Golf shoes are not just something to keep your feet from getting dirty or wet or to protect them from the odd stone, they are an integral piece of equipment and that’s how Payntr Golf approaches building their golf shoes.
Michael Glancy, one of Payntr Golf’s founders and the brand’s creative director, puts it best, “We design and develop every part of the shoe around the golfer. There isn’t a single stitch on this shoe we don’t think about.
Payntr Golf shipped their first shoes three years ago and today is the fastest growing footwear brand in North America with distributors in major golf markets including the United Kingdom and Europe, Japan, SE Asia, South Africa, and Canada.
Another of the founders, 25-year footwear veteran and company President Mike Forsey, described a unique feature of all their shoes to me at the PGA Show. It’s called the Integrated Graphite Propulsion Plate which is a mouthful but is more than marketing hyperbole. He explained Payntr looks at traction as a three-dimensional problem, i.e., prevent rotation in relationship to the ground, provide support horizontally and most importantly to increase the leverage created by pushing into the ground to gain power on the downswing.
The Graphite Plate feature helps both to control and enhance the ground force to improve the performance of the wearer’s swing.
A couple of examples from the current line will serve to show their attention to putting these ideas into golf shoes which are designed for results and manufactured with care.
Like every model offered by Payntr the X Tour Proto RS has a Graphite Plate in the sole. The leather upper is water resistant and inside a breathable membrane that is fused to the lining and sealed to the midsole gasket makes the shoe fully waterproof. The outsole is made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) with seven Tour Flex Pro spikes by Softspikes. The interior cushioning is made for comfort with PMX foam or Performance Multiplied foam in the midsole and PMX Nitro+ in the footbed.
Priced at $220 per pair there’s a choice of white or black which has a white outsole perimeter. The Payntr X 001 F is a spikeless shoe that has an attractive Jacquard textile upper with TPU thread interwoven for additional support. Water penetration resistance comes from using Neverwet superhydrophobic solution that is also non-wicking. The outsole of TPU contains several differently sized and shaped nubs around the Graphite Plate providing traction for even the most energetic swings. Two colors are available and priced at $160 per pair.
Just putting on Payntr golf shoes will convince you they are well made, comfortable and wearing them for 18 holes will prove their performance. If you are planning to purchase either men’s or ladies golf shoes this spring Payntr is worth considering.
Ed is a national award-winning golf journalist and has carried on a lifelong love affair with the game. His work covering the business of golf, equipment, golf personalities and travel is prominently featured in numerous print and electronic publications. He has competed in tournament golf both as an amateur and senior professional and though his competitive days are behind him, Ed still plays regularly and carries a handicap of 4. Ed lives on a water hazard in suburban Orlando. His email address is here.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – The 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open, referred to in Arizona as the “People’s Open,” along with the “Greenest Show on Grass,” got off to a rocky start this year when Mother Nature decided to rename this year’s Open “The Wettest and Coldest Show on Grass.”
Nick Taylor defeated Charley Hoffman in a playoff to win the WM Phoenix Open after a brilliant finale that included five birdies in his final six holes.
Set in the rugged Sonoran Desert and surrounded by the stunning and beautiful McDowell Mountains, The WM Phoenix Open showcases some of the top players in golf coupled with the largest crowds of any golf event in the world. This yearly gathering has become both a tradition and celebration here in the city of Scottsdale.
If you haven’t had a chance to attend a Phoenix Open, you will never understand or appreciate how people from every walk of life can come together for four days and enjoy something much bigger than just watching a golf tournament. It’s truly an amazing moment in time shared by professional golfers and fans alike. I recommend that you put it on your “Bucket List.”
Although this tournament is not one of this year’s PGA Signature Events, it is exciting and certainly fan-oriented. Last year, the event had Designated Event status with a $20 million purse, of which winner Scottie Scheffler claimed $3.6 million, but this year the purse was reduced to $8.8 million, with the winner receiving $1.584 million which is less than half of last year’s winnings.
COURSE
The WM Phoenix Open brings immeasurable attention and respect to the Stadium Course, designed by the team of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. The course, which was renovated in 2014, is most famous for its par-3, 16th hole that transforms into “The Coliseum” during the tournaments and provides fans with one of the most exciting settings in professional sports.
The iconic 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale got out of control over the final two rounds and drew complaints from both players and fans.
