November 5, 2004 VOL. 4, No 45

Sponsored by:

Bay Mills Resort and Casino/Wild Bluff-Brimley
Web: http://www.4baymills.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2003shows/show11/index.html

Celebrate Ryder Cup 2004, September 14-19-Oakland Hills CC
Web: http://michigan.org/golf
Video: http://www.michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show8/

Treetops: Home of "Rick Smith and The Big Break" and "The Tylenol Par-3 Shootout"
Web: http://treetops.com
Video: Rick Smith and The Big Break
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show5/index.html

17th Annual West Michigan Golf Show at Devos Place, February 4-6
Web: http://westmichigangolfshow.com

Lansing Golf Show, The Lansing Center, February 25-27
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com

Michigan Golf Show, Novi Expo, March 11-13
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show1/index.html

GLSP Television Network- Now Showing
Michigan Travel http://michigantravel.tv
Silver Lake/ Hart Area

Michigan Skier http://michiganskier.tv
History of Crystal Mountain Resort

Michigan Runner http://michiganrunner.tv
Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon

Michigan Golfer http://michigangolfer.tv
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino

  Edited by Art McCafferty-Publisher, Michigan Golfer

__/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/__/
__/ MGN ON THE ROAD
Plymouth-Fox Hills
__/ MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino and Barona Creek GC
__/ OAKLAND HILLS HITS "HOME RUN" WITH RYDER CUP
__/ PGA INTERVIEW WITH TOM LEHMAN-NEW RYDER CUP CAPTAIN
__/ FULL MONTY IRELAND RYDER CUP 2006 CAPTAINCY
__/ SKI SEASON KICKS OFF WIH THE MICHIGAN SKIER TELEVISION SHOW
__/ TIN CUP TROPHY WON BY CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN BOYS
__/ LPGA TIP OF THE WEEK
__/ CELEBRITY PLAYERS TOUR
__/ FALL MICHIGAN GOLFER MAGAZINE NOW ONLINE http://michigangolfer.com
__/ GOLF INDUSTRY SHOW HAS IT ALL
__/ NOTES TO THE EDITOR
__/ CALENDAR OF GOLF EVENTS
__/ MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS
__/ ASSOCIATION LINKS

***
MGN ON THE ROAD
Plymouth-Fox Hills
Last Saturday, Michigan golfers that were enjoying a sunny fall day of golf, had opportunities to witness "leaf storms" on their fairways. A cold front rolled in with 50 mile an hour winds.It was great. We chose to stop by Fox Hills and watch the fun, catch their Halloween decorations and catch a brew in their grill.

Fox Hills has had its share of excitementa the past few years. They opened the Strategic Fox added a learning center and became the recipient of National and State Golf Course of the Year awards from the NGCOA and MGCOA. They also opened up the Crystal Mountain Golf School at Fox Hills. It was great seeing how all of these factors have come together to make this such a terrific award winning golf complex.
http://foxhills.com

***
MICHIGAN GOLFER TELEVISION
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino and Barona Creek GC -San Diego, California

MGN recently had the opportunity to visit the new Barona Hills Golf Course just outside of San Diego. We spent a couple of nights in San Diego, which is an absolutely killer place and then drove out to the Barona Valley reservation to stay and play at the new casino and golf course. The hotel and Casino, around a half a billion dollar project, is twice the size of Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt, Pleasant.

The course, which opened in 2002, has received awards from Golfweek, Golf Magazine and Travel Leisure Magazine. However, instead of talking about it, just click on to our show http://michigangolfer.tv

Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino
http://www.barona.com/

***
OAKLAND HILLS HITS "HOME RUN" WITH RYDER CUP
by Terry Moore

Picking off a baseball metaphor, Oakland Hills¹ Chief Operating Officer Rick Bayliss described hosting the Ryder Cup as a ³home run² for all involved. ³It was a home run for our club, for southeast Michigan, for the state, and most importantly for golf,² said Bayliss in a recent interview conducted at the club. Bayliss paid tribute to the membership, staff, and hundreds of volunteers for making the 35th Ryder Cup Matches a resounding success. ³We were also pleased to see the recognition given the golf course again,² said Bayliss. ³The South Course more than lived up to its reputation as a great golf course.²

