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In The Mail: Big Max Aqua Sport 2 Golf BagOctober 19, 2018In the mail for review yesterday was a Big Max Aqua Sport 2 Golf Bag. My initial impression is that it is very well made with a waterproof material that has an interesting texture. Big Max also advertises the idea that the bag is washable. That last feature makes me wonder why I haven’t seen a washable bag advertised before this. Bags get dirty, but I have always hesitated to hose one down. The Big Max looks like I could get my power washer, load it with soap and hose it down on a low setting. The Big Max Aqua Sport 2 Golf Bag has seven large pockets, including an excellent cooler pocket that’s large enough to lose an arm in. I’ll have a full review in a week or two. Big Max is Europe’s top selling golf trolley brand, with products like the amazing looking Blade IP push cart. The company began sales in the United States in 2014. From the manufacturer: The AQUA Sport 2 is a 100% waterproof cart bag that features a 9.5-inch organizer top with 14 full length dividers, 7 spacious pockets, oversize putter well for large grips and weighs in at just over 5 lbs. This stylish, waterproof and washable cart bag also benefits from a clear rain hood with dual zips giving easy access from either side. A host of neat features complete this premium offer from BIG MAX AQUA line. The Big Max Aqua Sport 2 Golf Bag retails for $299.99 and is available in Black/silver, Charcoal/Black/Red, Silver/Black/Cobalt, Red/Black/Silver, Navy/Black/Silver To purchase visit https://us.bigmaxgolf.com Big Max also has special holiday deal going right now: Holiday Special: With every purchase of a BLADE IP receive a free flight bag With every purchase of a BIG MAX bag, receive an AQUA U.V. Umbrella...
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Halloween Golf BallsOctober 19, 2018 Halloween Golf Balls Ridiculous Golf Item Of The Week...
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Pacific Dunes Golf Course Review and AppreciationOctober 18, 2018Pacific Dunes Golf Course Review and Appreciation Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Grade: A+ Teacher’s Comments: Sublime Pacific Dunes currently is ranked by Golf Digest as the second best Public Course in America, and the eighteenth best course overall (a list that includes Pine Valley and Augusta National). It certainly is one of the best courses that I have ever played (for perspective, I have only played 18 of the top 100 public and 11 of the top 100 overall — so just a small sample). Designed by Tom Doak, Pacific Dunes is a rugged true links course, routed through natural dunes, playing hard-and-fast on sandy fairways, and swept by ocean winds. Every hole looks as though it was “found” rather than created. Pacific Dunes golf course was our group’s consensus favorite at Bandon Dunes golf resort. Every course there is a must-play, but if you have time to play some twice, Pacific Dunes should be one of those. On my trip, I played Pacific Dunes and Old MacDonald twice. It is worth a trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort just to play Pacific Dunes. Fortunately, the resort also has the #36 (0verall) Bandon Dunes, the #47 Old MacDonald and the #70 Bandon Trails. You can knock off four bucket list courses in one trip to the Oregon coast. Bandon Trails is a peaceful woodlands course; Bandon Dunes, while routed through the same terrain as Pacific has a more resort feel; Old MacDonald is open and spare (in a good way). Each shares the same links golf DNA, but Pacific Dunes is somehow more wild. From the back tees, Pacific Dunes measures 6, 633 yards and plays to a 73.0/143. One tee up, the course measures 6, 142 and plays to a 70.7/133. The course also has gold tees at 5, 775 and blue tees at 3, 920. To Bandon Dunes’ credit, women’s course ratings are offered for all but the back tees. The 6, 142 yard green tees, for example are a 76.3/143 for the ladies. The best holes at Pacific Dunes are the par threes. The fifth is the only one on the front nine. The four on the back include the tenth, which has two very different sets of tee boxes for use on different days. The upper box turns the tenth into a dizzying downhill shot with the entire green exposed; the lower is more akin to a shot through a canyon of dunes. There are five threes at Bandon Dunes, but with the two very different tees on eleven, Doak effectively created six. The part three eleventh just might be the Pacific Dune’s signature hole. With a very strong wind in my face, I actually hit driver to this hole, to good effect. Doak’s routing is unusual, but works superbly. Pacific Dunes has seven par fours on the front nine and four par threes on the back. In retrospect, the idea of seven par fours sounds tedious but I did not notice at the time. Each is a unique work. My favorite hole was the par four thirteenth. Measuring 444 from the back, and 371 from the more reasonable middle tees, it plays slightly uphill to a elevated green set against a large dune. There is a huge landing area to the right, and the temptation is to aim there to avoid launching your ball over the cliff into the the ocean (as one of my playing companions did). However, right is not the ideal location for the second shot. An approach for the right brings bunkers on that side of the green into play — particularly for slicers. Worse, since the prevailing wind is in your face, there is also the danger of misjudging and falling left and short (as I did the first time through.) A shot more centered in the fairway lets a player take advantage of the deep, but somewhat narrow green by taking an extra club just to be sure the ball arrives.Pacific Dunes’ ninth is a 406 yard par 4 with an upper and lower green. The fairway to the lower green bends left; the upper green is fairly straightaway. In either case your tee shot needs to clear this dune.One of the most interesting sequence of holes comes at the ninth and tenth. The ninth is a par four with dual fairways and greens. Depending upon the day, the blind tee shot over an imposing dune needs to draw left or fade right. The right side heads uphill to the green; the left plunges downhill. A split fairway and dual greens are interesting in and of themselves. What makes this sequence special is that the split fairways and dual greens on the ninth lead to dual tees on the tenth. When the upper fairway and green are used on the ninth, the par three tenth offers a dramatic drop from tee to green. When the lower fairway on the ninth is in play, the tenth also has a lower tee, with a line that passes through two dunes — with the left one being particularly imposing — to the green. Since our group played on successive days, I had the chance to play this sequence both ways. (See the photos above.) Below are the yardage book pages. I have drawn lines on the book to show how the holes (and their following tees play). Pacific Dunes is a tough course, but I never felt as though I was being beaten up. The fairways were plenty wide for my game; the greens big enough to make hitting them a reasonable prospect. Getting the ball into the correct position is another issue. With the hard and fast conditions, every swale on the fairways was likely to toss the ball offline. The constant wind made judging distances difficult. Fortunately, every ball location — even the poor ones — seem to offer multiple opportunities for recovery — and redemption. I think it would be a very long time, indeed, before I tired of trying to decipher the puzzle. The Pacific Dunes Golf Course Review was first published October 1, 2018 from two rounds played in July 2018 A Pacific Dunes photo gallery follows: ...
