Category: Arizona Golf News

Golf balls collected from event will be used in the Waste Management sign on the 18th hole at the TPC in Scottsdale during the WM Phoenix Open.

TEMPE, AZ, December 13, 2010 — Dixon Golf will be holding a recycling event this weekend, December 18-20 at the PGA TOUR Superstore on Shea Blvd and the Loop 101 in Scottsdale. The drive will take place during regular business hours. All the balls collected from the recycling event will go toward the 100,000-plus golf balls Dixon Golf has already collected, and be placed in Waste Management’s floating logo on the lake of the18th Hole at the TPC of Scottsdale for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. All told, the sign will weigh more than seven tons and consist of 144,000 used golf balls.

“It’s important for us to help people visualize just how many golf balls are thrown away each year. If 144,000 golf balls make a seven ton sign, just imagine how much landfill space the 300 million golf balls that are thrown away each year take up,” said Dixon Golf CEO William Carey.

The Thunderbirds are providing General Admission tickets to the Waste Management Phoenix Open to the first 100 people each day who donate golf balls. The PGA TOUR Superstore will also be giving each participant a $10 gift certificate to the store. The person who brings in the most balls each day will receive a pair of Member’s Club passes to the Open. Second place daily winners will receive Krank Golf drivers, a $500 value. The person who brings in the most golf balls during the event will win the grand prize, an Athlete’s Performance Package, worth $3,500 and a voucher book for $300 worth of Dixon Golf balls. The second place winner will receive an additional pair of Member’s Club passes, a Dixon Golf hat and one dozen Dixon Fire golf balls.

A person must bring in a minimum of two dozen golf balls to qualify for any prizes or giveaways.

Beginning this Sunday, more than 100 golf writers from around the world will congregate in Scottsdale at the Xona Resort Suites for the Xona Golf Media Classic. Now in its 9th year, the Xona Golf Media Classic showcases exceptional Scottsdale-area golf courses and this year won’t disappoint. For three nights and four days the writers will get to experience great food, drink and exciting entertainment. And most important, they will experience four fabulous golf courses in Desert Forest, Superstition Mountain, We-Ko-Pa and Southern Dunes.

The Media Classic was the brainchild of the AZGA’s own Bill Huffman who felt golf in Arizona was sorely under marketed. “Our area is such a great golf destination, but we didn’t have a national presence,” said Huffman. “So I figured we needed to sell the story to the most credible sources: golf writers. I put one and one together and came up with three.” He was right.

Played December 5-8, the Xona Golf Media Classic has quickly become the largest golf writer/ broadcasters bash in the world.

It’s always nice to see December specials roll around just in time for the holidays here in Arizona. And, this year is no different. The Wigwam and Fairmount Scottsdale Princess have some specials you’ll enjoy.

ARIZONA GOLF ESCAPE
The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa is offering a great Arizona Golf Escape now through Dec. 31, 2010. The package includes room accommodations for two, daily breakfast for two, unlimited golf for two and roundtrip airport transfers. The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa is the only Arizona resort with access to five golf courses and is home to the Southwest’s only 54 holes of championship golf. For more details visit: www.wigwamresort.com

GET GOLF FIT
The Fairmount Scottsdale Princess is partnering with the TPC Scottsdale to create Golf Fit, a luxurious, cutting-edge golf vacation designed to help golf travelers play their best while having fun and relaxing in one of Scottsdale’s most celebrated golf environments. To start, a Willow Stream Spa personal trainer works with the golfer to access his/ her balance, agility and core strength to determine areas for improvement. The package also includes overnight accommodations, 30-minutes of golf instruction with a TPC Scottsdale teaching professional, followed by a round of golf, a special Golf Fit, lunch at The Grill and a 60-minute Golf Performance massage at Willow Stream Spa. The Golf Fit, package is available now through December 31. For more information, check out:
http://www.fairmont.com/scottsdale/HotelPackages/Golf/fairmontgolffitpackage.htm

Golfers have always been known to be charitable, and TPC Scottsdale will once again reward those who find it in their hearts to be generous this holiday season. Not only will TPC Scottsdale continue the Golf Fore Groceries program this year, they are sweetening the deal. During the month of December 2010, if you bring 5 canned goods or donate $50 to benefit the Foothills Food Bank, you’ll received a reduced green fee: $69 + tax at the Champions course or $175 + tax at the Stadium course.

