On Location: Ryder Cup 2014--What I Like Best

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND--The Guru arrived in Edinburgh on Monday. I took a day trip to St. Andrews on Tuesday to roam the village and shoot some video of the Old Course. The last few days I spent wandering around Edinburgh and stopping in pubs for a pint here and there or attending the Ryder Cup matches in Gleneagles, about a 1 hr and 15 minute bus ride.

Here are some of the things I like best:

Best place to hangout in Edinburgh: The Grassmarket area has lots of pubs, a pedestrian walking area that splits two streets and an amazing view upward to the Castle.

Most annoying Ryder Cup player: The nomination easily goes to Ian Poulter or "Poults" as they call him over here. This guy really hams it up for the cameras and Euro fans. All the screams, fist pumps and chest thumps get really old after awhile. Especially when the U.S.A. is losing.

Best U.S.A. players: Rickie Fowler looks in top form and the rookie duo of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed has delivered big time. I've been very impressed with their calm demeanor and confidence when surrounded by crazed Euro fans. These guys should be great Ryder Cup players for years to come.

(Photo courtesy of PGA TOUR)

Best holes at Gleneagles to watch the action: My favorites were in the stands on No. 11 and 13 and along the ropes by the green on No. 16 and 18.

No. 13 hole

Best Ryder Cup moment: Watching Phil Mickelson sink a two-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to secure a victory with his partner Keegan Bradley on Friday morning over Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia.

Best players to watch at Ryder Cup 2014: Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and Victor Dubuisson.

Best places at the Ryder Cup Spectator Village: I like the BMW display where you can get a picture taken while holding an American flag; the Standing Man Public Bar, a large saloon with all sorts of whiskey and beers; and the Scotland display, where there was an occasional free whiskey sampling.

Best dressed fans at Ryder Cup 2014: A group of guys from Michigan (clients of Premier Golf) put together a super patriotic outfit with kilts, Scottish hats and stylish vests.

Best pubs in Edinburgh: My favorites near my hotel (Radisson Blu) are Deacon Brodie's on the Royal Mile and Bee Hive Inn in the Grassmarket area.

Best pub in St. Andrews: Love the lounge bar at the Dunvegan Hotel just a half block from the Old Course. I shared a few pints with a couple of caddies on my visit. Wow, did I learn a lot.

Best celebrities I've seen at Ryder Cup 2014: Basketball icon Michael Jordan, former Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy, former Pittsburgh Steelers great Lynn Swann and former Ryder Cup captains Corey Pavin, Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam.

Best fish & chips on this trip: Cromars Classic Fish & Chips in St. Andrews

Best park to sit and view the Edinburgh Castle: Princes Street Gardens

On Location: Ryder Cup 2014 Gleneagles Resort in Scotland

EDINBURGH,SCOTLAND-- The Guru is holed up in his nice room at Radisson Blu Edinburgh overlooking the Royal Mile. As I gaze out my window, I see pubs to the left and pubs to the right. One never has to travel far for a frosty pint in this great city.

Ryder Cup 2014 is going to crank up tomorrow with lots of anticipation. If you think the RC is big in the States, you won't believe the buzz over here in Scotland.

I know there are whiners and complainers out there who don't like the Ryder Cup. Some say the Americans just can't win anymore, others criticize the rowdy fans, still others just, well, love to complain about something.

I believe it has evolved into one of the world's greatest sports events. Not on par with the World Cup certainly, but right alongside in popularity, I believe, with Wimbledon and every golf major except the Masters.

While the American fans are drastically outnumbered, the ones that made the trip across the pond have lots of spirit and camaraderie and don't seem to be paying the doomsayers much mind. The ruthless writers over here have all but buried the American team before the first tee shot on Friday.

The decided difference I see in this team is the leadership of Tom Watson. He brings calm and confidence to a U.S.A. team that's been on the losing end more often than not the past few years.

I've been very impressed with how the Scots and European Tour set up the spectator village, corporate tents, food court, bleachers and retail store. It's a giant undertaking and they performed admirably. Despite the huge crowds, people seem to move about quite nicely.

My favorite spot is "The Striding Man" pavilion and bar, a giant makeshift saloon with pints of Guinness, lagers and whiskeys. The food court has everything from fish and chips and meat pies to hot dogs, cheeseburgers and roast pork sandwiches.

I'm looking forward to three great days of golf. Perhaps the Americans will break through with Watson's leadership, but, let the best team win.

Many thanks to Atlanta, Georgia-based Premier Golf, a luxury golf travel company and official distributor of Ryder Cup travel packages for the PGA of America, for partnering with me on this trip.

