Michigan Golfer ON-LINE: Michigan Golf News -March 25, 2005

Michigan Golf News
March 25, 2005, Vol. 5, No. 13

Sponsored by:

Bay Mills Resort and Casino/Wild Bluff-Brimley
Web: http://www.4baymills.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2003shows/show11/index.html

Shanty Creek Resort & Club
Web: http://shantycreek.com
Video: Schuss Mountain Ski Shop http://michigangolfer.tv/miskier/season_4/schuss/schussqt.html

Michigan Golfer Magazine-Back Issues 1996-2004-
Web: http://michigangolfer.com/archive.html

Edited by Art McCafferty-Producer/Publisher, GLSP
http://glsp.com

Past newsletter issues are available at http://webgolfer.com/news.html

_/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/

__/ SNOWMAN
__/ MGN ON THE ROAD
Lexington
Hamilton, Canada
__/ MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION SHOW-RYDER CUP MEMORIES
__/ CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION, HOSTS GOLF MARATHON
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2005
__/ TRAVEL MICHIGAN HAS A NEW SITE
__/ HITTING THE LINKS-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE
ARCHITECTS-Jack Nicklaus
__/ CALENDAR OF GOLF EVENTS
__/ TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS
__/ ASSOCIATION LINKS

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SNOWMAN
Art. you erred in your Michigan Golf Show comments. The correct information is that Kirk Sherman is at EAGLE EYE at Hawks Hollow and Dave Hill is at HAWK¹S EYE. You had them mixed up.

Bill Knopp, Park Place Hotel

Bill, a Tip of the Tam for pointing out that Snowman. Art

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MGN ON THE ROAD
Lexington
We opened up our second year of the Michigan Golfer Radio Show at Denis and Rick Fabbri's, Lakeview Hills Resort. The resort features 36 holes of golf, a bowling alley, hotel, conference center and condo complex. This year, the resort will concentrate a little more on their roots, including the fact that Walter Hagen was instrumental in laying out their first nine holes. Hagen used to do a lot of fishing and boating in that area. Jeff Gorney was the architect for the newest 18 holes.

Canada
Hamilton
The Golden Horseshoe area that consists of Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Grimsby, Brantford and the Niagara Region, has nearly 100 golf courses available. While many would be considered as local courses, they do have some targeted toward the traveling golfer. Noted courses are Royal Niagara, Crosswinds, Hidden Lake, Peninsula Lakes, Whirlpool and Willow Valley.

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MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION SHOW-RYDER CUP MEMORIES
The Ryder Cup Opening Ceremonies
Donald Trump kicks off the opening ceremonies that features past Ryder Cup Captains, Governor Jennifer Granholm, The Saginaw High School Drumline, Donald Trump and the official presentation of the 35th Ryder Cup teams.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/irish/OpeningDay/

A Visit With Members of the Sam Ryder Family
Vanessa Bell chats with her Ipswich, England neighbors, the Sam Ryder family about the 35th Ryder Cup, their famous ancestor and past Ryder Cups they have attended.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/irish/ryderfamily/

Breakfast with the Irish
Vanessa Bell joins the Irish Ryder Cup contingent for breakfast, entertainment and information about the upcoming 36th Ryder Cup in 2006. The entertainment is supplied by dancers from the Heinzman School of Irish Dance
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/irish/irishbreakfast/

Ryder Cup Celebration at Henry Ford
You will need to put on your dancing shoes for this show, as some lively Irish music provides the backdrop for our look at the great items on display at Henry Ford. Our Irish visitors put this visit right at the top of their list of favorite Ryder Cup memories.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/irish/HenryFord/

An Evening at Dick O'Dow's
Ben Crenshaw was but one of many that stopped by this terrific Irish themed watering hole to wet their whistle. The event was sponsored by the Irish Tourism Board. Harp and Guinness beers and Irish music were all flowing freely on this joyous event. On hand to fill their hands with frosted mugs were Jack Berry, Tonia Branch, Vanessa Bell, William McMachan, Rosie and Brandon Zylstra, Dave Richards, Phyllis Barone, Kevin Frisch, Craig Brass, Jason Deegan, Irish singers and the representatives of the Ryder Cup 2006.
http://michigangolfer.tv/2005shows/irish/DickO'Dow's/

Our Ryder Cup Shows are Sponsored by:
The Otsego Club Resort and Conference Center
Featuring its 54 Hole Blowout Package
http://www.otsegoclub.com/warmpackages.php

MICHIGAN GOLF CALENDAR 2005
http://michigangolfer.com/calendar.html

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CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION, HOSTS GOLF MARATHON
CCFA will host its 9th annual Golf Marathon on Monday, June 6, 2005, at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club, located at 7000 Oakhurst Lane in Clarkston, Mich. Proceeds will benefit research and support and educational programming of the foundation.

