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Arizona Golf Course Reviews Legend Trail Golf Club Offers Great Golf With a Touch of Scottsdale’s Old West Spirit

Excellent Arizona Golf Adventures from the Arizona Golf Authority

Legend Trail is the perfect course to play when you want to savor the unique experience of playing golf in Arizona’s Sonoran desert. Whether you choose the par-72 Black tee “Long Trail” at 6,845 yards, or the 4,910-yard “Short Trail” Sage tees, you will enjoy stunning North Scottsdale picture postcard-type panoramas, excellent Tif-Eagle turf course conditioning and a first-rate Rees Jones layout.

Legend Trail Golf Club – #14 Navajo Tapestry

The fairways at Legend Trail Golf Club are wide and virtually uninterrupted by desert from tee to green. The desert-carries over native plants are mostly limited to the distance between your tee box and the generous fairways in front of you. The tee boxes rise up as grass islands growing out of the dry desert floor. They deliver a surreal experience of feeling marooned in the prickly desert flora, and add to the high-adventure of playing your way through its remarkable arid-lush beauty.

Now be advised, you choose your own tee box for the round, and therefore, the desert-carries you’ll face for the day, so choose wisely. The “Long Trail” is rated 72.3 and carries a healthy 138 slope; it’s a more modest 68.1 and 115 for the “Short Trail”. Four additional sets of tee markers are located between them so everyone can find a comfortable challenge for the day.

But no matter what teeing ground you choose, Legend Trail will perch you high above manicured fairways that seem to go on forever, and elegantly crafted green complexes molded into the natural terrain. And yet, each time you arrive at your ball, if you glance over to survey the fairway’s edge, you will witness just how quickly the pristine golf course turf vanishes and the harsh, natural desert surface returns. In a word: instantly; it’s quite a sight to behold.

Rees Jones’ layout at Legend Trail presents an enjoyable and playable routing up and over this undulating portion of high-desert property in North Scottsdale, and includes a unique combination of back-to-back 5-pars at the 16th and 17th holes – more on those two later.

Legend Trail Golf Club #6 – Painted Desert

A favorite pair on the front-9 starts at the par-4 sixth, playing at just 335 yards. It presents the classic temptation to try and squeeze a bit more distance out of a tee ball than may be safe, accuracy-wise. Desert left and bunkers right narrow the fairway that Mr. Jones decided shouldn’t provide a level lie, anywhere.

The short approach shot, played from an uneven lie, must carry a dry desert arroyo fronting a raised, severely contoured green which wraps around a cavernous front-left bunker. The arroyo and bunker see plenty of action as they collect all the “chunky” second shots those undulating fairway lies produce.

Legend Trail Golf Club #7 – Water Chant

Standing on the seventh tee box, Mr. Jones tempts you with an eminently reachable, 495-yard par-5. He provides a target-bunker at the top corner of the generous, gently sweeping, right-to-left fairway to aim at, and draw your tee ball off of. That will leave you a reasonable hybrid or long-iron second shot to an enormous putting surface, protected by a lake on the left, but wide open on the right side for a run-on shot.

What he doesn’t show you from the tee is the left-side lake guarding the second half of the fairway and green complex, and the fact that it extends back, close enough to the tee, to drown any “gonna go for it in two” tee ball is launched too far left. Rinse one here and this routine birdie hole now looks like a long third shot, over water, to get on in regulation and get out with a well-earned par.

The back-9 at Legend Trail Golf Club is about as good as golf in Arizona gets. The routing, the shot values and the scenery combine for a high energy thrill-ride you won’t soon forget. The crescendo is reached at the 16th and 17th holes, a back-to-back 5-par pairing which can take a good round really low, or destroy 15 holes of solid play.

Legend Trail Golf Club – #16 Echos of Time

The 530-yard 16th plays from an elevated tee, which prominently displays an arroyo cutting across the far end of the fairway lying in the pristine meadow below. Players going for the green in two will carry the arroyo with their tee ball; on-in-regulation players play short.