This par 71 course measures 7,266 yards from the tournament tees. Trouble comes in the form of 72 bunkers that are deep and strategically placed in the fairways and around the greens, that are large and feature many tricky twists and subtle breaks. Water comes into play on six of the holes, including three of the last four.
ROUND 1
After play was suspended just after 12:30 p.m. on Thursday due to “unplayable conditions,” the PGA Tour announced in late afternoon Round 1 would continue at 4 p.m. A little more than half the field had already teed off, with Sahith Theegala 5-under making it through 14 holes and sitting atop the leaderboard.
Once play resumed, the rain subsided, but a cold blustery wind made the remainder of the afternoon a challenge for players and fans. Round 1 play was suspended due to darkness with the final threesomes just completing their 6th hole of the day.
Nick Taylor finished his opening round as the outright leader on Friday after firing a record setting 11-under 60. He was 3-under through six holes on Thursday before play was suspended due to weather. He resumed his first round on Friday morning and continued his assault on the TPC Scottsdale Course by finishing with eight birdies and no bogeys over his last 12 holes.
The leaderboard at the completion of Round 1 had1st place Nick Taylor -11. 2nd place Andrew Novak -9. 3rd place Maverick McNealy -8. 4th place Doug Ghim -6, and Sahith Theegala -6.
ROUND 2
Prior to the start of the second round on Friday, the PGA announced a 90-minute delay due to lingering frost as temperatures in the Arizona desert reached near-freezing in the overnight hours. This delay would almost certainly make finishing both the first round and second rounds today unlikely. It also means that anymore delays today or over the next two days would most like require a Monday finish.
Nick Taylor, whose 11-under opening round tied the course record at TPC Scottsdale, began his second round just 40 minutes after completing Round 1 and shot a 1-under 70. “Yeah, it’s weird feeling disappointed after a 70, said Taylor, but this morning was pretty hard to follow up I Didn’t hit it great off the tee this afternoon, so I was grinding a little bit early on, but held it together “But this morning was obviously pretty special to make all those putts and shoot 60.”
More than half the field did not complete their second round when play was suspended due to darkness. The second round will resume tomorrow (Saturday) morning.
The leaderboard at the completion of Round 2 had 1st place Sahith Theegala -13. 2nd place Andrew Novak -12, Nick Taylor -12. 4th place Maverick McNealy -10. 5th place Doug Ghim -9. There are 5 players tied for 6th place at -8.
73 players made the cut at -2. Notables who missed the cut were Stewart Cink, Luke Donald, Max Homa, Matt Kuchar, Gary Woodland, and Rickie Fowler.
ROUND 3
The WM Phoenix Open crowd quickly became the sideshow here on Saturday as it began to swell, and both the police and tournament officials began to get concerned about dealing with the increasing control challenges. This prompted the organizers to close the gates in the afternoon and limit alcohol sales because the course was just to crowded. “It’s insane,” said a golf fan in town for a bachelor party. “It’s the Waste Management Open. It’s known for being a party.”
Photo by Robert Schumacher The Republic (Arizona)
They also put this statement out on social media; “Due to larger than usual crowds, the WM Phoenix Open entrance gates are temporarily closed and shuttle service to the event is on hold.” “Shuttle service back to parking lots will remain running. Regularly check our channels for updates.
Saturday saw the completion of Round 2 by mid afternoon and the beginning of Round 3 at 4:10 pm MT. This gave the players about 2hours on the course before play was suspended.
The third round of the WM Phoenix Open resumed after a frost delay pushed the start time back over an hour. The entire field had yet to finish the third round due to multiple weather delays.
The leaderboard at the completion of Round 3 had 1st place Nick Taylor -15, Sahith Theegala -15. 3rd place Charley Hoffman -14, Andrew Novak -14. 5th place Scottie Scheffler -13, Cameron Young -13
ROUND 4
A cold desert morning greeted players and fans as play continued to complete the unfinished 3rd round from yesterday afternoon. The course Superintendent and his crew did a masterful job getting the course ready this morning for an early start in spite of an overnight frost.
The final round had threesomes off split tees. Players were not regrouped between rounds. Preferred lies were again used during the fourth round. A warming sun and a gentle desert breeze made today’s final round a pleasant afternoon for both players and spectators here at TPC Scottsdale.
