possesses (as well as millions in the bank from endorsements and winnings) would want to stay up until 3 a.m. cramming for a trigonometry exam. A tad bizarre if you ask me. But that’s her life.

Alexis Thompson is rarin’ to go and I can’t wait to how this kid does next year. She’s wise not to jump full bore into the LPGA this year and wait until she has her mind and affairs sorted out before she goes at it fulltime in 2012.

Golf needs Lexi Thompson the way it needed Tiger Woods. She can attract young girls (and boys) to the game, which is one significant and lasting way we can grow golf in the coming years. Young female golfers have traditionally been underserved and often they are intimidated by the game. Women’s golf organizations have also not done enough to promote the game to girls (i.e., spending money establishing junior programs for girls, funding female high school teams, etc.). Alexi can pump a new vitality into the game and finally make young females understand the joys of competing at what is one of the best games ever invented.

With Tiger on the wane, Alexis Thompson may just be the next savior the game needs.

Leave

 It happens at times. Rick Smith has laid out several very good tracks, including Shenandoah Golf Club at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. (you gotta play this one) and there have been others. So David Glenz had some precedent when he got to lay out his dream 18 in Long Valley, N.J.

The finishing touches are being put on Glenz’s Black Oak Golf Club. Glenz, who was the PGA National Teacher of the Year in 1998, an accomplished player in the Metropolitan area, and a member of the New Jersey PGA Hall of Fame, had always harbored a strong desire to craft his own course. His objective at Black Oak was to blend the features of the land into a unique and memorable course.

“My guarantee was this,” he told me earlier this spring, “we will have 18 different holes that require shot values, while being scenic and fun to play.”

For the low handicapper, the course will stretch to almost 7,100 yards, with broad fairways winding through trees and along the ridgeline. Multiple tees will allow a comfortable yardage for players of all ability levels. Lakes and streams throughout the property are utilized to create both shot value and beauty. The varied green settings will test putting ability. Round to round, the course will play differently; determined by conditions, course set-up and ability level. Players are offered a variety of shot options, challenging their imagination and competitive goals. A limited membership will preserve the relaxed, unhurried pace for a great golf experience in a pristine setting.

The developers have completed all 18 holes and numbers five and 10 were for play by the first of May.

Said Glenz, who has been the New Jersey PGA Teacher of the Year eight times, has appeared on The Golf Channel, and written over 50 articles for Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Golf Illustrated and New Jersey Golf, “We opened 16 holes for play last October and got a lot of positive feedback from prospective members as far as the quality of the course design and the playability of the course. We have a temporary clubhouse of 2,000 square feet that seats 40 people easily and a large bar with seating for 14. Outside, we have a large deck and patio area that will have seating for at least 60 people. Or intention is to create an intimate club with the primary focus on golf.”

Naturally, Black Oak will be a place to not only play the game but also learn to master the art, whether you are a beginner or an advanced player.

“I feel our teaching staff is the best of any golf course in the country,” said Glenz, “with over 100 years of teaching experience between the four teachers. We have two Golf Magazine Top 100 teachers in myself and Mike Lopuszynski, a former New Jersey teacher of the year, Bryan Jones, and LPGA and TPI certified instructor Wendy Ferrara, who develops our fitness protocol. We also have the mental side covered by sports psychologist, Dr. Nick Molinaro. For anyone who loves the game of golf and wants to improve, we feel we have the best environment anywhere.”

Glenz expects initial members of Black Oak to come mostly from the immediate surrounding area.

“But we anticipate that as the word spreads we will draw from anywhere within an hour’s drive, which will include New York City. I anticipate we will draw a lot of advanced players. We already have New Jersey State Amateur champion Brian Komline, former State Amateur champion Mike Deo, and current Women’s State Amateur champion, Kuriko Tsukayama. In addition, I have a great core of four very strong playing assistants.”

 While Black Oak will prove a challenge for the best players, Glenz also wanted to create a layout that is manageable for players of lesser ability, one that won’t intimidate beginners and higher handicappers.

“The design of the course is not to make the game more difficult but to make the game fun, challenging and enjoyable for all ability levels,” he said.

There are any number of nice holes at Black Oak, which has multiple tee areas that allow a comfortable overall yardage for players of all skill levels. Lakes and streams were incorporated into the routing to create both shot values and scenic beauty.

The third hole is a demanding par-four playing 460 yards from the tips. It requires an accurate tee shot with a lake on the left and woods to the right. The second shot is across a stream that runs some 60 yards short of the putting surface, which is guarded on the left by the lake and on the right by two bunkers.

The fourth-hole is a beauty of a par-three, playing over 200 yards from the back. The tee shot is over water with the green bunkered left and right. You can play the shot a bit short and still get up and down for par.

The 13^th hole is a sweet little par-three measuring 130 yards. The green is wide but shallow with a ridge in the middle that falls to the left. The green is protected by a lake to the left and bunkers center and right. When the wind is up, club selection is crucial to finding the putting surface,

The 17^th is a super par-five that plays 560 yards. There are two bunkers about 290 yards out that cut a generous fairway in half. The second shot needs to avoid a lake to the left and a bunker some 90 yards short of the green. The putting surface is guarded by a bunker front left and a pot bunker front right that opens up to a chipping area for approaches that miss the 5,000-square-foot green.

