Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Pine Brook Country Club Retains Strawn & Sampson for 100th Anniversary Book

Pine Brook Country Club, a prestigious private golf club founded in 1924 in the Boston suburbs, has retained Strawn & Sampson to plan, produce and publish its centennial book.

In anticipation of the upcoming 100th anniversary, club leadership has followed a 10-year, master-planned schedule of renovations and new construction. “The idea was for 2024 to arrive and find the club at its peak of excellence,” said immediate past president Jeffrey Baron, “with every amenity in place and with nothing left for the members to do but celebrate.”

Spikes Win at the FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship

PrideSports confirms the winner of the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

The winner accomplished his first win on the PGA Tour in dramatic fashion. He experienced an incredible break when getting possibly the best “members bounce” in his career by avoiding the water on the third playoff hole.

PGA National Resort Showcasing Renovation with Re-Opening of The Champion Course

PGA National Resort – South Florida’s world-class golf, vacation, culinary, events and spa destination – announces its famed Champion Course will reopen for resort guest and member play on Sept. 2 after an extensive bunker renovation on the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout.

Led by Nicklaus Design, construction over the summer resulted in all bunkers on The Champion Course being rebuilt or eliminated to ensure the absolute best in playability and strategy. The Champion’s bunkers account for more than two acres of the celebrated 18, which hosts the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic annually. The bunkers are now equipped with new subsurface drainage, “Better Billy Bunker” liners, and eye-catching G-Angle sand.

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Baba Socks it to Chun in U.S. Women’s Amateur Final at Chambers Bay

Displaying superb ball striking, near-flawless putting and a killer competitive instinct, Saki Baba put on a clinic at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. The 17-year-old from Japan defeated 21-year-old Monet Chun of Canada, 11 and 9, on a chamber of commerce day at Chambers Bay. With the victory, Baba becomes just the second player from Japan to win a USGA championship, after Michiko Hattori won this title in 1985.

“It’s just amazing. I just can't believe it,” said an emotional Baba through a translator. “I was able to [play] my kind of golf. Yeah, everything just went smoothly.”

Friday, August 12, 2022

122nd U.S. Women's Amateur - Meet the Quarterfinalists

Only eight players remain standing at Chambers Bay in the 2022 U.S. Women's Open.  Two fog suspensions Thursday delayed play more than two hours testing stamina, determination, and poise.

All quarterfinalists are exempt into the 2023 U.S. Women's Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club, and riding a wave of confidence heading into match play Friday.  Here's a closer look at the quarterfinalists.

Wilson, Rao, Lehigh Cruise into Quarterfinals While Other Favorites Fall at U.S. Women's Amateur

The only double-session day at the U.S. Women’s Amateur demands stamina, determination and poise in order to be one of the eight left standing at the end. Annabel Wilson of Ireland displayed all those qualities during a long Thursday at Chambers Bay to march into the quarterfinals riding a wave of confidence.

Wilson, 21 and a junior at UCLA, defeated Katie Li of Basking Ridge, N.J., 3 and 2, in the Round of 16 using a similar formula to the one she deployed in winning her Round of 32 match earlier today against Julia Misemer. In both instances, Wilson birdied the par-5 first hole and sprinted to early leads that allowed to her to survive rough patches in the middle of the rounds and secure a pair of victories.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

LA Golf Putter Review - An Evolution in Putter Design and Performance

The new LA Golf putter could mark a new era in putter design and performance.  It's the first putter ever made with an all carbon head, and claims of a larger sweet spot deliver as advertised.

In fact the LA Golf putter delivers on so many performance benefits it might re-invent your game on the greens.  It's the kind of putter you can trust and even completely fall in love with.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Galvin Green 2022 Part 2 Collection Dedicated to Reaching Your Peak

The 2022 Part Two Galvin Green collection launched this month by the leading apparel brand is inspired by serious golfers looking to reach their peak in performance no matter the weather, while a commitment to never compromise lies at the heart of a line of long-lasting garments designed to minimize impact on the environment.

The series of eye-catching pyramid designs incorporated into the collection were chosen to challenge traditional golfing conceptions. The distinctive shape signifies the ideals behind the range, crowned with a peak of devotion and excellence. The collection boasts bold garments and designs suitable for all conditions to help deliver the ultimate GameDay experience.

The Golf Club at Equinox Completes Second Phase of Course Renovation

The Golf Club at The Equinox has announced the completion of phase two of its four-phase full course renovation. The updates, led by Rees Jones Design include reworked greenside bunkers at holes 8, 13, and 14 as well as a redesign of the green complex on the 18th hole.

“We are extremely excited to finish Phase 2 of the renovation to The Golf Club at The Equinox!  The new bunkers on holes 8, 13, 14 and 18 are a tremendous upgrade to the course.  The 18th hole is now one of the signature holes on the course and will leave golfers wanting to play more.”  Jay Sheldon, General Manager of The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa.

Misemer Shocks Top Seed Stone; Heck and 13-Year-Olds Win Big at Chambers Bay

Through the first two days of stroke play at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay, player after player recited a variation of the same mantra: Seeding doesn’t matter in match play. On a cool, damp Wednesday along the shores of Puget Sound, several higher-seeded players experienced that truth the hard way.

Chief among them was Latanna Stone of Riverview, Fla., who less than 24 hours earlier was riding high after a record-setting 8-under-par 65 earned her co-medalist honors and the No. 1 seed. But rather than making a run at the title, Stone ran into a buzzsaw in the form of No. 64 seed Julia Misemer, who early this morning defeated two other competitors on the last hole of a playoff to earn the final coveted spot in match play.