The small green complex is treacherous. It presents a deep, but narrow putting surface, elevated above the fairway and surrounded by a second arroyo that collects everything that is not precisely on target. It’s a lot easier to find this green with a wedge from short yardage than with a fairway metal from way out; your choice.

The 510-yard par-5 17th, on the other hand, begs to be eagled. The putting surface is much larger here but is segmented into several different tiers. If you’re ‘gonna go for it in 2 anywhere, this is the place. Keep your tee ball in the right-hand side of the fairway and, on approach, avoid the bunker front-left of the green. The right side of the green is wide open so you can run it on if you need to. Skilled players can target the tier the pin is on, the rest of us just try to get it on and consider a putt for eagle, from anywhere on the green, accomplishment enough.

Legend Trail Golf Club is a full service golf facility; practice facilities are state-of-the-art and the pro shop is always full of the latest in equipment and fashion trends.

Legend Trail Golf Club

The John Jacobs – Shelby Futch Golf Academy is located here and provides everything the student-golfer dreams of, from detailed video swing-analysis studios to private swing instruction, short game development to handle the subtleties of the Tif-Eagle surfaces and full playing lessons on the championship layout.

The Hot Stix Golf Performance Center also calls Legend Trail home. As everyone who’s been through the Hot Stix club-fitting procedure knows, the matching of an avid player to both a club and a ball, custom tailored to their game, produces great rewards on the golf course.

Legend Trail Golf Club showcases all the best Arizona golf has to offer, including some “good ’ole western style feudin.” And once you’ve played the 11th hole, you’ll be qualified to join the long-standing local debate. The 2 camps lay out this way: Do we leave the 440-yard par-4, the No. 2 handicap hole on the golf course, as it is, or should we keep the green complex, build new tees at the “corner” and convert it to a long, gorgeous downhill 3-par.

Go play Legend Trail Golf Club, you’ll enjoy the day, and then let us know what you think about the 11th.

Arizona Golf Authority AZGA “Local Hang” for Legend Trail Golf Club is the club’s own Cantina at Legend Trail. The patio offers the perfect spot to enjoy their full menu of refreshments and fare amid the tranquil desert surroundings, and offers the best view in town of Pinnacle Peak’s elegant north face. When you’re ready to two-step with the long-neck beer and cheeseburger crowd, head up the road a piece to Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, located just north of the club in Cave Creek, or the Horny Toad, just down the street from Harold’s, in Cave Creek as well.

Click Arizona Golf Courses Guide List Reviews Directory and read the AZGA player Arizona golf course reviews for every golf course in Arizona at www.arizonagolfauthority.com/coursedirectory.

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

April 11, 2012
Arizona Golf Courses – Bill Huffman’s Huff’s Stuff Blog – The Masters

One of These 5 Guys Will Win Masters – Unlike other professional sports that take an entire season to build to a crescendo, golf’s big moment always comes prematurely with the annual showcase called the Masters.

On the game’s biggest stage, Augusta National, contested between the best players in the world — most notably Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the modern era — golf’s magical moment occurs in early April rather than in the fall at the FedEx Cup, as the PGA Tour would have us believe.

Proof of this comes in many forms, like recently when Golf Digest asked readers in an on-line survey this question: “You have a choice of watching only one of the following sporting events. Which one do you choose?’’

The choices were Masters Sunday, the Super Bowl, U.S. Open Sunday, British Open Sunday, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, Game 7 of the World Series, Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Kentucky Derby, the Summer Olympics, Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, which is the exact order that all of the above finished. Not surprisingly, Masters Sunday was the runaway leader with 66.4 percent of the vote while the Super Bowl came in a distant second at 11.1 percent. The U.S. Open, generally regarded as the Masters only competition, got a 7.1 percent. (Yeah, it was that lop-sided!)

On the other side of that “biggest moment’’ equation, Golf World asked 81 PGA Tour pros to fill out their ratings on the 52 courses they play annually over the past three years using a sliding scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best). Not surprisingly, Augusta National was a runaway No. 1, meaning the guys who play for pay look forward to the Masters in the same way that the fans do.