Number 18 is a solid finisher that measures 430 yards. You’ll need a strong tee shot on the slight dogleg right to set an up an open look to the green, which has bunkers front right and left with a large fescued hill as a backdrop. The green on 18 is ample but gently sloping with tricky breaks depending upon pin placement.

For information visit www.blackoakgolfclub.com.

Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson is the coolest thing to hit professional golf since a fresh-faced Tiger Woods burst onto the scene and into our living rooms 15 years ago and made everyone fall in love with the game. Seems so long ago, doesn’t it?

But Ms. Thompson has a chance to reenergize a sport that needs new energy. The LPGA did the right thing in granting her playing status in 2012 even though she hasn’t yet had a chance to take her Justin Bieber posters off her bedroom wall.

Listen, the kid (16 years old) can play. And if she can win on a professional Tour like she did when she captured the Navistar Classic recently (by five shots no less) then she deserves a chance to keep playing and winning. Golf desperately needs a feel good story, some kid that we can get excited about and who will draw young fans (and, let’s face it, women) to the game the way Woods did when he burst upon the scene and performed magic for a dozen years.

We thought Michele Wie was going to revolutionize the sport for he ladies a few years back and she did, kind of. That was before she adopted an ass-backwards approach of spending much of her teenage years golfing and trying to play on the both the women’s and men’s tours, and then deciding go to college when she should be out living up to the hype that surrounded her when she was a 13-year-old bombing it 300 yards and beating men. I honestly think Wie is going to Stanford to tick her parents off. They ruled her life with such an iron fist when she was a kid and wound up depriving her of basic joys, like having a boyfriend and going to her high school prom. Instead, she played golf and then she played more golf and more golf until she was burned out. Remember those 88’s she was throwing up a few years back? I’m not one to knock education but it is difficult for me to understand anyone with the athletic talent that Wie possesses (as well as millions in the bank from endorsements and winnings) would want to stay up until 3 a.m. cramming for a trigonometry exam. A tad bizarre if you ask me. But that’s her life.

Alexis Thompson is rarin’ to go and I can’t wait to how this kid does next year. She’s wise not to jump full bore into the LPGA this year and wait until she has her mind and affairs sorted out before she goes at it fulltime in 2012.

Golf needs Lexi Thompson the way it needed Tiger Woods. She can attract young girls (and boys) to the game, which is one significant and lasting way we can grow golf in the coming years. Young female golfers have traditionally been underserved and often they are intimidated by the game. Women’s golf organizations have also not done enough to promote the game to girls (i.e., spending money establishing junior programs for girls, funding female high school teams, etc.). Alexi can pump a new vitality into the game and finally make young females understand the joys of competing at what is one of the best games ever invented.

With Tiger on the wane, Alexis Thompson may just be the next savior the game needs.

The Sonocaddie

Salem, New Hampshire has been home to Dennco, makers and distributors of the Sonocaddie GPS system and the Club Champ brand of golf travel covers, practice and training devices, games, gifts and accessories, since 1981.

Quite remarkably, the company began as a small family operation with a single product–a hand-held pad printer for golf balls.

Jim Dennesen, president of Dennco, told me that the company started in New England because it was ‘home’. It grew from that home operation with a few employees over the years to a significant manufacturing and warehousing operation employing between 25 to 30, with many more seasonal employees.

Dennesen says the focus of the firm has shifted recently to warehousing and distribution, with more and more of the company’s manufacturing done in Asia.

“Some products are still made here when we have the ability to replace cheap foreign labor and high ocean freight with locally manufactured raw materials from recycled materials and modern production techniques.

The company built its present facility in 1996. Dennesen says New Hampshire is truly “home” for Dennco.

“There’s history, great people, a clean environment, with the ocean, lakes and mountains at your doorstep. It’s within driving distance to New York and Montreal, and just 30 minutes from Boston. New Hampshire has always had a favorable attitude toward business, and the lack of any state income or sales taxes makes the state a great place to work and live. We have a hard working, loyal and motivated work force drawn from the local area, and a very low attrition rate. We have a great infrastructure, two airports (Boston Logan and Manchester, N.H.) within 30 minutes, and proximity to major highways and trucking routes, so getting product in from ocean terminals and out to our major customers is fast and smooth.”

Dennco is committed to the area long term, he says.

“Sure we have some snow, and I’d love to spend more time fishing and playing golf in Florida. But at this time we have no plans to move our home office from New Hampshire. We have shifted some of our warehousing and distribution operations to the Los Angeles area to improve efficiency, and as I mentioned, much of the manufacturing has gone overseas. We are lean, mean and green, and well-positioned for a stable long-term future here where we love to live.” 

With the current state of retail, golf, and the general economy, the company’s plans are for modest and sustained growth.