On Location: PGA Village Has Come To Play

Finishing Hole at the Wannamaker Course

You might want to take another look at PGA Village this fall and winter.

If you think Oprah performed some amazing makeovers, the new management team and grounds crew are equally magical.

Let's face it, PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Florida has not aged gracefully in the past few years. While it certainly was an acceptable place to tee up and stay on a golf getaway, it didn't really boldly stand out among the state's crowded sea of 40 major golf resorts.

It will now.

Six months ago, PGA Village hired veteran golf course superintendent Dick Gray to oversee the grounds and maintenance of the three courses at the resort.

Dick Gray knows turf. During his 25-year career, Gray helped design and build The Florida Club in Stuart, Florida; worked with Pete Dye and P.B. Dye on the construction of Loblolly Pines in Hobe Sound, Florida; and was involved in significant greens and regrassing projects as superintendent at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Florida and Sailfish Point Golf Club in Stuart.

Gray and PGA President Ted Bishop have promised to enhance the courses to unparalleled levels commensurate with the PGA brand. PGA Village serves as the home club for more than 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals.

"Dick Gray is a world-class golf course superintendent," says PGA President Ted Bishop. "His turf grass practices are widely respected throughout the golf course industry..."

Gray has arrived on property with a focused enhancement program and a passion to make the courses at PGA Village some of the best turf playgrounds anywhere.

Guests visiting this winter will see the initial results of his turf revolution at the resort's courses. From new and improved grasses to recently acquired state-of-the-art mowing equipment and a hard-working and dedicated staff, Gray believes he can succeed with the makeover.

"As the PGA, golfers expect us to produce at a high-level and we want these courses to meet and exceed  expectations," says Gray. "There is tremendous commitment to that goal starting with Ted Bishop on down."

Gray says his goal is to have players walk off the courses thinking "Wow, these are some of the best maintained and conditioned courses I've ever played."

GOLF

The way I see it, PGA Village's golf selections are a bit like those at a ski resort, where there are slopes for experts, intermediates and beginners.

Dye Course--To be sure, you'll quickly be exposed on this course if you don't have game. If you can't consistently hit your approach shots to near the exact yardage, you'll be scrambling for bogeys all day. Dye's use of fairways with movement, massive coquina waste bunkers, pine straw roughs, subtle contours on the greens and masterful bunkering is joyful to see and appreciate, but hellish to play if you lack consistency.

Wannamaker Course (formerly named the South Course)--I'm a huge Tom Fazio fan and the Wannamaker exudes Fazio flair with bold, imaginative bunkering, marvelous mounding and large greens with subtle movements that don't look contrived or forced.

Ryder Course (formerly named the North Course)--There are just as many pine trees as palms on this Tom Fazio layout. Generous landing areas and five sets of tees make this the best course to start any stay and play getaway vacation at PGA Village. My suggestion is to start here then progress to the Wannamaker and finish with the Dye.

PGA CENTER FOR GOLF LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

The facilities and practice areas at this 35-acre complex are exactly what you would expect at a resort that serves as a gathering spot for thousands of  PGA Professionals. The menu includes:

--More than 100 full swing practice stations
--9 bunkers that simulate play from around the world
--Three private teaching pods
--Mobile covered hitting bays to protect against the hot sun and rain
--Pitching and chipping practice areas
--7,000-square-foot USGA putting greens
--Three hole teaching course
--State-of-the-art technology for swing analysis, club fitting and game improvement; TrackMan Shot Performance, LinxTracker/PGA PAR System and other high-tech gadgets
--Golf specific fitness center
--Golf repair and fitting center

Designed so you can work on all phases of the game, the expansive complex is the perfect place to practice for cold climate residents who want to work off the rust caused by inactivity and sporadic play. A daily pass costs $34 from 1/4 to 3/17; $29 from 11/1 to 1/3 and 3/18 to 5/31 and $21 from 6/1 to 10/31. There's also special pricing for spouses, PGA Professionals and juniors.

For those who want a golf school experience, there are  21/2 day, 3 1/2 day and 4 1/2 day schools featuring a 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

Some of the things I like about the PGA of America Golf Schools is that the instructors are experienced Class "A" certified professionals with years of teaching experience and each instructor stays with a student for the entire school instead of revolving for each skill education.

The golf fitness facility is exceptional. Packed with a variety of machines, stretch bands, large rubber bands, balls and other apparatus, the PGA Center For Fitness helps develop core strength and increases flexibility as well as addressing other golf specific fitness issues.

