ARIZONA GOLF AUTHORITY

Author: Staff AZGA

  • Don Rea – Baseball’s Loss is Arizona Golf’s Gain

    Don Rea – Baseball’s Loss is Arizona Golf’s Gain

    Don Rea, PGA – Managing Partner – Augusta Ranch Golf Club

    Choosing Don Rea, managing partner at Augusta Ranch Golf Club, as the 2nd recipient of the AZGA Golf Star award was easy. You won’t meet another golf industry person more enthusiastic about growing the game and making sure customers are happy than Don.

    Interestingly enough, Don’s first love was not golf, it was baseball. Not pitching, hitting or catching, but rather, calling the games. He was a professional baseball umpire from 1991-98, working 3 years in the Triple A Pacific Coast League. But after 8 years of calling balls and strikes and working many Major League Spring Training games, he didn’t know if he would make it to the Big Leagues.

    “It’s really tough to move up, and I couldn’t catch a break.” said Rea. “As a Triple A umpire, you have a very short window to be assessed for promotion to the Major Leagues as the ruling panel may only see you once or twice a year. So I started to look for Plan B.” Via an off-season gig with UPS during the holiday season, the new plan came clearly into focus.His route included downtown Mesa with a stop at Riverview Golf Course.

    It was there he met and became friends with General Manager Jim Mooney who suggested he consider becoming a member of the PGA. Don liked the idea so much he took his clubs on the road the following baseball season and played whenever and wherever he could. He studied through the wee hours and passed his PGA exam on his first attempt the very next year. “In golf, I could not be more blessed; if you can get to where God wants you to be, the doors seem to open,” commented Rea.

    The first door opened in 1999 at Augusta Ranch, where he was one of the first employees to be hired. He worked part time in the cart barn and measured yardage for all the sprinkler heads. It wasn’t long before he realized golf looked more promising than baseball and he took the plunge full time. Over the next 8 years, he held a variety of positions, eventually becoming a Vice President for the management company managing the two courses.

    Don Behind the Plate for MLB Spring Training

    July 2008 brought another milestone in Don’s golf career when he and a group of investors bought Augusta Ranch and he became the managing partner. “Owning a course is challenging and rewarding,” said Rea. “But the best thing is being able to do whatever you want to do without multiple layers of approval. We can try all sorts of ideas and see what happens. We make some mistakes, but we learn from them.”

    The team at Augusta Ranch is all about being anti-cookie-cutter. Take movie night, which happens twice a year on the driving range, allowing families to enjoy an outdoor picnic on the golf course. How about setting up the practice range as the gathering place for the annual community picnic? “It’s important to be a good neighbor, and it gets people out to the course,” commented Rea. “They may not play golf the first time, but after the movies and picnics, many of them come back to take up the game later.”

    The creativity doesn’t stop there. There’s the $5 lesson gathering for kids every Saturday, the after-school golf program, the monthly play-all-you-want pass, weekly golf leagues, tournaments and the Green Jacket Club.

    While all of this creativity has driven more rounds and revenue to Augusta Ranch, Don believes the one thing that really makes the course different is his team and their commitment to welcome and appreciate each guest. Every new employee must read ‘Raving Fans’ within the first 3 weeks of employment. Then they take a 10-question test and if they fail, they risk losing their job.

    Don and the Augusta Ranch Staff

    “I believe bad habits are ingrained, so we review everyone within 3 weeks of their start date, give them a little test, talk about our service philosophy and ask a lot of questions about their job,” explained Rea. “It not only helps the employees, it helps us improve our internal communications.”

    While Augusta Ranch takes the bulk of his time, Don still finds the hours to volunteer. He is currently secretary of the Southwest Section PGA and on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Tourism Alliance. “My family and I depend on golf for our livelihood, so you have to get involved,” said Don. “You must be in a seat at the table or everyone eats without you.”

    We have no doubt professional baseball’s loss is our golf community’s gain. Don’s a creative professional who works hard at our game for the benefit of those around him, which is why we call him an “Arizona Golf Star”.

    Be sure to read the Arizona Golf Authority’s Augusta Ranch Golf Club Review and then visit Augusta Ranch Golf Club for all the club info.