The "golf marathon" format allows players to collect pledges from friends, colleagues and relatives, in order to register for this event. A minimum $500 pledge amount is required. Deadline for registration is Friday, May 13. For more information, or to register, call Gilda Hauser at (248) 737-0900, or e-mail michigan@ccfa.org.

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MICHIGAN GOLF HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2005
The Michigan Golf Hall of Fame's Class of 2005 reaches across a wide spectrum of contributors to the game.

Two players, an architect and a businessman who saved one of Michigan¹s great courses from extinction have been elected. The inductees that will be honored on May 15 include:
* Joan Garety, a two-time Michigan Women¹s State Amateur champion whose portfolio of victories is long and impressive.
* Stan Aldridge, whose restoration of storied Indianwood Golf & Country Club led to a pair of U.S. Women¹s Open championships being held in Lake Orion.
* Jerry Matthews, the prolific course designer whose works dominate Michigan¹s golf scene.
* J.R. Roth, the PGA Professional at Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, and a multiple winner of Michigan major championships.

Garety has been a dominant player since her days in junior golf when she was a two-time state champion of the Riverview State Junior Tournament in 1973 and 1974. She led Michigan State to four Big Ten Championships and won nine individual collegiate titles.

Garety¹s state amateur titles came in 1982 and 1997. She has won the Michigan Women's Golf Association State Championship six times and just about every other title in women's golf. Along with 11 club championships at Egypt Valley, she has won the Grand Rapids City Tournament nine times over a 23-year span.

Aldridge, a graduate of Detroit's Redford High and Michigan State University, always has had the unique knack of rescuing ailing businesses. In 1981, he purchased Indianwood, a classic course designed by Wilfrid Reid in 1925 on a tract of farmland in Lake Orion. The PGA's 1930 Western Open was held at Indianwood, along with dozens of other major state events.

Aldridge restored every inch of Indianwood, from the course to the enormous clubhouse. Aldridge commissioned a second 18-hole course at Indianwood. In 1986, he took over the Lakewood Shores Resort in Oscoda and had his son, Kevin, design The Gailes, one of Michigan's finest resort courses.

Indianwood was host to the U.S. Women's Open in 1989 and 1994. On the second occasion, Aldridge agreed on short notice to take over presentation of the women's national championship.

Matthews, based in Lansing, has designed more than 90 courses in Michigan. His works are in 42 of the state's 83 counties and they stretch the breadth and width of Michigan.

Since beginning in the business in 1960 with his father, the late W. Bruce Matthews, Jerry Matthews has been involved in more than 200 golf course projects, including new courses, renovations and remodels. Matthews, a graduate of Michigan State, has always said that he didn't want to be remember as the most prolific architect in Michigan a title he holds with no challengers he wanted to be the best.

Roth is a four-time Michigan PGA Player of the Year (1987, 1996, 1998, and 1999) and is a winner of the Michigan PGA Championships four times.

In 2004, he added his second Michigan Open title, six years after his first.

Roth was the National Club Professional Champion in 1993 and runner-up in 1987. He has played in four national PGA Championships and has represented the United Stats in the PGA Cup teams three times.

The foursome will be inducted May 15 at the Hall of Fame's annual banquet and outing at Indianwood.

The cost for breakfast, golf, lunch, cocktail reception, dinner and awards ceremony is $175 or $50 for the cocktail reception, dinner and awards ceremony. For more information, e-mail llarkin@michigan-golf-foundation.com or call (248) 719-0650. Taken and edited from a release from the MGF.

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GOO GOO DOLLS TO HEADLINE AT FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Golf fans show respect to professional golfers by keeping quiet during play, but fans will want to make noise after the final round at the 2005 Ford Senior Players Championship when the Goo Goo Dolls take the stage for an evening concert.

Ford Division will sponsor the concert held on the 18th green of the Tournament Players Club of Michigan (TPC), site of the Champions Tour major for the 15th straight year, at the conclusion of Sunday's round. All fans with admission for the final day can enjoy the concert at no extra cost.

The 2005 Ford Senior Players Championship is scheduled for July 4-10 at the TPC of Michigan, in Dearborn. It will have an action-packed week of activities for golf fans and families, culminating in four days of intense golf competition July 7-10. It is one of five majors on the Champions Tour. Tickets:

Sponsorship and ticket information also can be obtained by calling the tournament office at 313-441-0300. Tickets may be purchased by calling (866) FSPC-TIX, or are available for ordering on-line at http://www.fordseniorplayerschamp.pgatour.com at reduced rates in advance, including $10 off a week-long ticket that provides access any and all days of tournament week for $85. Advanced tickets good any one day of competition are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate.