PGA MUSEUM OF GOLF

Don't miss visiting this museum, which is brimming with golf history exhibits, vintage photographs, posters, golf clubs and other memorabilia. You can also see golf's four major championship trophies on display.

The PGA of America has a rich and storied history and it's displayed beautifully in this building adjacent to the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance. There's a also a phenomenal library room packed with historical golf books and past issues of the PGA Magazine.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Much like the golf, there's great variety in the accommodations options at PGA Village.

A good selection of on-property villa and townhome properties are available in packages.  The beige stucco villa apartment and townhomes feature kitchens, Wi-Fi, swimming pools and other amenities.

For those who prefer a hotel room, there are several moderately priced options just outside the front gate and very close to the clubhouse and golf courses. I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, which has spacious, well-appointed rooms, a comfortable lobby with a fireplace and large flat screen television, beautiful swimming pool and courtyard area and an on-site Sam Snead's Tavern.

Lobby at Hilton Garden Inn

Suite accommodations are available about 1/4 mile away at Homewood Suites, which has one and or two-bedroom suites. Each unit has a full-size refrigerator, two-burner stove and dishwasher. Also included is a complimentary breakfast.

10 Little Things I Like About PGA Village

1. The user-friendly GPS systems on the golf carts.

2. The 6-hole short course with holes ranging from 35 to 60 yards.

3. The Donald Ross 1890s-era workbench at the PGA Museum of Golf.

4. The Sam Snead's Tavern at the on-site Hilton Garden Inn that serves Goose Island brew on draft.

5. The on-site golf club repair and fitting shop at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance.

6. The Ryder Cup golf bags and other memorabilia displayed in the clubhouse.

7. The 3-hole practice school course at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance.

8. Fantastic, easily accessible location just off Interstate-95.

9. The quesadillas, turkey club sandwich and potato pancakes at the Champions Grill.

10. Lots of places to shop and dine just a few blocks from the property across I-95. The casual dining offerings include Chipotle, Chilli's and TGIFRidays to name a few.

LOCATION

Situated on Florida's east coast in Port St. Lucie just off Interstate-95 about a two hour drive from Orlando, a one hour drive from Daytona Beach and 45 minutes from West Palm Beach. 

STAY AND PLAY PACKAGES

Several golf travel companies offer packages to PGA Village. The golf travel company that knows the resort better than anyone is Atlanta-based Premier Golf.  They have a unique relationship with the PGA of America and customize a variety of stay and play packages. Call 866-260-4409 for package information.

Golf in England: The Northwest

Royal Lytham & St. Annes

I make it a habit not to write about places I haven't visited, but I'm going to make an exception on what is being marketed as England's Golf Coast.

At the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando (late January) I met an engaging chap named Geoff Harris, whose job is to promote golf travel in this area of northwest England.

I informed Mr. Harris that I had traveled to southwest England and enjoyed it immensely. Courses like St. Enodoc, Royal North Devon and Saunton still dance in my mind as fabulous golf experiences.

Mr. Harris assured me that visiting the northwest part of the country would be equally rewarding.

Here are his main selling points:

• You can conveniently fly into Manchester.
• Seven of the world's Top 100 courses are located in close proximity
• The area has Three Open Championship courses (Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St. Annes)
• There are more than 160 golf courses to play in the northwest region. The England's Golf Coast area has 20 top notch courses.
• Many of the courses have hosted competitions like the Ryder Cup, PGA Championships, Women's Open, Curtis Cup and UK's major amateur events.
• Royal Liverpool, founded in 1869, is one of the oldest seaside courses in England.
• Popular areas for accommodations, include Liverpool, Southport, Wirral, Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire.

You can conveniently book packages online and the website, England's Golf Coast, is thorough and informative with lots of information on courses to play and accommodations.

Formby Golf Club

If you're looking for a new golf travel frontier, this area of the U.K. appears to be a less publicized gem worth examining.

Random Ryder Cup Thoughts...