  • Midwest Ethics & Bold Plan Make Rio Verde Country Club “Home, Sweet Home”

    Midwest Ethics & Bold Plan Make Rio Verde Country Club “Home, Sweet Home”

    Rio Verde, AZ – The likelihood of a near-global economic collapse in 2006 was the furthest thing from their minds when Rio Verde Country Club’s membership voted to retain Tom Lehman and his design team to renovate its two 18-hole championship courses. The cost, estimated at a hefty $6 million, would revitalize the club’s 36 parkland-style fairways and greens over a three-year period.

    With a loan negotiated with Wisconsin-based Johnson Bank, the project was launched amid enthusiastic expectations of the community’s nearly 500 avid golfers. The Club’s plan was solid, use new member initiation fees to eliminate the bank debt. It worked great for about a year, but by the summer of 2008, new memberships had all but evaporated and servicing the bank debt necessitated drawing down the club’s reserve funds. By summer 2010, the Rio Verde’s Board of Directors, realizing the club was nearing a financial precipice, looked at every reasonable option – along with a few radical ones – to resolve its debt obligations. One idea, which was promptly dismissed, would constitute a full-scale membership assessment. But with mounting bank interest and principal payments nearing $1 million, hemorrhaging club reserves and no imminent resurgence of new memberships, time was not on their side.

    The Board had to come up with a timely, workable plan to honor its fiduciary commitment, not just to its members, but to the Rio Verde community at large. It was a tall order because if the golf course failed, it would send shock waves throughout the entire community, demoralizing residents and further depressing property values.

    That’s when the Club’s members got creative. Board President Arillus Holcomb developed a bold new plan called the Patron’s Program. Then he sought the endorsement of his peers, influential Rio Verde residents, whose support was necessary if it was to succeed.

    As Holcomb began to make his pitch, he had an ace in the hole. He knew the Rio Verde members were folks who migrated to Arizona from the cultural crossroads of the Midwest, where a handshake remains a time-honored custom. He also knew there was never any doubt among the membership the bank loan should eventually be repaid in full. To the members, the club’s loan agreement represented a moral obligation, one to be honored come hell or high water. And even though other financially-challenged clubs were walking away from debt obligations, Rio Verde Country Club absolutely would not.

    But what most envisioned as a marathon turned into a sprint as details of the Patron Program were disclosed. For openers, the fund-raising campaign would be totally voluntary, and to the surprise of many, conducted within a 90-day timeframe with a December 31, 2010 deadline.

    Once the program was launched, Holcomb and his solicitation team created a full-blown communications campaign with military precision and all the positive earmarks of a multi-level marketing enterprise. In the process, early Patrons were converted to willing solicitors while neighbor-to-neighbor discussions propelled the initiative.

    The Patron Program sought voluntary member contributions of $100,000 (Premium), $50,000 (Gold) or $25,000 (Silver). In return, Patrons were extended prepaid club credits for golf shop purchases, cart fees, dining room charges, catered events, entry fees for major invitational tournaments and other club amenities. At each contribution level, $15,000 represented an outright member gift to the club with the balance available as club credits.

    In the final days of the fund-raising effort, a companion initiative, the Tee-To-Green campaign, generated an additional $860,000 in gifts from current and former members as well as non-golfing Rio Verde residents. It was the blending of both resources that retired the debt obligation.

    The success of the Patron and Tee-To-Green campaigns not only eliminated the $5.6 million bank debt, sidestepped a crippling member assessment and protected home values; it also saved the club at least $5 million in interest charges.

    The program succeeded because Rio Verde is remarkably blessed with abundant human talent, resources and creative thinkers. It is a community with an uncommon blend of sophistication and small-town intimacy that attracts residents like Arillus Holcomb, who choose not only to live and play there, but to step up and work hard to solve problems.

    Today, Rio Verde boasts two exceptional championship golf courses totally renovated and absolutely free of long-term debt. It remains one of Arizona’s premier destinations for active adults whose passion for life, fellowship, golf and love of the area’s natural resources is first and foremost. While its scenic location remains its engine, it is the game of golf that drives it. And it is the innovative and creative thinking of its members that keeps it “home, sweet home”.