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JQueen Watch WinderOctober 18, 2018 JQueen Watch Winder Over the last several years, I have acquired a small collection of automatic watches. I tried to keep them wound by rotating them through the week, but I couldn’t keep up. So I got this watch winder. It keeps four wound, while I wear another. It features:Powered with Japanese super silent motor no running noise. Nice looking, easy to operate. 100% handmade and good value. The use of acrylic glass, environmental protection piano lacquer and transmission using copper fittings. 4 turntables with PU soft watch pilow, smooth, atmosphere and quality with high-grade. Watch winder motor have 3 direction settings (clockwise, counter-clockwise and alternating) and multiple Turns Per Day settings. Four Program Settings: Mode 1 : 2mins CW, rest for 6 mins, repeat. Mode 2 : 2 mins CCW, rest for 6 mins, repeat. Mode 3 : 2 mins CW, rest for 6 mins, then 2 mins CCW, rest for 6 mins, repeat. Mode 4 : 5 mins CW, 5 mins CCW, repeat above for 3 hours, rest for 9 hours, repeat. Dual power supply more reasonable. Powered by 100-240v AC Adapter(included) or 2X 1.5V Battery (not included). Dimensions: 32 * 18 * 20 CM....
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Dame Laura Davies Goes Wire to Wire to Win the Senior LPGA Championship presented by…October 17, 2018 Dame Laura Davies Goes Wire to Wire to Win the Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank FRENCH LICK, Indiana – There’s no doubt who the best senior woman golfer was in this first historic first year. England’s Dame Laura Davies won both the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and the Senior LPGA Championship convincingly. Davies was as dominant in the Senior LPGA as she was in the Open, played in July at Chicago Golf Club. Davies won that one by a whopping 10 strokes. She was a wire to wire winner in the Senior LPGA, which concluded on Wednesday on the Pete Dye Course here. “It was a real victory for me,” said Davies, who won her 87th tournament world-wide with an 8-under-par 208 score for the 54 holes. “I played OK here before but never strung three rounds together.” Davies was third in the first major tournament for senior women professional last year when another England golfer, Trish Johnson, won the title. Davies owned the next two majors for that segment of players this year, but Wednesday’s win wasn’t as easy as her victory in Chicago. “I had a five-shot lead (going into the last round) there”’ said Davies. “Here I started with a three-shot lead, then it was a no-shot lead. On this course you can’t take anything for granted.” Davies made bogey on the first hole, then Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson posted four birdies in her first eight holes and Italy’s Silvia Cavalleri, paired with Davies, got into the mix as well. The three were tied at 5-under-par six holes into the round While temperatures climbed over 60 degrees for the first time this week, the winds kicked up to over 20 miles per hour. That made scoring difficult for everyone, and Davies had only two serious challengers. She passed Cavalleri before the first nine was done and was in command the rest of the way after Alfredsson made double bogey at No. 11. “I made a mistake (hitting a ball into a bunker and leaving one recovery shot in the sand) and I couldn’t recover,’’ said Alfredsson. “You feel horrible, but it was a joy to be here.” No doubt Davies’ tournament schedule paid off. Alfreddson had played in only two tournaments this year, and none since the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Davies is among the busiest players tournament-wise in the senior ranks. She plays on the LPGA, European and Legends tours. “Not taking anything away from Laura, she’s an amazing golfer,” said Alfredsson, “but it’s different for players who are playing tournaments regularly. We all love to play, but you don’t know how you’ll react (if you aren’t competing regularly).” NOTES: Riley Children’s Hospital, the tournament’s charitable beneficiary, sends many of its young patients to the event each year but on Wednesday Genevieve Bennett Slater of Sullivan, Ind., was also on hand to introduce the players at the first tee. Now 91 years old, she was a Riley patient between the ages of 5 and 16 when she had multiple surgeries to avert a birth defect. Sherri Turner was inducted into The Legends Hall of Fame at a pre-tournament banquet. On Wednesday she worked as a caddie for Martha Nause. Defending champion Trish Johnson posted her third straight 73 and finished sixth. Juli Inkster, runner-up to Davies in the Senior Open, bounced back from a second-round 80 to shoot 73 and finish in a tie for12th. Jamie Fischer, the teaching professional at Conway Farms in Lake Forest, shot 76 and was at 13-over-par 229, good for a tie for 24th in the 80-player field. Berwyn’s Nicole Jeray, who is on the teaching staff at Mistwood in Romeoville, was three shots behind Fischer overall but finishing strong. She rolled in a putt from off the green in concluding her round with back-to-back birdies. Player To Par Score1 Laura Davies -8 68-70-70—208T2 Helen Alfredsson -4 72-70-70—212T2 Silvia Cavalleri -4 72-69-71—2124 Michele Redman -1 72-70-73—2155 Brandie Burton +1 74-66-77—2176 Trish Johnson +3 73-73-73—219 IN HER WORDS – 2018 CHAMPION LAURA DAVIES On the conditions during the final round: “The wind made a difference, and it was still cold. It was still tough, I think 2-under today was a pretty good round.” On the birdie on 18: “I hit a really good 2-iron in there, I thought I just about hit the green but had to get it up and down. But when you’ve got a three-shot lead those putts tend to go in, if I had to hole that to win it might not have gone in. So, that was a little bonus.” Does winning on the Pete Dye Course make this more special: “It really does. You feel like you really controlled the ball. There’s some shots out there, on 16 I nearly hit a horrible 7-iron into the water, but again I got lucky today when I really needed to on 11 and 16 when I didn’t hit great shots. It’s the sort of course where you’ve got to be careful, but you’ve got to be brave as well. Because you’ll make bogeys if you’re trying to play it safe.” PLAYER NOTES Laura Davies (Coventry, England) (1st, -8)Member of the World Golf Hall of Fame (class of 2015) This is Davies 86th professional win worldwide Has 20 career LPGA wins, including four major championships Has 45 career wins on the Ladies European Tour Won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Finished T3 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Davies is still active on the LPGA Tour, with seven made cuts in 15 starts during the 2018 season including a runner-up finish at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March On the Legends Tour in 2018, Davies teamed up with Trish Johnson to win the BJ’s Charity ChampionshipHelen Alfredsson (Goteborg, Sweden) (T2, -4)Alfredsson is a seven-time LPGA Tour winner with one major championship title She has 11 career wins on the Ladies European Tour McBride was a member of eight Solheim Cups for Team Europe and captained the team in 2007 Finished T3 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Finished T6 