Posts tagged Great
TRAVEL GUIDE: Great Lakes of North America
Apr 3rd
I’ve been to Hell and back and if I get the chance, I may well go back again. The states of Michigan, (where Hell is), Illinois and Ohio kind of blend into each other and it’s where I discovered the pleasures of the Great Lakes of North America.
The Great Lakes represent the largest expanse of fresh water in the world with a unique and diverse landscape. This region is the size of continental Europe and covers eight states.
This was possibly one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. My adventure break in the Great Lakes brought a whole new meaning to the term ‘swinging sixties’ with yours truly literally suspended from a rope, zip-lining high above the trees and loving every screaming moment of it. Driving ATV, or all terrain vehicles, was another adrenaline rush, maybe only surpassed by doing a flip over in a tiny four-man plane as the sun set deep in the sky.
After that, horse-riding on a ranch in Brighton, Michigan seemed almost chilled!
A Great Lakes break is not just for the young and agile, although the others in the group definitely qualified. And it’s a holiday that can easily be combined with a stay in New York or Toronto (only hours away by car).
The main attraction in Hell is the General Store set up by Vietnam vet John Colone. It sells souvenir T-shirts, the usual shot glasses, fridge magnets etc, and also does wedding catering. Half an hour’s drive brought us to the Brighton recreational stables run by one Helluva handsome rancher and his wife. My dilemma there was how to climb on board the majestic mare I’d been allocated because she was blonde like me, but I needn’t have worried as we all had to use the bales of hay provided to mount.
The uncharacteristically fine late October weather made for a leisurely hack through the forest, followed by a hayride through the pumpkin fields at Mayhews in a surrey. We spent our first week under the leadership of young Joe Vargo from Columbus who quite rightly suspected we’d be ravenous when we arrived and brought us to his local diner. You couldn’t make it up.
From an eatery that probably hadn’t changed since the 1960s, it was on the road again and onwards to our first sleep stop at the Glenlaurel, a Scottish Country Inn. Nestled in 140 heavily wooded acres, Glenlaurel is in the process of creating a replica links style golf course with eight holes as built in the British Isles over 400 years ago.
I began to feel nervous as we set off for the magnificent Hocking Hills the following morning for a canopy tour, described as ‘the region’s most adventurous way to soar over autumn’s colourful vista’.The new higher, faster, longer Super Zip takes visitors right over the Hocking River and we also flew over caves, rock cliffs, waterfalls and some of the tallest and prettiest trees.
Nature lover meets thrill seeker just about describes it. Rappelling back down to earth, was the most breath-taking experience of all. Hocking Hills also offers hot air ballooning or a fabulous scenic tour, which we took with veteran pilot and flight instructor Harry Sowers in his Cessna, soaring over several local counties at sunset. Meeting Harry was just as thrilling as the ride itself.
An afternoon hike to Old Man’s Cave, one of the park’s most popular attractions was made all the more enjoyable by our guide, naturalist Pat Quakenbush who talked us through the history of Hocking Hills where early man first inhabited the caves over 7000 years ago. We later hooked up with Trent Walters from ATV World.
At first, I have to admit, I tried to cry off when I realised not only the speed these vehicles can do, but the terrain we were about to cover. But before long, the newly formed adrenaline junkie was back and careering over rows of huge tyres, uphill and deep descents through heavily forested woods with deers and other wildlife popping out for a peep.
Next day, after breakfast on the run, we moved on to Lake Erie Shores and Islands and caught the Miller Ferry to Put-In Bay.
Choice lobster and succulent seafood made lunch at the Boardwalk a very welcome affair before we took a tram ride round the little island on a super sunny day.
We stayed at Sawmill Creek Resort for our visit to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Point is one of the most popular family destinations in the world, with 75 rides including some of the fastest and longest you’ll ever experience. (I chickened out!).