Why is this so besides obvious things like the Augusta National is the only golf course that hosts the same major championship every year, and traditions like its one-and-only green jacket?

Actually, I think I can boil it down to one word — drama. That’s right, nobody gives us the never-ending theater quite like the annual chase through the dogwoods and azaleas.

That is especially true in the modern era of the Masters, or ever since Jack Nicklaus captured his record sixth green jacket in 1986 with a charge over the back nine of that fabled golf course that even the Golden Bear labeled “my greatest victory ever.’’ And that’s saying something when you have 18 majors, or four more than the next-best guy on that list, Woods.

But that’s the Masters, as those golden moments seem to just keep coming even without the Bear’s presence these days. Like last year, when Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy choked away a four-shot lead on the final day with a fat 80, while little known South African Charl Schwartzel became the first champion in 78 years to birdie the final four holes for the green jacket.

Chances are McIlroy will bounce back this year, but who knows? As the old saying around Augusta National goes: “You don’t win the Masters; the Masters wins you.’’ Just ask Greg Norman, the poster boy for past Masters disasters, or as he came to be known, golf’s “Hamlet.’’ Nobody was more talented than Norman in the Australian’s younger years. Yet when it came to this major it was “not to be.’’

Like in 1987, when the Shark tried to come back from his runner-up finish to the Bear the year prior only to be hypnotized by local hero Larry Mize, who chipped in for birdie on the second hole of sudden death to make him a bridesmaid for a second time. Oh, if only that was the end of Norman’s misery, but no. Ten years later, the Great White One took a six-shot lead into the final round of the 1996 Masters only to be beached by Nick Faldo, who picked up his third green jacket in the process.

But that’s the thing about the Masters, nothing is ever a certainty no matter how certain it appears to be. Ask Ahwatukee’s Mark Calcavecchia, who in 1988 already was finished and tied with Sandy Lyle when the Scotsman hit his drive into the fairway bunker on the 18th hole. Now as everyone knows, it’s very difficult to save par from that ominous hazard that dots the last big challenge at Augusta National. But Lyle ended up making birdie when his 7-iron hit the green and spun 30 feet back down the hill to within eight feet of the cup.

“I was in the (Butler) cabin getting ready for a playoff, but they had brought me in there with intentions of fitting me for a (green) jacket,’’ Calc recalled of his sudden change of Masters fate. “I remember there was a TV in there, and I happened to catch his shot out of the fairway bunker on 18.

“Immediately, his eyeballs got three times their normal size, and I knew he had hit a career shot. . . . I had a feeling for some reason he was going to make it.’’

Tom Lehman felt the pain on five occasions, when he finished as the runner-up twice to go with three thirds, a couple of those third-place finishes being even greater chances than the seconds. The Scottsdale pro’s view, in retrospect, was that he “should have putted better,’’ but it was as if that old adage about the Masters not winning him seemed to kick in every time.

Unbelievably, Tom Weiskopf, another guy who lives in Scottsdale, holds the dubious distinction of being the runner-up for the green jacket a record-tying four times, or as Weiskopf spun it: “That put me in some pretty good company.’’ Yes, Weiskopf is correct, as he shares that record for “near misses’’ with Ben Hogan and Nicklaus.

Certainly more drama is in store for this week with the plots and subplots seemingly everywhere. However, it says here that the correct answer to one of these five questions will most likely resolve this year’s Masters riddle.

*Is Tiger really back on track?

He certainly looked like it at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago, where he won by five shots, the “W’’ being the first in two and a half years — or ever since he hit the fire hydrant. But remember, Tiger has two runners-up and four other top-six finishes in the past six years since he last won in 2005. So he is definitely a horse for a course.

*Will McIlroy be able to bounce back for last year’s debacle?

After watching his impressive win in last year’s U.S. Open parlayed with the fact he recently was No. 1 in the world, most observers say “yes.’’ He looked good at the WGC Match Play, where he finished second, and then won the following week at the Honda. But he hasn’t played in a month, so it’s not like he’s coming to town on a hot streak.