Out on the course, hundreds of workers were busy restoring the landscape of both the North and the South courses. Where scores of hospitality tents and villages once stood, workers were now hydro-seeding and laying sod. By next golf season the grounds should all be back to normal. And in the biggest project since the end of the matches, the old swimming pool at Oakland Hills already has been excavated and removed to make room for a new and enlarged one. Certainly, covering such expenses will not be a problem given the generous financial benefits for hosting the Matches. The financial set-up for the Ryder Cup was a 50-50 split for expenses and revenues between the club and the PGA of America. Bayliss, however, was quick to downplay the oft-covered ³money angle² of the Ryder Cup. ³Our membership didn¹t see this once-in-a-lifetime event as a mere opportunity to turn a buck. There are far easier and less stressful ways to do that,² said Bayliss. ³Having the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills was a reflection of our longstanding core desire to host major championships and be a good steward of the game.²

Nonetheless, the windfall for the club will be substantial. One source close to the tournament indicated that Ryder Cup merchandise sales alone accounted for $16 million in revenues meaning that the club will realize 50 % of that figure minus expenses.

Also Bayliss indicated that architect Rees Jones has submitted preliminary plans for making several course improvements and subtle renovations for the storied South Course. Bayliss emphasized that such a plan must be first ratified by a vote of the membership. If approved, the earliest implementation of such a plan would be fall 2006 according to Bayliss. It should be noted Oakland Hills will also host the 2008 PGA Championship. For those lucky enough to be sitting in the bleachers, look for another home run.

***
PGA INTERVIEW WITH TOM LEHMAN
*Interview conducted by Julius Mason of the PGA-This has been edited for space.

JULIUS MASON: Congratulations, Tom. Ladies and gentlemen we'll open the floor to questions.

Q.: You had talked about how you were interested in possibly playing in one more Ryder Cup and you played so well the last five weeks of the year, how tough of a decision was it to give up on playing and go to the captain side?

CAPTAIN TOM LEHMAN: That's a good question. I don't think I am giving up on playing in terms of being a competitive PGA TOUR player. In fact, my goal would be to make the team. In talking to my wife about the decision, I told her it would be, to me, the ultimate achievement is if I could play my way on to the team.

With that said, I don't see myself playing on the team unless there was some very interesting situation where I had won a bunch of tournaments leading up to it and feel like I could help the team. For me, the ultimate scenario would be for me to play well enough, make the team and step aside and take No. 11.

Q.: The week of the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, how much of that did you get a chance to see on TV? And from whatever advantage point you were able to watch it, what are your thoughts on pairings, getting players acclimated to the formats, the doubles, and just in general what can you do for the next few years to try to come up with combinations that play the best together?

CAPTAIN TOM LEHMAN: Well, definitely, I watched -- I played that week at the Texas Open, and so I watched as much as I possibly could. I was extremely interested in the matches and the outcome of The Matches. I was living and dying with every shot that took place with every putt that the American team missed, just like every American player in the clubhouse. We had a huge group of people at the Texas Open clubhouse watching the event, and there was a very definite line of European players who were playing there who were cheering for the Europeans and the Americans who were cheering for the Americans.

What I saw, quite frankly was the fact that the Europeans made a lot of p utts. I'm not sure you can say any more than that. They made it seemed like every putt they looked at, and that's become what they do every time the Ryder Cup rolls around. They putted extremely well and made a lot of putts; and therefore, are very difficult to beat.

In terms of the other part of the question, you know, all I can say is that I grew up playing team sports. I grew up playing basketball, football, hockey, baseball, and one of my heroes growing up was John Wooden, who I think is maybe the greatest coach of all time. He had a thing about second-guessing. He thought second-guessing was a complete waste of time. And I happen to admire and respect him so much that I actually agree with that very much. I think second-guessing any pairing, second-guessing anything that anybody has ever done is a waste of time. I know this for a fact.

I know that every player that I know of who has played on the team, every captain who has captained the team, every pe rson who I have talked to all take it extremely seriously who have wanted to with all their heart to win the Cup. The fact that it has not come through should never be I think a reflection on their effort or their motivation or the decision the captain makes or anything. It simply comes down to the fact of who has played the better golf that week, and the Europeans have definitely done that.

In terms of my job as the captain, I think my biggest job as the captain is to do one thing, to create an environment for our players to play the best golf they can possibly play. Whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'm going to do. Whatever makes them most comfortable which allows them play to the best of their ability, that's what I plan on doing. I'm committed that. No more, no less.

