Are you curious what golf clubs won on the various tours this past weekend? Here’s the goods:
Notebook: Companies dominate Nationwide Tour in 2011
Some equipment companies were clear winners on the Nationwide Tour this season, especially those which dominated in a category like Adams Golf for hybrids, True Temper for iron shafts and Titleist for golf balls.
IN THE WINNER’S BAG
Rory McIlroy
Shanghai Masters
Driver: Titleist 910D2 (8.5 degree; Fujikura Rombax shaft)
Fairway Wood: Titleist 906F2 3-wood (13 degree; Fujikura Rombax shaft) and Titleist 906F2 5-wood (18 degree)
Irons (3-9): Titleist MB 712
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (48, 54 and 60 degree)
Putter: Scotty Cameron GSS
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Footwear: FootJoy Sport
Glove: FootJoy Pure Touch Limited
Bo Van Pelt
PGA and Asian Tours: CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia
Driver: Titleist 909D2 (8.5 degree; Mitsubishi Fubuki Tour 73x shaft)
Fairway Wood: Titleist 910Fd 3-wood (13.5 degree; Mitsubishi Diamana Kaili 80x shaft)
Hybrid: Titleist 910H (17 degree; UST Mamiya Proforce V2 104 shaft)
Iron (4): Titleist CB (Nippon NS Pro shaft)
Irons (5-PW): Titleist MB (Nippon NS Pro shafts)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design (52, 56 and 60 degree; Nippon NS Pro shafts)
Putter: TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Footwear: FootJoy DryJoys Tour
Glove: FootJoy StaSof
Sergio Garcia
European Tour: Andalucia Masters
Driver: TaylorMade R11 (9 degree; Aldila RIP shaft)
Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 3-wood (15 degree; Aldila RIP shaft) and 5-wood (19 degree; Aldila RIP shaft)
Irons (3-PW): TaylorMade Tour Preferred MB 2011
Wedges: TaylorMade TP xFT ZTP (50 and 58 degree)
Putter: TaylorMade Maranello 8-01 Ghost
Ball: TaylorMade Penta TP
Footwear: Adidas Tour360 ATV
Glove: TaylorMade R11
Ken Duke
Nationwide Tour: Nationwide Tour Championship
Driver: Cleveland Launcher TL 310 (10.5 degree; Miyazaki C Kua 59 shaft))
Fairway Wood: Cleveland Mashie 3-wood (14 degree; Miyazaki Kusala 83 shaft))
Hybrids: Nickent 3DX (17 degree; Matrix MFS 95 shaft) and Cleveland Mashie TM3 (20.5 degree; Miyazaki Kusala 83 shaft)
Irons (4-9): Cleveland CG7 Tour (True Temper Proto Monaco shafts)
Wedges: Cleveland CG14 (48, 52 and 58 degree)
Putter: Never Compromise Gambler Royale
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Footwear: FootJoy FJ Icon
Glove: FootJoy SciFlex
Yani Tseng
Ladies European Tour: Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open
Driver: Adams Speedline 9032LS (9.5 degree; Fujikura Motore F1 shaft)
Fairway Wood: Adams Speedline 3-wood (14 degree; Fujikura Rombax shaft)
Hybrids: Adams Idea a7 (19 and 22 degree)
Irons (4-PW): Adams Idea Tech a4
Wedges: Callaway X Forged (52 and 58 degree)
Putter: TaylorMade Daytona Ghost
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Footwear: FootJoy Women’s DryJoys
Glove: FootJoy StaSof
Mickelson debuts Arizona-based M Club
Phil Mickelson always has had close ties to Arizona. The connection began as an All-American at Arizona State who won the 1991 Northern Telecom Open in Tucson his junior year, followed by two wins at the Phoenix Open as a pro, and now as a golf course owner and founder of the new “M Club.’’
That’s right, “M’’ as in Mickelson.
Lefty and his long-time agent and former coach with the Sun Devils, Steve Loy, announced Tuesday that they have launched a new brand in Arizona golf at the grand opening of their fourth golf course, the McDowell Mountain Club (formerly The Sanctuary). Mickelson and Loy also own Palm Valley Golf Club in Litchfield Park, as well as Chaparral Pines Golf Club and The Rim Club in Payson.
According to Mickelson and Loy, the idea, which allows golfers and their families to buy one membership and have playing status at all four clubs, has been a year in the making. Loy says Mickelson is the brain behind the operation, while Mickelson countered by saying Loy is its heart and soul.