    Learn more about Rio Verde Country Club at www.rioverdecc.com

  • Phoenix Country Club Pro Shop in “Top 100”

    Phoenix Country Club Pro Shop in “Top 100”

    Adam Brigham – Head Golf Professional – Phoenix Country Club

    Golf World Magazine Awards Phoenix Country Club Pro Shop “Top 100” Status

    Phoenix, AZ – The Phoenix Country Club, an iconic landmark in the heart of Phoenix, was named one of the “Top 100 Golf Shops” in the United States by Golf World magazine. The award, given to 100 Pro Shops annually since 1986, is designed to recognize excellence in the golf retail segment. Criteria used for judging the best include total sales, promotions and merchandise selection available to members as well as the customer service provided by the Pro Shop staff.

    According to Adam Brigham, Phoenix Country Club Head Golf Professional, the shop’s level of service is the greatest asset to the Pro Shop. Their high level of service and distinction is credited to the fact that as a private club, their Pro Shop team focuses on building relationships with members and tailoring everything to their needs. “It is our presentation and service expertise that sets us apart; we work closely with people we know so we are able to truly understand their needs and give them excellent, personalized attention,” Brigham said.

    The Golf World award is not the first received by the PCC team; Adam also received the 2010 Southwest Section Professional Golfers Association (PGA) “Merchandiser of the Year for Private Facilities” this past January.

    Phoenix Country Club Golf Professional Earns PGA Master Status

    Byron Shultz, the Director of Instruction at the Phoenix Country Club, recently earned the title of PGA Master Professional of Instruction, a distinction currently held by only 186 PGA members in the world. The PGA Masters Professionals program was created to recognize PGA members who continuously strive to improve as golf professionals and maintain the highest degree of excellence for themselves and their operations.

    “By earning this certification, Byron has even more credibility. He isn’t just a member of the PGA, he is now a member of a select group of just a few hundred in the world,” said Phoenix Country Club General Manager Pat LaRocca. Founded in 1899, the Phoenix Country Club (PCC) has seen many of the city’s most influential people enjoy its amenities and activities throughout the years. It is a private club offering an 18-hole golf course, tennis, swimming, fitness center and full-service clubhouse.

    Steeped in tradition with a heritage of excellence, Golf Connoisseur Magazine recently rated PCC as one of the “Top 100 Most Prestigious Golf Clubs in America.” PCC was chosen for “the ultimate mix of course, history, membership, tradition and class.” In 2009, PCC was selected by its peers as a Platinum Club of America. It has a redesigned golf course by Tom Lehman and John Fought that harkens back to the traditional city courses of yesteryear.

    To learn more about Phoenix Country Club and its membership programs, visit: www.phoenixcc.org

  • “Hogan” Chooses SunRidge Canyon Golf Club

    “Hogan” Chooses SunRidge Canyon Golf Club

    Hogan's Clubhouse Perch at SunRidge Canyon

    The excellent adventure of playing SunRidge Canyon’s spectacular golf course just got better. A native Red-Tailed Hawk, called Hogan by SunRidge staff, has taken up winter residence at the Club. “Perched atop the Clubhouse roof, Hogan keeps an eye on our daily activities around the Club” reports Derek Crawford, Director of Operations for SunRidge.

    Hogan’s choice of residence for the season is no surprise to those familiar with the course. SunRidge is located in the visually stunning canyons of Fountain Hills and showcases the rugged natural terrain and mountain vistas in that locale. The Keith Foster layout is true to his minimalist-design tradition as it gently leads you down into the natural canyons on the front-9, and brings you back up and out on the back; the final four holes are the finest finishing stretch in town.

    Hogan at SunRidge Canyon

    Hogan’s adoption of SunRidge may make sense on another level as well. You see, in several Native American communities the Red-Tailed Hawk represents the role of Guardian of Mother Earth, and its red-colored tail embodies the familiar elements of Power and Energy of Vision.