With everyone on the course finished with their first 9 holes, the leaderboard looked like this heading into the final 9. 1st place Charley Hoffman -18, Nick Taylor -18. 3rd place Scottie Scheffler -17. 4th place Sahith Theegala -16. 5th place Sam Burns -15. 6th place Kurt Kitayama -14.
After dealing with a wayward tee shot on the 17th hole, finding the bunker on the right front side of the green, Hoffman -21 hit his 2nd shot well short of the pin and then calmly hit his putt to 2 feet from the cup to keep his 3 shot lead intact heading to the 18th. Meanwhile, Taylor -19 birdied up on the par 5 15th hole to close Hoffman’s lead to just 2 strokes.
Taylor -20 went “Pin Hunting” on the Par 3 16th Coliseum hole and grabbed himself another birdie to close within one shot of Hoffman -21, who missed his birdie putt on the 18th. Taylor -20 missed his birdie putt on the 17th hole.
We’re heading to extra holes! Taylor -21 found some magic in his pitching wedge and dropped his 2nd shot on the 18th green leaving a 9-footer for a birdie putt which he made for the tie.
Immediately following the conclusion of the 4th round both Taylor and Hoffman headed out to the 18th tee for their first of Two extra holes. On the second extra hole Charley Hoffman missed his birdie putt but Nick Taylor sank his giving him the win.
Nick Taylor -21 (60 70 68 65) is the 2024 WM Phoenix Open Champion. Along with the winner’s trophy, he pockets a check for $1,584,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points. This is his 4th PGA TOUR win with the last one coming in 2023 at the RBC Canadian Open. He a native Canadian living in Winnipeg. His career earning with today’s winnings added in are $16,516,342.
NBC Reporter Cara Banks caught up with Nick Taylor as he left the green after sinking the winning putt. She asked him, “You mentioned last year that you felt like the underdog coming down the stretch against Scottie Scheffler. Then last year, you went and won your National RBC Canadian Open, how much more comfortable did you feel this time around?”
Taylor responded “Yeah, more comfortable. It was a marathon day you know. You know, we signed our scorecards after the third round and had 8 minutes to go to tea. I don’t know if that rattled me a little bit, but it was just a long day. I found my swing a bit the last nine or ten holes and made some birdies. It was incredible.”
The 2nd place winner is Charley Hoffman -21 (67 68 64 64) who lost in two extra holes to Nick Taylor. Hoffman picks up a check $959,200 and 300 FedEx Cup points.
Third place was shared between Scottie Scheffler-18 (68 66 66 66) and Sam Burns -18 (68 67 67 64). Both players picked up a check for $519,200 and 145 FedEx Cup points
www.pgatour.com
Bill Sangster, a life-long golf aficionado and former Sergeant in Marines, moved to Cape Cod in 1974 where he raised his family while working as educator with the Sandwich School System for 23 years. With his Falmouth home adjacent to Paul Harney’s Golf Course, Bill spent many days learning and playing the game of golf. He was a member of White Cliffs Country Club and Sandwich Hollows Country on Cape Cod. In 2018 he continued his love for the game of golf by moving to “The Villages” in Florida. He now will admit to anyone who asks that he is addicted to the game of golf! Bill can be reached at sangsterbill33@gmail.com.
Season Opener on the Greg Norman Designed Mayakoba Golf Course
By Len Ziehm
Joaquin Niemann poses with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on Feb 04, 2024 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)
The controversial LIV Golf League has only 14 tournaments in its third season, but the first one of 2024 couldn’t have gone any better for the fledgling circuit.
LIV’s debut in Mexico went head-to-head with the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which underwent a major format change, was elevated to a “signature” event for the first time and couldn’t shake its history of challenging weather.
Both events featured great individual rounds. Joaquin Niemann shot 59 – the second sub-60 round in LIV history – in the opening round at Mayakoba, a former PGA Tour host venue. Reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark set the Pebble Beach course record with a 60 in the third round in California. Both won on Sunday, but there the similarity ends.
Captain Jon Rahm of Legion XIII and Captain Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC warm up during day three of the LIV Golf Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on Feb 04, 2024 in Playa del Carmen. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez via Getty Images)
LIV had all the drama, as Clark didn’t hit another shot. A threatening weather forecast led PGA Tour officials to eliminate Sunday’s final round, so both events were 54-hole tests this time. LIV had Sunday television time all to itself. Most of the national golf media didn’t take much note of it, focusing more on the travails at Pebble Beach, but the ones that did missed out on an extraordinarily captivating wrap-up in Mexico.
