Bayonet Black Horse Selected to Host PGA TOUR Q-School
Bayonet Black Horse, the 36-hole, full-bentgrass facility on the Monterey Peninsula, today announces that the Bayonet Course has been selected by the PGA TOUR to host Second Stage Q-School, November 15-20.
The PGA TOUR cited the Bayonet’s championship-caliber layout, commitment to maintaining “tour level” conditions and reputation among industry professionals and players as cornerstones of its selection. The field consists of 78 players, with practice rounds on November 15 and 16. The first round of competition will take place at Bayonet on the 17th.
“Second Stage is a hotly-contested round featuring many of the game’s rising stars,” says Dick Fitzgerald, project director for owner/operator Seaside Resort Development. “We are excited to host the event and honored by Bayonet’s selection and affiliation with the PGA TOUR.”
Bayonet was recently tapped by the United States Golf Association (”USGA”) and the Northern California Golf Association (”NCGA”) to host a U.S. Open qualifier on May 10. The 2010 U.S. Open will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links, June 14-20. Pebble Beach – hosting the prestigious national championship for the fifth time — is just 15 minutes from Bayonet Black Horse.
Bayonet and Black Horse re-opened in December, 2008 after a $13 million renovation by Bates Golf Design Group (Gene Bates). Both courses underwent dramatic view-shed alterations and hole re-routings to reveal new, breathtaking ocean vistas and improved playing options (including new bentgrass greens). They were included in Golf Digest’s “Best New Courses” issue for 2009 in the ultra-competitive “Renovation” category.
For more information, rates and tee times, visit www.bayonetblackhorse.com.
March 1, 2010 at 4:05 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa | No comment
Western Intercollegiate Set by Frank LaRosa
The 64th annual Western Intercollegiate golf tournament will be played April 17-18 at the Alister MacKenzie designed Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz. Proudly hosted by the San Jose State Spartans men’s golf team, the highly competitive event attracts 11 teams to the spectacular venue for the 54-hole event. Golfers will have an opportunity to tee it up with standout players in the College-Am on Friday, April 16 or join the gallery to follow their favorite team on the weekend.
Accomplished players who’ve claimed title to The Western include Bobby Clampett, Peter Jacobson, Mark Lye, Johnny Miller, Mark O’Meara, and Ken Venturi. U.S. Open Champion, SJSU alumnus and Western Intercollegiate ’51 and ’53 medalist Venturi recalls “Some of my fondest collegiate memories are from when I was competing in The Western at Pasatiempo. I’m happy to know it still remains a premier west coast event for collegiate players and their teammates.”
For more information about participating in the College-Am or for sponsorship opportunities, visit www.westernintercollegiate.net or call John Kennaday at (408) 892-4911. For information about Pasatiempo Golf Club, lodging and trip planning, visit: www.pasatiempo.com.
March 1, 2010 at 10:48 am | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
Getting Up and Down for Par by Frank LaRosa
We all want to hit it far…but getting it up and down from around the green may actually be more satisfying to you. The way to make par when you’ve left your ball short and right of the green is to get those chips and pitches close to the hole.
A chip shot will have more roll than air time and is normally played when you’re close to the green. The goal is to lag the ball as close to the hole as possible. Start by positioning the ball to the rear of your stance, with your hands slightly forward and your head still. Swing more with an arms only motion like a putt and strike the ball with a descending blow before the club hits the ground.
You can experiment with different clubs to see how far the ball will roll as the goal would be to have one swing and let the many clubs in your bag do the work. I guarantee your score will come down…and you’re going to feel a lot more confident standing over those shorter putts for par.
February 25, 2010 at 3:59 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa | No comment
Hard Driving Harry’s Golfer’s Hand Healer by Frank LaRosa
It’s called Hard Driving Harry’s golfers hand healer and the remarkable product line is the brainchild of Sterling Ellison and Richard Marks of Northern California’s Sterling Ellison company. They produce high end organic 100% vegan skin rejuvenation products. Hard Driving Harry’s and Hard Driving Harriet’s golfers hand healers are the perfect cure for any golfer’s dry, chapped, and cracked hands…especially this time of year.