There’s the top thrill Dragster at 420 feet tall, the Maverick that launches through a 400feet tunnel and the Magnum, if you fancy taking off at 72mph before you even tackle the 200 feet rollercoaster.
A visit to a local farm market and winery seemed a sedate option next day and Quarry Hill had some fine wines on sale.
Regardless of the weather, which was fine for us, you can surf and swim at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky 365 days a year.
America’s largest indoor waterpark offers accommodation, an animal reserve, a spa and much more besides. What a way to start a visit to a new city.
Lexi, our next guide in Cleveland, escorted us on the Great Lakes Brewing Company tour in the city’s West Side. It’s the state’s first microbrewery.
Slept well at the Downtown Crowne Plaza Hotel before an early start for perch fishing on Lake Erie. All on board a charter boat with bait, tackle, licences and rods provided.
I’d never ever gone fishing before but beginner’s luck saw me thrilled, yet again, to catch three enormous yellow perch out in the depths.
From Positively Cleveland it was onwards again, to Pure Michigan for our first meeting with new guide, the truly delightful Barbs Barden.
Dinner outdoors with Barbs and Dave Lorenz was gargantuan and gorgeous and we got an insight into how very different the people from the Mid-West are from their East and West Coast compatriots.
Over the next couple of days we enjoyed our trip to Hell, riding in Brighton and another first for me, when we had a golf lesson with the pro at Huron Meadows Golf & Country Club. Well, you can’t be good at everything!
I showed real skill at driving the golf cart across the hiking trails and cross-country ski trails , however, until I thought I was back in an ATV and tumbled the thing.
Because of the enormous variety of trees, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula rates among the best ‘fall foliage’ in America and is a spectacularly beautiful sight with great sunsets. A guided tour aboard the Island Queen across one of the country’s largest man-made lakes displayed Kensington Metropark in all its autumn glory before we were captivated by the tranquillity of a well-stocked Butterfly House.
And how better to complete the adventure trip of a lifetime, than by a final Zip Line, Highropes Adventure Course and tour through the Howell nature Centre. There’s only one word to cover this Great Lakes trip — awesome.
- For further information on the Great Lakes of North America visit greatlakesnorthamerica.co.uk or call 08456 020 574
From www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Fulton: Great swings require much less compensation
Feb 15th
Congratulations to D.A. Points and his win this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at the beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links. Every year, this tournament is unofficially the beginning of the golf season for me, as every time I see the stunning Pebble Beach on TV this time of year, I am ready for some golf.
Before we get into breaking down D.A. Points’ golf swing, let me say — thank goodness — that there are no style points in golf after his attempt to chest-bump his partner Bill Murray, after he holed out a gap wedge on the par-5 14th
. A great shot indeed, but was followed with a celebration that I am sure the two will work on when they look to defend their titles next year.
D.A. Points is a name that has been around awhile and a true professional that has waited his time before getting this first win on the PGA TOUR. When you look at D.A.’s game, there are a lot of things to like and that we can learn from. For me, what stands out is how he gets the body and club started away during the initial backswing. This area of the golf swing — from the setup to when the club shaft reaches parallel to the ground — is an area that so many amateurs can improve upon.
What I like about D.A.’s initial backswing is how he keeps his left arm and clubshaft in an inline condition all the way to when the clubshaft reaches parallel to the ground. One of the most common errors during the backswing is for this inline condition to be disrupted immediately by cupping or arching the left wrist.
Let me explain.
Hold onto a club just with your left hand (for a right-handed golfer) and form a straight line from the left shoulder through the left hand to the club head. When doing this you will notice how the back of the left hand is flat.
This condition of the left hand is the link that allows for this inline condition to be established. If you were to cup (or bend) the left wrist, you would notice how the clubhead would be out-of-line and further to the left of the lead shoulder and consequently, if you were to arch (or bow) the left wrist the club head would be further to the right. By keeping the left wrist flat it allows for this in-line condition to be established and maintained during the initial backswing.