***
IRELAND RYDER CUP 2006 CAPTAINCY... FULL MONTY
"I believe that the Ruder Cup captain should be selected and if the appropriate authorities come to me and offer me the job, well. then I'll have to make a decision. But I don't believe it is a job that you should be able to apply for. That way there are a number or candidates and there is a winner and there are losers, and I don't think, in a matter like this, there should be losers."

Colin Montgomerie quote in The Irish Times

--------ADV---------------------------------------------------------

SKI SEASON KICKS OFF WIH THE MICHIGAN SKIER TELEVISION SHOW
THE HISTORY OF CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN RESORT

In the first Michigan Skier TV show of the season, Jim Neff interviews Chris and Jim MacInnes, owners of Crystal Mountain Resort. In this, the first of a three part series, Chris discusses skiing at then Buck Hill, when she was a youngster. Her father, George Petritz, bought the resort in 1966. Through his managerial skills, the resort began to slowly prosper. Chris also discusses their early ski instructors and Crystal¹s first chair lift.
http://michiganskier.tv

---------------------------------------------------------ADV-----------

***
TIN CUP TROPHY WON BY CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN BOYS
Crystal Mountain Resort 5 / Treetops Resort 3

In a first time mini-version of the Ryder Cup on Thursday, September 23rd, a team of Crystal Mountain Player Assistant/Starters took up the challenge from a team from Treetops resort to play an 18-hole golf match. The Crystal team composed of Captain Dave Fuhrhop, Bob Lekovish, Rich Sosnowski, Barry Cunningham, Larry Neetz, Roger Dube, Jim Adams and Dick Thompson brought home the brand new "Tin Cup" Trophy after defeating a Treetops team of eight members in a hard fought match on the Tradition course at Treetops. Crystal threw down the challenge. Crystal is to host the event next year.

Submitted by Ranger Bob at Crystal Mountain

***
LPGA TIP OF THE WEEK

This week¹s tip courtesy of Kati Biszantz, Diamond Drive Golf Center, Lake Elsinore , CA

--A bucket can bail you out of uneven lies-- I have had many requests from my students asking for advice on how to conquer uneven lies. As most golf facilities do not have slopes to practice off of, golfers can be at a loss when faced with these situations on the golf course.

There are six challenging lies when the ground is not level ­ uphill, downhill, ball above the feet (side hill), ball below the feet, and cross hill (side hill up or down).

The key on all shots of this type is to start in the correct position so balance is maintained throughout the swing. On uphill and downhill slopes, set your shoulders parallel to the slope. This insures you will swing the club along the slope. Ball position should be toward your higher foot, so take a practice swing and see where your club contacts the ground. Use your normal grip and posture for both.

For right-handed players on uphill lies, the ball will curve left and go higher, so take more club. Either aim the face of the club more to the right or aim your body more to the right to allow for the curve. On uphill lies, the ball will tend to hook and fly higher and less far, so take more club and adjust your aim and alignment. The severity of the slope dictates how much the ball will curve and how much follow-through you can make. Take a shorter, more controlled swing so you can maintain your balance.

On downhill lies, reverse the above. The ball will fade and come out lower, so take less club allowing for more roll. Make sure your finish is low ­ down the slope- similar to a punch shot.

A simple teaching aid to simulate these lies is to take a small bucket and place it under your left foot for uphill lies and right foot for downhill ones. Use larger buckets for bigger slopes. This is also a great way to learn the proper backswing turn and how to release your right side in the follow through.

***
CELEBRITY PLAYERS TOUR
We checked out the Celebrity Players Tour on The Golf Channel this week and happened to catch Tim Ummel getting a little face time at the Jamaican Holiday Classic.
http://cptgolf.com

********************* MICHIGAN GOLFER FALL ISSUE NOW ONLINE***************************** 
http://michigangolfer.com 

  2004 Champions-Kelly Hill 
Kelly Hill brings our readers a summation of Michigan's 2004 championship season. 

http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-12.pdf 

  Ryder Cup Memories-Art McCafferty 
One would assume that all of the 10,079,985 people in Michigan have or will be able to enjoy the memories of hosting one the world's greatest events. For many, the playing of seven national anthems at the opening ceremony with the coda of a fly over by the U.S. Air Force, was a real collective throat tightener.