at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Played on the LPGA Tour from 1992-2013Silvia Cavalleri (Milano, Italy) (T2, -4)Has one win on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tour Cavalleri is the only player from Italy to win on the LPGA Tour Played on the LPGA Tour from 1999-2014 Won the 1997 U.S. Women’s Amateur Cavalleri turned 46 on Oct. 10, 2018 and this is her first year eligible to compete in the senior women’s major championship Cavalleri is still active on the Symetra Tour, in 2018 she made nine starts with two top-five finishesMichele Redman (Minneapolis, Minn.) (4th, -1)Redman is in her eighth season as the women’s golf coach at the University of Minnesota She played on the LPGA Tour from 1992-2011 with two wins Was a four-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team Redman was a four-time All-American at Indiana University and is a member of the IU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame Finished T19 at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Was the runner-up at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Redman has two victories on the Legends Tour: 2011 Legends Tour Open Championship and 2013 Walgreens Charity ClassicBrandie Burton (La Verne, Calif.) (5th, +1)Won five LPGA titles, including two major championships Finished T39 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Was a five-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team (1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000) Burton was the 1989 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Burton was the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1991 Burton is the assistant softball coach at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino, Calif.SOCIAL MEDIA Tournament: @FLR_SeniorLPGA, @FL_Resort, @visitfrenchlick, #SeniorLPGA LPGA: @LPGA (Facebook and Twitter), @lpga_tour (Instagram) INAUGURAL EVENT TOP FIVE 1st, Trish Johnson, 67-72-73—212 (-4) 2nd, Michele Redman, 73-69-73—215 (-1) T3, Laura Davies,79-70-68—217 (+1) T3, Helen Alfredsson, 78-70-69—217 (+1) T3, Wendy Doolan ,75-71-71-217 (+1) TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS 18 holes: 66, Brandie Burton, 2018, second round 36 holes: 138, Laura Davies, 2018 54 holes: 208, Laura Davies, 2018 QUICK FACTS The tournament again benefited the Riley Children’s Foundation, which is connected to Riley Children’s Hospital, the premier children’s hospital in the region. To date the event has raised more than $830,000 for the Riley Children’s Foundation, including $200,000 in 2018. Defending champion Trish Johnson finished solo sixth at 3-over par. At the 2017 Senior LPGA Championship, champion Trish Johnson and runner-up Michele Redman were the only players even par or better. In 2018, four players were even par or better. Laura Davies was the only player in the field with three under-par rounds.Next up for senior women’s majors will be the second U.S. Senior Women’s Openvia LPGA and Kevin Frisch. ...
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Srixon Z 585 Irons ReviewOctober 17, 2018Srixon Z 585 Irons Review Srixon Z585 Irons Grade: A Teachers’ Comments: Powerful. Easier to hit than I expected from a forged iron. Srixon recently sent 4-, 6- and 9-irons from their new Z 585 set for review. After a month of testing, I am in love with these clubs. If I had a complete set, they would replace the Callaway Apex irons currently in my bag. The Srixons are players’ clubs that an average duffer such as myself can both aspire to and benefit from. My strongest impression is of the Srixon Z 585’s power. Every shot feels solid. Balls rocket off the face. Feedback is tremendous. The Srixon 585s are longer than my Callaway Apexes, and slightly shorter than my venerable TaylorMade R7 XDs (which to date are still the longest irons I have wielded). In spite of being slightly less long, I prefer the Srixon Z 585 irons for their feel and accuracy. Feel is the key. I am willing to sacrifice a little bit of distance for the feedback forged irons provide with their feel. With a forged iron such as the Srixon Z 585, I have a sense of where the ball makes contact on the face, and that leads to continuous correction. Game improvement irons, such as the R7 XD, while providing immediate results, in the end don’t demand improvement. I always am looking for ways to improve. I also was impressed with the accuracy of the Srixon Z 585. They are very straight and while playing them, I holed out for an Eagle three and also had several other near misses. That is not my usual game. View this post on Instagram An Eagle three from the fairway with a Srixon 585 nine iron and a Volvik Vivid ball. Straightened the flag and in it went. . #Golf #golfblog #eagle @srixongolf @volvikgolf A post shared by GolfBlogger.Com (@golfblogger) on Oct 4, 2018 at 3:47pm PDT View this post on Instagram Darn near holed out from the fairway for an Eagle 2 . #golf #michigan #golfblog #Golfblogger A post shared by GolfBlogger.Com (@golfblogger) on Sep 17, 2018 at 12:04pm PDTThe Srixon Z 585 irons feature:1020 Carbon Steel forged construction A “Tour VT Sole” for more consistent ball striking and better turf interaction. A “Speed Groove” Forged Construction – An internal channel on the SUP10 face insert within the Z 585 Irons that allows for more face-flex, enhancing ball speed and distance. For me, the most interesting feature of the Srixon 585s is the Tour VT “V” shaped sole. I can’t recall seeing another like it. From the leading edge, the sole rises slightly to a crest line at the center, then descends toward the back. The design makes perfect sense, and I wonder why I haven’t seen it before. Just close your eyes for a moment and visualize a club with that sole striking the ground. In play, the VT sole really seemed to help pick the ball off the ground. My home course is a muni, with some of the most varied conditions I have ever experienced on a course. Parts of the fairways are lush; others are hardpan. The “rough” can be jungle-like. Or swampy. Or simply bare dirt. We’ve got grass, and weeds masquerading as grass. The VT sole performed well in all of those conditions. There’s just something about that “V” that encourages good contact. Visually, the Srixon Z 585 are a beautiful set of irons. The backs have an intricate diamond pattern to go with a clean black-and-silver look. At address, the Srixon Z 585s hit a good middle ground for me. They’re big enough to inspire confidence, while retaining that player’s club look. I like a club that makes me think I’m going to carve the ball out of the grass, and the Srixon Z 585s have that look. The Srizon Z 585 irons are available in 3 – AW with a wide variety of shafts. Srixon Vice President of Research and Development Jeff Brunski says that “The Z 585 Irons are yet another step forward for Srixon as we continue to produce some of the highest-performing irons designed for better players.” I am going to disagree with Srixon VP Jeff Brunski a little bit. The Srixon Z 585 irons are not just for “better players,” but also for those who aspire to be better players. If I had a full set, these would be my gamers. The Srixon Z 585 irons review was first published on October 17, 2018 and is based on playtesting with irons provided by Srixon....
