Mesa, AZ – Here’s an opportunity to enjoy some golf and help a really good cause. All Sports Arizona, a non-profit group providing affordable and educational recreational activities for kids of all ages, is hosting their first-ever golf event to raise money for their cause.
All Sports Arizona holds the Babe Ruth & Cal Ripken Baseball and Softball Charter for the East Valley. “We have an average of 600 children that play in our program each year,” said Larry Merrix, All Sports Arizona president. “One of our teams, the Hamilton Huskies, won the Babe Ruth National Championship in the 14U Division in 2008.”
The skinny:
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Painted Mountain Golf Resort
6:30am shotgun start
Lunch and awards ceremony follows
Cost is $49 per person or $196 for a foursome
For those competitive sorts, there are prizes for the top 3 teams as well as a putting contest, longest drive and closest to the pin. For those just out to have fun, there are raffle tickets, too!
“We are going to have a really fun time,” added Merrix. “No matter what your skill level, you can come out and enjoy great golf with good friends. And you might even win a prize or two.”
We’re making it easy for you to sign up now, just click on Entry Form and download the PDF, fill it out and send it in. Then you’ll be ready to test your skills and help a great cause.
Trey Kaahanui is serious about golf. He’s even more serious about honoring the man who taught him the game and the values it instills.
This summer, the soon-to-be-senior at McClintock High School, is participating in the American Junior Golf Association’s “Birdies for Charity”. The program is simple, Trey generates pledges from fans, and then every time he makes a birdie during competitive play, he earns money for his charities. He has set a goal of playing at least 20 rounds and making 4 birdies per round.
“I am passionate about Birdies for Charity,” said Kaahanui. “I was lucky enough to be the recipient of the ACE grant program, allowing me to pursue my dream of playing competitive golf. Now it is my turn to use my skills to give back.”
Trey’s goal is to raise $1,000, which will be split between the AJGA Youth fund and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. The Foundation is especially important to Trey, as they focus on the disease which took his beloved grandfather, “Papa”, before he had the chance to watch him become one of the top junior golfers in the nation.
“If it wasn’t for my Papa, I would not be playing golf,” commented Trey. “He introduced me to golf when I was 8 years old and taught me to always enjoy the game because it would introduce me to people and places I might not otherwise have the chance to know.”
As is usually the case when elders provide advice, Papa’s was spot on. Trey’s summer schedule will take him to Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Florida this summer. He has also been to France as a member of the USA team competing in the Evian Jr. Masters and to China as a US representative in the Aaron Baddeley Junior International Championship. Not bad for a 17-year-old.
Despite all his travels, “Mr. Aloha”, as he is known by friends, also finds time to give back to the game that has given him so much opportunity. He has volunteered with the First Time Phoenix, caddied for the Special Olympics and been a mentor to Special Olympic golfers at Shalimar Golf Club.
Trey lives by the belief that one person can make a difference. “I know the economy is bad and people may not be able to help, but that doesn’t mean I will stop trying,” said Trey. “When I get discouraged that donations have been slow, my mom reminds me all the time to never give up on my goal.”
In a world consumed with “me, me, me”, it is so refreshing to find a young man who looks beyond himself and knows how much better it is to give than receive.
The AZGA pledged its support to Trey and we hope you’ll consider doing the same.
Click this American Junior Golf Association AJGA Link for more information about making a “Birdies Pledge” or a one-time donation via the site.
Dani Smith is a very personable and polite young woman who wanted to play golf. “I was always invited by my friends to go to the golf course,” said Dani. “But they wanted me to drive the cart and serve the drinks. I didn’t think that was much fun, I wanted to be part of the game.”
"Golf Belle" Dani Smith
For those who grew up in “golf families” or have been playing a while, the game, the traditions and the rules are quite familiar. But for someone just beginning, it can be very intimidating. How do you find the right teacher? What about clubs? Who will share the rules, the language and etiquette?
To start, Dani did what any 20-something adult does these days. She turned to the social media space and searched Facebook for women’s golf groups. Through this effort she found Susanita de Diego, Michael Kuhbock and the Golf Belles Facebook page. Dani liked the fact the Golf Belles, as the “heart, soul and face of women’s golf,” approached things differently, so she joined their Global Golf Sisterhood.
When I first saw the Golf Belles and Global Golf Sisterhood pages, I was a bit worried. I’m not a believer in the whole “women are mistreated by the industry” thinking that permeates a segment of the female golf population. But I was curious about the group, who has a base of over 5,000 fans, so I reached out to the head “Belle” Susanita.
