Jacksonville Golf Magazine

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VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 6

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L O C A L G O L F & S P O R T S M A G A Z I N E

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Jacksonville Golf Magazine • June 2012 • www.jaxgolfmag.com 3

Next up:Winn-Dixie

Hello fellow Tweeps.Check us out at twitter.com/jaxgolfmagFrom the Publisher

Brian LamarrePublisher

The Players was wonderful and the fun isn’t over. The pros return in October and among their goals is to then return next May.

The Nationwide Tour is in its third year at Dye’s Valley Course with Winn-Dixie sponsorship. The tournament has progressed each year, so no reason that you won’t have a big time. No reason the players won’t have a big time, too, as the purse is big and the rewards extend to a ticket to the PGA Tour ... and a possible invite back to the 2013 Players.

Anne Nimnicht, who also returns for the third year as chairman, says that all is well.

“We might need a few more volunteers but that’s about it,” she said a few days ago. “The Winn-Dixie is very different from the Players because it’s so low-key, but it’s very similar in that it’s really run in a first-class manner”

She knows about running tournaments here: she is a former Players chair, and she chaired the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf when it had a brief stay in these parts.

The director also says things look good. He’s Jeff Sand-ers, who lives in Oregon and runs several other tourna-ments.

“We think the present is great and the future looks strong,” he said. “I was at the Players and will be back several times this summer and everything is going well.”

Sanders beats the drum well for the Nationwide boys, who have put on a good show the last two years.

We’ve picked up on names, too — I noted that Jonas Blixt almost won in the PGA Tour stop in Dallas, and remember watching him play well down the stretch here last year. And I saw him around town; he lives now at the beach. And his roommate is Nick Flanagan, who won the Nationwide tournament at Greenville, S.C.

Sam Saunders may be best known as Arnold Palmer’s grandson, but he’s cashing Nationwide checks with some

regularity. And Jeff was quick to point out that Matt Kuchar was the fifth Nationwide alum to win the Players (the other four? Answers at the end of the column.)

Another name to note is Joe Affrunti, who’s on the dis-abled list due to shoulder surgery. But he’s visible — if you see the license tag “NWT-25,” that’s him. He moved to Ponte Vedra Beach this year and the tag celebrates his top 25 finish on the 2011 Nationwide Tour that got him a ticket to the PGA Tour.

The Nationwide will have some considerable changes be-fore 2013 and, for sure, some will be for the better. The whole Tour operation is changing its qualifying proce-dures. I’d like to explain the whole thing, but space is limited and, I must admit, my brain is a bit limited when it comes to something as complex as this. Let me just say that we’ll have a much stronger field in the future.

Two other factors: the sponsors. Nationwide Insurance is pulling out, so there will be a new Tour title sponsor. And, as we all know so well, Winn-Dixie is now part of the Bi-Lo company, so let’s hope the new owners see the great value that this tournament brings.

One down (Players.) One to go (Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open.) Good stuff for all of us.

As always, I’m at [email protected].

(Answer: The other four Nationwide alums to win the Players were David Duval (1999), Craig Perks (2002), Stephen Ames (2006) and Tim Clark (2010.)

Donate to the JAGA Scholarship FundAbout two dozen area youth benefit each year from a JAGA Scholarship.

Your club’s JAGA directors will tell you how to participate, or go to www.jaxareagolfassn.com.

4 Jacksonville Golf Magazine • June 2012 • www.jaxgolfmag.com

JAGA www.jaxareagolfassn.com

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is partnering with the Jacksonville Area GA to run this year’s JAGA Ju-nior on June 18-19 at Deerwood.

Based in Jacksonville, the HJGT ad-ministers over 50 tournaments with stops in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and North Carolina. There are six in the Jacksonville area.

“The tour was started in Tampa and I moved it to Jacksonville to be more centrally located to all of our mar-kets,” said Mario Conte, the execu-tive director. “Jacksonville is a great hub plus this is one of our biggest membership bases.”