*Can Phil equal Tiger with a fourth green jacket? Considering many of Augusta National’s fairways are the size of a football field (with no rough), and the greens are so gigantic you can hardly miss (even if you can hardly make), you can never write off the free-swinging Lefty. Hey, the Mickster didn’t roll up 11 top-10 finishes, including those three wins and three thirds, without bombing away. He is the “other” horse for this course.

*If Luke Donald really is the No. 1 player on the planet, why can’t he win a major?

It says here that Donald never will win a Masters, chiefly because Augusta National is just too long for the Englishman at 7,435 yards. But he’s way too accurate (and too good a putter) not to win a major. Then again, maybe the Masters will smile upon him like it did on Zach Johnson in 2007?

*Or how about Lee Westwood, the No. 3 player in the world who has been the “best player not to win a major’’ for seemingly forever? In the past three years he’s finished T3, runner-up and T11 at Augusta National, so he’s either coming or going depending on the tournament’s fickle finger.

*And, finally, can we finally believe in Hunter Mahan, the season’s only double winner, despite the fact that he’s never had a top-five finish in a major?

If you’re looking for a “dark horse,’’ this could be the guy, although birdies are Mahan’s calling card and Augusta National hasn’t given them out in bunches since Tiger went on his red-numbered roll in 1997, somehow getting to 18-under par. Besides, Mahan won last week, which is a bad omen (along with being the winner of the Par 3 Contest) although Mickelson managed to pull off the back-to-back double in 2006, when he won his second green jacket.

So stick around, as the golf season officially gets under way and then climaxes all in the same week. Chances are we’ll answer at least some of those aforementioned questions in dramatic fashion because no major mesmerizes us quite like the Masters.

Click Huff’s Stuff Arizona Golf Blog for Bill Huffman’s complete Arizona Golf Authority archive; it’s “All Things Arizona Golf.”

Click Arizona Golf Courses Directory List Reviews and read the AZGA player’s course review for every golf course in Arizona.

April 5, 2012
2012 Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic at Longbow Golf Club

MESA, Arizona – With a field that boasts four of the event’s past champions and 19 Rolex Junior All-Americans, the 2012 Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club promises to display the best junior golfers in the world over the Easter weekend, April 5-8.

The 54-hole stroke play tournament will take place at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., for the eighth straight year. The 144-player field features juniors from 19 states, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Thailand, with 25 players representing the home state of Arizona. A total of 37 players in the tournament field have signed National Letters of Intent to play college golf in the fall of 2012.

Past Champions

2010 Champion Alison Lee

The event garners one of the strongest fields in junior golf, as evidenced by its impressive list of past champions. In addition to Hunter Mahan, LPGA standout Paula Creamer was victorious in 2003 and 2004. Local players who have found themselves in the winner’s circle are Scottsdale natives Amanda Blumenherst (2002), Drew Kittleson (2005) and Philip Francis (2006). In 2011, Phoenix native Zach Wright and Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand captured the Easter weekend titles.

This year’s field will see four past champions return for their chance at etching their name on the trophy one final time before moving on to the collegiate ranks. Zachary Wright (2011), Alison Lee of Valencia, Calif. (2010), Trey Kaahanui of Tempe, Ariz. (2008), and Kyung Kim of Chandler, Ariz. (2008), are committed to play their final Easter weekend as a junior at Longbow Golf Club.

Tournament Schedule
The tournament practice round will be a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start on Thursday, April 5. First and second-round tee times will be off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees from 7 – 8:39 a.m. for the first wave and 11:30 a.m. – 1:09 p.m., Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7. After a 36-hole cut, the final round will go off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees, Sunday, April 8, from 7 – 8:57 a.m. An awards ceremony will immediately follow final-round play. Spectators are welcome and admission is free of charge.