With that said, the left wrist does take on a vertical plane of motion by cocking the wrist. Where cupping and arching the left wrist moves the clubhead more horizontally and out of line relative to the lead shoulder, cocking the left wrist allows the club head to work up the line of the left arm and maintain its in-line relationship to the lead shoulder. This cocking motion of the left wrist is recommended as it allows for the club head to work up the face of the plane.
D.A. Points is a great example of how this movement in the left wrist/arm should work. As a result, when the club shaft reaches parallel to the ground, it is also parallel to the target line (or base line) – this would be considered on-plane.
At this point in the swing, one of the most common mistakes we see at the TOUR Academies is for the clubhead to travel too far to the inside and behind the hands when the clubshaft reaches this parallel position. This off-plane position with the club shaft can lead to compensations during the continuation of the backswing, downswing and/or impact in order to get the desired ball flight you are looking for.
What’s great about D.A.’s backswing and so many other PGA TOUR players is they do such a good job with this initial backswing that compensation is usually not needed. Therefore, if you too can achieve this on-plane initial backswing, then less compensation towards an improved impact position is likely.
Just Because
As I mentioned earlier the unofficial beginning to the golf season has begun. Spring is near, so don’t worry, that snow some of you are looking at will melt away here very soon. As we all get ready for our 2011 campaign, I also want you to start thinking about junior golf for those young one’s you may have.
This year the TOUR Academy has reached out to a number of locations across the country to teach our junior program. This year we are offering camps that consist from half day to full day as well as overnight options. To learn more about this year’s TOUR Academy Junior Camp offering — check out the website at pgatourcamps.com.
Make 2011 your best golfing season for you and your child.
Travis Fulton is PGA TOUR Academy’s Director of Instruction and one of Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers for 2010-11. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR. To learn more about the TOUR Academy, click here.
From www.pgatour.com
Jason Deegan: My 2010 Travel Awards Part 2 – Great golf resorts
Jan 3rd
Welcome back to my 2010 travel golf awards. Today’s story focuses on golf resorts.
I’ve never been a hotel snob … but this year could turn me into one. I rested my head at two hotels named to Conde Nast’s World’s Best list: The One&Only Palmilla in Mexico (No. 15) and the Hotel Murano (No. 72) in Tacoma, Wash. In my eyes, the remarkable Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Adare Manor in Ireland and West Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick, Ind., are just as impressive in stature. Each of these iconic hotels is like an ‘Eighth wonder of the world’ featuring marvelous architecture and old-world craftsmanship. Pictured above is a frontal view from the Fairmont Banff Springs, remarkably built in 1885.
My wife got to live her lifelong dream by staying at the lux Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World, while I was playing golf in the land of Mickey Mouse. Sorry, the Days Inn just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Best U.S. Golf Resort: French Lick Resort in Indiana.
It’s too bad French Lick is so hidden in rural Indiana southwest of Bloomington. If this place had a California zip code, it would be compared to Pebble Beach. The contrast between the two courses – the cruel Pete Dye course and the playable Donald Ross course – is stark. With its towering atrium (pictured above), the West Baden Springs hotel is a tribute to the human imagination. The casino in the equally refined French Lick Springs Hotel adds a nightlife component few golf resorts can match. Runners-up: Grand Floridian, Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., near Tucson. The Westin La Cantera in San Antonio.
Best International Golf Resort: One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico.
With nearly five staff members per guest, this swanky joint delivers customer service at its best. This intimate resort has real sex appeal for couples, too. The Market restaurant is one of the best in all of Mexico. Runners-up: Doonbeg in Ireland, Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Cananda. The Fairmont Banff Springs, known as the “Castle in the Rockies” is a sight to behold. The view from my room was a canvas of mountain scenery, a rollicking river in the shadows of towering peaks.
Biggest Surprise U.S. Resort: Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, Wis.
