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.
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.
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.
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 16th 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 13th, 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.
Arizona Golf Course Guide’s AZGA Arizona Golf Course Review: When the Raven Golf Club opened for play in 1995, the tectonic plates of the golf landscape in Phoenix shifted forever. Sure, high-quality golf course designs were already scattered around North Scottsdale’s foothills back then, but most were private country clubs designed for the exclusive enjoyment of the members and their lucky guests.
Raven Golf Club – Phoenix
The Raven boldly placed a first-class David Graham – Gary Panks layout right in the heart of Phoenix, then added all the customer service the private places had and offered the experience to daily-fee public players – Home Run.
Not only did the locals flock to the course, but due to its location near Sky Harbor International airport, avid traveling golfers always scheduled it for play on the day they arrived, or the day they were leaving town. Many outfits have copied the formula over the years, but no one in Phoenix does it better than the Raven – Phoenix for two reasons: the golf course, and the staff.
First, the golf course. Wow!
Messrs. Graham and Panks were given a site along Baseline Road in a longstanding agricultural area near South Mountain historically cultivated as flower nurseries; the fields are directly adjacent to a major irrigation canal. They moved some earth, imported 6,000 Georgia Pine trees and produced a spectacular golf course that the editors at GolfWorld included on their 2009 List of the Top 50 Public Courses in the U.S.A and Golf Digest awarded 4.5 of the 5 possible stars they hand out. Trust us; you don’t buy your way into the rankings issued by those two outfits.
The Raven Golf Club – Phoenix is an ever entertaining and playable golf course from the middle tees, while providing a championship caliber test from the tips. At its full 7,078 yardage, the course rating is a healthy 72.8 and slope is 130. Two sets of middle tees offer a more comfortable rating of 70.5/125 from 6,722 yards and 68.1/119 from 6,264. The forward tees are set at 5,759 and the rating creeps back over par at 73/129.
Raven Golf Club – Phoenix is the model for the “member for a day” mantra you hear so often these days. Visit the expansive practice ground to loosen up and don’t be offended if you find the surfaces are better than the fairways you play on at home. Take plenty of time to prepare and be ready to play from the start because a stern 3-hole test appears early on the front-9.
Standing on the 3rd tee you’ll notice two things, a generous pine tree-lined fairway and not a single fairway bunker. You know what that means, and a glance at the tee marker will confirm your suspicion; it’s the strongest par-4 you’ll see all day and, at 477 yards, the No.1 handicap hole on the course. Resign yourself to a longish second and take solace in the fact that the Graham-Nash team provided a bunker-free green complex that accepts a long iron or hybrid shot-trajectory.
Now that your long game has been stretched out, No. 4, a 596-yard par-5 provides another chance to use it. The AZGA staff recommends we amateurs play this one as a three-shotter due to the elevated green complex. Approaching this green with a short iron ensures a more reliable result as deep bunkers menace the right half of this tiered green, both front and rear – sandy birdies are rare here.
The early 3-hole workout culminates at the 6th tee where the designers test another part of your game: your judgment. You’ve just played two holes that suggest “long ball is good” and now they tempt you with their 324-yard drivable par-4. The fairway doglegs sharply left-to-right around a menacing family of bunkers and the multi-tiered green sits just beyond them, tantalizingly exposing its wide but shallow-depth side to you from the tee; the deep long-axis of the green is angled some 60-degrees away from you, in line with the safer, dogleg fairway approach. Carry the bunkers and you’re home free, miss a bit and well, you know the drill. It’s your choice, and therein lies the fun.
The back-9 is a bit shorter and the layout offers several more choices about what shot to hit. Standouts are the 11th and the 15th. Tee boxes at the par-3 11th are placed from 195 to 112 yards and it’s one of the few golf holes where an amateur player might actually, consciously, genuinely reach the following conclusion – “You know, if I miss this green, after looking at the angry ocean-like undulating chipping area over there on the right, that bunker on the left doesn’t look so bad.” They’d be correct, too.
No. 15, a par-4 playing a modest 366 yards, is an elegant eye-candy golf hole disguising an intriguing choice about your tee shot. Challenge and stay short of the bunker, located just 250 yards from the tee and defining the gently sweeping left-to-right dogleg, and you’re left with a level lie and the full depth of a two-tiered, elevated green for your second. Drive your tee ball longer into the generous fairway left of the bunker and you’ll find everything but a level lie, and the green, now diagonal to your line of play, is a very shallow one-club target.
The Raven Golf Club – Phoenix is home to one of those rare golf courses where even if you did reach the milestone of playing every day, you would always be entertained by the course. Each day would bring a little different lie, a different shot angle, or a change in strategy off the tee; that’s the mark of thoughtful design and careful course routing.
And if you do show up every day, rest assured you’ll be in good hands. O.B Sports’ General Manager at the Raven – Phoenix, Derek Crawford, has been doing this for 30-years and he’s distilled the art and science of customer service to its essence.