Niemann, a 25-year-old from Chile, had a particularly interesting Sunday. After arriving at the course, he was told by tournament officials that he’d been assessed a two-stroke penalty for taking an “improper” drop the day before. (Niemann was entitled to a drop when his ball stopped on a cart path, but he took two club lengths of relief and was entitled to only one.) That turned his Saturday 70 to a 72 and tightened up the individual race considerably. It brought several other players into contention, most notably Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm.
Reigning Masters champion Rahm was LIV’s major roster acquisition in the offseason and he didn’t disappoint. Rahm made five birdies in his first seven holes on Friday but couldn’t keep up with Niemann. He got close again on Sunday before finishing bogey-bogey yet did have some consolation. His new Legion XIII team, put together less than a week before the tournament, captured the team title. Team victories are celebrated in style at LIV events.
Norman salutes Captain Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on Feb 04, 2024 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez via Getty Images)
In a format change for 2024, LIV counts three scores per team in the first two days of a tournament and all four in the final round. Rahm’s 70 was the highest final round score on his team as Tyrrell Hatton shot 64, Kieran Vincent 69 and Caleb Surratt 67.
Surratt, 19, was a story by himself. He was playing in his first professional tournament after leaving his dormitory room at the University of Tennessee just a few days ago.
The PGA and DP World tours don’t have team competition, but Rahm bought into it in his first LIV start.
“It was very nice in a day in which in any normal tournament I would have been upset at my finish to actually have something to celebrate,” said Rahm. “This is one of the reasons why I decided to transition.”
What was “normal” for Rahm is no longer normal on the LIV circuit, and neither was Sunday’s individual battle.
Niemann and Garcia wound up in a playoff for the title, and that created a story worth telling. Garcia, 43, was Niemann’s boyhood hero. Only 25, Niemann is going to be a prominent player in the game – and not just on the LIV circuit. Late last year he won the Australian Open, and that earned him a place on the DP World Tour. Membership on that circuit gave him a place in the Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago, and he finished fourth there.
Though the now Official World Golf Rankings still haven’t adequately recognized good play by LIV members, Niemann is now eligible for the British Open and will probably get into the PGA Championship as well. Winning $4 million at Mayakoba was nice, but the way he did it will be hard to forget by anyone with even a passing interest in professional golf. The playoff with Garcia went on until daylight was gone and only the light of the 18th hole scoreboard was available to keep it going.
Captain Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC celebrates the victory at the LIV Golf Mayakoba at El Camaleon at Mayakoba on Feb 04, 2024 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez via Getty Images)
Niemann and Garcia made pars on the first three playoff holes, all on No. 18. Faced with the option of returning on Monday, they agreed to play it one more time even in what Niemann called “super darkness.” Niemann won it with a birdie putt from the back of the green.
Now the LIV players are headed for their second tournament in Las Vegas while the PGA Tour goes to Arizona for the always-raucous WM Phoenix Open. Both will be hard to match the excitement produced at Mayakoba.
Len Ziehm is the former golf reporter/columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. During his career at the Sun-Times, Len covered 27 U.S. Opens, 11 Masters, 17 PGA Championships, four U.S. Women’s Opens and the last 34 Western Opens in addition to a heavy load of Chicago area events. Len is a lifetime member of the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) and sits on the Advisory Board of the International Network of Golf (ING). He currently co-hosts ‘Golfers on Golf Radio’ 750-AM in Chicago. Len’s website can be found at LenZiehmOnGolf.com.
Welcome to the first edition of “Off The Fringe” created by award-winning golf scribe Ed Travis. In golf, “Fringe” refers to any grass adjoining the putting surface that is mowed to a height only slightly higher than the grass on the putting green.
“Off the Fringe” is a new feature with our take on some of the current topics in our game. Think of it as what might be brought up sitting with friends after a round and as always, some will have opinions with which you agree and some you won’t.
SSG PGA Tour Investment
So a group, the Strategic Sports Group, is anteing up to $3 billion to invest in the new PGA Tour “for profit” subsidiary with players having an ownership stake. This obviously provides some breathing room for the Tour in its ongoing battle with the Saudi’s LIV Golf. By now the two were to have had a merger agreement in place but they don’t and there’s no completion date in sight. The SSG money can be used to fund Signature Event purses with the idea of retaining Tour stars from jumping to LIV as Jon Rahm did recently. A big problem for the Tour though is that besides key tournament sponsors like Honda, Farmers and Wells Fargo opting to drop their events the Department of Justice still hasn’t signed off on the LIV merger. The uncertainty of pro golf’s future is starting to turn off fans. The solution to rekindle fan interest is if somehow, someway is having the top players–McIlroy, Spieth, Scheffler, Koepka, Rahm, etc.–play against each other every week. Don’t hold your breath.
PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan (left) and John W. Henry, Principal Owner of Fenway Sports Group and Manager of the Strategic Sports Group, finalize the launch of PGA TOUR Enterprises. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
The “Old Course at St. Andrews” heads the list of major tracks where the LPGA will contend its five majors for the 2024 season, however the rest of the venues are impressive and speaks to the continued growth in stature of the Tour not to mention the quality of the play. The Chevron Championship is at the The Woodlands Carlton Club, the U.S. Women’s Open plays over Lancaster Country Club, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-Les-Bains, France. The major season concludes with the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews, The Old Course.
Perhaps due to the turmoil in men’s professional golf fans are taking more interest in the LPGA Tour. For 2024 there are 33 events and season prize money will be a total of $118 million which is up $3 million from 2023.
All in the Cole Family
Eric Cole received the 2023 Arnold Palmer Award as PGA Tour Rookie of the Year but at 35 wasn’t the oldest to win, that was Todd Hamilton at 38 back in 2004. However, he did participate in a mother/son record that likely will never be broken. His mother Laura Baugh was the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1973.
In 1973 Laura Baugh was LPGA Rookie of the Year and her 35-year-old son Eric Cole earned 2023 Rookie of the Year honors 50 years after his mother did so on the LPGA Tour.
Seems Like Only Yesterday
Jack Nicklaus turned 83 in January, but for some of us it seems like only a short time ago he became a professional and won his first tournament, the 1962 U.S. Open. Of course back then, he was in the process of dethroning “The King“, Arnold Palmer, and was tagged with the nick name of “Ohio Fats.”
PGA Tour Calendar Year
It’s obvious the PGA Tour’s switch back to a calendar year schedule from the awkward September through August schedule was the correct move. The 2024 season has 38 events plus the FedExCup Fall series which can be seen as the “Second Chance Tour” for those needing to boost their standings for the regular season. Eight Signature Events (the first was last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am) of the 38 have raised a controversy since they are limited field (80 players) and some toursters don’t care for the restriction of their playing opportunities. The answer to this is as always…play better.
While Out Getting a Beer
They must have changed the rules of arithmetic while I was out of the room. Every week you hear golf coverage announcers say if a player is two strokes back “He’s within two of the lead.” Doesn’t he have to be one back to be within two? Or is it one and a half?
Tiger’s Switch
The PGAT/LIV mess isn’t the only drama in men’s professional golf. Tiger Woods kicked Nike to the curb after 27-years to launch his own clothing brand in partnership with TaylorMade Golf said to be called Sunday Red. Coverage by the media of this ho-hum event because it is Tiger was intensive but then, some of my fellow journalists find drama in changing their brand of toothpaste.
Tiger Woods may soon be debuting a new clothing line with TaylorMade called “Tiger Red.”
Lexi’s Switch
Speaking of drama, fan-favorite LPGA star Lexi Thompson dropped her ball deal with Bridgestone and company CEO Dan Murphy said, “After a long and prosperous relationship, Bridgestone Golf and Lexi have parted ways. We thank her for her years of support and partnership.” Lexi is leaving behind Bridgestone’s other top staff member Tiger Woods, and she has signed with Dick’s Sporting Goods to play their Maxfli ball, a brand without any other staff professionals.
“Enjoy your weekand keep it in the short grass!” – E.T.
Ed is a national award-winning golf journalist and has carried on a lifelong love affair with the game. His work covering the business of golf, equipment, golf personalities and travel is prominently featured in numerous print and electronic publications. He has competed in tournament golf both as an amateur and senior professional and though his competitive days are behind him, Ed still plays regularly and carries a handicap of 4. Ed lives on a water hazard in suburban Orlando. His email address is here.
