ARIZONA GOLF AUTHORITY

Category: Arizona Golf News

Summit Golf Brands Sponsors Gateway Pro Tour

From the Arizona Golf Authority Golf News Desk

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Summit Golf Brands, the parent company behind three of the golf industry’s premium golf sportswear brands, including Zero Restriction, EP Pro, and Fairway & Greene has signed on as the newest sponsor of the Gateway Pro Tour. This partnership comes one month after the Tour announced Weitz Construction as a sponsor, so the Gateway Tour is on a roll!

Sponsorship funds provide an essential resource for the Gateway Pro Tour and ensure its continued growth by covering expenditures for Tour expansion, increased purse sizes, Nationwide and PGA TOUR exemptions, Q-School bonuses, administration, tournament equipment and materials, charity golf tournaments, community involvement and enhanced membership benefits for the Tour’s players.

Established in 2001, the Gateway Pro Tour was created to help aspiring PGA TOUR professionals fine-tune their skills in competitive golf tournaments. Throughout its 11-year history, the Tour has maintained a leading position as the premier developmental professional golf tour on the West Coast and has paid out more than $42.1 million to players over that period of time.

The Gateway Tour has served more than 3,400 players, with 160 GPT alums currently playing on the Nationwide and PGA Tours. These players represent 21 PGA Tour wins and 71 Nationwide Tour wins. Today, Gateway Pro Tour continues to provide the ideal competitive environment as well as significant financial opportunities for aspiring PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour professionals.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or membership information for the 2012 season, go to www.gatewayprotour.com.

Click the Arizona Golf Authority, it’s “All Things Arizona Golf.” Our all Arizona Golf Courses Guide List and Reviews directory features an AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course review for every golf course in Arizona, click www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

March 29, 2012
PING Sponsors “Bubba and Friends Drive to a Million”

PING G-20 Driver

PHOENIX, Arizona – PING is an incredible Arizona-based golf company which built its reputation by producing innovative, quality golf equipment. What is often overlooked in all the publicity is their generous commitment to charitable causes.

Ping’s latest fund raising partnership is with Bubba Watson and his “Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million” effort to raise $1 million for charities this PGA Tour season.

“Bubba came to us with the idea for his charitable drive last year,” said PING Director of Communications Pete Samuels, “and we knew it was a natural fit.”

Right around the same time, knowing Bubba’s love of all things pink, PING had been working on a new driver in a hotter, deeper shade of his favorite color. This new driver became the basis for how PING could support Bubba’s effort.

In addition to a $10,000 upfront contribution, PING is supporting “Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million” by donating $300 for the first 300 drives Bubba launches over 300 yards in 2012. PING’s fundraising event is called, “Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING.” All funds raised will go to Phoenix-area charities, chosen by PING with Bubba’s support.

So far, Bubba and his pink driver have had incredible results. With his trusty all-pink PING® G20™ driver, Bubba Watson is #1 on the PGA Tour in average driving distance at 315.5 yards.

“On the season, nearly 62% of Watson’s drives have traveled 300-plus yards, the highest percentage on the PGA Tour,” said Samuels. “We’re estimating he will reach number 300 for 2012 as early as mid-May.”

Bubba Watson and PING CEO John Solheim

The really cool thing about this effort is that Bubba didn’t go the traditional route of forming a charitable foundation because he didn’t want administrative costs to consume any money collected. Instead, if you make a donation to your local American Society or sponsor someone during a charity walk, he wants you to go to his Facebook page and post the info.

He’s set up a tracker on www.bubbawatsongolf.com to record the total donations. Our unofficial estimate of Ping’s contribution totals well over $52,000 through the WGC Cadillac event at Doral.

“I couldn’t do it on my own,” Watson said. “I don’t have $1 million to give away. It’s my friends and sponsors, we’re all trying to team up and raise $1 million — and for a guy from Bagdad, Fla., named Bubba that’s a pretty big accomplishment. Even if we raise a half million this year, it’s still half a million.”

Whether it turns out to be a half-million, a full-million or maybe more, we tip our golf hats to a laid-back, long-hitting lad from Florida, and a state-of-the-art company that always does things right. Ping founder Karsten Solheim always said the game should be enjoyable; watching the “Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING” tally rise will certainly be great fun.