The $35 basic HJGT membership will be waived for the JAGA Junior. The usual $175 entry fee applies and competition will be in the 11-14 and

15-18 age groups for both boys and girls.

The HJGT fits in between the Ameri-can Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and the local program, the North Florida Junior Golf Foundation. The AJGA attracts the very best national and international juniors while the Boots Farley-led NFJG tour is aimed at the local players. The Hurricane Tour gets some national players but most are from the southern states.

The 28-year-old Conte is from the Chicago area and came to Florida to attend St. Leo University on Dade City. He started the tour after in-terning with the AJGA.

He finds time to play; he’s a seven-handicapper at Hidden Hills.

JAGA Juniorgets a partner

John Lobb won the Jacksonville Area GA’s Match Play championship last month, beating top-seeded Eric Graybeal in the final, 2-up, at Eagle Landing.

Lobb was the 11th seed in the 32 man field.

Meanwhile, the Northern Chapter PGA Match Play is in progress and Gerry James was the only player at deadline time to reach the semifi-nals. Quarterfinal matches had Brad Rollinson playing Richie Bryant, Cary Splane against Stefan Brunt and Spencer Brown vs. Broc Nell.

Various courses are being used with the final rounds at Sawgrass.

In the Senior, James also is in the semis and will play Dave Gooden, and that winner will play the winner of Kirk Jones vs. Steve Schaff.

The losing semifinalists in the JAGA Match Play were Joel Durrance and Tom Gross.

Lobb takesmatch play


We keep the conversation going.Look for “Jacksonville Golf Magazine” on Facebook. From the Editor

Hall of Fame induc-tionThe first thought: “What’s going on here?” Usually, Com-missioner Tim Finchem speaks at the start of

the ceremony, droning a bit about sponsors and congratulating various people for this and that. But this year he was next-to-last, after the induction of four so-sos and before that of Phil Mickelson. And what does he talk about? Mickelson!

Why? Because Finchem and the smart guys around him have decided that they’ve coddled Tiger Woods enough, and that they’re tired of be-ing unappreciated. So, this was one of many steps to try and convince fans that there are other golfers to idolize.

Mickelson certainly did his part with an inspiring speech, and he followed

up by seemingly shaking every fan’s hand at the tournament.

We’re on board with you, Mr. Com-mish. Mickelson might be the most fan-friendly athlete in any sport, and he should get every bit of our admiration. Most fans fell the same; less Tiger, much less. Now, you have to convince the TV boys.

TrafficThe biggest challenge for 2013 is do-ing something about the jams along A1A. The backup started at the But-ler Boulevard intersection and some said it took over an hour to get from there to the parking area.

The problem isn’t a backup at the parking lot. In fact, those coming up Palm Valley Road had little delay. The problem was the cross traffic at A1A with lights at intersections such as Solana Road not being reset to allow A1A cars more time.

One Westsider said it took him less time to get to Tallahassee, and “I won’t go back to the Players unless they fix it.”

It was awful and don’t write it off as the price you pay for a major cham-pionship. If the Players is going to be the best, it has to be the best off-course, too.

Retrospect: The Players

Fred Seely

Jacksonville Golf MagazinePO Box 65536

Orange Park, FL 32065p. 904.383.7587 f. 904.240.4487

[email protected]

PublisherBrian Lamarre

[email protected] Editor

Fred [email protected]

AdvertisingRyan Gilbert

[email protected]

Jacksonville Golf Magazine is published every month and distributed throughout Northeast Florida. Reproduction without express written authorization from Jacksonville Golf Magazine is strictly prohibited. Editorial content is not necessarily the view of the publisher. All information is from sources we believe to be creditable. Neither the publisher nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found in the publication. The publisher accepts no liability for the statements made by advertisers.

AmenitiesWhat can other sporting events here learn from the tournament’s ex-traordinary fan-friendliness? Start with the Jaguars and the Suns: do something to give us respite from the summer heat, perhaps some air-conditioned tents inside the gates. For the Gator Bowl: more hospital-ity and entertainment in the Pepsi Plaza for those who go to the game just because they’ve always gone to the game. For the college basketball teams: do a lot more smiling and at least act like you’re happy we’re there.