Jimmy Lynn – President of Lifestyle Management Group of Florida – has come a long way since we first met in 2011. After spending 10 years in the golf industry, running sales and marketing for the largest publisher of golf travel information in the world, I had taken a position outside of golf but was still doing a little writing about golf courses and equipment. On the occasions I was sent some equipment, I would head over to the driving range at The Club at Gateway. I had worked out a deal with General Manager Jimmy Lynn, mentioning his club’s facilities in those earlier articles. Our friendship grew and we played a fair amount of golf together. Life happened; Jimmy moved to a club in Naples, and I relocated to Lakeland to be closer to family.
Fast forward 12 years and we both have new, successful career paths. Jimmy put together an investor and created Lifestyle Management Group of Florida which owns/manages four clubs in Southwest Florida: The Club at Westminster, Quail Creek Village, Bonita Fairways, and Gateway. As a management company, LMGO’s goal is to elevate each private club and make them relevant in every aspect of services and facilities, thus creating sustainability for the long term and satisfied members.
Of the four properties Gateway has seen the biggest changes; it is a lot nicer and more family-oriented than on my last visit. As a Fort Myers, Florida resident, you could always find a way to get on and play at Gateway. But not anymore! The Club at Gateway is now a private country club that offers not only an 18-hole Tom Fazio Signature golf course but also an incredible Ron Garl-designed 20-acre practice facility with two practice holes. The Club at Gateway is widely regarded as one of the best layouts in Southwest Florida.
Lifestyle Management Group of Florida owns and manages the property and is finishing up a multi-million dollar renovation project that includes a completely renovated 300-seat banquet and meeting space, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an open exhibition kitchen with wood burning pizza oven, private wine storage area, and a resort-style pool with a Tiki bar. Pickleball and bocce courts have been added as well.
The Club at Westminster closed the golf course and driving range earlier this year and is undergoing a major renovation with plans to re-open in October. This includes a wall-to-wall re-grassing of the entire course and practice areas with Bimini grass and completely renovating the greens, coring out the existing greens and 8-12” of dirt, and then replanting with certified Tif-Eagle grass from Georgia. The Club at Westminster is a semi-private golf course with resident & non-resident memberships.
Lifestyle Management Group of Florida acquired Bonita Fairways Golf Club in early 2021. In the words of Jimmy Lynn, “Bonita Fairways is a self-sustaining golf club. During the season, the tee sheets are always full and the restaurant is packed.” The par 61, 3500-yard golf course was designed by Gorden Lewis and is anything but a pushover with six holes in the 300-yard range. The golf course is surrounded by a nature preserve and the lakes that you’ll encounter as you play your way around the course will challenge both your short game and your long game as well!
Before your round, warm up your short game and putting stroke on the full-size putting green. There’s a fully stocked pro shop in case you need any last-minute necessities, and the Bobcat Café can handle your thirst and hunger after your round.
Quail Creek Village became a part of the LMGOF portfolio in 2019. Shortly after purchasing the club, Lifestyle Management Group did a total renovation of the golf course. Originally designed by Gordon Lewis, Quali Creek Village is a short course the plays slightly less than 5,000 yards with a par of 69. Don’t let the length fool you; there are three par 5’s, nine par 4’s, and six par 3’s, and water comes into play on at least 11 holes. Greens tend to be small but well-undulated and well-protected by sand bunkers.
You’ll find a lot of the members getting their exercise by walking the golf course after 11 a.m.
The clubhouse was also recently renovated and offers lunch 7 days a week with themed dinners on Tuesday and Friday nights. Bogeys, the poolside pub overlooking the golf course, is another favorite gathering place for members and offers great food and friendly service.
Lifestyle Management Group of Florida is poised to become a top golf management company in Florida.
One of their biggest assets is a subsidiary company, D. Garrett Construction Company, Inc. This allows them to go after clubs that need major repair and renovation. Instead of purchasing a club and subbing the work out to a general contractor and sub-contractors, they can purchase a club and do the work themselves, saving a great deal of time and money. Look for good things from Jimmy Lynn and his staff at LMGOF. For more information, visit their website at http://lmgof.com/
OCALA, FL. – Bernhard Langer, appropriately enough, has always been the focal point of the upcoming Chubb Classic but now – due an unfortunate circumstance – it’s for the wrong reason.
Langer tied Hale Irwin’s record for PGA Tour Champions wins with his 46th at last year’s Chubb event, a tournament he has won five times. This year he was poised to tie another Irwin mark, for victories in the same event on the 50-and over circuit.
That possibility evaporated on Friday when Langer revealed he had suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a Thursday practice session in Boca Raton. He had surgery on Friday.