http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-2.pdf 

  Long Live the King-L'anse Bannon
  Arnold Palmer stopped by the Country Club of Detroit for a most
memorable day. L'anse Bannon has the story.

http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-8.pdf 

  Hanging Out With Pete Dye at the Ryder Cup-Art McCafferty 
Pete Dye is one of the great golf architects, a true student of the game and a golfer that can still get it close to the pin.

http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-4.pdf 

  PGA at Whistling Straits-Mike Beckman 
Whistling Straits, the site of the PGA Championship, is but one of four fantastic Pete Dye golf courses at Kohler, Wisconsin. The pros tamed it, bvt no one could tame its beauty. 

http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-15.pdf 

  Michigan Golfer Television Series for 2004-2005 
http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-7.pdf 

  Colorado Golf-Jason Deegan  
http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-17.pdf 

  Georgian Bay Golf-Brian Manning
  http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-20.pdf 

  Slice of Life-Terry Moore
  http://michigangolfer.com/sept04/sept0904-21.pdf 

  ***
GOLF INDUSTRY SHOW HAS IT ALL

Every facet of the golf course organizational structure, including ownership, design, construction and management, will be on display at the 2005 Golf Industry Show in Orlando.

The signing of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) complements the participation of various other allied golf associations, including the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) and the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) in presenting the Golf Industry Show.

The inaugural Golf Industry Show, which combines the GCSAA and NGCOA trade shows, will be conducted Feb. 10-12, 2005, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. CMAA will become associated with the event in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif., after conducting its 2005 World Conference on Club Management and Exposition, Feb. 27 - March 3 in New Orleans and its 2006 gathering in Honolulu.

***
NOTES TO THE EDITOR

Art:Thanks for the mention in the newsletter. You know I'm one of the many faithful readers. Be well.
Lee Morris Dearborn Hills GC
http://dearbornhills.com

***
GOLF CALENDAR 2004
NOVEMBER

11/14-16 Golf 20/20: Vision, World Golf Village, St. Augustine
http://golf2020.com
11/18-20 Golf Business Canada 2004, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, BC
http://ngcoa.ca
11/28-30.MGCOA Annual Meeting at the Somerset Inn in Troy.
http://mgcoa.org

Michigan Golf Calendar 2005

JANUARY

01-27-30 PGA Merchandise Show, Orlando, FL
Web: http://pgamerchandiseshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show2/index.html FEBRUARY

02/04-06 West Michigan Golf Show, DeVos Center, Grand Rapids
http://westmichigangolfshow.com
02/8-12 NGCOA Solutions Summit Conf., Rosen Plaza, Orlando
http://ngcoa.org
02/10-12 Golf Industry Show, Orlando
http://ngcoa.org
02/11-13 London Golf and Travel Show, London, Ontario
Web: http://golf-show.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show3/index.html
02/25-27 Lansing Golf Show, Lansing Center, Lansing
http://michigangolfshow.com
MARCH

03/05 Midland Golf Show, Valley Plaza Resort
03/05-6 Lakeshore Golf Show and Travel Show
Contact: SueNielsen@whitehall.k12.mi.us
03/11-13 Michigan Golf Show, Novi Expo, Novi
Web: http://michigangolfshow.com
Video: http://michigangolfer.tv/2004shows/show1/index.html

JUNE

06/06 10th Annual and Final Jeff Daniels Comedy Golf Jam, Polo
Fields GC, Ann Arbor
http://michigangolfer.tv/2004/show22/index.html

*** MICHIGAN GOLF NEWS ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIBERS

Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan PGA
http://michigan.pga.com
Michigan Women's Golf Association, MWGA
http://www.mwgolf.org
Michigan State Amateur Golf Association
Dick Loring-skillplay@aol.com
mailto:skillplay@aol.com
Upper Peninsula Golf Association
http://upga.org

***
ASSOCIATION LINKS

American Association of Golf Course Architects
http://asgca.org
Golf Association of Michigan
http://www.gam.org
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
http://www.gcsaa.org
Michigan Section PGA
http://www.Michigan.PGA.com
Michigan Golf Course Owners Association
http://mgcoa.org
Michigan High School Athletic Association
http://www.mhsaa.com/
Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association
http://migca.com
National Golf Course Owners Association
http://ngcoa.org
National Golf Foundation
http://ngf.org