MediaMaybe you noted the byline on the lead Times-Union story on Wednes-day of tournament week: Greg Lar-son. Once the T-U golf writer, he got canned in the 1990’s and went into radio sportstalk (he’s now on 1420-AM in St. Augustine.) So how in the world did he get back in the T-U, much less on page 1 and much more less without the sports department even knowing the story was coming? Because Larson’s live-in is Carol Fad-er, the newspaper’s features editor.

— Fred Seely is editor of Jacksonville Golf &

Sports Magazine and can be reached at [email protected].

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Burgers...It isn’t a dog and a soda anymore. Golfers expect more from their golf course, and food is high on the list.

“We still have people who want the quick fix, like a Coke and a hot dog,” says St. Johns G&CC Manager Amanda Dunn. “That’s changing. People come in at the turn and want more selection. Fast, of course.”

Dunn, like her fellow managers, knows the bottom line in F&B — done right, it’s a significant number in these times of counting pennies. With two other aggressive courses (South Hampton and Cimarrone) little more than a drive and 5-iron away, she knows that she must stay competitive.

It isn’t just the upper level of public-access courses, either. The equity clubs like San Jose, Sawgrass and Timuquana have expanded their menus, and the lower end of the daily fee courses like Cecil Field and Fleming Island are offering more and better choices.

“Cecil Field has the best hamburger of any course in this area. Period,” says Larry Burke, a regular at the former Navy base course who, as one of his club’s Jacksonville Area GA directors, gets to play many venues.

The menu goes beyond, of course. Timuquana’s halfway house has a variety of sandwiches that are made while you wait, and San Jose’s grill can move almost any item quick enough that play won’t be held up.

“We can’t get by with just hot dogs,” says Timuquana’s F&B manager, Steve Serokee. “It’s not easy, either, be-cause you don’t want to back up play. In and out, hat’s the key.”

Dunn’s chef says that careful management is crucial.

“I wasn’t hired to be a hot dog cook,” says Herbert Bur-gin. “I want my customers to have the best possible.”

So, the St. Johns G&CC staff keeps a careful count each day and provides Burgin with a good estimate of what he’ll need. This means meat ready to grill as well as buns and condiments.

“We even get a little exotic,” she says. We’re a Billy Casper golf course and you’ll remember he was ‘Buffalo Billy’ because he liked bison meat. Herbert can get you a blackened Bison Burger that’s out of this world.”

Our survey showed enthusiasm for a variety of golf course hamburgers including Deercreek (Arch Copeland: “Good bet these days”.) Magnolia Point (Mike Keyes: “big, juicy and delicious”) and Timuquana (Jon Thomp-son: “best”.

Any and all will take their place behind our choice: the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, the priciest at $15 but the big-gest at 10 ounces with numerous condiments available plus perhaps the area’s best fries.


Get a more interactive experience.www.jaxgolfmag.com

It’s not just the beer. It’s how you present it.

“Ice-cold beer is easy,” says Timuquana’s Steve Serokee. “Just frost the glass. Anyone can chill beer. Just put it in a cooler with ice, or put it in a cooler with the temperature turned down to just above freezing.”

Clubs are seeing the profit in the lager/ale boom these days and are installing multiple taps, making sure that there’s room for the Jacksonville-brewed (and heavily promoted) Intuition and Bold City brands.

From the Eagle Landing on the Westside all the way to Saw-grass, bars are being placed front and center, rather than an afterthought to dining.

“You have to have the whole experience,” said St. Johns G&CC’s Dunn. “Food before the round, food during the round, beverages after.”

... and Beer

NYC Restaurant Serendipity owns that honor with 3 New Guinness Records.

Le Burger Extravagant

For the mix of Japanese Wagyu beef infused with 10-herb white truffle butter, seasoned with smoked Pacific sea salt, topped with cheddar cheese, black truffles and a fried quail egg; and served on a gold-dusted campagna roll spread with white truffle butter; and topped with blini, crème fraiche and Kaluga caviar, you must spend $295.