“It will cause me to miss time playing competitive golf as I recover,” Langer said in a statement. “Throughout my career, faith and family have been my bedrocks, providing me strength and guiding me through difficult times. I will lean on both again as I work towards a return to competition. I look forward to seeing the fans and my fellow competitors back on the course soon.”
How soon is yet to be determined, but no doubt he’ll be missed when the Chubb returns to Tiburon in Naples, FL. That’s where he won last season to tie Irwin’s career win record on the Champions circuit with his 45th victory. He passed Irwin with another win at the U.S. Senior Open in July.
Had Langer been able to pull off a three-peat at Tiburon he would have tied Irwin’s mark with six victories in the same event. Irwin won six times at Hawaii’s Turtle Run Resort from 1997 to 2005.
With Langer now on the mend, it’s time to wonder if his record of 46 victories on the 50-and-over circuit will ever be broken. Not many records in golf have seemed as insurmountable as that one, but Steve Stricker is 10 years younger and lurking – at least sort of.
Stricker turns 57 the week after the 37th playing of a Champions Tour event in Naples. The Chubb, which is Feb. 16-18 on Tiburon’s Black Course, is the longest-running title sponsor on PGA Tour Champions.
Now 66, Langer has lived in Boca Raton – near Naples – for 40 years. He’s used to the Bermuda grasses and grainy greens of that area and was particularly disappointed to miss an event at Tiburon.
“It feels like a home game to me,’’ he said. “and I’ve played some of my best golf in the Naples area.’’
But, like all of us, Langer is getting older. Earlier this year he announced that he’ll be making his final competitive appearance at the Masters in April. Whether he’ll be recovered in time to play at Augusta National is uncertain.
The first PGA Tour Champions event of the season didn’t find Langer at his best. He tied for 22nd in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii, where Steven Alker won. Langer dismissed that showing for good reasons.
“I felt rusty,’’ he said. “They also changed that golf course. It’s almost the opposite from Tiburon. It’s wide open. There’s no rough at all. There’s very little punishment if you spray it, and the bombers have a huge advantage.’’
Langer was also still shaking off the death of his mother, who was 100 and living in Germany at the time of her passing.
“We traveled to Germany for a couple of weeks and no golf, obviously. There was snow and cold weather,’’ he said.
Now, back to the possibility of his Champions Tour win record withstanding the tests of time. Irwin, now 78, won’t be a factor because he rarely competes any more. His last win was in 2007.
The leading candidate to chase down Langer now is Steve Stricker, who won six times in 16 starts in 2023 and has 17 career victories on the 50-and-over circuit. He’s coming off a third-place finish in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Stricker’s task is a daunting one. He got his 17 wins in 64 Champions starts. Irwin needed 481 to win 45 times. Langer’s 46 came in 341 tournaments. To pass Langer’s present total Stricker would have to average six wins a season for the next five campaigns.
At this point Stricker’s not motivated by catching Langer.
“My family’s into golf,’’ he said. “My wife caddies and plays a lot. My kids are big golfers, and they’ve been on the bag, so it’s been a family affair. If it wasn’t that way I don’t know if I’d be out there.’’
Langer was considering a reduction in his tournaments, from 25 a season to maybe as few as 20 even before the Achilles injury. Some courses, Augusta National being one, have changed a lot and don’t suit Langer’s game as well as they had in the past. He still has playing goals, however.
“My overall goal has always been to get better,’’ he said. “If I can achieve that I am confident I will have a chance to win more tournaments.’’
The Chubb Classic will have 78 players competing for $1.8 million. They include Davis Love III, making his tournament debut; Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Padraig Harrington; two former world No. 1s in David Duval and Tom Lehman and six past Chubb champions. Among them is Stricker, who won the title in 2021 and is a former Naples resident.
Since it was founded less than 10 years ago the Edinburgh, Scotland company Shot Scope has been a leader in shot tracking and GPS applications and now has a new feature for its mobile app called My Strategy.
My Strategy allows players prior to the round to plot out the best way to play each hole which makes it great for traveling golfers or any time the user plays a new course. The app uses data from the most recent 30 shots with every wood and iron and then suggests the best way tee to green for every hole.
Available for Android or iOS, the Shot Scope app or web dashboard data syncs data from Shot Scopes GPS rangefinders, Smart Watches and tracking tags to show which club is best off the tee, aiming points and lines to avoid rough and hazards. The effect is to use a player’s own shot tendencies and typical distances to give the most effective course management along with a cone of dispersion, dispersion tendency plus wind and elevation adjustments for each shot.