This will include a Forecaddie for your Stadium course round. The deal is good any day of the week, although not all tee times are valid at these rates. You can book your round up to 7 days in advance. Note: Both courses are cart path only in December. So if you want to do a really good deed and enjoy great golf, book your round at: www.tpc.com/scottsdale

Scottsdale, AZ – Award-winning Arizona golf journalist Bill Huffman, along with partners Linda Dillenbeck and Allan Landolt, have launched the Arizona Golf Authority website, the first professional and independent resource of comprehensive information about Arizona golf.

The Arizona Golf Authority was borne from the desire to have a reliable source for current golf news, which disappeared when the State’s major newspapers opted to eliminate their golf writers. “I know the world is moving to digital, but I’m still an avid print reader,” said partner Linda Dillenbeck. “I was so disappointed with local coverage in the newspapers and told Bill so one night at dinner. We talked about how to feature his knowledge, insights and coverage of the Arizona golf scene for his large local audience and package it for out-of-state golfers to make planning their trips here easier. That’s how the Arizona Golf Authority was created and I’m really excited about the plans we have to promote our great golf destination locally and nationally.”

Bill Huffman, whose career has included covering local, national and international golf for more than 30 years, will bring his own brand of wit and wisdom to the Arizona Golf Authority site. Huff Daddy’s first task is to provide insight about what to expect at each of the over 350 golf courses in Arizona. It’s a pretty big task, so veteran Arizona golf writer John Davis will be a major contributor to the task. In addition to their course insights, Huffman and Davis will provide updates of breaking news, profiles of key players in the industry, full-length course reviews and inside information about what’s really going on in Arizona Golf.

The Arizona Golf Authority website is focused on providing service-oriented information. The site will feature information about all the elements for a great golf experience, including recommendations for golf friendly hotels, upcoming tournament listings and local spots to hang for fabulous food and drink. The team has also partnered with individual cities to provide easy “one click” access to information about other things to do while in Arizona. Plus, it will provide a user-friendly “Ask Us” button to help golfers make the right choices for upcoming trips.

“Our State has the most incredible offering of accessible, high-quality golf courses in the country and it’s very confusing for someone not familiar with our State to know where to play and stay,” commented partner Landolt. “I get calls all the time asking me to connect the dots for courses to play and places to stay, so the opportunity to work with Bill and Linda to publish a service-oriented website providing insider-information about every aspect of Arizona golf was very appealing to me.”

“It’s no secret that consumers are moving to the digital world for information,” said Huffman. “The advantage of the digital model is that we can keep our nationwide community of avid golfers ‘in the know’ about Arizona golf news as it happens. To produce a compelling design package for the site, the AZGA team turned to Lucky Dog Creative’s Tom Howard to create the logo, which has received rave reviews. Communication Links, a Scottsdale-based golf marketing company, was tapped to develop the site to provide the ultimate user experience.

Companies involved in the Arizona golf industry as well as charitable organizations are invited to submit news, updates and tournament schedules, which will be posted free of charge on the site. Information should be submitted to allan@azgolfauthority.com.

Fountain Hills, Ariz. – Don and Cindy Misheff, part-time Fountain Hills residents, announced today the acquisition of SunRidge Canyon Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona.  The Misheffs along with key management purchased the club from Sunbelt Holdings.

“This is a dream-come-true for us,” said Don Misheff.  “As avid golfers who are passionate about the game and all that comes with it, Cindy and I visualized this for many years, especially during our visits to Fountain Hills. The pieces just started to fall into place, and we’re now happy to report our long-term commitment to the Fountain Hills community to preserve and even improve the golf experience at SunRidge Canyon.  To reach this goal, we already chose a local golf-savvy management team to make that happen.”