The restaurant needs 48-hour notice before prepar-ing the monster. The burger arrives stabbed with a “solid gold ‘Fleur de Lis’ toothpick encrusted with diamonds.”

World’s Most Expensive Burger

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Hello fellow Tweeps.Check us out at twitter.com/jaxgolfmag

GateAug. 19: Gate Invitational qualifier, Ponte Vedra Ocean.Aug. 26-28: Gate Invitational, Ponte Vedra Lagoon and Ocean.Dec. 4: Gate Senior qualifier, Ponte Vedra Ocean.Dec. 10-12: Gate Senior, Ponte Vedra Lagoon and Ocan.

Jacksonville Area GAwww.jaxareagolfassn.com

June 23-24: Parent-Child, Hidden Hills.June 25: Directors, TBAJuly 17: Directors, Timuquana.July 19-22: Amateur, Sawgrass East-West.Sept. 18: Directors, Queen’s Harbour.Oct. 1: Bill Black Memorial Scholarship Tournament, Ponte Vedra Inn.Oct. 16: Directors, Jacksonville Beach.Nov. 19: Club Championship, San Jose.Dec. 18: Directors, Hidden Hills.

Northern Chapter PGAwww.nfpga.com/northernchapter/5813/

June 13: Pro-Lady, Mayport Windy Harbor.June 23: Shoot-Out, TBA.June 25-26: Chapter Championship, Marsh Creek.Aug. 1: Pro-Am, South Hampton.Aug. 15: Stableford Championship, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.Aug. 20-21: Senior Chapter Championship, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.Sept. 24: Pro-Assistant, Glen Kernan.Sept. 10: Pro-Lady, Deerwood.Oct. 21: Pro-Am, Tallahassee Capital City.Oct. 22: Pro-Am Tallahassee Southwood.Nov. 5: Pro-Am, Sawgrass.Nov. 19: Tournament of Champions, TBA.Dec. 10: Partners Pro-Am, TBA.

Northeast Florida Seniors GAwww.nefsga.com

June 25: Marsh Creek.July 9: Ormond Beach Oceanside.July 23: South Hampton.Aug. 6: Grand Haven.Aug. 20: St. Johns G&CC.Sept. 10: LPGA Legends.Sept. 24: Magnolia Point.Oct. 15: Club De Bonmont, Plantation Bay.Oct. 29: Eagle Harbor.Nov. 14: Palm Coast Palm Harbor.Nov. 21: Hidden Hills.Dec. 10: Palm Coast Cypress course.

PGA Tourswww.pgatour.com

Aug. 9-12: PGA Championship, Kiawah Island.Oct. 18-21: McGladrey Classic, Sea Island.Oct. 18-21: Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open, Dye’s Valley.

LPGA Tour (area events) www.lpga.com

Nov. 17-20: CME Group Titleholders, Orlando Grand Cypress.

North Florida PGAwww.nfpga.com

July 16: Shootout, Orlando Orange Tree.July 30-31: PGA Professional National Championship qualifier, Palm Coast Hammock Beach.Aug. 6-7: Assistants Championship, Haines City Southern Dunes.Aug. 13: Pro-Superintendent, The Villages.Aug. 23-24: Senior PGA Professional National Championship qualifier, Reunion.Sept. 17-20: Championship, Sarasota Ritz-Carlton.

www.fsga.org

June 2-3: Mid-Am Four-Ball North, Gainesville CC.June 2-3: Mid-Am Four-Ball South, West Palm Beach Mayacoo Lakes.June 7-8: Women’s Senior Amateur, Fort Myers Fiddlesticks.June 8-10: Public Links, Fort Lauderdale Jacaranda.June 10-14: Senior Match Play, Fory Myers Renaissance.June 11-12: Girls Junior, Lecanto Black Diamond.June 21-24: Men’s Amateur, Jupiter Bear’s Club.June 30-July 1: Summer Mixed, Hobe Sound.