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JOHN WUKOVITS TO APPEAR ON FOX NEWS
John Wukovitis, a Michigan Golfer and freelance writer from Trenton, where he teaches school, will make an appearance on Oliver North War Stories. Wukovits wrote a book on the Battle for Wake Island. Fox News will air the story on Sunday April 3 at 8:00..

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SNOWBOARDERS-THIS IS A GREAT SHOW TO SEE
If you are a snowboarder or have some snowboarders in your family, you just have to check out this show. Our cameras caught the second leg of the national Evolution Tour, also sponsored by the United States Snowboard Association. Viewers will see some incredible snowboard races as well as some high flying acts off the various ramps and rails at Boyne Mountain. Join our host, Jim Neff, as we bring you one of our best Michigan Skier Television shows.
http://michiganskier.tv

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TRAVEL MICHIGAN HAS A NEW SITE
The MEDC has redesigned its award winning web site. The new design allows tourists to better plan their visit and gives businesses a better understanding of the advantages to locating in Michigan. http://michigan.org

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HITTING THE LINKS-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS-Jack Nicklaus
This week we are taking a look at the American Association of Golf Course Architects site and in particular Jack Nicklaus http://www.asgca.org/members3223.aspx On Thursday, Feb. 13, Jack Nicklaus was awarded the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America's Old Tom Morris Award. Afterward, Adam Barr of The Golf Channel interviewed Nicklaus. Following are excerpts of that interview. This is the second part of the interview, the first part ran two weeks ago.

Q.: Talking about collaborators and influences, Pete Dye, let's talk about Bob Jones. Mr. Jones and what you have called second-shot thinking, and how it influenced the way you design golf courses.

JACK NICKLAUS: Well, I grew up at Scioto, which was a Donald Ross golf course, a wonderful golf course. It was changed in the early '60s by Dick Wilson. But originally, the course I grew up on was a Ross golf course. Still a good golf course, but it's not the course I grew up on.

Then I played my college golf at Ohio State, which was an Alister MacKenzie design, but Alister had passed away before that. But it had his influence, the green areas were his. I then started playing around the country, but Augusta National was my favorite place to go play golf. So the influence of Augusta National with the influence of Ross and the influence of MacKenzie and then the influence of Augusta National and Bob Jones was _ I loved Augusta because you could stand up -- and of course I had a little bit of power in those days -- and knock it out there, hit it anywhere I wanted to within reason. But I knew if I don't put it in the right side of the fairway, I couldn't play the hole properly. And I loved the concept of being able to have room off the tee, make it a second-shot golf course. And the members could play it, the members would have fun with it. All you did was move the tees back, hide the pins and you got a championship golf course.

Well, I used that philosophy basically through the years. I think that probably with equipment today we brought the fairways in more because you really can hit the ball a lot straighter today. But basically it's still the same philosophy I used.

Q.: Now you don't do necessarily five sets of tees, you don't do as many sets of tees as you can, but you do place tees strategically. Once you've done that, what else can you do to make the same golf hole play for a Tour player and also be fun for a recreational player?

JACK NICKLAUS: Well, I used to do about five sets of tees. Maybe sometimes six sets of tees. And I found that with the golf equipment and particularly the golf ball, it doesn't become practical any more.

Because you need 6,500 or 7,000 yards to challenge the good player and less than 2 percent of the players play from the back tees. The average golfer, member to a golf course, they don't want to feel like a second-class citizen, they want to feel on the golf course, to go to the next set of tees and that's where they feel, my ego says I'm a 10, I ought to be able to play from there.

Well, if you have 6,500 or 7,000 yards, they can't play 7200 yards. The next logical is about 6,900, they can't play 6900. So what I've done is designed more from the members tees than I do from the back tees. I create a strategy that the average golfer can play and I try to keep that between 6,200 and 6,700 yards. I don't think that statistics will tell us that the average golfer really isn't any better handicap-wise down through the years.

Anyhow, equipment is theoretically more user-friendly, I don't think that's the case, frankly. But what I've done is created a ladies set of tees and I have that at 6,200 to 6,700, usually around 6,500. I have 6,200 to 6,700, ladies championship tees will sit on the front of the members tee and then what happens is we'll build a back tee and they'll say, "I'm not going to play that," but we want to play tees where they can play. And I think that helps the ego of the average golfer not to think he's a second-class citizen. And so I don't put anything in the middle.