A multi-million dollar upgrade has added a touch of luxury to a resort known more as a family getaway. It has fun for all ages: from the indoor water park, to two excellent golf courses and the fabulous food at the Geneva Chophouse. Runner-up: The Marriott Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa is another spot that shines after a renovation. Golfers can enjoy the spoils of staying downtown while staying just minutes away from at the 36-hole Magnolia Grove Golf Club, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio suits all tastes, from romantic getaways to corporate and family outings.
Biggest Surprise International Resort: The Delta Lodge at Kananaskis in Alberta, Cananda.
The Fairmont brand – especially Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge – dominate the Canadian luxury scene. Yet Delta can compete, from the comfort of the rooms to the dining experiences, including the Seasons Steakhouse at Kananaskis. Pictured is the view from the walking trail around the resort. Runners-up: The Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort in Ireland and Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada.
Best Family Golf Resort in the World: Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Disney has four courses to match four theme parks. That means I can play golf every day while sending the kids off with mom and grandma to those crazy parks. Perfect. While they’re fighting crowds, I’m awash in the calming allure of nature. The real animal kingdom at Disney just might be the Magnolia and Palm golf courses across from the Grand Floridian. I saw deer, turkeys, a bald eagle and tons of other birds.
Best U.S. Family Resort (besides Disney): Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.
This amazing, mammoth indoor-outdoor waterpark resort that started the waterpark craze in 2000 owns the nearby 27-hole Trapper’s Turn Golf Club, designed by Andy North. Trapper’s Turn features its own watery thrills, with four holes of the Lakes nine set on 13-acre Mystic Lake. Runners-up: Boyne Mountain Resort and The Homestead Resort in Michigan, Grand Geneva Resort. Both Boyne and Grand Geneva have great indoor water parks as well. Boyne’s Avalanche Bay is one of the largest in the Midwest, but I was more smitten with the wonderful beachfront setting on Deer Lake, which I discovered for the first time this summer.
Best International Family Resort: The Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada.
The splendor of the Canadian Rockies is on full display. Children can swim and explore. Outdoor activities, from hiking to white-water rafting, abound. The luxury cabins provide privacy for families and plenty of room to roam and relax. Pictured above is the lodge lobby.
Best U.S. Hotel-Golf Course Partnership: Chambers Bay and Hotel Murano in Tacoma.
These two properties are linked only by their lofty standards. They’ve teamed up to form a unique golf package. Guests can stay in downtown Tacoma in an artsy, modern hotel with a glass-blowing motif (pictured above is glass-blown art of a boat hanging in the lobby) and play a links golf masterpiece on the edge of the Puget Sound that will host the 2015 U.S. Open. The two are transforming the way traveling golfers think about the Pacific Northwest. It used to be Bandon Dunes or bust. Not anymore.
Best International Hotel-Golf Course Partnership: Royal County Down and the Slieve Donard Hotel.
The two neighbors in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, both special. All hotel guests need to do is walk out the back door, through the club’s gates and they’re at the most revered links in the world. Following a $20 million renovation (U.S.), the iconic Victorian hotel, owned and operated by Hastings, now features one of the premier resort spas in Europe.
Best U.S. Spa: Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain.
The theme of the 17,000-foot spa is wood, earth, water and fire. The men’s portion is no afterthought. It’s comfortable enough to spend a couple hours lounging in the outdoor hot tub next to a fireplace or in the glass-enclosed outdoor sauna and steam rooms. Boulders marked with petroglyphs inscribed sometime between 300 B.C. and 1500 A.D. are easily visible at the cozy co-ed outdoor pool and hot tub. Pictured is the pool area at the resort. Runner-up: Castle Rock Health Club & Spa at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio.
Best International Spa: Palmilla.
A golf yoga class – a new program at the resort – before my round at the resort course was followed by the ultimate surprise, a calming foot wash and massage in the intimate yoga garden. There are similar surprises around every corner of the spa’s outdoor courtyard. This spa has golf-specific treatments to heal injury or soothe sore muscles. It also features an excellent fitness center and free daily exercise classes for guests. Runner-up: Doonbeg. While visiting Jasper Park, the resort was just completing its renovated spa. I’m guessing it’s as good as the rest of the resort’s amenities.