“We have four clubs that are done (purchased), and two more that are almost done,’’ said Mickelson, conceding that one of those on the sale block is Blackstone Country Club in Peoria.
“We’re creating partnership clubs, where our M Club members have access to one or two tee times on the hour at all those clubs. All are great properties and we’ll probably stop (purchasing courses) when we get to 10.’’
According to Mickelson, every one of the M Clubs will be in Arizona, mostly “Valley-based.’’ And while Lefty didn’t say so, the sixth club in negotiations at the moment is believed to be Quintero Golf Club near Lake Pleasant.
The grand opening of McDowell Mountain Golf Club, which included a press conference with Mickelson, Loy, Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane and architect Randy Heckenkemper, who made significant changes to the course he originally created as The Sanctuary, drew a large turnout of about 250 people. That followed a softer opening Monday night, in which nearly 1,000 members of the neighboring community were invited in to discover the revamped and renamed property.
“Selfishly, I want to see the game grow and kids get involved, and clubs like McDowell Mountain, where you have 4,000 families living in this neighborhood, is the perfect place to start,’’ said Mickelson, who cut the ribbon that spanned the new first tee with the mayor before hitting the ceremonial drive down the fairway.
The M Club will combine public and private clubs into a “private experience that offers lots of value,’’ Mickelson said. He added that it will be under a central concierge service overseen by his former teammate at ASU, Rob Mangini, and will be electronically driven through a computer-based tee sheet.
“It will take a lot of people and a lot of work to get it all done,’’ Mickelson pointed out. “But it’s going to give families a place to play golf on a multitude of golf courses.’’
Mickelson said that the initiation fee is going to be $5,000 with a monthly fee of approximately $600. That still seems like a lot for most families to devote to the game, but Loy said the M Club was “a work in progress’’ that they hope to have finalized and up and running by early November.
“Let’s just say the M Club is coming and leave it at that,’’ said Loy, who always has been a little protective by nature. “But I give all the credit to that guy (Mickelson) for coming up with the idea.’’
Loy said Mickelson came to him a year ago, noting that the private club experience was dying in a depressed economy, and that there was a lot of opportunity to buy some Arizona golf courses at all-time lows. For instance, none of the four courses Mickelson and Loy bought cost more than $3.5 million (Chaparral Pines) while Palm Valley and The Sanctuary were in the $1.5 million ballpark each.
By comparison, all those courses cost three to four times those figures when they were built.
Asked why he and Mickelson were getting into the golf course business, Loy laughed.
“I don’t know if it’s the stupidity talking or the money walking,’’ quipped Loy, noting that the M Club operation will be headquartered in his Gaylord Sports offices initially before branching out into their golf properties.
“But we’re very proud of the product we’re putting together,’’ Loy added. “The whole emphasis is having fun and making golf affordable, especially for families.’’
How the M Club takes off is anybody’s guess. Certainly the private club experience, at least in Scottsdale, had gotten out of control with initiation fees in the $200,000-and-more category and monthly dues often exceeding $1,000 a month or more.
One thing is certain: McDowell Mountain looks like a more player-friendly club, with wider fairways and cleared out waste areas, as well as walls and mounding that funnel the ball back towards the fairway. That’s a huge jump from the original tight tract that Heckenkemper created.
“This is really the first time that we’ve ever had owners who emphasized the playability factors,’’ said Heckenkemper, who built the original 18 holes back in 1999 before coming in recently to do the remake in a little over 100 days.
As Heckenkemper pointed out, The Sanctuary was originally confined to 72 acres of turf, whereas the McDowell Mountain Club now it has about 80 acres of turf as well as turf that has been taken from areas that weren’t really in play and put into areas that are in play. The renovation also filled in numerous bunkers that came into the sight line of high handicappers; reduced forced carries off the tee; and cleared out a lot of overgrowth that was replaced with decomposed granite areas that, according to Heckenkmper, “make it easy to find your ball.’’
“When you add in the 10 acres or so of waste bunkers, that makes for about 90 to 92 acres where you can now hit your ball and find it and play it,’’ explained Heckenkemper, who three years ago did a remake on the TPC Champions Course just a few miles down the Scottsdale Canal.
“And we still managed to maintain the courses (environmentally) sensitive areas, which were a big source of pride when we originally earned that Audubon (Society) status.’’
The bottom line, explained Heckenkemper, is a course that will be “a lot easier to play and definitely a lot more fun.’’