It took a couple of weeks, but when we connected, I was pleasantly surprised. Susanita and Michael are Canadians who love golf and found Arizona to be the perfect place to enjoy their calling during those cold Canadian winters. They are passionate about using their connections and business acumen to help their “Belles” fulfill their golf “quest”.
Think Make-A-Wish for golf. Through the Golf Belles and their Global Golf Sisterhood, Susanita and Michael broadcast individual member quests – whether it is helping a sister who wants to take up the game, raise funds for a worthy cause, help organize/enhance a charitable event or connect professionals with sponsors – and the network then bands together to make it happen.
So when Dani shared her quest to learn to play golf, Susanita and Michael called on their Golf Belles contacts for help. I caught up with the threesome on Day 2 of Dani’s quest. The Minnesota native was not only enjoying her Arizona getaway, she was amazed at what the Golf Belles had done. Dani was decked out in a beautiful Tracey Lynn Golf outfit, carried a fabulous golf bag with matching headcovers from Glove It and a brand new set of golf clubs. She had just completed her first golf lesson with Kay Cornelius Jeanquartier, LPGA Class A Member, Director of Instruction at Ocotillo Golf Club and a Golf Belle herself. Dani was now ready to get on the first tee.
It was at this point, that Susanita, Michael and I were provided a really good lesson about all the things veteran players take for granted on the course. We drive to the first tee and grab our drivers, ball and tee. We assumed Dani would know what to do, but how could she? No one had told her about what happens on the tee box. So Michael explained. Dani teed it up and hit it straight down the middle of the fairway. We were excited about her drive; she was disappointed because it didn’t go far. We explained that being in the middle of the fairway was really good and distance would come with practice.
Dani and "Belle in Charge" Susanita
By the end of the first hole, Dani learned where to drive and park her cart, how to mark her ball on the green, where to place the flagstick and the order in which you putt.
On the next tee, as the girls approached the tee box, Susanita looked at me and said “go ahead, we play ready golf.” “That’s great,” was my response. Dani asked “what does ready golf mean?”
On the third green, Michael explained to Dani that you walk around the ball markers so as not to step on a player’s line. Next Dani question – “what’s a player’s line?” It was a great eye-opener and we loved it; the veteran players were reminded all the things we don’t think about on the golf course, but all the things a new player wants to understand so they can feel comfortable and not think they are doing something wrong. “You have to take a class and get a license to play golf in some European countries,” commented Michael. “But in the US, you’re expected to learn it on your own.”
While Dani was worried she was asking too many questions, we encouraged her to ask more. It was a real life example for each of us to understand the barrier of entry into the game. It’s not so much the ability to hit the ball, it’s so much more about the fear of doing something wrong because the beginner isn’t taught what’s right.
At the 19th hole, we all agreed Dani had an incredible first round, she was hitting the ball straight, putting well and keeping up pace of play. She thought she could do better and couldn’t wait to get out the next day.
“I am so thankful to the Golf Belles for the incredible opportunity they provided me,” said Dani. “I’ve only played one round, but I can honestly say I love golf. I can’t wait for my next lesson and round because as I get better, I will play the Golf Belles mission forward.”
Dani’s quest means her life has changed forever. She is fulfilling her dream just as Susanita and Michael are fulfilling theirs. She has faced the challenge and experienced the friendship and camaraderie of the game. She has caught “the disease.” She is now a golfer.
Scottsdale, ARIZ – OB Sports Golf Management, headquartered in Scottsdale has debuted a new Mobile Golf App to provide detailed golf information for those on the run. Powered by Smartstay App, the OB Sports App is available on both the iPhone and Droid platforms as a complimentary download. The Golf App provides a wealth of information for golfers that frequent OB Sports facilities as well as traveling golfers looking for popular golf destinations in Arizona and other destinations across the country.
The OB Sports Golf App features general information about all of the 40-plus OB Sports-affiliated facilities including quick links to the club’s official website, contact information and location. Featured clubs that are resort – or destination-oriented, have enhanced functionality within the app that includes links to book tee times, tap to call functionality (with direct dial up to the club’s golf shop), tap to share, detailed club information, club specific news feeds pulled from real time Twitter posts, photo galleries and quick links to the select course videos via You Tube. In addition, featured club listings also include an Out & About section that offers mapping functionality, information on other area attractions and quick links to Yelp-powered user reviews related to the respective facility.
“As the mobile platform becomes more important to everyday consumers, OB Sports wanted to wanted to lead the golf course management industry by being in this space and providing golfers with an OB Sports App that helps them connect with our facilities using their mobile device,” stated Phil Green, Chief Operating Officer or OB Sports. “By downloading our free app, golfers can check out the nearest OB Sports managed facility, plus get quick access to contact our clubs and be on the first tee in no time,” added Green.