July 6-8: Women’s Stroke Play, Orlando Ritz-Carlton.July 7-8: Four-Ball, Winter Haven Interlachen.July 10-12: Boys Junior, Sawgrass.July 20-22: Florida Open, Bradenton Ritz-Carlton.July 25-26: Boys 16-18 Match Play, TBA.July 25-27: Boys 13-15 and Girls 13-18 Match Play, Bonita Springs Worthington.July 28-29: Parent-Child, Walt Disney World.July 30-31: Junior Florida Cup, Naples Old Collier.Aug. 4-5: Women’s Four-Ball Stroke Play, Dade City Lake Jovita.Aug. 9-12: Match Play, CC of Orlando.

Aug. 11-12: Junior Team, Vero Beach Sandridge.Aug. 13-14: Florida-Georgia Women’s Match, CC of Ocala.Aug. 24-26: Mid-Senior, Longboat Key.Sept. 15-16: Mid-Senior Four-Ball South, Naples Eagle Creek.Sept. 15-16: Mid-Senior Four-Ball North, Golden Ocala.Sept. 22-23: Women’s Four-Ball Match Play, Vero Beach Grand Harbor.Oct. 4-7: Mid-Amateur, Vero Beach Johns Island.Oct. 6-7: Fall Mixed, Orlando MetroWest.Oct. 9-10: Senior Four-Ball, Port St. Lucie Legacy.

Oct. 18-19: Florida Cup, Vero Beach Quail Valley.Nov. 10-11: Club Team, Vero Beach Grand Harbor.Dec. 4: Women’s Tournament of Champions, Reunion.

USGA Qualifiers (nearest sites)

June 18-19: Public Links, St. Johns G&CC.June 20: Junior Girls, Orlando Rio Pinar.June 20: Senior Open, Golden Ocala.July 13: Women’s Open, Palm Beach Gardens Wanderers.July 16-17: Men’s Amateur, U. of Florida.July 30-31: Men’s Amateur, Hammock Dunes.Aug. 6: Men’s Mid-Amateur, San Jose.Aug. 15: Senior Women’s Amateur, Palm Beach Gardens Ballenisles.Aug. 29: Women’s Mid-Amateur, Sarasota Laurel Oaks.Sept. 10: Senior Men’s Amateur, Amelia National.

Calendar Sponsored by Underwood’s Jewelers

Florida State GA

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Jacksonville Women’s GAhome.comcast.net/~jwga/

Sept. 17: opening day, Marsh Landing.

1stCoast GAwww.1stcoastgolf.com

June 21: All Association, Fleming Island.

Golf Channel Tourwww.golfchannel.com/[email protected]

June 23: Hammock Beack Conservatory.July 14: Palencia.Aug. 11-12: Tour Championship at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.Sept. 4-7: Senior national championship, Ponte Vedra and TPC.Sept. 10-13: National championship, Ponte Vedra and TPC.



A look at the upcoming Southeastern Confer-ence season ... a month or so early: Here’s how they stack up in each division and, at this

point, we see LSU vs. Georgia in the championship game.

Western DivisionLSU will be the easy pick for many as the Tigers return most of last year’s team including nearly 20 rising ju-niors such as defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. The biggest difference for Tiger fans is Zach Mettenberger tak-ing over at quarterback. The division will be decided on Nov. 3 when Ala-bama comes to town.

Alabama would be a repeat pick if they were returning more than five starters on defense. Rebuilding the secondary remains the biggest ques-tion. Quarterback A. J. McCarron, who matured mightily during the national title game, returns. Can running back Eddie Lacy take the mantle from Trent Richardson?

Arkansas might have been picked higher if coach Bobby Petrino had not been fired. Quarterback Ty-ler Wilson and tailback Knile Davis could be the best two players in the SEC at their positions. Still, the Hogs are not contenders until the defense becomes a lot better.

Mississippi State will be better with Tyler Russell as a full-time quarter-back. The key to the season is lean-ing on the defense until the offen-sive line solidifies. State’s season could hinge on the Sept. 8 home game against Auburn.