    Don and Cindy Misheff purchased SunRidge Canyon Golf Club in December 2010, and Don later shared “Cindy and I visualized this for many years during our visits to Fountain Hills”, referring to their long-term commitment to preserve and refine the golf experience at SunRidge Canyon. They immediately chose the veteran operations team of General Manager, Jeff Lessig, Crawford, Superintendent Ron Ruppert and F&B Manager, Brian Gilmore to lead SunRidge into the future.

    Perhaps Hogan’s presence confirms the clarity of Mr. and Mrs. Misheff’s vision, and is a simple reminder of what an excellent adventure playing SunRidge Canyon always is – a stunning natural setting, excellent golf course, impeccable service and a day of great fun.

  • XONA Offers Tour Experience for the Avid Player

    XONA Offers Tour Experience for the Avid Player

    Scottsdale AZ – The golf experts at XONA have crafted a stay and play package that tees you up on the stellar courses the PGA, Champions and LPGA Tours play when they’re in town. “The XONA TOUR Package is a simple way for the avid amateur player to experience a few days of professional golf’s tour-like conditioning” says Steve Nicodemus, a former PGA Tour caddy and resident XONA Resort Suites golf sage. The package includes three nights at XONA, three rounds of golf, and they even throw in a $20 food and beverage credit for each player. So if you’re thinking about getting out of the cold and into the sun anytime between now and March, connect with Steve at 800.903.4057 or snicodemus@xonaresort.com.

    The Tour-host course rota includes the famous TPC Scottsdale (Waste Management Phoenix Open home), Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon and Raptor courses (first Frys.com PGA venue), Jack Nicklaus’ two signature courses at Superstition Mountain Golf Club (former Champions and LPGA Tour stops) and Wildfire’s two layouts, the Palmer Course and the Faldo Course (new home of the 2011 RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup).

    XONA’s premier North Scottsdale location puts you right in the heart of Scottsdale golf. Stay at XONA, located just up the street from the TPC Scottsdale, during the Phoenix Open and you’ll be rubbing shoulders with the guys who play courses like these every day for a living. The hotel is designed for avid traveling golfers and features one-, two-, three-, and 4-bedroom suites, providing plenty of room to relax after golf. When you add in the comfortable indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant, four sparkling pools, soothing hot tubs and a knowledgeable golf staff, you’ll find the only reason to leave the friendly confines of XONA is for your Tour course tee time. Check it out at www.xonaresort.com.

  • Another Great Reason to Go Play We-Ko-Pa

    Another Great Reason to Go Play We-Ko-Pa

    Hole #2 at the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa in Arizona
    Saguaro Course – 2nd Tee

    The We-Ko-Pa team rings in the new year with “glad tidings of great joy” for all Arizona traveling golfers. Beginning Friday, January 7th, We-Ko-Pa will allow golf carts on their gorgeous fairways, subject to the familiar “90-degree” rule.

    This date marks the earliest point “in season” players have been allowed to ride to their ball. We-Ko-Pa offers some of the most lush and manicured course condition in the State, so please respect this privilege and conduct yourselves as avid golfers always do; leave the golf course better than you found it.

    Read the AZGA’s take on We-Ko-Pa, click here

  • Antigua Announces NFL License Agreement

    Peoria, AZ – The Antigua Group, Inc., one of the nation’s leading designers and marketers of apparel under their distinguished Antigua brand, announced today they have signed a multi-year license agreement with the National Football League.

    Under this new agreement, Antigua has been granted non-exclusive rights to produce men’s and women’s NFL lifestyle fan gear apparel to be distributed at sporting goods stores, fan shops, NFL.com, team and retail websites, stadium shops and concessionaires, along with TV retail.

    “We are very proud to become part of the NFL family once again”, said Ron McPherson, president and CEO of the Antigua Group. “This new agreement that starts in April 2012 will allow us to provide NFL team logoed products to a strong group of retailers and E-Commerce providers, and expand our status as a licensed sports apparel provider.”

    About Antigua –  Headquartered in Peoria, Ariz., The Antigua Group, through its license sports division, holds license agreements with Major League Baseball (MLB), Minor League Baseball (MiLB), National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), along with numerous American universities and colleges for men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, headwear and outerwear.