Best non-golf activity at a Golf Resort: (tie) Ziplining at Boyne Mountain Resort and hiking at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain. Both are a thrill. The new zip lines at Boyne are just long enough to be scary, but short enough that most kids or tepid adults can handle them. They were a great addition to an already exceptional resort. Spectacular scenery accompanies a hike in a striking boulder-strewn desert canyon setting just outside the doors of the new Ritz outside of Tucson.
Best non-golf activity off-property: Most people would chose the Kananaskis Heli Tour over the Canadian Rockies. That was fun, but I loved white water rafting down the Kananaskis River with Inside Out Experience Outdoor Adventures. Unfortunately they didn’t let us bring cameras on the raft, so here’s a photo of my bird.
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Mike Bailey: Looking for a great golf course? Look for a casino
Dec 23rd
This week, Golfweek released its 2010 Best Casino Courses list. It’s an impressive roster, and what it makes you realize is how good gambling has been for the golf course business.
With Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas at No. 1, there’s a great variety of good-to-great golf courses on this list.
I feel lucky to have played about 20 of them, and looking it over, teeing it up on the rest of them in my lifetime wouldn’t be a bad goal.
And while many of these courses are right next to a casino, a lot of times you don’t even think about them being part of a casino property while you’re playing them. For example, I just played Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz., north of Phoenix, and I don’t even remember seeing the casino.
Southern Dunes, designed by Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt, comes in at No. 20, and it illustrates one reason casino courses tend to be really enjoyable: There are no homes on it. (You can read my review of Southern Dunes here.) The Ak-Chin Indian community will make sure of that.
Another thing that strikes me is that Mississippi, a state you might not think of when you think of golf, has seven golf courses on the list. Mississippi is led by No. 2 Fallen Oak Golf Club, an outstanding Tom Fazio design owned by the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. Fallen Oak, which is located in Saucier near Biloxi, is the site of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic on the Champions Tour.
Arizona had more courses on the list than anyone with eight. The state was led by the Saguaro Course at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Ariz., near Scottsdale at No. 3. The Cholla Course at We-Ko-Pa is also ranked (No. 10) as are both courses at Talking Stick, at Nos. 14 and 31.
Nevada, by the way, has five courses on the list, and one of them is ranked too low. Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., should be higher than No. 16. This classic George Fazio design, on the shores of one of the world’s most beautiful natural lakes, is in my personal top 10 list. I wouldn’t rank it with Pebble Beach, as some have, but it isn’t far behind.
To see the rest of Golfweek’s list of top 50 casino golf courses, click here.
Click here to leave a comment for Mike Bailey (AKA The Accidental Golfer).
Stubborn fighter digs in deep to pull off the great escape
Dec 5th
JUST call him Houdini.
Four times in the first 15 holes of the final round of the Australian Open, Geoff Ogilvy found himself in trouble.
He had a stoked-up Matt Jones chasing him hard, and he was feeling the pressure that a runaway leader feels, especially when the Stonehaven Cup is on the line, a trophy with names like Nicklaus, Watson, Thomson, Locke, Sarazen, Norman and Player engraved upon it.
Each time he gathered his faculties and extracted himself. In golf, you can win, and sometimes you just refuse to lose.
Ogilvy began the final round with a five-shot lead, saw it trimmed to three, but ended up signing for a 69. It could have been much worse, for he hit fewer fairways (11) and greens (13) than on any of the previous three days. But it was enough. He refused to lose the title he had set up from Thursday to Saturday.
The save he made at the seventh hole at the Lakes yesterday, an uphill par-three measuring 160 metres with what he called ”a brutal pin”, typified the way he scrapped and struggled and got the job done.