Texas A&M replaces quarterback Ryan Tannehill with Jameill Show-ers. Coach Kevin Sumlin needs to reverse last year’s trend of losing fourth quarter leads. A&M also has two of the best pass rushers in the conference in Sean Porter and Da-montre Moore.

Auburn could start 1-4 after road games at Clemson and Mississippi State and home games against LSU and Arkansas. This will be the sixth straight year that Auburn will have a new starting quarterback-likely Kiehl Frazier. Nearly 70 percent of the roster is underclassmen. New coordinators Brian Van Gorder and Scot Loeffler will help.

Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze sus-tained a huge blow after losing re-ceiver/defensive back Nickolas Bras-sell to academics. Bo Wallace and Barry Brunetti will battle to be the starting quarterback.

Eastern DivisionGeorgia’s many strengths center around quarterback Aaron Murray and Todd Grantham’s defense an-chored by Jarvis Jones. Freshman running back Keith Marshall must push Isaiah Crowell, who was too soft last year.

South Carolina will challenge for the division title if tailback Marcus Lat-timore is recovered from his knee injury. Connor Shaw is developing into a competent quarterback after improving his passing skills. The defense adjusts to new coordinator Lorenzo Ward.

Florida’s defense will again be one of the best in the league if the front seven continues to mature. Both quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett or Jeff

Driskel will see action this season. The running game needs a tougher offensive lin. There’s a big back in Mike Gillislee who can carry the ball 25 times a game.

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley de-serves slack after trying to recover from the mistakes of former coaches Phil Fulmer and Lane Kiffin. The Vol offense should be better with a more accurate Tyler Bray and a more pro-ductive running game behind an im-proved offensive line.

Missouri has one of the best quar-terbacks in the league returning in James Franklin, a true dual-threat quarterback. The problem with the Tigers is adjusting to much more physical defenses in the SEC.

Vanderbilt could jumpstart its sea-son with a home opening win over South Carolina. Quarterback Jordan Rogers has all-conference type po-tential if he continues to find re-ceiver Jordan Matthews.

Kentucky is at a crossroads with Coach Joker Phillips. Last year’s win over Tennessee gives him only so much equity. Most of the playmak-ers including quarterback Maxwell Smith return on offense.

— Brent Beaird writes for Lindyssports.com, Gator Bait magazine and Samssportsline.com.

He can be heard on 1010XL sports radio in Jack-sonville. Brent, a Heisman Trophy voter, can be

contacted at [email protected] and on twitter @brentbeaird

Early SEC picks

Brent Beaird

Brent Beaird’s Football

JAGA Upcoming Tournaments

JAGA Junior Championship | June 18-19, Deerwood - $175Format: Stroke play in age groups, presented by Hurricane Junior Golf Tour

Father’s Day Championship | June 23-24, Hidden Hills - $225Format: Modified Pinehurst in flights based on handicaps

Amateur | June 23-24, Sawgrass - $250Format: Stroke play, field will be cut to 42 and ties after 36 holes

Entry forms online at www.jaxareagolfassn.com



We keep the conversation going.Look for “Jacksonville Golf Magazine” on Facebook.

JAGA Upcoming Tournaments

Northern Chapter PGA

PROfile

Teams headed by Brad Rollinson and Gerry James captured the lat-est Callaway Northern Chapter PGA pro-ams.

Rollinson and amateurs Brett Cham-berlain, Toby Bunch and Earl Price had a 125 to win at Amelia National and James played with Joe Mesa, Keith Nagy and Mike Vallencourt to win at Palencia, also with 125 in the one gross, one net format.

Carl Ste-Marie was low pro at Amelia National with 70 and Kirk Jones’s 71 won at Palencia.

Second place at Amelia National went to Jon Fine and amateurs Tom Hennard, Pat Lammers & Nancy Hall.

The runners-up at Palencia were Cary Splane with George Zaganas, Sonny Hubbs and Jack Murry. <<<

The Chapter Championship will be June 25-26 at Marsh Creek with Broc Nell defending.