    Antigua additionally designs, produces and supplies product for corporate America and specialty retail managed under its corporate division. Its golf division also holds license agreements with the PGA TOUR, LPGA and the PGA of America.

    Antigua products can also be found online at shop.antigua.com

  • Garmany Returns as Troon Golf CEO

    Garmany Returns as Troon Golf CEO

    Scottsdale, AZ – The Troon Golf Board of Directors announced on January 5, 2011 that Dana Garmany would return to lead the company, replacing former CEO Hud Hinton. Garmany returns to his familiar role of CEO, a position he held from the company’s inception until last year when he announced his retirement. The company’s current executive team remains in place as Garmany re-assumes leadership of Troon Golf.

    “The company is strong and well positioned for 2011 and beyond,” commented Garmany. “Troon Golf’s achievements are based on the extraordinary talents of our employees and we will work together to ensure its success long into the future.”

    Scottsdale-based Troon Golf is the world’s largest golf management company, overseeing operations at properties in 31 states and 23 countries. Troon’s portfolio includes 14 Arizona facilities among which are Troon North, Southern Dunes, StoneRidge, Talking Stick, Quintero and Poston Butte.

  • Annika Scores Another Big Win

    Annika Scores Another Big Win

    Yet another reason to admire Annika Sorenstam – she makes great wines.  ANNIKAVineyards, a joint venture between Sorenstam and family-owned Wente Vineyards, launched in 2009 with the release of an elegant, full-bodied 2006 Syrah.  It begs for a big, juicy steak – or some velvety, extra dark chocolate -to match its richness.

    Wente Vineyards is owned and operated by fourth – and fifth-generation descendants of German immigrant Carl Heinrich Wente, who founded the wine legacy in 1883.  It’s the oldest continuously operated family-owned winery in California, located just east of San Francisco in the still-rural Livermore Valley.  Sustainably farmed Estate vineyards cover more than 3,000 acres.

    The 2006 Annika Syrah contains 75% Livermore Valley Syrah, 15% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Livermore Valley Golf Vineyards adjacent to The Course at Wente Vineyards.  Both Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon were aged for 24 months. Only 611 cases were produced.  Annika calls it “silky, soft, and voluptuous.”

    Player-vintner Greg Norman designed The Course at Wente Vineyards, which opened in 1998.   Fairways weave through the majestic vineyards, sometimes close enough to venture in and search for errant golf balls.  A steep ascent along the twisty “Lombard Street” of cart paths reveals a back nine that plays among the clouds with valley views extending far and wide.

    I had the good fortune to attend the Second Annual Annika Golf and Wine Event in July 2010, held at Wente Vineyards to celebrate the new 2008 Chardonnay.    During the shotgun golf tournament, Annika poured the Chardonnay on the 7th tee and hit a tee shot for each foursome on the downhill par-3.  She watched as each of us hit our tee shots – they turned out to be probably our worst drives of the day!

    Not a big, oaky California chardonnay, the 2008 Annika Chardonnay is more balanced, suitable for easy drinking by itself or to accompany a meal. Fifth-generation winemaker Karl Wente describes it as having, “
    apricot, peach, and tangerine interlaced throughout that lead to graham, vanilla and ground spice flavors on the finish.” The Chardonnay was harvested from the Livermore Valley estate, grapes hand-picked and hand-sorted at the winery. It was barrel-fermented in a combination of French, American, Eastern European and neutral oak and aged for 17 months.  Limited production yielded 221 cases.  We all loved it.

    Annika says, “I’m probably a nine handicap in wine, I make a few bogeys.”  But she knows what she likes and enthusiastically participates in the blending process with Karl Wente. They begin in something like a chemistry lab with measuring cups, trying a third of this and a third of that.  Finally the perfect combination is achieved.  Annika’s fans around the world eagerly await her next release.

    Annika wines are available at www.annikavineyards.com or www.wentevineyards.com

    Syrah: suggested retail price $75/750ml Bottle

    Chardonnay: suggested retail price $40/750ml Bottle

    Cori Brett is a Scottsdale-based golf travel and lifestyle writer. www.coribrett.com