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Can the World Cup of Golf Ever Really Take Off Again?October 17, 2018The recent Ryder Cup once again served as a reminder that golf fans have an appetite for team events. The raucous crowds, the fist-pumping passion of the players and the simple fact that fans don’t get to see foursomes too much all add to the sense that we are witnessing something special. Best of all, it’s clear that players love the Ryder Cup, and that filters through to the crowd, the media and, consequently, any of us watching at home. The viewing figures would back up this assertion, with only the four Majors capturing a bigger television audience. A couple of weeks from now, the 2018 World Cup of Golf (22nd-25th November, Melbourne) is set to take place. It’s safe to say enthusiasm is nowhere near that of the Ryder Cup. Indeed, even avid golf fans would be hard pushed to recall who the current world champions are: Soren Kjledsen and Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) won the 2016 event. But does the event deserve a spot among golf’s already cluttered list of marquee tournaments? Perhaps, but a few wrinkles might need to be ironed out. Event has rich history On paper, there is no reason why the World Cup of Golf shouldn’t get a little more coverage. The event has a fair history, going back to the 1950s when it was known as the Canada Cup. But back then, the event had some serious star power. The 1966 event in Tokyo, for example, saw the USA team of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer win out ahead of South Africa’s Gary Player and Harold Henning. Despite the money involved in the current tournament – over $2 million awaits the winning team – there is a long, long list of top players not playing the event, including Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth. In fact, the highest ranked player in the event is England’s Tyrell Hatton, who is currently world number 23. Hatton partners with Ryder Cup ‘specialist’ Ian Poulter, who is always worth a watch in these big events. Embed from Getty Images Australia favourites for trophy The England team of Poulter and Hatton are not the favourites however, with the latest golf betting odds (provided by 888sport) putting Australia (Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith) in front at 9/2. England follow on 6/1 and the USA (Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley) are close behind at 7/1. After that, the event features a mix of veterans and rookie players. An interesting bunch no doubt, but the media will probably pay relatively little attention.What, if anything, has to change for the World Cup of Golf to snare the attention of the average fan? The obvious answer is to attract the world’s top players to Melbourne. However, it’s a big ask in a sport where the season looks increasingly longer each year. Of course, the sponsors could throw money at the problem, but it will also be competing with other non-Majors that have huge purses. There are no easy answers, yet the organisers and USPGA could make some adjustments. Notably, they could fix the event’s date into the calendar, even if it is biannual, instead of the seeming randomness we have witnessed in the last decade; the event was held every year until 2009, but was then skipped in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017. The best hope, however, may be for some organic groundswell of support coming from the players, a recognition that the game should be more than big purses and corporate sponsorship. In all honesty, that’s pretty unlikely. ...
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Under Armour ColdGear Infrared Showdown PantsOctober 17, 2018 Under Armour ColdGear Infrared Showdown Pants Cold weather does not mean that the golf season needs to end. High tech apparel such as these Under Armour ColdGear pants can help. They feature:ColdGear Infrared lining uses a soft, thermo-conductive inner coating to absorb & retain body heat Light, stretchy woven fabric delivers total comfort Material wicks sweat & dries really fast Stretch-engineered waistband for superior mobility & insane comfort ...
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Davis Positioned To Win Second Senior Major in 2018October 16, 2018DAME LAURA DAVIES MAINTAINS LEAD AT THE SENIOR LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP The sun was shining in French Lick, Ind., the wind calmed down and the temperatures warmed up on Tuesday for the second round of the Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank. While the conditions changed, the top of the leaderboard remained the same with Dame Laura Davies heading into the final round with a two-stroke lead over major champion Brandie Burton at 6-under par. Davies rebounded on Tuesday after two bogeys in her first four holes to re-claim and extend her lead with a new tournament record 6-under par 138 for the senior women’s major. Just a few months ago, Davies reigned supreme at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open and she said she’d love to have a good showing on Wednesday and finally conquer the Pete Dye Course. “It would be fantastic,” Davies said. “You come over here all the way from England, and you want to do well. So, to be in this position after two days is great, it makes it worth-while. The way we get treated here at French Lick is amazing. This course doesn’t suit my eye at all, it’s a fantastic golf course, but not a great one for me so if I can get over the demons tomorrow and have a good round – win or lose – just have another really good round. I’ve never shot three rounds under par around here, so it would be huge for me tomorrow to do that.” With a record of her own, five-time LPGA winner Burton shot up the leaderboard on Tuesday. Burton’s bogey-free 6-under par round of 66, bests the previous 18-hole tournament record set by 2017 champion Trish Johnson in the first round by one stroke. Burton is looking forward to a chance to improve upon on a T39 finish at the inaugural event in 2017. “It’s nice to go into tomorrow with some confidence,” Burton said. “It’s been a long time since I shot this number, I couldn’t even go back to how long it’s been, but it was fun out there and I actually was pretty calm. I was surprised, maybe that comes with age.” WITH ANGEL ON SHOULDER, CRAFTER’S IN CONTENTION Long-time golf commentator and LPGA winner Jane Crafter has pleasantly surprised herself this week. With two under-par rounds she sits just three strokes back from leader Davies going into the final round of the senior women’s major championship. On Tuesday, it