Click the Arizona Golf Authority, it’s “All Things Arizona Golf.”

Their all Arizona Golf Course Guide List Directory features an AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course review for every golf course in Arizona, click www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

March 20, 2012
Scottsdale Open Player Wins Infiniti G37 – Holes an 8-Iron at Grayhawk Raptor’s 16th

Waste Management Scottsdale Open G37 Infiniti

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Aaron Read, an avid 5.9 handicap amateur player, teamed-up with his San Francisco-based father, Larry, in the 2012 Scottsdale Open, presented by Waste Management, with the intention of enjoying Scottsdale’s warm winter sunshine while spending some quality time together, playing Scottsdale’s finest golf courses in competitive amateur tournament conditions.

Winning a $50-thousand dollar Infiniti convertible at the tournament was a complete surprise.

During the second tournament round, Aaron aced the par-3 16^th hole at Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor course, which just happened to be the Infiniti of Scottsdale Hole-In-One Challenge hole. For that perfect 186-yard 8-iron effort, Aaron became the proud owner of a brand new 2012 Infiniti G37 convertible.

“It was a pure shot” said Aaron, “it was tracking all the way, took one hop and crawled in the cup.”

Aaron shared he’s carded two career aces, and that he was a “wee bit worried” about how much it would cost him when he arrived at Grayhawk’s famous Phil’s Grill clubhouse bar after the round. He ended up well ahead of the game when the professional staff members at both Grayhawk and the Waste Management Scottsdale Open graciously covered the tab.

We’re scoring that as roughly 50-thousand under-par.

Aaron and Ken Schatzberg, GM Infiniti of Scottsdale

On Tuesday, March 13^th, Aaron, along with Tournament Promotions of Arizona owner, Rich Heller, arrived at Infiniti of Scottsdale to pick up his keys from General Manager Ken Schatzberg.

“We thought the Scottsdale Open would be a lot of fun, especially playing the TPC Scottsdale Stadium in Phoenix Open tournament conditions with all the grandstands in place,” said Read. “But the experience of winning a new car was unreal.”

Tournament Promotions of Arizona provides Hole in One Coverage and has been based right here in the Valley since 1995. They provide not only event coordinators, but many dealerships across the state with affordable Hole In One coverage for events they run or sponsor.

“I am always happy, especially when one of our participating dealerships, like Infiniti of Scottsdale, is able to give away a car,” said Rich Heller, Owner of Tournament Promotions. “Ken Schatzberg has been a customer of ours for years and I believe this was his first. It was fantastic to hand over a check to him.”

This is the second hole in one in less than three months for Tournament Promotions as they awarded a 2012 Cadillac at the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation Golf Event last November.

New Infiniti G37 Owner Aaron Read

“It’s been a crazy three months, no doubt,” said Heller, “and we hope the string of good luck continues for our customers.”

Well, Aaron hasn’t admitted to any luck as of yet, but has assured us he’s enjoying his new ride and savoring the three days spent with his Dad playing the 2012 Waste Management Scottsdale Open every time he gets behind the wheel of his new ride.

Visit the Scottsdale Open website for all the details at www.scottsdaleopengolf.com.

Then visit the Arizona Golf Authority, it’s “All Things Arizona Golf” for the avid player.

Their all Arizona Golf Course Guide List Directory features an AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course review for every golf course in the State of Arizona, click on www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

March 16, 2012
Expect Nome Putters at Golf Shops in April 2012

PING Introduces Nome Putter

PHOENIX, Arizona – PING officially introduced its new Nome™ putter on March 1st, but it made headlines earlier than that when PING Staff Member Hunter Mahan won the Tucson’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship using a Nome that he put into play on Monday of the event.

“It felt great immediately and it gave me a lot of confidence so I could just trust my aim and stroke the ball freely,” said Mahan, who added the putter to his bag after an alignment-testing session with PING’s Senior Player Development Manager Matt Rollins. “Long putts, big-breaking putts. I felt like I could make just about any putt I looked at.” All week in interviews, he credited the Nome for his exceptional putting on the fast, undulating greens that yielded him 35 birdies.

The putter, which is precision milled from high-grade aluminum and features tungsten weighting in the sole, arrives in golf shops around the world beginning in early April and is available in standard and belly-length versions.