Your Chance to Help the AJGA

2011 Champion Zachary Wright

During the tournament week, some of the top juniors will also take part in the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament Thursday, April 5. The Junior-Am will be a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start at Longbow Golf Club. This Junior-Am is a great way to entertain clients, reward employees and support junior golf, as the proceeds will benefit the AJGA Foundation, The First Tee and the Junior Golf Association of Arizona help the AJGA, who will use the proceeds to make contribution to local junior golf charities in Arizona. If you’re interested, contact Jay Larcheid at 480.807.5400 or email him at jay1@longbowgolf.com

About Heather Farr
Tournament namesake Heather Farr started playing golf when she was 8 years old, and by the age of 13 won the first of her four Arizona Women’s Amateur titles. Heather was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989, at the tender age of 24, and bravely battled the disease through November 20, 1993.

Heather’s golf resume includes:

Wins at the Polo Golf Junior Classic in 1979 and 1982 Rolex Tournament of Champions

12 National Junior Tournament crowns

Rolex Junior Player of the Year honors in 1980 and 1982 and Rolex Junior All-American five times

Co-medalist at the 1981 Women’s Amateur and the low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open in 1983

Two-time All-American and three-time All-Conference performer at Arizona State University.

Member of the 1984 Curtis Cup and World Amateur Teams

Qualified for the LPGA Tour in October 1985 at the age of 20 (youngest to do so at the time).

Six top-10 finishes on the LGPA Tour

Click Longbow Golf Club to visit our Arizona Golf Course Guide List 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.

April 2, 2012
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
GolfLogix Has New Interactive GPS Golf App Features

GolfLogix Interactive GPS Golf App Display

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – GolfLogix has introduced new Interactive GPS features providing Champion members additional tools to improve course management and play better golf. According to company president Pete Charleston, the new software was created based on feedback from the GolfLogix community of 1.5 million members.

The new automatic update features for Champions members include:

Club tracking – This patented system gives GolfLogix exclusive rights to accurately capture club distances and locations of logged clubs, overlying shots on hole imagery to produce a mapped history of every round

Aerial flyover – Similar to what’s seen on TV, the flyover provides a birds-eye video tour of each hole from tee to green

Pin position – Eliminates the need for lasers, allowing users to zoom in to get specific GPS distances to the pin or any other key points (hazards, landing zones) on any hole

Digital yardage book notes – Allows users to create and save critical notes directly on hole imagery (ex: false front 12 yards from edge of green; fairway slopes right-to-left toward water 250 yards from tee box)

Easily downloaded from www.GolfLogix.com or App Stores such as iTunes, Android Marketplace and BlackBerry App World, the software is compatible with more than 60 smartphone models.

In addition to the upgraded Champion membership which costs less than $20 annually, the free GolfLogix app provides accurate distances to the center of the green, yardage book quality imagery, scorekeeping and in-round pro-level stat tracking for more than 30,000 courses worldwide. All existing Club members will get a free round credit to try all of the new 2012 Champion member features.

And more enhancements are coming in mid-2012, when the GolfLogix app will feature instructional videos and tips from the Golf Digest teaching vault. As the software continuously captures a player’s stats during the round, personalized feedback, instant advice, tips and drills will be sent to his or her smartphone for review and comparison against previous rounds.

All GolfLogix levels include access to the Member Clubhouse, the No. 1 online golf community where millions interact through social forums, offer challenges to fellow golfers and maintain an indexed handicap. Personal web pages for each user also store performance statistics, so every round can be analyzed by fairways hit, greens in regulation, putting, shot trends and more.

For more information: www.GolfLogix.com, 877.977.0162.

Click to 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.

March 20, 2012
Apache Stronghold Golf Club Debuts Signature Glove

Apache Stronghold Signature Glove by Easy Glove

San Carlos, Arizona – In yet the next evolution of logo-wear, Apache Stronghold Golf Club in San Carlos, working with Easy Glove North America, has developed their own signature golf glove.