was more than pure competition driving Crafter down the fairways. The news of her dear friend and Legends Tour Hall of Fame member Shelley Hamlin passing away reached Crafter before she teed off. Crafter carried that weight with her throughout her one-under par round, but found it freed her up to not sweat the small stuff. “I’m really pleased, I’m really just trying to play one shot as good as I can hit it every time,” Crafter said. “Today, with the passing of our dear friend Shelley Hamlin back in Phoenix, I really tried to think about her and her partner and just kind of lighten the load. When I thought that ‘oh, I’ve got to do this’ you know what, I’m really blessed to be here. I kind of tried to play with a little angel on my shoulder today.” While she’s not putting pressure on herself to capture the major title on Wednesday, she is welcoming the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Davies. “I’m happy to be here but I’m not going to be laissez faire about it tomorrow,” she said. “Everyone in this field wants to win, there’s no doubt. I’ve beaten Laura [Davies] at different times in my career, and she’s beaten me probably more. I’m just going to go out there and do my best.” Leaderboard:Player To Par Score1 Laura Davies -6 68-70—1382 Brandie Burton -4 74-66—140T3 Silvia Cavalleri -3 72-69—141T3 Jane Crafter -3 70-71—141T5 Liselotte Neumann -2 69-73—142T5 Michele Redman -2 72-70—142T5 Helen Alfredsson -2 72-70—142 IN HER WORDS Laura Davies (-6, 138), on her game plan for the final round: “You’ve got to keep being aggressive. If you start playing defensive golf around here, it’s going to get you. Hitting my 2-iron is still quite aggressive on some of these holes because they’re quite short…Just keep it in the fairway, and if you do stray off line, take your medicine because otherwise you could put a big one up.” Brandie Burton (-4, 140), on what worked well on Tuesday: “I just played really steady. I think I hit 16 greens, I drove the ball well and I just didn’t get too aggressive with the pins I just went at the greens and when I had the opportunity I made the putt.” LPGA REMEMBERS SHELLEY HAMLIN The LPGA is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of former LPGA Tour member and Legends Tour Hall of Fame member, Shelley Hamlin, who died on October 15, 2018 at the age of 69 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. PLAYER NOTES Laura Davies (Coventry, England) (1, -6)Member of the World Golf Hall of Fame (class of 2015) Has 20 career LPGA wins, including four major championships Has 45 career wins on the Ladies European Tour Won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Finished T3 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Davies is still active on the LPGA Tour, with seven made cuts in 15 starts during the 2018 season including a runner-up finish at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March On the Legends Tour in 2018, Davies teamed up with Trish Johnson to win the BJ’s Charity ChampionshipBrandie Burton (La Verne, Calif.) (2, -4)Won five LPGA titles, including two major championships Finished T39 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Was a five-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team (1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000) Burton was the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1991Jane Crafter (Adelaide, Australia) (T3, -3)Is a long-time broadcaster, currently working primarily with PGA TOUR Live and PGA TOUR Radio Has one LPGA victory to her name and three ALPG Tour wins Played on the LPGA Tour from 1981–2004 Has one win on the Legends Tour and is on the Tour’s Board of Directors Finished T61 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Finished T28 at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in JulySilvia Cavalleri (Milano, Italy) (T3, -3)Has one win on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tour Cavalleri is the only player from Italy to win on the LPGA Tour Played on the LPGA Tour from 1999-2014 Cavalleri turned 46 on Oct. 10, 2018 and this is her first year eligible to compete in the senior women’s major championshipSOCIAL MEDIA Tournament: @FLR_SeniorLPGA, @FL_Resort, @visitfrenchlick, #SeniorLPGA LPGA: @LPGA (Facebook and Twitter), @lpga_tour (Instagram) INAUGURAL EVENT TOP FIVE 1st, Trish Johnson, 67-72-73—212 (-4) 2nd, Michele Redman, 73-69-73—215 (-1) T3, Laura Davies, 79-70-68—217 (+1) T3, Helen Alfredsson, 78-70-69—217 (+1) T3, Wendy Doolan, 75-71-71—217 (+1) TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS 18 holes: 66, Brandie Burton, 2018, second round 36 holes: 138, Laura Davies, 2018 54 holes: 212, Trish Johnson, 2017 QUICK FACTS The tournament will again benefit Riley Children’s Foundation, which is connected to Riley Children’s Hospital, the premier children’s hospital in the region. To date the event has raised more than $630,000 for the Riley Children’s Foundation. Defending champion Trish Johnson is T14 through two rounds. Only nine players are under par through two rounds. via LPGA TOUR...
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Buick LPGA Shanghai Winners and HistoryOctober 16, 2018 Buick LPGA Shanghai Winners and History New to the LPGA in 2018 is the Buick LPGA Shanghai. It is one of two official LPGA tournaments in China, making it the only nation besides the United States to host more than one official LPGA event. The other China-based LPGA event is the Blue Bay LPGA (held on the island of Hainan). SAIC-GM Buick has committed to sponsor the tournament for five years. The last time the LPGA played on mainland China was the 2016 Reignwood LPGA Classic. The field consists of 62 of the world’s top ranked players on the LPGA Money List, 15 from China Lady’s Professional Rankings and four sponsor invites. It is a no-cut event. The purse is $2.1 million USD. Prior to the LPGA sanctioning, from 2015-2016 (two years), the Buick Championship was played at Qizhong Garden Golf Club as a co-sanctioned event by the Ladies European Tour and the China Ladies Professional Golf Association. Shanshan Feng was the winner in both years of that event A list of Buick Championship and Buick LPGA Shanghai Winners follows:...
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TaylorMade Noodle NeonOctober 16, 2018 TaylorMade Noodle Neon The Noodle moves into the colored matte ball category with their Neon model. It features:Durable and soft IOTHANE cover Impact propulsion core for longer carry Great feel and increased spin around the greens Patented dimple design for straighter flight UV resistant matte paint; non-fade UV inhibiter paint ...