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Latanna Stone Shoots Record-Setting 65; Three Players Share Medalist Honors at Chambers Bay

There must be something about the number 10 that agrees with Latanna Stone. Ten years ago Stone, of Riverview, Fla., qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur as a 10-year-old. Today she set another milestone, posting a 36-hole total of 10-under-par 136 after a sparkling second round of 8-under 65. Stone earned co-medalist honors with Alice Ziyi Zhao of the People’s Republic of China and Laney Frye of Nicholasville, Ky., who will occupy the top three seeds in match play, beginning on Wednesday.

Stone built on her solid opening round of 71 yesterday to card eight birdies and set the championship record for the lowest single round in relation to par. It also is a new women’s competitive course record at Chambers Bay, beating the 67 set on Monday by Zhao.

122nd U.S. Amateur Championship – Inside The Field

312 golfers ranging from 15 to 60 years old will compete in the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship next week at Ridgewood Country Club.

Here's a detailed look at the players in the field.

Another Major Victory for Fujikura Ventus

Fujikura, the leader in performance golf shafts, was honored to be the number one driver and wood shaft on multiple professional tours this week, including the PGA, LPGA and Korn Ferry Tour.

At the AIG Women’s British Open on the LPGA Tour, Fujikura was once again the #1 driver and wood shaft. 36.8% of the field used Fujikura driver shaft while another 30.3% used Fujikura wood shaft. After an eventful final round, the eventual British Open winner used the VENTUS Blue 5S in her driver and VENTUS Blue 6S in her 5-wood to grab her first ever major title. This victory for VENTUS completed a clean sweep of Open wins on all professional tours this year, including the VENTUS 6X TR Blue at the 150th Open, the VENTUS 6 TR Blue at the Senior Open and the VENTUS Blue 5S at the British Open.

Club Champion Refreshes Look And Feel, Including Logo And Website

The globe’s top custom golf club fitter is getting a fresh coat of paint. Beginning in August, the company officially unveiled its brand refresh, complete with an updated logo, a brand new website, and a revamped interior store concept.

These redesigns embody the company’s growth over the last 12 years and the modern updates reflect the club fitter’s relentless effort to maintain their leadership status in the industry.

Scotty Cameron Introduces New Special Select Jet Set Putters

Offering dedicated golfers the same look, feel and performance worldwide tour professionals enjoy, Scotty Cameron introduces his new Special Select Jet Set putters. As the name implies, this limited release, four-model collection appeals to the player looking for a very specific design aesthetic in a high-performance configuration with superior attention to shape, color palette and finish. Inspired by high-end custom car culture, the entire Jet Set presentation is an expression of luxury performance from grip to sole.

Available in golf shops beginning August 19, the Special Select Jet Set Newport, Special Select Jet Set Newport Plus, Special Select Jet Set Newport 2 and Special Select Jet Set Newport 2 Plus feature custom graphics, a Tour Black finish with a dark, tonal color scheme, a specialized Pistolini Plus grip, shaft band and headcover. Displaying the evolution of Scotty’s research in bringing the benefits of higher MOI to blade putter shapes, the line's “Plus” models introduce slightly wider profiles than standard face-to-flange blade dimensions and push blade performance to new levels.

Monday, August 8, 2022

ClubsHelp Foundation Raises Over $150,000 for Employees of Oakland Hills Country Club

From disaster and ashes comes generosity and the collective power of the club industry to support Oakland Hills Country Club employees impacted by February’s devastating clubhouse fire.

ClubsHelp, a 501(c)3 Foundation, in cooperation with the National Club Association (NCA) and Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation raised over $150,000 in two months.

Fujikura Extends Ventus TR Line with Black and Red for 2022

Fujikura, the most trusted wood shaft brand on the PGA Tour, is proud to unveil the latest additions to the successful VENTUS TR line of shafts: VENTUS TR Red and VENTUS TR Black.

The extended VENTUS TR line now features three launch profiles (mid-high, mid, and low) that are designed specifically to stiffen torque in the section of the shaft where golfers need it most, leading to increased stability and consistency.

13-Year-Old Zhao Fires 67 at Chambers Bay to Lead U.S. Women’s Amateur

A common adage is that the golf ball doesn’t know the age of the person hitting it. That certainly applies to the first round of the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay, where Alice Ziyi Zhao, the second-youngest player in the field at 13 years/6 months, shot a 6-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead.

This is the first USGA championship for Zhao, who was born in Shenyang, China, and now lives in Irvine, Calif. She showed no sign of nerves, however. Starting on No. 10, Zhao carded six birdies over her first nine holes to make the turn in 30. She cooled off a bit after that with an even-par score on her inward nine but still topped a field of 156 that includes USGA champions, Curtis Cup Team members and players who have competed at the highest levels of the game.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

AIG Women's Open - Muirfield Golf Club Players Yardage and Green Book

History was made this week when Muirfield hosted the Women's Open for the first time.  And on Sunday this fabled Scottish links course will crown it's first woman champion.  Since golf was first played here in 1891, Muirfield has hosted 16 men's Open Championships.

Only five years ago members voted in favor of accepting women members, a sign of traditions moving with the times.  And to get you ready for AIG Championship Sunday, I've got the exact same yardage and green books the players are using this week at Muirfield.

A Grand Slam for Golf Spikes

The newest Champion Golfer of the Year charged through the back nine on Sunday to secure his first major.  The winner was wearing his FootJoy Premier shoes with a combination of the flexible Pulsar spike made by Softspikes and the aggressive metal Pro-Stinger spike made by CHAMP. This combination gave the Champion the best of both worlds in terms of comfort and performance.

With a win at The Open Championship, Softspikes and CHAMP can confirm that replacement golf spikes have been worn by each Major Champion of the 2022 season. A Grand Slam.