Jones had birdied the par-four sixth to get within four shots, and was looking comfortable as the chaser.
Ogilvy had already been forced into two severe tests of his short game, at the second where he made par with a Mickelsonesque flop shot, and at the sixth from a greenside trap with no room to move.
”I hadn’t had to test my short game out on the first three days,” he said later. ”Today I had to test my short game out, especially on the front nine. I got up and down a few times and made all the putts I needed to make.
”My attitude was: ‘They have to come and get me. I don’t have to do anything special today’.”
Jones knocked his tee shot on the seventh green; Ogilvy punched an eight iron straight over the flag, flying it 15 metres longer than his usual 150 metres with that club, and into a melaleuca tree at the back of the green.
Spectators around the area groaned. It looked to be dead. ”It was half-plugged in dirty sandy kind of stuff,” Ogilvy said later. ”I asked if we get a drop out of a plugged lie this week, and he (Golf Australia referee) says: ‘Yes, but not out of sand’. The referee decided it was sand, which it probably was.”
So the Victorian shoehorned himself into the tree with its low branches, careful not to break a twig and incur a penalty. With a stiff-wristed, short chipping action with a pitching wedge, he moved the ball forward and on to the downslope.
Then it trickled on to the green, turned left off a ridge, and came to a stop just more than a metre from the flag.
”It wasn’t an impossible shot, but I was very surprised when it went that close. I was trying to make four at worst, at that point. It could have gone really bad when you fly it into the trees like that.
”I knew I had a bit of slope and I knew if I hit the shot I did, it would go kind of close.”
Ogilvy tapped in for par and walked to the eighth tee smiling the smile of a man who has dodged the assassin’s bullet.
He would not be caught, not even when Jones, the 30-year-old American-based Sydneysider, made a brilliant birdie at the par-three ninth to move within three shots.
The margin remained the same until the par-four 15th, when Ogilvy made a sliding, three-metre, par-saving putt after his tee shot bounced wickedly off a bank near the pin.
Jones, sensing he needed something special, had a run at his birdie putt and missed the short one coming back. Game over.
Jones shot 68 and in truth, did his reputation no harm whatsoever. It was just that he needed something lower, and with the pins tucked away, that was always going to be difficult with a player of Ogilvy’s quality out in front.
At the 17th he drove into water and made a bogey that cost him outright second place. He had to be content to share that with Alistair Presnell.
Ogilvy is 33 and has won a major (the 2006 US Open) and a cluster of World Golf Championship events. It is harsh but true to say that the Australian Open does not rank with those, despite its storied history.
But for an Australian, there is not much bigger. ”This is the really special one in Australian golf,” he said. ”This is the jewel.”
Great battle for Champions Tour honours
Nov 4th
Great battle for Champions Tour honours BY Bruce Young | Champions Tour | 2010 Charles Schwab Cup Championship | Preview | 04 Nov 2010 
Bernhard Langer
(Photo: Getty Images)
The final event of the 2010 Champions Tour is this week fought out over the Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco (now known as the TPC Harding Park) when John Cook will defend the title he won by a massive five shots in 2009. Cook’s win last year was at the Sonoma Golf Club, also in the Bay Area.
The tournament is effectively the Champions Tour Championship, bringing together the leading 30 players from the season long Charles Schwab point series headed by Bernhard Langer with Fred Couples in second position.
Only Langer or Couples can win the US$1 million annuity bonus for leading the series at season’s end but there are plenty of chances to take out the first prize of US$442,000 for winning the event.
John Cook is in good form of late and although he has not won an event since his victory twelve months ago he is has been very consistent with three runner-up finishes and four thirds in 2010. Despite his victory last year being over another layout he is still a good chance to challenge Couples and Langer.
Langer has won five times this season and Couples four with Russ Cochran, last year’s runner up to Cook the next best with two wins in 2010. Cochran however just seems to have gone off the boil a little of late.