“It’s simple really; my staff and I do whatever we can to enhance a guest’s experience today. It’s not hard to get over there and open a door for someone whose hands are full, or take a moment to smile and thank them for choosing to come over and play our course. We just believe that, in a world which seems a bit less civil today, the little things we do have a big impact on our guests”
How refreshing.
The Raven Golf Club – Phoenix also offers a well appointed Pro Shop and great food and beverage ambiance in the Raven Grill, as well as complete banquet services in their Event Pavilion overlooking the 18th hole. Expert golf instruction is available from the Jeff Ritter Golf & Martin Chuck Tour Striker Golf Academy.
After golf, as long as you’re in the neighborhood, spend some time and check out two more Phoenix originals. The entrance to South Mountain Park is just down the street, south on Central Avenue, and you can make the short drive up to the 1,000-foot summit for the view; it’s spectacular, day or night.
And if you’re on south Central Avenue, at #8684 you’ll drive right past one of the best meals in town at the family owned and operated restaurant, Los Dos Molinos. Named by Victoria “The Two Grinders” for the chili grinders she and her husband Eddie each received from their grandmothers, this is hand-crafted New Mexico style cuisine presented in a small, homey atmosphere. The food is great because as Victoria says, “There’s no assembly line here, my daughters and I prepare each dish, with one helper at most.”
The Raven Golf Club – Phoenix is another Excellent Arizona Golf Adventure.
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
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.
Now that I’ve visited The Grand Del Mar, when I think of San Diego, images of delectable wines vie for prominence with those famous beaches. Addison, Grand Del Mar’s signature restaurant, features a 3,300-label wine list which has earned the Wine Spectator Grand Award for several years. And no wonder.
Wine Director Jesse Rodriguez came from the Napa Valley’s French Laundry. Before that, he served as sommelier at Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician. Let’s just say, he knows his wines. And he loves to share his knowledge with interested patrons. Count me in!
Expect to find a diverse list, 60% international to 40% domestic, from prestigious producers to exciting limited production discoveries. With our appetizers, Rodriguez poured a crisp Pinot Grigio from the small Scarpetta winery in Napa Valley, inspired by the white wines of Italy. Always seeking to increase customers’ enjoyment, he has expanded the selection of half bottles, enabling a couple to enjoy some diversity of wine choices with their gourmet meal.
I was impressed with the privately blended wines prepared especially for the hotel. We enjoyed an elegant Pinot Noir from Silacci Vineyard in Monterey County, California, which was bottled exclusively for Addison by Miura Vineyards. I tasted vibrant currant and cranberry flavors, which beautifully complemented the rack of lamb entrée. The private bottling collection numbers close to 20 wines.
Did I mention that Addison is located in the clubhouse of The Grand Golf Club? Wow, what a clubhouse. Addison has its own circular driveway and entrance and includes a cozy library-type space, a piano bar and fabulous dining room overlooking the Tom Fazio-designed golf course. It’s a wonderful course with elevations that allow for far-reaching vistas. I fell in love with it and the demo driver I used all weekend. The driver came home with me. Unlike most vacation purchases, the novelty has not worn off. I hit it a mile.
In my book, the resort gets high marks for having a Wine Director who’s played St. Andrews! Add to that myriad other marks of excellence, and it’s easy to see why Grand Del Mar earned the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Hotel rating for 2012, as well as the AAA Five Diamond Award. Visit www.thegranddelmar.com
Cori Brett is a Scottsdale-based golf travel and lifestyle writer. Visit www.coribrett.com
Jim McLean Gof School – SunRidge Canyon Golf Course
Fountain Hills, Arizona – Greater Scottsdale’s list of Ivy League golf schools just became more prestigious with the debut of the Jim McLean Golf School at the Keith Foster-designed SunRidge Canyon Golf Club . The instruction facility is located on SunRidge Canyon’s practice facility with a permanent structure to be built in 2012 to house the school activities. McLean’s stable of instructors began teaching students in November 2011 with frequent visits from McLean as his calendar permits.
Jim McLean has long been recognized as one of the top golf instructors in the world, named 1994 PGA Teacher of The Year, and currently ranked No.3 by Golf Digest, among many other distinctions. Along with the world’s best database of golf swing clips and video content, Jim McLean has completed more than 35 years of research on the golf swing.
Using corridors of success and safety zones, Jim McLean’s teaching system can accommodate a variety of golf swings. Every student that attends a Jim McLean golf school or lesson will improve their game and leave with an organized plan for improvement. On average students improve their handicap by 4.6 strokes after taking a golf school program. Golf Schools feature The 8-Step Swing®, The Slot Swing™, X-Factor®, Y-Factor™, and Powerline.
Jim McLean & SunRidge Owners Don & Cindy Misheff
McLean’s stable of instructors teaches golfers how to improve their game with lessons ranging from a 30-minute “pre/post round” golf lesson to a one-day “ultimate” golf program, which includes seven hours of instruction, playtime and analysis.
In addition, the school offers two- and three-day programs that fully immerse students into McLean’s cutting-edge game-improvement methods.