Jeff Lessig was hired as the general manager, and Derek Crawford assumes the position of director of operations. Lessig’s new position at SunRidge Canyon Golf Club marks a homecoming; he was the club’s original general manager for six years after it opened for public play in 1995, prior to taking on the general manager position at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.  And during his time at We-Ko-Pa, Lessig worked with Crawford, who recently accepted a position at SunRidge Canyon to once again work alongside Lessig as the golf club’s new director of operations.  In addition to his nine-year stint at We-Ko-Pa, Crawford joins the SunRidge Canyon team after decades of experience at other clubs in the local Phoenix/Scottsdale golf scene.  And the management team will also include two people who have worked at the club from its inception.  Ron Ruppert will continue as the golf course superintendant, and Brian Gillmore will carry on as the food and beverage manager.

“I am eager to get started at SunRidge Canyon,” said Lessig. “The Misheffs bring with them the right combination of professionalism wrapped up in their down-to-earth personality that is well suited for the golf business.  We intend to make the best of this opportunity to usher SunRidge Canyon into a new era of prosperity with an exceptional golf experience and attentive customer service leading the way.”

The Desert Junior Golf Tour (DJGT), founded in the fall of 2002 by Dan and Camilla Plunkett, gives boys and girls between the ages of 8-19 the opportunity to compete in nationally ranked tournaments, showcase their talents and receive national recognition at a very reasonable cost. Tournaments are held at first-class, championship-caliber golf courses, organized and operated by professionally trained tournament staff. Originally an outlet for elite junior golfers to hone their competitive skills during the fall/winter off-season, the DJGT has now expanded in its ninth year to a year-round schedule.

The 2010-2011 season (consisting of 12 events: four Majors, seven Opens and a Tour Championship) also marks the first season that the tournament schedule will take players outside of Arizona to events in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada. The ideal climate of the desert Southwest attracts players from all over the United States as well as from Canada, Mexico and Switzerland. The goal of the tour is to provide resources for junior golfers to succeed at the highest level, on and off the golf course.

DJT PARTNERS WITH OB SPORTS

The Desert Junior Golf Tour has partnered with eight OB Sports-affiliated golf facilities to serve as the exclusive host to all 12 events on the tour’s 2010/2011 schedule of tournaments. The first event – held at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona September 18 and 19 – is in the books with the champion, Trey Kaahanui, carding a 3-under-par 139 for the two-round tournament, besting the nearest competitor, Kolton Lapa, by three strokes.

“Developing junior golfers has always been one of the core values of our company,” said Phil Green, President of OB Sports Golf Management. “They’re the future of the game, plus golf teaches a host of character-building lessons that no other sport can. This is why we support a number of activities that help juniors grow within the game. In this particular case, we’re happy to provide the Desert Junior Golf Tour with spectacular venues for their tournaments. It’s a great fit for both of us.”

Schedule of events for the 2010-2011 season:

• Longbow Open – September 18 &19 at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona
• High Country Shootout – October 23 & 24 at Talking Rock Golf Club in Prescott, Arizona
• The Duke at Rancho El Dorado (Major event) – November 13 &14 at Duke at Rancho El Dorado in Maricopa, Arizona
• Palm Valley Classic – December 18 & 19 at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Arizona
• Eagle Mountain Challenge – January 8 & 9, 2011 at Eagle Mountain Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona
• Mid Season Major – February 12 & 13 at Club West Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona
• Sandia Open – March 19 & 20 at Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Longbow Open (Major) – April 9 & 10 at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona
• Angel Park Championship – May 21 & 22 at Angel Park Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Talking Rock Open (Major) – June 18 & 19 at Talking Rock Golf Club in Prescott, Arizona
• Palm Valley Summer Classic – July 23 & 24 at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Arizona
• Tour Championship – August 1 & 2 location TBD

The Desert Junior Golf Tour provides an excellent adventure in a very competitive environment for serious junior golfers, not to mention it’s a great way to experience great golf in Arizona. For more information about the Desert Junior Golf Tour, visit www.desertjrtour.com or send an email to info@desertjrtour.com.