Peter Senior is Australia’s only representative this event bringing to an end what has been a good rookie season on the Champions Tour. Even last place this week earns US$25,000 so at worst Senior is assured of season’s earnings on the Champions Tour of US$820,000 and importantly the right to play there again in 2011.
Green great in Portugal
Oct 18th
VILAMOURA, Portugal — Australian Richard Green overcame a seven-shot deficit after the third round to win the Portugal Masters on Sunday by two strokes.
Green benefited from an error-strewn final round by overnight leader Pablo Martin of Spain to chalk up his third European Tour title, closing with a seven-under-par 65 for an 18-under 270 total.
Martin led by three strokes going into the final round and was four ahead after five holes. A dramatic collapse started with a double-bogey on the seventh and his game quickly unravelled. He finished tied for sixth after a 75 on Sunday.
Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari of Italy compiled his second 62 of the week to grab a share of second place with Swede Robert Karlsson (67), Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (68) and Dutchman Joost Luiten (69).
Green dropped two shots in the last three holes but that failed to derail his charge after he sank 11 birdies in the final round. “I felt I needed the best round of golf I could play,” Green told reporters after pocketing $689,000. “It was a strange finish but it was enough.”
VICTORY FOR HARRINGTON
JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia — Padraig Harrington earned his first victory in two years Sunday, winning the Asian Tour’s Iskandar Johor Open by three strokes over Noh Seung-yul of South Korea.
The three-time major champion shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 20-under 268 at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.
“It’s nice and very important for me to win. It’s somewhat a monkey off your back,” said Harrington, part of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning team.
GORE SETS WINS RECORD
MIAMI — Jason Gore set the all-time wins record on the Nationwide Tour, closing with an even-par 71 on Sunday to capture the Miccosukee Championship.
Gore’s seventh victory on the developmental tour was his first since 2005 and netted the 36-year-old Californian a $108,000 cheque, moving him to 39th on the money list.
Great Golf Odds for the Viking Classic
Sep 30th
Great golf odds can be found on a number of non-Ryder Cup participating PGA Tour players to win this week’s Viking Classic.
No Lefty, no Tiger, no Fury, and no Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson means that the Viking Classic is virtually wide-open. There isn’t a single golfer in the field that probably deserves more golf betting consideration than any other golfer.
Okay, that’s not necessarily true. What is true, what is a fact, is that handicapping this week’s Viking Classic has proven to be a difficult challenge. But I’ve got to try, right?
PGA Tour: Viking Classic
Where: Annandale GC, Madison, Mississippi
When: September 30th thru Oct. 3rd, 2010
Par/Yardage: Par 72, Yards 7199
TV: None
Radio: None
[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetUS? If so JOIN NOW.]
To Win
Best Bet A: Charlie Wi +2000
Some golf odds betting fans are getting on Wi for his swinging method, the stack-and-tilt Hey, whatever works, right? The man has been holding his own against the best on the PGA Tour. He finished 27th at The Barclays, 18th at the Deutsche Bank and 8th at the BMW Championship in his last three PGA Tour starts. He can beat his competition in this and the fact that he finished 5th here in 2005 only adds to the appeal.
Best Bet B: Chad Campbell +2000
Man, CC’s had a bad 2010, but that could all change because he absolutely loves Annandale GC. Campbell hasn’t recorded a Top 10 finish since leaving the golf course in 5th place at the Travelers Championship in late June. Since a 15th at the Reno-Tahoe Open in mid-July, Chad has finished 46th or worse in 5 straight tournament starts. So, CC’s not a lock to play well by any means, but he’s going off at +2000 golf odds and he won the Viking Classic in 2007 and is 2nd in all time earnings on the course.
Worst Golf Bet: None
When the favorite to win a golf tournament is +1300 (Sean O’Hair) in the sportsbook, there isn’t a “bad” wager. If you have a strong opinion as a golf handicapper, then go for it.