Nell won last year at the World Golf Village with a seven-under 137, making a birdie on the final hole to edge Jennifer Heinz. James was third at 139. <<<

Cary Splane of Marsh Creek has opened a wide lead in the Player of the Year standings. Splane has 608 points through the Palencia Pro-Am with Rollinson second at 478. The rest of the top five are Jones, Ste-Marie and Todd Bork.

Jones leads the senior points ahead of Rollinson and Fine. <<<

Age: 27

Hometown: Harwich, Mass.

College: Methodist University.

Came to North Florida: 2006.

His job: Head pro at Palencia.

How he plays: Qualified for the North Florida Section Porter Cup and the Underwood Cup teams through the 2011 Northern Chap-ter tournament series.

Favorite PGA Tour player: Fred Couples.

Best round ever and where: Palencia’s team qualified for the FSGA Match Play Championship held in Orlando. After the first round, we were down 12 points on the Stableford format. During the second round at Disney’s Lake Buena Vista, I shot 68 for 40 points to help secure our runner-up fin-ish. Other low rounds include a 31 on Palencia’s back nine and a 66 at Reunion’s Palmer Course during a PGA Ambassador trip.

Family: My father, Jack, worked through the startup at XM Satel-lite Radio and mother, Susan, is in the childcare business. Sister Sarah lives in Chicago and played on the US Olympic field hockey team.

Best advice for average golfer: There are strengths and weaknesses in your own game. There are many systems available on the internet, smart phones, books, or you can make your own that will determine your areas of weakness. It is simple

to say that a player must have the opportunity to score in order to get their handicap lower. Fairways, greens, and making putts will get into your buddy’s hip pocket. Play “small ball” (hitting fairways and greens) and putting yourself into the best opportunity to score will drop your handicap immediately. If your favorite club in the bag is an 8-iron, you should play to your strength and hit your favorite club into the green whenever possible on par 5s or if you find yourself in trouble off the tee. Your final fo-cus should be on distance control. Judging and playing to a certain distance separates the profession-als from the scratch player. The men and women on tour are ex-perts at controlling distance and trajectory throughout the course. Work the short game area hard from inside 100 yards and your handicap will drop. In short, deter-mine where you need help, focus on it, and seek assistance of a PGA professional.

Notes:

Palencia’sMike Broderick

Need help with your

game?Your PGA pro has

the answers.

See our directory on page 15 for club information.


championship golf | public welcome | driving rangechampionship golf | public welcome | driving range

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Why should women play golf?

The golf industry through the Play Golf America, PGA, LPGA and World Golf Founda-

tion’s Golf 2020 programs have been promoting June as Women’s Golf Month for years. It’s been gaining in exposure and participation but there is still more to be done to encourage more women and girls to play golf.

It’s amazing to me that more women do not learn how to play golf. Wom-en are missing out on a great oppor-tunity to enjoy a sport that is a very social lifetime activity that’s interac-tive, fun, challenging, multi genera-tional, has a unique handicapping system that makes it fun for all skill level players, offers unique golf/travel opportunities throughout the world and proves a great venue to expand/develop business opportuni-ties, plus much much more!

My women students who have decid-ed to learn to play usually say after-wards “Wow, this is fun …why did I wait so long?” So why wait?

I learned how to play golf over 40 years ago when my dad was in-formed by his new boss that his new cookware sales position required he learn how to play golf to take care of his business clients who did all their business on the golf course. It was the best move and advice my dad ever got for his business and family.

Golf has been great for my dad and my three brothers in business and family but it was even more advan-tageous for the girls and their fami-lies. For the four girls and mom, it has been a wonderful family activ-ity. In addition, we all played golf fairly well.

Our family created a Hafeman Fam-ily scramble golf tournament over 30 years ago. No matter what skill level or age, everyone participates each year. It’s a real achievement to get your name on our trophy with a yearly field of 30 -plus players. We have three generations playing with the youngest at 8 to my dad at 81. Now what sport can you play or en-gage in equally with those diverse ages and abilities and still have lots of fun?