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Saline’s Sarah Hoffman Leads LPGA Q School Into Stage IIOctober 15, 2018 HOFFMAN OUT FRONT IN STAGE II AFTER ROUND ONE VENICE, Fla. — As the lights go out on day one at Plantation Golf & Country Club, Sarah Hoffman (Saline, Michigan) holds the outright lead in Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament thanks to a solid 7-under par 65 performance on the Bobcat Course. “I had good yardages into the hole and really like the speed of the greens,” said Hoffman, who carded a bogey-free, 5-under par 31 going out. “My caddy Michelle [Simpson] and I were reading them perfectly, my line was matching up with the speed and they were just going in.” If one didn’t know it was the duos first time working together, they wouldn’t be able to tell otherwise. Hoffman and Simpson met earlier this year when Hoffman’s family hosted Simpson for the LPGA Volvik Championship in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Simpson caddied for Katie Burnett. Since the initial meeting, their friendship has slowly blossomed and its strength was showcased this afternoon. “We kept it loose, laughing on the course and then focused over each shot when we needed to,” Hoffman said. “We didn’t talk about golf in between shots and it helped me relax. It’s awesome to get off to a good start, but we can’t get complacent. We are going to stick to the gameplan and keep focusing over every shot, giving it our best and hope the putts keep dropping.” Meanwhile, the round of the day on the Panther Course belonged to Sandy Choi (Seoul, Republic of Korea). The 2018 Symetra Tour rookie and former Duke University standout fired a 6-under par 66 to claim solo second heading into round two. “I started off birdie-birdie so that was a huge confidence boost and I’m pretty accurate with my shots so that helped on the Panther Course,” said Choi, who finished tied for fifth at Stage II of the 2017 LPGA Qualifying Tournament with an overall score of 8-under par. “Last year I played pretty solid, so I feel like I can play well again this year and I started off on the right track.” Bogey-free until the par-4 18th, Choi found a groove with her putter that helped get things moving for her. That was something she said was lacking in the final round of the Symetra Tour Championship last Sunday when she recorded 34 putts. “Before I came here, for the five days after our final tournament in Daytona Beach I worked on my putting because it was pretty poor,” Choi said. “I worked out a lot of things in my putting, so it feels good that it showed today.” After 18 holes, a total of 27 players are at 2-under par or better, with 11 more individuals sitting on the 1-under par mark. Meanwhile, 58 competitors enter day two at even par or better. A minimum of the top-25 players and ties will advance to Q-Series, contested from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3 in Pinehurst, N.C. at Pinehurst Resort. Those at the next score, or scores, will also advance provided that the total number of players in Q-Series does not exceed 108, which currently has 62 exempt and entered competitors. YAMAGUCHI STAYS IN COMPETITIVE FORM Competing in her first LPGA Qualifying Tournament as an 18-year-old, amateur Suzuka Yamaguchi (Sagamihara, Japan) is looking like a tested veteran. She finished tied for second in Stage I at 9-under par overall, only one shot back of medalist Yujeong Son (Busan, Republic of Korea). Meanwhile, Yamaguchi continued her strong play with a 5-under par 67 on the Bobcat Course to put her in solo third after the first round. “I had never played on this course, so I didn’t have any expectations before coming here,” Yamaguchi said after recording seven birdies and two bogeys today. “Even though there are fewer people at Stage II, the level of competition is higher. I have to keep playing as hard as possible.” After she advanced past Stage I, Yamaguchi returned to her native country where she prepared for this moment. The teenager stayed in competitive form by entering the field for the Stanley Ladies Golf Tournament on the LPGA of Japan Tour. “Being based out of Japan, but with no home club at this time, I think it was very helpful to play in that tournament to get ready for Stage II,” said Yamaguchi, who finished tied for 14th in the event at 2-under par. “I didn’t feel any nerves as one of the younger competitors and don’t this week either.” Tomorrow, Yamaguchi will tackle the Bobcat Course. Her second round begins off No. 10 tee at 12:31 p.m. ET with playing partners Allie White (Lancaster, Ohio) and Elise Bradley (Mandeville, Louisiana). ...
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Senior LPGA Championship Day 1 ResultsOctober 15, 2018 Davies Tops the Leaderboard at Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank FRENCH LICK, Indiana – Dame Laura Davies and Juli Inkster finished one-two in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club in July, and the possibility loomed for a similar result after a weird finish to Monday’s first round of the Senior LPGA Championship here. Temperatures in the 40-degree range and winds of 15 miles per hour made play difficult for the 80 starters in the second of the two major championships for senior women golfers. Davies bundled up with a blanket in her golf cart at times, but she was hot early in the round when she opened a three-stroke lead. An eagle at the par-5 seventh hole triggered Davies’ fast start, but Inkster matched it at a most critical time – on her last hole. That brought Inkster to 3-under-par 69 for the day and in a three-way tie for second with Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann and Maria McBride. The trio is one stroke behind Davies. Davies had a tough finish. She hit her tee shot on the par-3 17th hole over the green and made bogey, her lead slipping to two shots. Neumann and McBride birdied No. 18 and Inkster rolled in her 15-footer for eagle before Davies – playing in the last threesome – finished her round. After the bogey at No. 17 Davies sent her tee shot far left on the par-5 finishing hole, the ball ending up in high grass. “We could never find the ball,’’ said Davies. “Fortunately I made birdie on my second ball.’’ That “birdie’’ was actually a double bogey so that created a three-shot swing with Inkster and two-shot swing with Neumann and McBride. Davies won at Chicago Golf Club by a whopping 10-stroke margin but this week’s 54-hole competition wouldn’t seem to be so one-sided. “Winning two senior majors in one year would be incredible,’’ said Davies. “I’d love to have a chance, but you’ve got to be aggressive around here.’’ The Pete Dye Course was set up shorter than usual (about 6,100 yards) to help the players combat the chilly weather. Eight finished under par, but defending champion Trish Johnson (73) wasn’t among them. She is bidding for her third straight victory on the Pete Dye Course after finishing second to Inkster in 2015 Legends Championship here. Neumann started her round with two bogeys, then charged back with birdies on five of the next nine holes. She did it without Mark Williams, her long-time caddie. Williams is on the bag for another player in the LPGA’s qualifying tournament. “He left me for a younger woman,’’ said Neumann, who drew laughs with that comment after a day in which the golf wasn’t much fun. “Our round took 5 hours 40 minutes. It was a long day out there,’’ said Inkster. “Keeping yourself warm, that was the hardest part,’’ said McBride. “There was a lot of stopping and waiting.’’ McBride had reason to celebrate. Monday marked her 45th birthday. If it had come a day later she wouldn’t have been eligible to play in the Senior LPGA Championship. Only players who have reached their 45th birthday are eligible. The forecast is for better weather in the next two rounds before the champion gets $90,000 from the tourney’s $600,000 purse on Wednesday. Leaderboard:Player To Par Score1 Laura Davies -4 68T2 Juli Inkster -3 69T2 Maria McBride -3 69T2 Liselotte Neumann -3 695 Jane Crafter -2 70 DAME LAURA DAVIES ON TOP AT THE SENIOR LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP A few months removed from a dominating victory at the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, Dame Laura Davies is back at it again. Davies opened the 2018 Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank on Monday with a 4-under par 68, good enough to take a one stroke lead at the major championship over Juli Inkster, Maria McBride and Liselotte Neumann. The Pete Dye Course was struck with temperatures in the 50s and whipping wind all day on Monday, but World Golf Hall of Fame member Davies was able to get to 6-under par until stumbles on 17 and 18 brought her back down to a one-stroke lead. “You’ve got to be aggressive around here,” Davies said of her game plan. “If you start just trying to hit fairways, you’re going to leave yourself tough putts. You need to be going in there with as short an iron as possible, to make some birdies, because you are going to make bogeys as I proved on the last two holes.” LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Inkster is playing in her first Senior LPGA Championship, but she has experience at the French Lick Resort as the winner of the Legends Tour event at the same venue in 2015. On Monday, Inkster rolled in a 15-footer for eagle on 18 and was pleased with how the round went. “Overall, I drove the ball well,” Inkster said. “I hit a lot of fairways, I think I only missed one fairway, just didn’t roll in a lot of putts. I played the par-5’s very mediocre, I three-putted one for par, but overall I drove the ball well I just got to hit the ball a little closer to the hole tomorrow. It was tough out there today though.” After a sixth-place finish at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017, Neumann was all smiles to end the day as one of just eight players in red figures amid the challenging conditions. “I’m super happy with the way I played today,” Neumann said. “I started out a little shaky, I bogeyed the first two holes, but then made some birdies on three and four and I had a really good stretch with birdies on 9-11. The course didn’t play that long, but obviously with the cold it got really tough anyways…Overall, I’m super happy with the round, it’s a good start.” SPECIAL BIRTHDAY FOR MCBRIDE Lucky for Maria McBride the Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank switched to an October date for 2018. McBride celebrated her 45th birthday during Monday’s first round, which happens to be the cutoff date to be eligible to compete. She made the most of her opportunity, with an opening-round 3-under par 69 on Monday at the French Lick Resort. “It’s great to be playing out here,” McBride said. “I haven’t played much golf the last two years, so it’s nice to go out there and actually shoot a really good round. I was very happy with my game today.” McBride (also played as Maria Hjorth) was a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, and is relishing the opportunity for her career to have a second stage, even at the challenging Pete Dye Course. “It’s a very tricky course,” she said. “The green areas are very, very hard especially in this wind and cold weather. It’s tough and you have to make sure you place yourself in the right spots coming into the greens.” IN HER WORDS Jane Crafter (-2, 70), on having two senior women’s major championships: “It’s fantastic. The LPGA got this Senior LPGA Championship going before the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, but to have both of those it’s really just a celebration of the women who paved the way for the LPGA. We had the founders, and now my generation is really kind of the builders upon that founding platform. It’s a lot of fun, we enjoy being out here, seeing each other, competing again and we still get butterflies. It’s a great thrill and we’re very grateful to French Lick for putting this on and to the LPGA for stepping up for senior women’s golf.” HONORS DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP Judy Dickinson (Tequesta, Fla.) and Martha Nause (Sheboygan, Wisc.) won the Honors Division Championship on Sunday at the Pete Dye Course as part of the 2018 Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank. Four-time LPGA winner Dickinson and major champion Nause, each earned $4,000 for their four-stroke victory in the four-ball competition over World Golf Hall of Fame member Jan Stephenson and 27-time LPGA winner Jane Blalock. PLAYER NOTES Laura Davies (1, -4)Member of the World Golf Hall of Fame (class of 2015) Has 20 career LPGA wins, including four major championships Has 45 career wins on the Ladies European Tour Won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Finished T3 at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Davies is still active on the LPGA Tour, with seven made cuts in 15 starts during the 2018 season including a runner-up finish at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March On the Legends Tour in 2018, Davies teamed up with Trish Johnson to win the BJ’s Charity ChampionshipJuli Inkster (T2, -3)Member of the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame (1999) and the World Golf Hall of Fame (2000) Making her debut at the Senior LPGA Championship this week Finished runner-up at the inaugural S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Inkster is a 31-time LPGA Tour winner, seven-time major champion and is one of seven golfers to have completed the Career Grand Slam Inkster is still active on the LPGA Tour and has made 11 starts in 2018 Will captain the U.S. Solheim Cup team for a record-setting third-time in 2019Maria McBride (T2, -3)Monday Oct. 15th is McBride’s 45th birthday and as such she is eligible to compete at the Senior LPGA Championship for the first time McBride is a five-time LPGA Tour winner and has two wins on the Ladies European Tour McBride was a member of five Solheim Cups for Team Europe, including the victorious team in 2011 Played on the LPGA Tour from 1998-2016Liselotte Neumann (T2, -3)Neumann has 33 professional wins to her name, including 13 on the LPGA Tour with one major championship title Finished sixth at the inaugural Senior LPGA Championship in 2017 Finished T6 at the inaugural S. Senior Women’s Open conducted by the USGA in July Has three Legends Tour victories: 2017 Red Nose Day Walgreens Charity Championship, 2015 Walgreens Charity Championship and 2014 Walgreens Charity Classic Neumann was a member of six Solheim Cups for Team Europe, and captained the team to their first victory on U.S. soil in 2013 SOCIAL MEDIA Tournament: @FLR_SeniorLPGA, @FL_Resort, @visitfrenchlick, #SeniorLPGA LPGA: @LPGA (Facebook and Twitter), @lpga_tour (Instagram) INAUGURAL EVENT TOP FIVE 1st, Trish Johnson, 67-72-73—212 (-4) 2nd, Michele Redman, 73-69-73—215 (-1) T3, Laura Davies, 79-70-68—217 (+1) T3, Helen Alfredsson, 78-70-69—217 (+1) T3, Wendy Doolan, 75-71-71—217 (+1) TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS 18 holes: 67, Trish Johnson, 2017 first round 36 holes: 139, Trish Johnson, 2017 54 holes: 212, Trish Johnson, 2017 QUICK FACTS The Senior LPGA Championship began with a special opening tee shot by LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member Sandra Haynie and 19-time LPGA winner Sandra Palmer before the first round began on Monday. The tournament will again benefit Riley Children’s Foundation, which is connected to Riley Children’s Hospital, the premier children’s hospital in the region. To date the event has raised more than $630,000 for the Riley Children’s Foundation. On Monday, kids from the Riley Children’s Hospital acted as the first tee announcers. Defending champion Trish Johnson is T14 through one round after shooting a 73 on Monday. via Kevin Frisch and LPGA ...