“Any golfer can now go online and look at a course and hole layout, but with the MyStrategy feature Shot Scope golfers can actually match their performance stats with each hole and truly build a game plan ahead of a round,” said David Hunter, CEO, Shot Scope. “This insight is invaluable for competitive tournament players, or golfers playing a new course for the first time.”
Hunter adds, “MyStrategy, as a feature is available across all of our Shot Scope game tracking products, allows golfers to play their best and improve their score on any course, anywhere.”
The 71st PGA Show January 23-26, 2024, is shaping up to be larger than the one last year and the gradual return to pre-pandemic numbers of attendees and exhibitors should continue.
The “Major of the Golf Business” held annually by the PGA of America is the industry’s largest annual meeting. The 2023 Show drew about 30,000 PGA Professionals and industry executives, roughly double 2022, while the 2021 Show was held virtually due to the covid pandemic.
In 2023 the just over 800 exhibitors were twice as many in 2022 and with two months to go the number signing up for floor space in Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center is about 840. The final number of exhibitors is expected to approach 900 and attendees 35,000.
The Show is not open to the public and continues to perform three important functions for the golf industry starting with the extensive education sessions held for PGA Professionals to further their knowledge of teaching, marketing and business while earning continuing education credits. Secondly it provides golf companies with an ideal way to expose their products and services constructively and efficiently to potential purchasers and the several hundred media members from around the world.
Thirdly and perhaps the most attractive is the Show provides the opportunity to connect person to person with friends and business acquaintances, the interpersonal fuel to more business and growth.
A partial list of the best-known equipment companies to have reserved space include Callaway Golf, Cobra Golf, Mizuno, PING, Titleist and US Kids Golf. Tech exhibitors listed so far: aboutGolf, Blue Tees Golf, Bushnell, FlightScope, SkyTrak, Trackman, and TopTracer Range.
Much of the square footage on the Show floor is taken by apparel sellers and among the prominent names having exhibit space are ahead, Ashworth, FootJoy J. Lindberg, Linksoul, PUMA Golf and Under Armour.
Prior to the opening of the exhibit floor on Jan. 24 the Show begins with a Demo Day Jan. 23 at Orange County National Golf Center’s 360° full circle driving range. Not only are the latest in clubs and technology available for hands on investigation but in addition the PGA of America holds workshops on club fitting and coaching.
PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan said in a press release concerning the Show’s objectives, “The PGA Show attracts the largest annual gathering of PGA of America Golf Professionals and is the most significant business event for the global golf community each year. From discovering the latest game innovations and networking with some of the Association’s finest Professionals to attending widespread educational and business programs, our PGA of America Members return from the PGA Show better equipped to improve the everyday golfer’s journey at all levels and influence the growth of the sport.”
“The expansive mix of market leaders, veteran manufacturers and inventive start-ups at the annual PGA Show creates an unparalleled marketplace for thousands of golf industry professionals worldwide,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President Marc Simon. “Education, business, career and peer networking programs, plus opportunities to unwind together in the evenings, are also important aspects of a packed PGA Show Week that help to recharge our professional growth and build up the business of golf.”
Callaway Golf has been a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for designing golf clubs and now has applied AI to two new Odyssey putter lines, the Ai-ONE & Ai-ONE Milled putters.
Consistent ball speed plus being able to control the speed and, therefore, the distance is the key to great putting. Callaway has used their experience using artificial intelligence software to design woods and irons for the past several years and has now applied the same high tech to finding solutions for their Odyssey putter line. Their stated goal is to provide speed consistency putt-to-putt even though the impact may not necessarily be in the center of the face.
The end product is the Ai-ONE and Ai-ONE Milled putters.
Revolutionary Ai-ONE urethane insert delivers more consistent ball speeds, even from off-center hits, leaving putts closer to the hole.
Both have odd-looking contours in the backing of the face insert, a result of this latest use of technology to do thousands of computer iterations to test the results of different configurations and use machine learning to improve results after each trial. The announcement pointed out, “By applying these A.I. enhancements to our inserts, we’re delivering consistent ball speed across the face.”
Ai-ONE Milled models are already in use on professional tours by such players as Jon Rahm, who is ranked number three in the world.