Easy Glove utilizes a proprietary process that can place a digital image on up to 90 percent of the product’s surface area so the design options are limitless. “As soon as I saw the Easy Glove graphics I had to have it for our club” said Jim Lawrence, Director of Golf Operations. “You don’t see that many completely unique items in golf shops these days and this is definitely unique. I think it will be very popular with our customers and increase sales as an impulse item” added Lawrence.

So if you are one of those players that has to have the latest new product, trek on out to Apache Stronghold. But before you do, check out our team’s course review.

Click Apache Stronghold Golf Club 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.

March 19, 2012
Yani Tseng Weathers Storm(s) and Wins LPGA Founders Cup

Huff’s Stuff Arizona Golf Blog – Arizona Golf Authority

Courtesy LPGA Tour

PHOENIX, Arizona – The galleries for the first three days of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup were not all that large to start with. But when the weather turned ugly on Sunday, they got a lot smaller for the final round at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix.

And then they got smaller . . . and then even smaller.

Blame it on three rain delays – one that included thunder and lightning and another highlighted by hail– and temperatures that dipped into the upper 40s. Oh, yes, and don’t forget about the winds that gusted from 25- to 35-mph.

The interruptions, which totaled about three hours, pushed the finish to the edge of darkness, and just to add insult to injury, the live telecast on the Golf Channel was pre-empted just as the leaders were coming down the stretch in favor of the final round of the Champions Tour. (Can it get any worse?)

Unfortunately, it was another strange chapter in Phoenix for the LPGA, which had hoped for some positive news this week for its first tournament of 2012 to be held in the United States.

Fortunately, Yani Tseng, future Hall of Famer, saved the day — at least what was left of it. And the Taiwanese star did it in what’s becoming her calling card.

“A little drama out there today,’’ quipped Tseng, who looked anything like the No. 1 player in the world after back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 7 and 8 — a stumble that left her three shots back of Ai Miyazato.

But Tseng jump-started her game nicely after the second rain delay by reeling off five birdies in the next six holes beginning at No. 10. She never looked back even if it got a little dicey over the last three holes due to the fading daylight.

“I’m proud of myself. I hung in there on the back side,’’ said the 22-year-old after Miyazato and Na Yeon Choi, the world’s No. 2, got to within a shot of the lead when both made birdies at the 16th hole.

But that was the last red number that fell on this dark afternoon as all three players parred out. Not that many fans got to see it, especially those who had been watching the Golf Channel.

Asked what was the spark that lit up the back nine and gave Tseng her 14th career victory and second in the past three tournaments, she elaborated with her usual enthusiasm that belied someone who had just spent eight hours on — and off — the golf course.

“I told myself, ‘You have nine more holes — OK, three shots back. You still have a good chance on the back nine,’ “said Tseng, who closed with a 4-under-par 68 and a winning total of 18-under 270.

“I said, ‘Just play like the first day.’ Try to make birdie every hole. I played 7-under (on the back nine Thursday), so maybe I can do it again. I played 5-under today, so it was pretty close.’’

Looking back, that first-round 65, where Tseng shot 29 on the back side, went a long way towards deciding the $225,000 first prize, which just happened to push her over the $8 million mark in career earnings. In the process she became the quickest to pass that milestone, edging past Lorena Ochoa, who got to $8 million in four years and four months compared to Tseng’s four years 1 month. (BTW, Tseng also was the first player to $2 million, $3 million, $4 million, $5 million, $6 million and $7 million in earnings. See a pattern?)

Or as Choi spun it regarding Tseng’s total domination of the women’s tour: “She’s amazing. I don’t know who can catch her. She is far ahead of the rest of us.’’

It’s true, Tseng is simply sensational when you consider she has 34 wins worldwide, and is only five victories shy of the LPGA Hall of Fame due to the fact that five of her 14 wins on the LPGA are majors. If it didn’t seem possible that she has the potential to surpass Annika Sorenstam and all the Swede’s scoring/tournament records someday, it does now that she has her fifth win in her last 11 outings.

Yes, Yani’s on fire! And, hey, those 14 Ws by Tseng also tie Cristie Kerr on the all-time list, and that’s saying something considering Kerr has been solid for 16 years compared to a little over four for Tseng.