The OB Sports Golf App, which OB Sports had been developing for seven months, was built on the Smartstay mobile app platform with OB Sports and O’Rourke Hospitality, along with O’Rouke’s technology partner DeCare Systems Ireland.
“The long term plan will be to continually upgrade the app as we discover new technology enhancements that can be integrated into the OB Sports Golf App,” stated Kris Strauss, vice president of sales and marketing for OB Sports. “I can see the next generation of updates to the OB Sports App including enhanced booking environments, enhanced social networking and even some sort of GPS functionality that provides golfers with even more resources. In the meantime, we hope golfers throughout the country download the new (and free) OB Sports Golf app,” added Strauss.
Don Rea, PGA – Managing Partner – Augusta Ranch Golf Club
Choosing Don Rea, managing partner at Augusta Ranch Golf Club, as the 2nd recipient of the AZGA Golf Star award was easy. You won’t meet another golf industry person more enthusiastic about growing the game and making sure customers are happy than Don.
Interestingly enough, Don’s first love was not golf, it was baseball. Not pitching, hitting or catching, but rather, calling the games. He was a professional baseball umpire from 1991-98, working 3 years in the Triple A Pacific Coast League. But after 8 years of calling balls and strikes and working many Major League Spring Training games, he didn’t know if he would make it to the Big Leagues.
“It’s really tough to move up, and I couldn’t catch a break.” said Rea. “As a Triple A umpire, you have a very short window to be assessed for promotion to the Major Leagues as the ruling panel may only see you once or twice a year. So I started to look for Plan B.” Via an off-season gig with UPS during the holiday season, the new plan came clearly into focus.His route included downtown Mesa with a stop at Riverview Golf Course.
It was there he met and became friends with General Manager Jim Mooney who suggested he consider becoming a member of the PGA. Don liked the idea so much he took his clubs on the road the following baseball season and played whenever and wherever he could. He studied through the wee hours and passed his PGA exam on his first attempt the very next year. “In golf, I could not be more blessed; if you can get to where God wants you to be, the doors seem to open,” commented Rea.
The first door opened in 1999 at Augusta Ranch, where he was one of the first employees to be hired. He worked part time in the cart barn and measured yardage for all the sprinkler heads. It wasn’t long before he realized golf looked more promising than baseball and he took the plunge full time. Over the next 8 years, he held a variety of positions, eventually becoming a Vice President for the management company managing the two courses.
Don Behind the Plate for MLB Spring Training
July 2008 brought another milestone in Don’s golf career when he and a group of investors bought Augusta Ranch and he became the managing partner. “Owning a course is challenging and rewarding,” said Rea. “But the best thing is being able to do whatever you want to do without multiple layers of approval. We can try all sorts of ideas and see what happens. We make some mistakes, but we learn from them.”
The team at Augusta Ranch is all about being anti-cookie-cutter. Take movie night, which happens twice a year on the driving range, allowing families to enjoy an outdoor picnic on the golf course. How about setting up the practice range as the gathering place for the annual community picnic? “It’s important to be a good neighbor, and it gets people out to the course,” commented Rea. “They may not play golf the first time, but after the movies and picnics, many of them come back to take up the game later.”
The creativity doesn’t stop there. There’s the $5 lesson gathering for kids every Saturday, the after-school golf program, the monthly play-all-you-want pass, weekly golf leagues, tournaments and the Green Jacket Club.
While all of this creativity has driven more rounds and revenue to Augusta Ranch, Don believes the one thing that really makes the course different is his team and their commitment to welcome and appreciate each guest. Every new employee must read ‘Raving Fans’ within the first 3 weeks of employment. Then they take a 10-question test and if they fail, they risk losing their job.
Don and the Augusta Ranch Staff
“I believe bad habits are ingrained, so we review everyone within 3 weeks of their start date, give them a little test, talk about our service philosophy and ask a lot of questions about their job,” explained Rea. “It not only helps the employees, it helps us improve our internal communications.”
While Augusta Ranch takes the bulk of his time, Don still finds the hours to volunteer. He is currently secretary of the Southwest Section PGA and on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Tourism Alliance. “My family and I depend on golf for our livelihood, so you have to get involved,” said Don. “You must be in a seat at the table or everyone eats without you.”
We have no doubt professional baseball’s loss is our golf community’s gain. Don’s a creative professional who works hard at our game for the benefit of those around him, which is why we call him an “Arizona Golf Star”.
From the AZGA Golf Desk