OB Sports-managed Eagle Mountain Golf Club recently announced the continuation of its popular advanced booking tee time offer for 2011 that provides substantial savings to golfers who make their reservations early. “It’s similar to airline models where you get a lower fare when you book in advance,” said Jeremy Hayman, Head Golf Professional. “But, in our case, golfers only need to book at least 8 days in advance on our official website to take advantage of significant savings – as much as $120 per foursome.”

Eagle Mountain Golf Club is perched high above Scottsdale, Arizona in the city’s iconic McDowell Mountains. The 18-hole, par 71, Scott Miller-designed golf course weaves its way around mountain peaks and through desert arroyos loaded with Mesquites, Palo Verdes and Saguaros making Eagle Mountain the quintessential Sonoran Desert track with a bit more character than most. The views from the course are stunning, which is one of the reasons the course has received accolades both locally and nationally, including 4.5 stars from Golf Digest and one of the “Top 50 Public Courses in the Country” from Golf World.

Eagle Mountain Golf Club also offers a “Best Rate Guarantee” when you book directly through its website. So whether you can plan in advance and take advantage of early booking savings or need a last minute tee time, your best value will come when you go direct. Visit www.eaglemtn.com or call (480) 816-1234.

Most all of us go about our daily lives rarely giving thought to the fact our troops put their lives on the line every day to keep our country free and safe. So we applaud and encourage you to support TPC Scottsdale for hosting Birdies for the Brave. This annual event is part of the PGA TOUR’s national military outreach program supporting the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

TPC Scottsdale will host their Birdies for the Brave event on Monday, December 6, 2010. The day starts with registration and breakfast at 8am. A 10am shotgun kicks off the golf tournament, after which the course will host a luncheon, silent auction and Awards Ceremony.

Individuals can participate for a $250 entry fee, which includes all activities and tee gifts. Better yet, put a foursome together for only $800 and you’ll not only have a great time, you’ll help nine outstanding Birdies for the Brave Homefront groups directly service military men, women and their families.

TPC Scottsdale is not in this alone. All TPC facilities and partner properties are hosting Birdies for the Brave events across the country, so they can provide contributions to the nine organizations below:

Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Player Phil Mickelson that adapts or builds new homes designed for military men and women returning to America with serious injuries and disabilities. www.homesforourtroops.org

Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Player Phil Mickelson dedicated to providing free college scholarships and educational counseling to the children of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations personnel lost in performance of their duty. www.specialops.org

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a non-profit that serves the families of military personnel lost in performance of their duty. www.fallenheroesfund.org

Naval Special Warfare Foundation, a non-profit group supported by TOUR Player Jerry Kelly, Vijay Singh & Frank Lickliter II dedicated to providing educational and motivational support, promoting health and welfare programs for the Naval Special Warfare community, and perpetuating the history and heritage of the U.S. Naval Commandos. www.nswfoundation.org

Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Players Frank Lickliter II, Jason Gore and Nick Watney dedicated to providing unique, direct programs and services to meet the specialized needs of severely injured service men and women. www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Player Corey Pavin that provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. www.operationhomefront.net

United Through Reading, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Player Rory Sabbatini that unites families facing physical separation by facilitating the bonding experience of reading aloud together.  www.unitedthroughreading.org

Military Warriors Support Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by TOUR Player Ted Purdy that demonstrates support for the men and women of our military through providing practical opportunities to those injured in service to our country. www.militarywarriors.org

If you have any questions, you can call the TPC Scottsdale at 480.585.4334. Or you can sign up now by visiting www.tpc.com/Scottsdale . The entry form is right on the home page.