“I told Coach (Loy), I think the average round of golf will improve by at least 30 minutes,’’ said Heckenkemper, noting that Loy was “the real architect of this project.’’
Mickelson also gave Loy a lot of the credit, saying his coach and agent for the past 22 years had spent almost every day on the project for the past three months, and that the M Club, while his idea, was Loy’s passion.
“Randy has done a great job of making the golf course a challenge for every level,’’ Mickelson said. “And to me – enjoyable vs. not enjoyable – is how you can grow the game.’’
On the factual side of the face-lift, Scottsdale-based OB Sports will manage the property as well as other M Club properties, and Chris Johnson remains the general manager, having held a similar position with The Sanctuary. Asked the difference in the before-and-after, Johnson just smiled.
“Night and day,’’ he said. “We couldn’t ask for a better situation here at the club after going through some tough times, and I really like what Phil and his people have done for us, because golf is hard enough.’’
Of course, M Club members won’t worry about green fees. For those who don’t belong to it, the green fee will range from $69 to $135 depending on the season. There also is the McDowell Mountain Player’s Club for $119, which cuts the green fee essentially in half.
Chances are you won’t see McDowell Mountain’s famous owner out there any time soon, as he still lives in San Diego with his family. But large, almost life-size photographs of Phil winning his three Masters and PGA are everywhere in the clubhouse, and, of course, his club manufacturer, Callaway, has a strong presence, too.
Those who join the M Club get a hat with an elongated golfer as the logo. Even though it’s a shadow-like figure, that’s Mickelson air-borne after he won his first Masters in 2004, one of 39 titles he’s won in 20 seasons on the PGA Tour.
As I stated earlier, how the buzz on the M Club and McDowell Mountain all plays out remains to be seen. But Mickelson sure looks like he’s right at home, where he once lived for eight years. And a lot of his pals like caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, CBS golf announcer Gary McCord, Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter, and former Devils Mangini Chez Reavie and Kendall Critchfield, as well as a large contingent from the Arizona golf community all turned out for the special occasion.
“Yeah, this is cool,’’ said Mickelson, who donned a pair of white shorts rather than long pants for his day in the sun, making him look a little more like the rest of us who live here in the desert.
“You know, I’ve always loved Arizona.’’
Which makes Lefty’s latest venture into golf course ownership and entrepreneurship in the Grand Canyon State just that more intriguing.
Are you interested to know what each tour winner had in their bags while posting a victory on tour this last weekend? Check this out….
IN THE WINNER’S BAG
Ben Crane
PGA Tour: McGladrey Classic
Driver: Titleist 910D2 (7.5 degree; Mitsubishi Bassara Wyvern 50x shaft)
Fairway Woods: TaylorMade V Steel 3-wood (15 degree; Mitsubishi Diamana Blue board 93 shaft) and Titleist 910F 5-wood (17 degree; Mitsubishi Diamana Blue board 93 shaft)
Hybrid: Titleist 910H (21 degree; UST Mamiya Proforce AXIVCore 100 shaft)
Irons (5-PW): Titleist AP2 (True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design (51, 56 and 60 degree; True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts)
Putter: Odyssey White Hot #5
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Footwear: FootJoy DryJoys Tour
Glove: FootJoy Pure Touch Limited
Tom Lewis
European Tour: Portugal Masters
Driver: Ping G20 (9.5 degree; Aldila Voodoo XNV6 shaft)
Fairway Woods: Ping G5 3-wood (15.5 degree; Aldila XVS7 shaft) and Ping G5 5-wood (18.5 degree; Aldila NV75X shaft)
Irons (3-PW): Ping S56 (True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts)
Wedges: Ping Anser (52 and 58 degree; True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts)
Putter: Ping Scottsdale Wolverine H
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Footwear: FootJoy FJ Icon
Glove: FootJoy StaSof
Na Yeon Choi
LPGA: LPGA Malaysia
Driver: Callaway RAZR Hawk (8.5 degree)
Fairway Woods: Callaway Big Bertha 3-wood (13 degree; Mitsubishi Bassara Standard 63S shaft) and Callaway Big Bertha 4-wood (17 degree)
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue TP FCT (19 degree; Graphite Design YS-6 shaft) and TaylorMade Rescue TP FCT (22 degree; Fujikura 270 shaft)
Irons (5-PW): Callaway X-Forged
Wedges: Callaway X-Forged (52 and 58 degrees)
Putter: Rife Abaco
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Footwear: FootJoy Women’s DryJoys
Fred Couples
Champions Tour: AT&T Championship
Driver: TaylorMade R9 460 (8.5 degree; Fujikura Speeder 665 shaft)
Fairway Wood: Callaway FT-i 3-wood (15 degree)
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue 11 (Aldila NV 105 shaft)
Irons (3-PW): Bridgestone J38 Dual Pocket Cavity
Wedges: TaylorMade TP XFT ZTP (56 degree) and Cleveland 588 (58 degree)
Putter: TaylorMade Imola 6 (long)
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B330
Footwear: Ecco Golf Street Premier
Jason Kokrak
Nationwide Tour: Miccosukee Championship
Driver: Cleveland SL 290 (9 degree; Miyazaki Kusala 83 shaft)
Fairway Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL 3-wood (14 degree; Miyazaki Kusala 83 shaft)
Irons (3-PW): Cleveland CG16
Wedges: Cleveland 588 (52, 56 and 60 degree)
Putter: Scotty Cameron RD Concept 1
Ball: Srixon Z-Star XV
Footwear: Adidas
When cold weather settles in most golfers around the nation tend to put their clubs in the garage.However, for many golfers, Arizona provides a low cost escape to one of the premiere golf destinations in the United States.