Here are some of my random thoughts after watching this year's Ryder Cup:

• An American Cop won the Cup - Rory McIlroy barely made it to his teetime on Sunday. Apparently, overzealous Golf Channel watching the night before caused him to confuse his local time zone and he left his hotel an hour late. But lucky for him, there was an Illinois State Police officer at the scene that gave him a police escort to the golf course. WTF? Do you think that if the roles were reversed and an American golfer was late to a Ryder Cup in Europe that some doughnut dipper would rush him through traffic with lights flashing and sirens 'a blazing? If I were that Smokey Bear, I would have taken Rors straight to Gino's East and told him, "You just f*cked up the Ryder Cup. Be happy that you can drown your sorrows in the world's best deep-dish pizza."
• The Ryder Cup produces the best golf of the year - I know that it's not scientific, but it just seems that there are more great golf shots produced during the Ryder Cup than any other golf tournament. It's really amazing considering all of the pressure and crowd distractions.
• Ryder Cup singles match play is the best golf day - If I could only watch one day of golf, it would have to be the final day of the Ryder Cup. It seems that no lead is safe entering the final day. Unlike other golf events where only a handful of golfers really matter during the final round, every golfer matters at the Ryder Cup. Normally when I watch a golf event, I fast forward to just my favorite players and contenders. But for the Ryder Cup, I only fast forward through the commercials. Golf and excitement are two normally mutually exclusive terms. The Ryder Cup is one of the few exceptions.
• The Ryder Cup brings out the passion - Not since David Duval has there been a more stoic persona on the PGA Tour than Jason Dufner. He rides the emotional roller coaster of a golf tournament like it's Venice canal ride. But at the Ryder Cup, the guy was pumping his fists, shouting to the crowd and even smiling! Seeing that kind of passion is what's so great about the Ryder Cup.
• I don't understand European team pride - Don't the Germans hate the Italians, the Italians hate the Spaniards, the Spaniards hate the Brits and everyone hates the French? As an American, it's easy to understand American pride and cheering for your country. But I think I'd have a hard time feeling that way for a general region that my country happens to reside. The European team shares a common currency (for now) but I don't think much more. That's why it's puzzling to me why they care for the Ryder Cup as much as they do.
• Ryder Cup Uniforms are Uniformly Awful - I have yet to watch a Ryder Cup where the outfits matched the coolness of the event. I sometimes wonder if the costume designer for "Caddyshack" found a second job dressing the Ryder Cup teams. Maybe when he dies the uniforms will improve.
  
• Pros hit shanks too - Webb Simpson hit a hoseltoved shank iron shot off the tee earlier this month at the BMW Championship. Well he did it again on the final day of the Ryder Cup at Medinah’s par-3 8th. It seems that September is shank month for Webb since he hit a shank during the 1st round at last year's BMW Championship. According to Simpson, "I probably shank one every other day on the range because one of my focuses in my swing is that I try to put as much force as I can on my downswing trying to get my weight through the ball," Simpson said. "A lot of times that club will get a little behind me and that face is open and the heel gets there first."
  
  This is a guy who has won a U.S. Open for chrissakes! As someone who suffers from the occasional shanks, it makes me feel good to know that even pros aren't immune to this horrible affliction.

Rain Pours Through Sun Mountain

I'm a huge fan of Sun Mountain golf products. They have repeatedly won me over as a customer with such novel golf innovations as the stand bag, Dual X-Strap and the Speed Cart. Unfortunately, Mother Nature literally rained on their parade at the 2010 Ryder Cup this past weekend.

If you didn't hear, Sun Mountain provided the rain suits for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Initially, the gear was panned for their gawd awful looks. Butch Harmon quipped, "They are the ugliest things I have ever seen." But really, hasn't ugly golf attire been somewhat the norm for Ryder Cup teams? Not a surprise to me since it appears that the only qualification for designing and selecting the team's wardrobe is to be married to the captain. But so what about fashion? When it comes to rain gear function over form is paramount. Anyone who has had to play golf in the rain knows the utter misery of playing in wet clothing. Not only is it uncomfortable but it can adversely affect your play.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Ryder Cup team experienced this firsthand since their Sun Mountain rain suits possessed neither form nor function. They were found to be about as waterproof as one of Lady Gaga's fishnet tops. Their leaky gear had to be ditched in favor of generic off-the-rack digs bought from a merchandise tent. What a debacle! It's quite simply an excusable failure by any measure and a huge blow to the manufacturer. This is certainly a low point for the company but it got even lower when, in classic "kick 'em when they're down" fashion, the manufacturer of GORE-TEX issued the following statement:

"It's unfortunate that the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup was not wearing uniforms with the GORE-TEX® brand, especially if the faulty gear ultimately interfered with performance," said Yvonne Erickson, marketing leader at W.L. Gore & Associates. "Gore has rigorous uncompromising standards in place to ensure that our products are of the highest quality, to back up our Guaranteed to Keep you Dry® promise to consumers. Gore and Sun Mountain Sports parted ways in 2006 and, therefore, GORE-TEX® brand technology was not used in the rain jackets and pants worn by the U.S. team this morning. We hope that the U.S. Ryder Cup Team will be wearing uniforms with GORE-TEX® product technology in the future."