The Nome’s ability to improve aim is a result of the putter’s black alignment bar and contrasting white sightline. Its extreme forgiveness comes from a lightweight, high-grade aluminum frame featuring tungsten sole weighting that optimizes the CG position and elevates MOI, making the Nome highly accurate. Three different shaft bends are available to fit Straight, Slight Arc, or Strong Arc putting strokes.

Golfers can determine their stroke type using the iPING Fit™ feature on the club maker’s new iPING™ putter app, a free download through the App Store™. Matching the putter model with stroke type is a new form of putter fitting that PING calls Fit For Stroke™. The company’s research has found that when the putter model matches a player’s stroke type, the putting stroke becomes more consistent which is a primary key to making more putts. Visit PING.com

Nome Technical specifications:
– Nome 355 grams, standard version (Available early April 2012)
– Nome 405 grams, belly version (Available late April 2012)
– Precision milled from high-grade aluminum and finished with a highly durable nano nickel coating
– Fit For Stroke: Three shaft bends designed to match Straight, Slight Arc, and Strong Arc putting strokes
– Available RH and LH
– U.S. MSRP: Standard-length model = $270.00; Belly model = $320.00

Click the Arizona Golf Authority, it’s “All Things Arizona Golf.”

Their all Arizona Golf Course Guide List Directory features an AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course review for every golf course in Arizona, click on www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

February 26, 2012
LPGA Legends TOUR Event To Be Held In Sun City West

Legends Tour Brings Hall Of Famers To Grandview Golf Course

BOSTON, February 14, 2012 – At least five World Golf Hall of Fame members will be in the field when the Legends Tour, the LPGA’s official tour for professionals age 45 and over, launches its 2012 season this April in the Greater Phoenix area.

Walgreens LPGA Charity Golf Classic

The Legends Tour will kick off the year with the inaugural Walgreens Charity Classic in Sun City West. The tournament will be staged from April 27-29, at Grandview Golf Course and will feature LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famers Amy Alcott, Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan, and Phoenix-area resident Betsy King.

Hollis Stacy, who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May, also will be in the field. Stacy won 18 tournaments in 26 years on the LPGA Tour, including three U.S. Women’s Open titles.

“The LPGA Legends Tour is pleased to bring this new tournament to Sun City West,” said Legends Tour CEO Jane Blalock. “The Greater Phoenix community has hosted the LPGA for many years and will once again be able to welcome some of the greatest names in women’s golf at this event. We are very proud to partner with Walgreens at this tournament to help raise funds for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.”

Arizona-based Legends Tour players in the field also include France’s Anne-Marie Palli and Sherri Turner, both of Phoenix, and Tucson residents Cindy Rarick and Christa Johnson. Other headliners in the field will include former LPGA stars Rosie Jones, Liselotte Neumann, Sherri Steinhauer and Val Skinner, who currently works as an on-course reporter for The Golf Channel.

The Walgreens Charity Classic will feature a purse of $200,000 with a field of 40 players. A pro-am is set for Friday, April 27, followed by 36 holes of stroke-play competition on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29. Tee times will start each day at 9 a.m.

The Phoenix Children’s Hospital will serve as the tournament’s charity, benefiting from all tournament proceeds. Tickets are $10 each day, with kids 17-under admitted free. Active military are also admitted free with a current ID.

For more information, visit thelegendstour.com. Tickets can be purchased via the website or at local Walgreen’s stores beginning March 1, 2012.

Click Grandview Golf Course to visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

February 22, 2012
Talking Stick Golf Course To Host “Business Golf” Seminar

Talking Stick Golf Club

Scottsdale, Arizona – Golf For Cause, 85 Broads Phoenix and NAWMBA are hosting “Understanding Golf for Your Business,” a seminar for professional women who want to develop business relationships through golf.

The seminar includes a casual golf experience with a mentor in each foursome, designed especially for newer golfers to help them feel at ease on the tees, as well as a presentation on capitalizing on the business success to be had on the golf course

The event takes at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale on Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 3-5:30pm. There is also an optional skills clinic from 1:30 – 2:15pm. Seminar cost is $75 per person and an additional $15 if you take part in the skills clinic.

There are several ways to register, including:

On-line: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2946191137

By calling: 224-805-8962

Email: Kathy@thebreakawayteam.com

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory and read the AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course Review for Talking Stick Golf Club. Enjoy “All Things Arizona Golf” presented by the Arizona Golf Authority.