There are other things to admire about Tseng, like the fact she speaks three languages, including Japanese, and that she’s a major spokesperson for UNICEF. And did you know her secret wish is to appear on “Minute to Win It’’? Hey, that’s a TV show that most people would dread being on considering the format.

It’s true, we’re watching someone special even if the golf world has yet to embrace Tseng, and even if the locals didn’t get to see her follow Hall of Famer Karrie Webb as the second champion of the Founders Cup, a tournament that still has a shaky future despite its back-to-back winners being the best of the best.

“I thought we could not finish today, and it was just very lucky (to finish),’’ Tseng said of the dark, cold ending. “I’m really happy that we finished, and I just thank all of the people for staying here with us all day.’’

If the truth be told, there weren’t many who hung around to the very end. Then again, if the galleries never got smaller, at least in Tseng’s eyes, well, there’s another clue as to why Yani gets it.

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March 19, 2012
Arizona Golf’s Insider’s Guide to the 2012 LPGA Founders Cup

Courtesy LPGA Tour

Like the economy, the LPGA seems to be on the upswing these days. Granted, uncertainty remains about the global markets — and this global tour — but at least the ladies will be on American soil for the first time in 2012 when the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup gets under way this week at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix.

Last year — after a one-year layoff in which the tournament went dark due to a lack of title sponsor — the inaugural Founders Cup was won by Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, who edged Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome by a single stroke. But with the crowds modest and the women playing for a mock purse in which no pro earned a dime (the money going to charity in an effort to “pay it forward”), players and organizers are hoping for a stronger showing this week.

It’s almost a “gimme” that the gate will go up, as the tournament has been lengthened from 54 holes to 72 holes, meaning there will be one more day of play. Another exciting feature that might stimulate interest is a “real purse,’’ as the ladies who advance to the weekend will be competing for $1.5 million with $225,000 going to the winner. (No wonder nine of the top 10 players in the world will be in the field compared to six out of 10 a year ago.)

Another major improvement that should boost attendance is that general parking, which is free, has been moved from WestWorld in Scottsdale to the Reach 11 Sports Complex off Deer Valley Road in Phoenix. That trip by school bus will now cover about three miles and take approximately 10 minutes rather than the 30-minute treks that attendees endured last year. Yes, those yellow buses will run continuously.

What else do fans need to know about this week’s Founders Cup besides it still has one more year on the contract at Wildfire? Well, without further ado, here are some interesting facts, figures and a few quotes going into this week’s LPGA adventure:

2012 WINNERS IN THE FIELD

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the No. 1 player in the world that nobody seems to know about, headlines the group of top-ranked women on the planet, and already is a winner this season having prevailed in Thailand, the second stop of the season. Also on board for Wildfire is veteran Angela Stanford, who revived her career by winning the last stop in Singapore. Unfortunately, the player everybody is talking about, 18-year-old Jessica Korda, who set the LPGA abuzz by winning a record-tying six-woman playoff in Australia, won’t be teeing it up in Phoenix.

WIE M.I.A.

For years, teen sensation Michelle Wie, now 21, was the toast of this tournament when it was held at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Gold Canyon and at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix. But for a second straight year, or ever since the tournament moved to Wildfire, Wie will not be in the field. Why? Blame it on academics, as Wie is currently is a senior at Stanford and on track to graduate this spring. That will hurt the gate a wee bit, even if Wie has fallen to No. 20 in the world after going last season without a “W.”

ON THE RISE

As mentioned, the LPGA is bouncing back with 27 tournaments on this year’s schedule even if a couple of them have yet to work out all the details. It’s still nowhere near the 34 events it hosted in 2008, but it’s a nice bump from last year’s total of 23. If you’re doing the math, this year’s schedule is worth $47 million or about $6 million more than last year’s. Of course, $1.5 million of that – 25 percent — was picked up right here in Phoenix after Whan opted for a “real purse.’’