There are many reasons to play golf and my website offers more ideas.

Mary Hafeman, is a PGA and LPGA pro who runs the Mary Hafeman Golf Experience. The North

Florida PGA 2011 Teacher of the Year, she teaches at Windsor Parke and The Champions Club in

Jacksonville and Pine and Cypress Course in Palm Coast, and can be reached at www.maryhafeman-

golf.com, at [email protected] or at 233-0989

Instruction

Mary Hafeman

It’s thethe family

Family fun: Mary Hafeman and her mother in Scotland.

• TPC Stadium No. 17. The most famous hole in the world, even though it’s the easiest par 3 on its own course.

• Omni Amelia Island Planta-tion No. 15 (Ocean Links course.) Most uphill shot in Northeast Florida to a green with an ocean view.

• Ponte Vedra Ocean No. 9. Maybe the first island green in America.

• Magnolia Point No. 2. Very short, very tricky.

• Amelia National No. 3. Stadium setting on a non-stadium course.

• North Hampton No. 8. Can play from under 100 yards to over 225.

• Palencia No. 3. An old tree stretches across the fairway.

• King & Bear No. 11. This was the local hole that best could fit in at Augusta Na-tional, according to a survey of local pros a few years ago.

• Timuquana No. 13. Hardest par 3 in the area?

• Eagle Harbor No. 6. All carry with cars going past a few yards away.

tenthings you should know

Par 3’s to play


Travel

It’s a world away, and not just because it’s 7,669 miles from Jacksonville to this Arabian capital. No city in the world boasts its skyline and certainly no city can top its sheer extravagance.

The extravagance extends to golf. When it only rains an average of 28 days a year, and between May and November there are only two rainy days, then the precious water be-comes more valuable than oil. Which, in the United Arab Emirates, is probably the case.

Dubai is built on the deep-sand desert. Before the oil money flowed, it was a wasteland. With the world’s insatiable desire to feed internal combustion engines, it has become the most modern and most spectacular of all cities.

Despite the lack of soil and the need for giant desalination plants, golf is a big part of this city of two million or so.

We played at the Emirates Golf Club. The first all-grass desert course, it opened in 1988 with one course and since has added another full 18 and a sporty 9-holer.

There are a dozen or so courses in the area. This is the most famous, getting its reputa-

tion with the start of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 1992 where (encouraged by show-up money) the game’s best compete each February. Tiger Woods and Ernie Els each have won twice. Others include Rory McIlroy, Fred Couples and the late Seve Ballesteros.

(Don’t confuse it with the Jumeirah Golf Estates where the DP World Tour Champion-ship is played in the fall.)

It’s an urban course. It wasn’t designed to be that way, but the stunning grown of Dubai swallowed it up and huge buildings are the norm (none bigger than the world’s tallest building, the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa, which is about five miles away.)

So, how does this big patch of grass thrive in the middle of a desert city?

Water, of course. And aggressive manage-ment, according to superintendent Craig Haldane.

“We manage the greens very aggressively in terms of aerification,” he said. “We drill and fill the greens a minimum of four times a year with we do multiple needle tines throughout the year.”

There’s plenty of water, thanks to a sew-age plant, and 750,000 gallons a day are pumped on the Majlis, the centrepiece course. Overall, it’s very similar to the work done at Timuquana, which has a water treatment deal with the adjacent naval air station. The term is “Treated Sewerage Effluent.”

The grass on the main course is 419 Bermu-da on fairways, roughs and tees, Tiff Eagle Bermuda on greens. The second course is all Seashore Paspalum. Both are salt-resistant, necessary because the Arabian Sea is only a few blocks away.

The result: as good as any Jacksonville-area course.

Want to play? Getting there is the big cost. If you can manage that, the Majlis is about $215 in season, the other course (the Faldo) a bit less.

Availability? Easy to get on, even though the courses have an active membership. Go to www.dubaigolf.com.

— Fred Seely

Golf in the desert

Big buildings overlook the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course.

Travel: Dubai

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