Hopefully this epic disaster doesn't dampen Sun Mountain's hard-earned reputation as a producer of quality golf products. I've owned two stand bags and a Speed Cart and I've been 100% satisfied with their quality and performance. I'm still a fan and I'll continue to buy their products as long as I play golf.

Just Say "No" to Tiger for Ryder Cup

Do we really need a struggling and befuddled Tiger Woods on this year’s Ryder Cup team?

Hey, Captain Corey, just say “No”.

Realistically, I know this will never happen because television networks and sponsors will put too much pressure on Pavin to add Woods as a Captain’s pick.

Pavin is playing the diplomatic politician card when it comes to Woods’ Ryder Cup participation. Here’s what Captain Corey had to say when asked about the situation recently at a press conference at the PGA Championship:

“I think a couple of things have happened the last couple of weeks. Obviously he played better last week. He's working on some things that seem to be improving his game. So I was obviously pleased to see that happen last week. His comments to the press and the media are very positive. He wants to play and he wants to be on the team. Again, he's high on my list. He's certainly a big consideration, no doubt.

But as I've said before, you know, everybody I'm looking at, and come September 7, I will let you guys know who those four are going to be. But he and a lot of other guys are up on my list, and probably that list will grow in the next three weeks.”

The Euros haven’t been quite as complimentary of Woods lately and are circling him like sharks after some fresh bloody chum. Irish phenom Rory McIllroy first called out Woods, then Luke Donald chimes in and you know Colin Montgomerie (Monty) won’t be far behind. They can’t wait to get a piece of the new Tiger—the one who barely breaks par anymore, can’t hit two fairways in a row and hasn’t hit a 10 footer since his Escalade ran over a fire hydrant.

Remember, too, we didn’t even need Tiger back in 2008 at the Ryder Cup Matches at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Heck, we pasted the Euros 16 ½ to 11 ½ without Tiger. In fact, when Tiger did play previously, the U.S. had losses three successive times.

I’d rather have somebody like Champions Tour star Fred Couples be a Captain’s pick. At least Freddy is at the top of his game right now. Tiger  has too much baggage and he’ll detract from the team concept Pavin is trying to perpetuate. Do we really need the British tabloids attacking Tiger daily while our other lads are trying to sharpen their games for the TwentyTen course at Celtic Manor?

I’m not a Tiger hater, but I really think he should sit out this Ryder Cup and open the spot up for a youngster who would treasure the opportunity.

As I said, that’s not gonna happen. So, get ready for the “American Ryder Cup Team and the Tiger Woods Road Show.” With Euro team members popping off regularly, the British tabs about to join in and the steady murmur of controversy that Tiger woods brings these days, it should be one heckuva Ryder Cup.

 

 

 

Ryder Cup: American Golf Wake-Up Call

The 2006 Ryder Cup concluded this weekend as most expected. The European team delivered a complete shellacking to the American team. While the Europeans were favored, it wasn't even close.

Aside from being one of the most lopsided contests in the history of the Ryder Cup, the recent results highlight the problem with the future of professional American golf. On the ladie's side, the American stock looks healthy with the likes of Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie. However, the young talent on the male side has been paltry for a number of years. Sure, there's Tiger, Phil and Furyk. But after that, the talent drops off a cliff. As Johnny Miller puts it, "Seven of the top 30 in the world are Americans. That's unfathomable," he said. "I can't believe the state of the game in America. ... It's like you've got 12 guys - three of them are firing a 50-millimeter cannon and nine guys are shooting BB guns. The bottom line is, the U.S. has got to step it up."

Quite simply, there have just been a striking number of American male golf phenoms who never panned out. What ever happened to Ty Tryon and David Gossett Jr.? The other "young guns," namely Charles Howell III and Sean O'Hair, are good, but not exactly lighting it up. Outside of Tiger Woods, how many U.S. Amateur champs of the last decade are finding success on the PGA Tour? Ryan Moore is at least on the PGA Tour, but it remains to be seen whether he can ascend into the upper echelons. It's like the American golfer factory exhausted all of it's parts and craftmanship on Tiger Woods and then closed up shop.

So, are there any quick fixes for American golf's Y chromosome woes? I'd love to hear some ideas. Short of cloning Tiger Woods, I sure don't see any. As for the Ryder Cup, can we go back to how it was prior to 1979 when it was a contest between America and only the Brits?