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The CJ Cup At Nine Bridges Winners and HistoryOctober 15, 2018The CJ Cup At Nine Bridges Winners and History First played in 2017 (for the 2017-2018 PGA TOUR Season), the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges is Korea’s first PGA TOUR tournament. The tournament’s first winner was Justin Thomas, who won in a playoff over Marc Leishman. The field at the CJ Cup consists of 78 players:Top 60 available players from the previous season’s final FedEx Cup standings Winners of the KPGA Championship and Genesis Championship on the Korean Tour Top 3 available players from the Korean Tour order of merit as of October 2 Top available player from the Asian Tour order of merit as of October 9 Top available Korean player from the Asian Tour order of merit as of October 9 Top next 3 available Korean players from the Official World Golf Ranking as of October 9 8 sponsor exemptions:5 restricted to PGA Tour members 1 to the winner of a Korean amateur qualifier 2 unrestrictedThe Nine Bridges Golf Club is located on Jeju Island in South Korea. In 2016 is was ranked #79 on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses List. It consists of two distinct nines: The Creek and The Highlands. Put this one on my bucket list. JeJu Island is on the edge of the South China Sea, between South Korea and Japan.The CJ Cup is named for its sponsor, the CJ Group. Originally a branch of samsung, CJ Corporation is a holding company with its hand in food and food service, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, entertainment, media, home shopping and logistics. A list of CJ Cup Winners follows...
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The South Course at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course ReviewOctober 15, 2018The South Course at Arcadia Buffs Grade: A Teachers’ Comments: Unique geometry makes this a very interesting course. Since it opened in 1999, Arcadia Bluffs has been in every conversation about the best golf course in Michigan. As a stay-and-play resort, however, it lagged behind others such as Boyne, Treetops, Gull Lake and Tulllymore/St. Ives., which could offer multiple courses for overnight guests. In 2018, Arcadia bucked the nationwide trend of golf contraction by expanding with “The South.” Located just a couple of minutes south of “The Bluffs,” The South offers that much-needed second course. Golfers now can play one course, have dinner and stay overnight at the upscale facilities at The Bluffs, and play the other course the following day. The South bucked another trend as well. While courses today are lauded for their minimalist, natural, organic looks, The South is aggressively geometric. Tee boxes are rectangular, with 90 degree corners; the large greens are squared; bunkers are rectangular and at precise angles to the fairway. It is Piet Mondrian, Cubist, Bauhaus. Still, there is a lot of the traditional here. The fairways are wide, offering multiple lines of play. It plays firm and fast — for a Michigan course. The bunkers have steep grass faces. Promotional material for the course says that it is designed channel the design philosophies of CB Macdonald and Seth Raynor. I have not had the good fortune to play a course designed by either of those luminaries, but have played “Old MacDonald,” which is Tom Doak’s tribute to CB MacDonald. It does indeed have some of the same vibe. It’s hard to miss the fairways, but often difficult to get the ball in the right position. The South is treeless. It plays fast. Wind is a factor. All of those factors make Arcadia’s South Course a lot of fun. As soon as I finished, I wanted to play again. There are a lot of puzzles to solve here, but it doesn’t beat you up as you work them out. The routing of The South at Arcadia Bluffs is very clever. The two nines each contain a mix of north, south, east and west-facing holes, bringing the wind into play in an ever changing rotation. With one hole you’re into the wind; on the next it’s coming in from the right. On the following it’s behind you. From the back tees, The South stretches to 7, 412 yards and plays to a 75.6/132. The middle tees are in at 6, 380 and play to a 70.6/125. In all there are five sets of tees, ranging from 5, 2261 to 7, 412 yards. In a nice touch, three of the tees are rated for women players. We need to see more of that in golf. I have often wondered why people think that men need three choices of tees, while women all have the same level of skill. Conditions on the day I played were very good. As 2018 is the first year The South is open, that is really encouraging. In recent years, I have played several newly-opened courses and none were in as good a shape as this. My favorite hole was the par four fifteenth. A short par 4, it plays downhill with a slight dogleg right. The fifteenth is a short hole, but it is littered with bunkers: Three rectangular ones at 45 degree angles are located on the right, which along with a fairway center pot bunker, challenge anyone taking the short route to the inside. The outside has a bunker at the bend. A short rectangular bunker lies directly in front of the green while two other are left and right. The green is tricky and small compared to the others on the course. There is just so much to think about with this hole. The most memorable features on The South Course are the bunkers. The rectangular shapes, set at 90- and 45-degree angles to the fairway, with their steep, grassy faces are unique in my experience. While every hole has the distinct angular features, the bunkers on two stand out. On the thirteenth, long, narrow, high backed bunkers slash across the fairway in a nearly uninterrupted line. I suspect that the grass path between the bunkers is there only to facilitate movement. The bunkers are not likely to come into play unless you make a bad second shot, but they do get into your head.The seventeenth at The South Course at Arcadia Buffs is a 417 yard par 4. Note the parallel, stepped bunkers on the left.The seventeenth features three very creative stepped, rectangular bunkers. You can see them in the photo above on the left. They’re like the Church Pews at Oakmont but elevated. They’re “Risers,” or “Bleachers.” The photo below shows the bunkers from the side. Along with the rectangular tee boxes and greens, the ever-present rectangular bunkers really give The South a character that won’t soon be forgotten. This is a course that, in its way, is just as memorable as Arcadia Bluffs. It is a great addition to the resort. I eagerly await Arcadia’s third course. Not that any has even been rumored, but one can hope. They’ve got a great track record. The South Course at Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course Review was first published October 15, 2018 from a round played in September 2018. A photo tour of Arcadia Bluffs South Course follows:...
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Cobra F-Max UltraLight Irons – 2018October 15, 2018Cobra F-Max UltraLight Irons – 2018 The Cobra F-Max Ultralight irons feature:Ultralight Configuration-Lighter shafts and swing weights promote maximum club head speed and distance for slower swing speeds Offset Design-An offset hostel design creates higher launch with more draw bias for straighter, more accurate shots Low Profile & Deep Undercut Design-A lower profile club head design moves Specialty Wedges-Specialty wedge designs in the GW and SW provide added versatility and shot control around the greens Premium Chrome Finish-Nickel chrome plating provides better aesthetics and durability for great looking and longer lasting irons...
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