Where other lotions might use water as a first ingredient, the non-greasy Hard Driving Harry’s uses pure organic aloe. Sterling says the company “just wants to provide high quality products that work—that do what they say they do. The fact that they are vegan and organic are a bonus.” They just released Hard Driving Harry’s SPF 15 lip balm in four flavors. I think I’m partial to pomegranate!
Hard Driving Harry’s is currently available at the Sacramento City golf course shops with new locations opening soon. For more information, visit www.sterlingrichards.com.
February 12, 2010 at 6:23 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
Play the Right Ball by Frank LaRosa
Golf balls come in many different designs and configurations including number of layers, dimple patterns, compression, materials, and more. How do you pick the golf balls you play? Is it by price? Or do you play the ball your favorite player uses? Some are better suited for your game while others might make it tougher on you.
Srixon recognizes some of us want a longer ball while others are looking for a ball that spins. That’s why they’ve created their custom ball fitter online. A series of questions about you and your game will result in a recommendation that should work well for you.
The fitter suggested the Z-Star ball for me based on my swing speed, length off the tee, importance of spin to my game and more. The Z-Star is a low compression ball with an extremely soft feel. I like the feel around the greens and off the putter and it’s still plenty long off the tee. For swing speeds over 105 miles per hour, the Z-Star X would be your choice. Both balls were rated maximum 5 stars in the 2009 Golf Digest Hot List for performance, innovation and feel. Check it out at www.srixon.com
January 7, 2010 at 5:53 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
Photo Ball Marker Great Gift by Frank LaRosa
A good friend of mine says he marks his ball, “with a tree!” But I want to know how you mark your ball on the green? Ken and Charlotte Barley have a better idea with their unique Photo Ball Marker.
The fun part is that you provide the photo. Maybe the photo is your children, or the hole where you had your ace, or the family Saint Bernard. Photo Ball Marker will create a high resolution image on a 1 inch ball marker, with uv protection to keep it from fading and a hard epoxy cover. It can also be produced as a hat clip or divot tool. This is a great gift idea for any golfer…and certainly a gift good enough to give yourself.
It’s easy to create a photo ball marker online in minutes. Just upload your photo and follow the simple instructions and you should have your ball markers in about 10 days. Three markers of the same photo or different photos are yours for $24.95 plus shipping and handling and they guarantee your satisfaction. Visit www.photoballmarker.com to get started.
I’m not sure marking my ball with a photo of my children makes me a better putter, but it does make me smile…even if I’m facing a 40 foot downhill double breaker.
December 28, 2009 at 4:53 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
Zip, Zip…Zooray by Frank LaRosa
Everyone loves a few tap-in pars during a round and if you’re looking to save a couple of strokes off your score, it may be easier around the green than off the tee by getting your wedge shots closer to the pin. A wedge like the CG15 Zip Groove from Cleveland Golf will give you the confidence to get the job done.
Choosing a wedge is almost mystical. It has to look right and more importantly feel right. Breakthrough milling technology from Cleveland has created 25% bigger grooves – zip grooves for more zip and shot consistency. A laser-milled face with four perfectly calibrated texture lines between each groove gives you a rougher surface and more spin. If that weren’t enough, Cleveland Golf’s design team came up with a wider sole near the heel and narrower near the toe to optimize contact.