February 16, 2012
Arizona Golf – The Boulders Waldorf Astoria Resort Offers “One for All” Package

Boulders Resort, Carefree, Arizona

Carefree, Arizona – The Boulders, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, is providing the perfect reason to wake up and smell the roses – or the fresh double-cut greens – as Scottsdale/Carefree welcomes world-class springtime golf.

The Resort’s One for All package lets you enjoy golf daily on the resort’s two award-winning, 18-hole golf courses designed by Jay Morrish. Nestled in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, the demanding courses provide golfers with panoramic views of the breathtaking scenery unique to the greater Scottsdale area, including the 12 million-year-old granite boulders scattered about the Boulders desert setting.

In addition to unlimited golf, enjoy luxurious accommodations in one of several accommodation offerings, range privileges and unlimited access to tennis facilities, access to the spa facilities, and one 50-minute Golden Door massage per night.

If a beautiful and tranquil setting, amazing golf and lots of pampering sound like what you need, just telephone 888.579.2631 or visit www.theboulders.com.

Click Boulders North Course and Boulders South Course to visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

February 15, 2012
Antigua Official Apparel for RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup

PEORIA, ARIZ. – The Antigua Group, Inc.- one of the nation’s leading designers and marketers of genuine golf and sports apparel under the distinguished Antigua brand-has been named the official apparel of the 2nd Annual RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup.

Antigua Group

Antigua apparel and headwear will be used in all aspects of the 72-hole tournament, whose field of players will compete March 12-18 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Ariz.

Players in the Founders Cup will be competing for a $1.5 million dollar purse as well as a promise of $500,000 to be donated to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program.

“We are excited and honored by the chance to be an official supplier for the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup,” says Ron McPherson, President and CEO of Antigua. “The inaugural event was great, and the new 72-hole event for 2012 will be fantastic!”

About the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup

RR Donnelley, the LPGA and its players truly confirmed ’Why It’s Different Out Here’ in 2011, making golf history by not only remembering the women that made the LPGA a reality, but also by “paying-it-forward” and playing entirely for charity and the expansion of the Girls Golf program,” LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan said. “Next season, with RR Donnelley’s vision, we will prove that the Founders Cup sequel is even better than the original.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.LPGAFounders.com or by calling1-888-LPGATIX (574-2849). Children 17 and under will receive free tournament admission with a ticketed adult. Active military members and their immediate families can receive free tournament admission when showing a valid active military ID at the main admission gate.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Review for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

It’s “All Things Arizona Golf” from the Arizona Golf Authority.

February 15, 2012
Arizona Golf’s Best Tour Pairing Grayhawk – TPC – Zona Hotel

ZONA Hotel & Suites Offers Arizona Golf “TOUR PACKAGE”

Home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open

Scottsdale Arizona – The golf planning professionals at Zona Hotel & Suites in Scottsdale know one round just isn’t enough. That’s why they have created the Zona Tour Package featuring two of Scottsdale’s best golf courses – Grayhawk and TPC Scottsdale.

The Tour Package includes four rounds of golf including one each on Grayhawk’s two great tracks, Raptor and Talon, as well as 18-hole loops at both the TPC Scottsdale Stadium and the TPC Champions course. Plus you’ll get to enjoy the great accommodations at Zona in a one-, two-, three- or four-bedroom suite.

Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor Course

Should you have flexible travel plans, Zona will sweeten the deal by throwing in your fourth night accommodations at no charge if you arrive on Sunday. Pricing starts from $1,245 for single occupancy and $1,020 for double occupancy. For more information, call Tedd or Steve at 800-903-4057, or email golf@zonascottsdale.com

Visit http://www.zonascottsdale.com/scottsdale_golf/golf_packages.cfm for all the Tour Package details.

Enjoy “All Things Arizona Golf” presented by the Arizona Golf Authority.

Visit our Arizona Golf Course Directory List and read the AZGA Player’s Arizona Golf Course Review for:

Grayhawk Golf Club Raptor Course

Grayhawk Golf Club Talon Course

TPC Scottsdale Champions Course

TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course

Zona Hotel’s TOUR PACKAGE lets avid amateurs play where the pros play and stay where the pros stay.

February 4, 2012