So now if a player, a guy is a 2- or 3- handicap, wants to mix and match and take a few back tees with his course, he can do that. Well, the members tell me, "Geez, I would like to have another tee on this golf course," that sits between the members tees and the back tees and that's not Jack Nicklaus putting it there making the course too tough, it's the members requesting that. The biggest thing -- we talked about this earlier when I received my award -- was that it's not the idea to bring people into the game, it's to keep them in. And if a golf course is too tough and they can't play the game, they're not going to stay.

Q.: Doesn't this go back to your central question when you start, who will be playing the golf course?

JACK NICKLAUS: Oh, yeah. We're going to find out who is going to play it and what we're trying to accomplish. Now the main idea with a good golf course is not Augusta National or Pebble Beach or Shinnecock or whatever you might say, not good golf courses, but a good golf course _ if an owner comes to me and says, "I need a golf course that I got to have and my average membership is going to be 70 years old and they're just beginning golfers" -- I'm being ridiculous about my example, but I'm going to do a golf course that they can play. And if it accomplishes that for the owner, and that's his people coming playing it, and they enjoy it, then it's a good golf course in my opinion. That's what a good golf course is all about.

Steve and I were talking earlier, if I went to the central part of Kansas, where nobody plays golf _ I mean, I have been out there for hunting and I leave my Sharpie at home out there. But you go out there and you're going to find people out there that, if they don't play golf, the budget for the golf course would be very inexpensive, the fee would be very inexpensive, the level of maintenance would have to be relatively inexpensive. Otherwise people couldn't afford it. No sense in doing the golf course.

And I had the philosophy with our company, I don't care whether somebody has a million dollars or $12 million, they're going to get a golf course for whatever money they have. Now what I'll be able to do is a million dollars worth of good golf for somebody who has a million dollars and a $10 green fee. They don't necessarily have to have $12 million and a $300 green fee. What I'm able to do in a golf course is bring it in within a budget, because basically it's our job to bring people into the game and keep them in the game.

Q.: Let's talk about that. You mentioned that before today. What is the super's role, not only do they maintain more than just turf, they maintain the game. What is the super's role in not only getting people into the game, but keeping people into the game. What are the challenges that they face with modern equipment on their golf course?

JACK NICKLAUS: First of all from a maintenance standpoint, a super is given _ we were talking earlier about how some supers are given an unlimited budget and they exceed it. But owners, the real high majority, have a limited budget and they're asked to try to make sure they can maintain within that budget the best they can.

Now if costs continue to rise -- and there's only one person who pays for that cost, whether it's for the land, for my part of the golf course or the superintendent's maintenance, it's the member or the person who is going to play that golf course who has to pay it. And if he can't afford it or she can't afford it, they're not going to stay in the game. So we've got to keep golf affordable.

And, see, that's why I'm saying, I don't care what kind of money you have. If you want a golf course you ought to be able to get it and maintain it. And it's the super's job to be able to do the best layout of the facility that he can for that member. On the golf courses that I go to, every one has a budget. Every golf course I'm involved with will have a budget. And sometimes they say, we can't afford what we have there. And I say, well, let's say we've got a $1 million dollar budget, but we can only afford $500,000. I say, "OK, give me what you can give me for half a million dollars." What do you eliminate? Well, they can mow the rough once a week rather than three times a week. We can't fertilize such and such. We can't mow it, we can't, we can't, we, um, we verticut as much as we can, we can't top dress, we can't replace the sand as often.

Q.: But you can still make your best $500,000 investment?

JACK NICKLAUS: That's my point. My point is that you can do the best you can for what you have got. And when you do that, you're making the costs of the game affordable for people, you're not taking it out of their pocket. And it doesn't run people out of the game.

For those that would like to see Jack in action as he opens a new course, we ask you to check out the video, we did on The Bull
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2003shows/thebull/

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MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS

Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan Publinx
http://www.mipublinx.com
Michigan PGA
http://michigan.pga.com
Michigan Women's Golf Association, MWGA
http://www.mwgolf.org
Michigan State Amateur Golf Association
Dick Loring-skillplay@aol.com
mailto:skillplay@aol.com
Michigan Golf Foundation
http://michigan-golf-foundation.co
Upper Peninsula Golf Association
http://upga.org

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TOURNAMENTS
http://michigangolfer.com/tournaments.html

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ASSOCIATION LINKS

American Association of Golf Course Architects
http://asgca.org
Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
http://www.gcsaa.org
Michigan Section PGA
http://www.Michigan.PGA.com
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan High School Athletic Association
http://www.mhsaa.com/
Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association
http://migca.com
National Golf Course Owners Association
http://ngcoa.org
National Golf Foundation
http://ngf.org
National High School Golf Coaches Association
http://www.nhsgca.org