Plan a Cheap Golf Vacation in Arizona:
1. Of course the best way to start any golf vacation is to find out where you are playing first! DiscountTeeTimes.com provides the best deals on tee times in Arizona. Find the Arizona Golf Course that works for you:
• Northern Arizona Golf Courses
• Phoenix Golf Courses
• Scottsdale Golf Courses
• Tucson Golf Courses
2. Book your Discount Online Tee Time at www.DiscountTeeTimes.com
3. Take Your Confirmation Code and your sunscreen to the golf course
4. Enjoy the Best Winter Golf Rounds in Arizona!
The state of Arizona is home to over 300 golf courses and those courses are gearing up for one their busiest times of the year.With average winter temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, golf courses in Arizona are a welcomed change to the frozen greens of most areas. Arizona’s top locations are not just another warm place to swing a club, golf courses in Scottsdale, Tucson and Phoenix provide some of the most scenic places to play with a resort look and feel.
Golf courses in Arizona have been developed to provide that desert paradise look and feel and attract millions of golfers who are seeking to carry their golf season well into winter.
PRESS RELEASE
Distinguished amateurs
turn pro, sign with PING
September 16, 2011; Phoenix, Arizona – Four of golf’s most decorated young stars have turned pro and signed agreements to play PING® equipment, PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim announced today.
Signing endorsement deals were Tom Lewis, who was low amateur in the 2011 Open Championship; Harris English, winner of a Nationwide Tour event this summer; Scott Langley, the 2010 NCAA champion; and Andy Sullivan, the fifth-ranked amateur in the world.
“These players have chosen to play PING equipment for years, so it’s been both exciting and rewarding to watch them develop through our college and amateur systems and become stars,” Solheim said. “Their accomplishments are amazing and they’ve already shown they can compete with the best players in the world. From a larger view, as a company we’re proud to be associated with such fine men who will represent the PING brand in the best possible way. It’s going to be fun following their progress in the years ahead.”
As part of the multi-year agreements, each golfer will wear a PING hat, carry a PING staff bag and play a minimum of 11 PING clubs, including a PING driver and PING putter. Financial terms and the length of the agreements were not disclosed.
Lewis, 20, won the silver medal as low amateur at this year’s Open Championship, where he opened with a record 5-under 65 to share the first-round lead. He also played for the victorious Great Britain and Ireland team in the recent Walker Cup using a G20™ driver and 3-wood, S56® irons, Tour-S® wedges, and a Scottsdale® Wolverine® H putter.
English became only the third amateur to win on the Nationwide Tour with a victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in July, one day after his 22nd birthday. The previous week, he won the Southern Amateur. He had four wins as a University of Georgia Bulldog. English, who competed on the U.S. Walker Cup team, plays a G15® driver, G20 3-wood, S56 irons, Tour-S Rustique wedges, and a Scottsdale Hohum® putter. He will also wear PING Apparel.
Langley, 22, is a decorated University of Illinois grad who won the NCAA individual title last year, when he was also low amateur at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He had four collegiate wins. Langley employs a G20 driver, i15® 3-wood, i15 hybrid, S56 irons, Tour-S wedges, and a Redwood® D66® putter.