Cleveland’s three-bounce fitting system gives you a choice for your kind of swing. If your swing is upright and you’re a digger, go for more bounce. If you’re more of a sweeper with a flatter swing, go for less. More or less, the right fit means less strokes. The CG15 Zip Groove wedge is available in chrome, black pearl and oil quench finishes. Try it at your local pro shop or learn more online at www.clevelandgolf.com
December 22, 2009 at 11:37 am | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
“Going Home” to Mather by Frank LaRosa, Golf To Go
It was inevitable that I’d be looking back in order to look forward on a recent visit to Mather Golf Course. It was a few too-many years ago that I teed it up for the first time. I was living at Mather AFB and my father was an aircraft commander flying B-52s all around the world. I lived about a half mile from the course and played often that first summer.
I hope I appear to have aged as well as Mather because the course has matured wonderfully and is maintained in much better condition than I remember. The layout is challenging, the greens top notch, and the service came with a smile.
General Manager, Asa Jennings, has preserved the military theme with old photos, artifacts, and other subtle tributes to “back in the day” when the Air Force base population was at its peak. Mather Field was established as an airfield and pilot training school in 1918. Over the years in supported small military units and was used for pilot and navigator training.
In 1958, the Strategic Air Command assigned a B-52 squadron to Mather and pilots and crews were “on alert” 24/7 and in the event of a global crisis, could be fully operational and in the air in mere minutes.
Mather operated its own housing, schools, hospital, and recreational facilities in addition to being an operational air field. In 1959, Irish designer Jack Fleming designed a golf course to take advantage of natural wildlife and wide-open terrain. Some describe Mather as a “long course,” and while some of the par-4s are a bit of a handful, I find much of the distance offset by fairways with a lot of roll out.
Although I was on a “memory-high,” I was able to remain grounded as I surveyed the golf course. My observations were backed-up by the rest of my foursome. Each compliment about course conditioning was trumped by another about the fun factor. Mather is all there in front of you. There are no hidden dangers. The result is a course with room to miss off the tee and still score well. It’s challenging…yet playable. Our comments kept coming back to one. In a word, it was “fun!”
Fun is important to Jennings as he regularly schedules events that reach out to the surrounding community with special tournaments, art shows, veterans’ events, and more. Mather’s 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2009 and the term “oldie but a goodie comes to mind.”
For more information or to schedule a tee time, visit www.playmather.com or call (916) 364-4354.
December 21, 2009 at 5:37 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | No comment
Face-off with Feherty
David Feherty is one of the funniest guys on television. His golf commentary is not only insightful but quite humorous, especially when he’s bagging on his buddy, Gary McCord. Now, you can ask Feherty to address something about your golf game that’s been plaguing you. Face-off with Feherty on the Cobra Golf website is great fun. Enjoy…
December 11, 2009 at 3:28 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa, Uncategorized | 1 comment
Hot New Irons From Cobra Golf by Frank LaRosa
We golfers are a demanding lot. We’re always looking for more. We want more distance, more accuracy, more playability….and don’t think of overlooking our biggest more…more forgiveness!
Well, Cobra Golf has given us more in their new S2 irons; more than I could have imagined—in a high performance package that’s pleasing to the eye. And that’s not easily accomplished in a world of cavity design golf clubs.
It’s difficult to imagine how Cobra Golf is able deliver on our wants for more and also our desires for a club that looks good behind the ball. When you look down at address and you don’t get a positive feeling, you can be sure the next shot is going short and right. The Cobra S2 top-line design says, “Swing as hard as you want!”
The S2 offers all the technology club geeks will want including optimized heel-toe weighting with lightweight polymer materials and increased MOI along with a unique Mid-width Stepped Sole. The bottom line is that these clubs work—on the course, under everyday playing conditions.
Cobra’s lead design engineer, Ryan Roach, offers his observations and answers golfers’ questions in a unique forum on Facebook. He says the approximate 5 yards extra distance is real and due to several design elements.
I’ve always been impressed with Cobra Golf as a company that understands their market. We enjoy the game. We love to score low. And we want the latest technology in a clean, affordable design. They listen. And they deliver.
As one of the comments on Facebook goes, “I want these irons.”
December 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm | Golf To Go by Frank LaRosa | 1 comment
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