‘WIN-WIN’

Last year the mock purse got a lot of attention, as players embraced it for its salute to the past and charity, but some resented the fact that only $500,000 of the $1 million total actually went to the USGA-LPGA Girls Club. This year, the entire $1.5 million goes to the players AND the Girls Club still gets its $500,000 share. “That was definitely different,’’ said local favorite Amanda Blumenherst in reference to the funny money. “But we are very fortunate to be able to play golf for a living, so it was nice to give it back, too. Even better, this year we get paid and the Girls Club also gets their $500,000. So it’s a win-win.’’

THE FIELD

In all, 132 players will be at the starting blocks Thursday, including nine of the top 10 players on the planet, the lone exception being South Korea’s Sun Ju Ahn, the No. 5 player. Americans in the top 10 include Cristie Kerr (No. 4), Paula Creamer (No. 6), Stacy Lewis (No.8) and Brittany Lincicome (No. 10). Other notables on hand: Laura Davies, a four-timer winner here in Phoenix; Japanese star Ai Miyazato, who brings with her the largest contingent of media focused on the LPGA in the world; and Hall of Famers Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak. Another Hall of Famer, Juli Inskster, is out with an elbow injury that is delaying the start to her 30th season.

LOCAL FAVORITES

For those looking for some local/crowd favorites, the Scottsdale duo of Amanda Blumenherst and Grace Park certainly fill that bill. Another of considerable note is Cristie Kerr, the No. 4 player in the world, who also lives in Scottsdale. Kerr was in the hunt last year, and many expect Blumenherst, a highly rated third-year pro who was all-everything at Duke, to win at any moment. “The last couple of years have been very demanding, but I’m learning more every tournament,’’ said Blumenherst, who starred at Xavier College Prep. “And it would be great if (the first win) came here in my home town.’’ Due to injuries, Park has not won in the past six years after earlier finding the winner’s circle six times. This will be Park’s season debut, why Blumenherst had a tie for fifth last month in Thailand.

ASU-UA CONNECTION

There are a handful of former Arizona State players in the field as well as several former University of Arizona alums. That list of players with ASU-UA connections includes former Sun Devils Heather Bowie Young, Jimin Kang, Anna Nordqvist, Grace Park and Wendy Ward, as well as former Wildcats Natalie Natalie Gulbis and Leta Lindley.

BIG HITTER (GUNGA-LUNGA)

Brittany Lincicome was the runner-up here last year, and the way she is pounding the ball this season she might do even better. The LPGA’s big hitter is leading the driving statistical category with a whopping average of 296 yards per drive compared to No. 2 Paige Mackenzie at 278.6 per drive. That’s almost 20 yards farther, which is mind-boggling. “I think it matches (my game) well,’’ Lincicome said of the 6,568-yard Wildfire Course. “It’s a golf course I could see myself winning on multiple years in my career.’’ It also helps to have confidence!

TV TIMES

For those who won’t be attending the Founders Cup in person, there’s still the TV broadcast, which is a good news-bad news situation. Because the LPGA inked a bad deal with the Golf Channel under former commissioner Carolyn Bivens, most of its tournaments are broadcast on a tape-delayed basis. That’s what you’ll get for the first two rounds of the Founders, which is set for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Fortunately, the TV coverage is live for Saturday and Sunday in the 1 to 4 p.m. time slot, also on the Golf Channel.

BUY A PROGRAM

Even though most fans know that the LPGA likes to market itself as a global tour, you’ll need a program for this tournament, as there are five Lees (Ilhee, Jee Young, Jennie, Meena and Seon Hwa), four Parks (Grace, Hee Young, Inbee and Jane), three Kangs (Danielle, Jaeji and Jimin), three Kims (Christina, I.K. and Mindy), two Chois (Chella and Na Yeon), two Miyazatos (Ai and Mika), two Ohs (Angela and Ji Young), two Paks (Jin Young and Se Ri), two Shins (Jenny and Jiyai) and two Songs (Christine and Jennifer) in the Founders Cup field.

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.

March 16, 2012