Early in the 1990s, when I was a kid reporter thrilled to be writing about sports for a living (nothing has really changed since then, except for my age), I had the fortune of watching Anaheim Western High's Tiger Woods and his teammates hit golf balls at the Los Coyotes Golf Course driving range.
He'd hit some balls, then stand behind his buddies and say a few things that I'm sure they appreciated because they responded to him with smiles and affirmative head nods.
Just the future superstar of the sports world spending some quality time before sunset with his teenage friends ... talk about a priceless moment.
I was there to do a story for the now-defunct daily Anaheim Bulletin. Woods' high school golf coach, Don Crosby, urged me to watch the interaction between Woods and his teammates. Crosby told me Tiger didn't like talking about himself but enjoyed talking up his friends, who included his current buddy, Bryon Bell.
I spoke to Tiger later that week and he was excited to talk about the visit to the range and what it meant for him to be part of the team. "You saw that?" he asked.
Days after the story ran, I felt like I had a decent bond with Tiger, and I had another good one in mind. Since Sports Illustrated had just ran a piece on him, I asked if he'd be willing to give the local readers, "Tiger's 10 tips for a better golf game."
"No," he answered. "The game's too hard."
He was right, of course. I mean, you can't explain genius like this, right?
I thought about Woods' past rejection when I saw him caddie for Buick contest winner John Abel during a round of golf Monday at Torrey Pines. Hopefully, Abel took notes of the advice Tiger dished. If he decides to write it up, I know my 15-handicap would appreciate it.
-- Lance Pugmire
The seventh edition of host UNC-Wilmington’s tournament begins Friday, Oct. 24, at the Country Club of Landfall’s Nicklaus course.
A field of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams will participate in the 54-hole event, which begins at 8:17 a.m. Friday.
2007 British Amateur champion Drew Weaver leads defending champion Virginia Tech in the men’s portion. Nicolas Geyger of Tulsa returns to defend his individual crown.
Wilmington’s Jackson Taylor is a freshman at first-time entrant Davidson, while Port City native Bill Brogden is the longtime coach at Tulsa. He led the Golden Hurricane to the title in 2006 and a runner-up finish last year.
The UNCW men (No. 126 in the country) are led by Will Shambley, runner-up in the 2004 Tradition, and former New Hanover standout Josh Brock. On the women’s side, No. 20 Florida is the favorite. The Gators’ Evan Jensen (36th) is the top-ranked individual in the field, while N.C. State’s Lauren Doughtie is 42nd nationally.
Ashley Tait and Carmen Perez-Narbon lead the UNCW women’s team, ranked 84th by Golfweek.
Simson nips Blackwell at Eagle Point
Wilmington’s John Blackwell battled amateur legend Paul Simson even for 54 holes this week in the Eagle Point Amateur Invitational.
On the 55th hole, Simson prevailed.
After forcing a playoff with a final-hole birdie, Simson, of Raleigh, made par on the first extra hole to win the overall title. Both players shot 1-under 215 on the Eagle Point Golf Club layout where the greens rolled at an Augusta National-esque 13 on the Stimpmeter.
Blackwell led by two shots entering the final nine holes, but Simson closed the gap with a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 10. He briefly pulled even but made back-to-back bogeys and trailed by one shot going to No. 18, a 550-yard par 5.
Blackwell, a two-time Wilmington City Amateur champion, missed the green with his third at the home hole, but chipped within two inches to save par. Then, Simson’s downhill 10-footer curled in the left side of the hole for birdie and a regulation tie.
In the playoff, both players hit good drives, laid up and had short-iron approaches to the green. Playing first, Blackwell hit his third shot into the water hazard in front of the green. Simson played safe to the left and two-putted from the fringe for the winning par.
Simson, 57, has won 19 Carolinas Golf Association major championships, including the Carolinas Senior Amateur last month. He also won his second British Senior Amateur title earlier this summer and was the medalist at the Carolinas Amateur at Cape Fear CC in July.
Rhett Graham of Wilmington finished seventh with a 226 total, while Walker Taylor IV of Wilmington was 10th at 229.
In the senior division, Don Detweiler fired 69-71 to take the title by two shots over Bob Desjardins. John Green won the super senior portion with 80-79–159.
Ladies City Am
The Wilmington Ladies City Amateur is on tap for Oct. 25.
Golfers who are permanent residents of Brunswick, Pender or New Hanover counties will compete for titles in the junior girls, ladies and senior divisions.
Gross and net prizes will be awarded.
For more information call the Muni pro shop at 791-0558.
Brian Mull: 343-2034
Brian.mull@starnewsonline.com
The Big Island Country Club is one of the best examples of Hawaii's treasure trove of independent (non-resort affiliated), daily-fee golf courses, making many top-10 lists in this category since it opened in 1997.
The course has become a staple for regular visitors who stay at the famous resorts along the Kohala Coast's Upcountry Golf Trail. The Perry Dye design is situated at an elevation of over 2,000 feet, offering both a cooler climate and panoramic views of the nearly 14,000-foot Mauna Kea volcano above and the sweeping coastline below.
Water comes into play at nine holes, with this no more apparent than at 17, where Dye pays homage to his famous father Pete. There, golfers will find an island par-3 reminiscent of No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass.
This Big Island golf course's trademarks include moderate trade winds, glorious views, consistent Bentgrass putting surfaces, country club-style landing areas, and good maintenance. Walking is permitted, but there are no caddies.
Kanetani pro reviews some new models for 2008 including the very much anticipated Callaway Legacy along with the new XXIO driver, MacTex NV-NXR and ONOFF Driver.
Kanetani pro's comments were as follows, the XXIO is very lightweight and easy to hit. Very forgiving and distance is good. Nice soft feeling but more high trajectory with lots of carry.
His comments on the ONOFF driver, were that it is very nice at setup, loft was pretty true to spec. Quite a sound on impact and he also mentioned the adjustable hosel for loft, face angle and lie.
The MacTec has a nice head and shaft color combo, a pearl like blue. The MacTec produces a strong trajectory and is very easy to hit. The new cup face gives a sense of feel and feedback at impact.
On the Callaway Legacy Driver, Kanetani noted, wide sweet area gives a comfortable feel on impact, strong players will excel with this driver as it seems to work well with hard swings... the Optifit system is nice.
Absolutely, positively, yes. Yes, yes, yes!
Do you have to take lessons? Of course not. Can you pick up golf and improve on your own? Of course, and many do.
But beginners should always look into lessons. First, you'll simply pick up the game much more quickly. Golf is not easy to master, and if you want to get good at it, you'll show improvement much more quickly if you are taught the correct way to play from the get-go.
Second, there's really no reason not to take lessons. If you're willing to spend money on golf, then spending a little bit more on lessons is no big deal.
Individual lessons usually range from 30 minutes to an hour, with prices varying widely based on the teacher's qualifications and the golf facility he or she works for. A typical price range might be from $25 per session to more than $100 per session.
Discounts are frequently available for people who sign up for a package of lessons (say, a series of six).There's another option that's even cheaper. Check with your local college. Many community colleges and universities offer continuing education courses, and golf is a popular course. Many school districts also offer continuing education, and taking golf lessons through this method can reduce your costs considerably. The instruction isn't one-on-one and won't be as rewarding, but it's a good option for those on a tight budget.
Taking lessons simply makes learning the game much easier, and improvement much quicker. Which will increase your enjoyment. Not to mention the safety of those around you on the golf course!
From: Brent Kelley