Best Underdog Bet: Boo Weekley +4000
Things haven’t been going well for Boo lately. Since finishing 9th at the Greenbrier Classic, Boo has missed the cut at the PGA Championship, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank. His 46th at the WGC-Bridgestone and 53rd at the Wyndham Classic weren’t stellar performances either, but Boo finished 3rd at Annandale GC in 2007 and rumor has it that ole Boo knows some of the Madison locals personally. That’s got to help his chances, right?
Others To Consider
Sean O’Hair +1300 – - If the Sean O’Hair that finished 5th at the WGC-Bridgestone shows up, then everybody else will be golfing for 2nd place.
D.J. Trahan +2500 – - He won the 2006 Viking Classic and has finished in the Top 10 on the PGA Tour 6 times this year.
Brian Gay +3500 – - Gay has missed the cut in 6 out of his last 10 tournament starts. Not good, right? But this is Brian Gay we’re talking about here, the man who finished 2nd at the Byron Nelson after missing the cut at The Players Championship. He could turn it on at a moment’s notice.
Check out the golf odds for this week’s Viking Classic!
Sources: pgatour.com
Earn $5000 toward closing costs – PLUS – other great incentives at Traton Homes
Sep 26th
PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 26, 2010 – ATLANTA –Traton Homes, one of Atlanta’s premier builders announced today that it is offering $5,000 toward closing costs on move-in ready homes at its Lochshire community in Acworth. Homebuyers are also being offered $5,000 in closing costs plus 50 percent off decorator options, up to $30,000, on pre-sales.
Lochshire’s craftsman-style homes range in size from 2,488 to 3,175 square feet and are priced from the $230,000s. Homeowners have the option of plans featuring three to five bedrooms as well as basements on many homesites. Amenities in this community include a pool with mushroom water feature, tennis courts, tot lot, a cabana and sidewalks throughout.
Nestled on the Cobb/Cherokee County line off of Hamby Road at Wade Green, Lochshire offers unbelievable access to downtown Acworth, a historic city that was just designated this year as one of only ten “All-America Cities” by the National Civic League. The city includes boutique and antique shopping as well as numerous locally-owned restaurants and businesses.
Acworth is surrounded by two beautiful lakes–Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona–which offer beaches for swimming, fishing, boating and camping opportunities. There are also twelve parks that surround Acworth for picnicking. Located along the banks of Lake Acworth is Cobblestone Golf Course, which was recently rated the No. 1 public course in Georgia by Golf Digest. The city also holds many events throughout the year such as the Taste of Acworth, Halloween Carnival and Classic Car Show.
The community is conveniently located to Hwy. 41, Hwy. 92, I-575, I-75 and the Town Center area, which includes numerous shopping, entertainment, recreational and dining destinations.
Children that reside in Lochshire attend Oak Grove Elementary, ET Booth Middle, Chapman Intermediate and Etowah High schools. These schools are part of the Cherokee School System, which consistently ranks above state and national averages on standardized tests.
The decorated model home at Lochshire is located at 103 Dunlavin Drive, Acworth, Ga. Take I-75 North to Wade Green Road. Turn right on Wade Green. Turn left on Hickory Grove Road. (McDonald’s on corner). Turn right on Hamby Road. Lochshire is located on the left, at the Cobb/Cherokee County line. For more information, call 770-917-1531.
Celebrating over 39 years in business, Traton Homes has built a solid reputation by giving Atlanta area homebuyers exactly what they expect – Altogether More. Traton Homes offers more experience, more impressive architecture, more outstanding features and more rewarding lifestyles in more desirable locations on homes ranging from the $170,000s to the $700,000s. Each of the nearly 7,000 homes they have built in more than 60 communities demonstrates their strict attention to quality and detail. Traton Homes is currently building in fourteen outstanding communities in Cobb, Cherokee, North Fulton, Paulding, South Forsyth and South Fulton. For more information on Traton Homes, visit http://www.tratonhomes.com or call the corporate office at 770-427-9064.
