Best New Courses 2011

Due to the weak economy, only 15 new 18-hole equivalents—that's private and public tracks—opened across the country in the past 12 months, one of the lowest numbers ever, according to the National Golf Foundation. But lack of quantity does not mean lack of quality. This month we spotlight Golf Magazine's Best New Courses in a variety of categories from the U.S. and around the world. Leading the way is the Pacific Northwest, with two public standouts that follow in the geographical footsteps of Bandon Dunes and Chambers Bay. Hawaii's impressive roster adds a new private gem, while layouts in China and Bulgaria highlight international offerings. What's more, a handful of highly anticipated courses are slated to open in 2012—so if your resolution is to play some exceptional rookie tracks, it will be a happy new year indeed. BEST NEW COURSE OF THE YEAR Suncadia Resort (Rope Rider) Cle Elum, Wash. 7,271 yards, par 72 Green fees: $60-$100 509-649-6450 suncadiaresort.com Minors and miners alike will warm to this densely wooded Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy design, which is located 90 minutes east of Seattle on the dry side of the Cascade Mountains. Suncadia's third course (and the resort's second public facility) was hewn from the remnants of the Roslyn coal mines and named for the brave souls who balanced themselves on the roped coal cars that plunged deep into the steep mine shafts. Holes 7 through 9 skirt Tipple Hill, a 120-foot-high pile of now-covered coal tailings, while the 430-yard, par-4 18th is more conventional and arcs around a vast lake. Eleven of the holes were completed in 2006, which helps lend some maturity to this brand-new course. Rope Rider might be the most family-friendly of our top new courses—it's wide and walkable, and it features a set of junior tees. At nearly 7,300 yards from the tips, it's no easy Rider, but it sure is fun. BEST NEW COURSES YOU CAN PLAY Awarii Dunes Axtell, Neb. 6,888 yards, par 72 $190 (stay & play) 308-743-1111 awariidunes.com Central Nebraska is hardly in danger of becoming the next Myrtle Beach, but in May 2011, along came another distinctive layout to join the trend started by Sand Hills in the mid-1990s. Located four miles south of Kearney, Awarii Dunes is architect Jim Engh's marriage of Ireland and the Heartland. The wind either blows or howls (Awarii is derived from the Pawnee word for "windblown"), but Engh left fairways generously wide. You'll also find windmills, dunes, wispy fescue rough, blowout bunkers, blind shots and roller-coaster putting surfaces on this easily walkable 6,900-yard track. With its tight lies on firm fairways and tough-but-fair green complexes, semi-private Awarii Dunes resembles a Pinehurst of the Prairie. Firekeeper Mayetta, Kans. 7,560 yards, par 72 Green fees: $50-$60 785-966-2100 firekeepergolf.com Notah Begay III had already dipped a toe in the pool of course design, but with the fantastic Firekeeper, he has taken the plunge. Collaborating with architect Jeff Brauer, Begay—the only full-blooded Native American to win on the PGA Tour in the past 30 years—has crafted a lay-of-the-land modern classic for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Located north of Topeka, the partly wooded and partly open course melds seamlessly into its environment, thus keeping with tribal traditions of minimal disturbance. Standout holes include the boldly bunkered par-5 4th and the par-4 18th, which features two fairways. Tribal economics mean no housing or roads on the course, and Firekeeper won't be a blight on your bank account, either. Salish Cliffs Shelton, Wash. 7,269 yards, par 72 Green fees: $69-$89 360-462-3673 salish-cliffs.com After delays dating to 2008, this Gene Bates design for the Squaxin Island Indian Tribe's Little Creek Casino Resort finally opened this past summer. It was worth the wait. Located an hour southwest of Seattle, near Olympia, Salish Cliffs unfolds over 400 acres, without a home or road to scar the landscape. Generous fairways allow all to smack the driver with abandon, but sprawling (if shallow) bunkers, thick native grasses and towering firs punish careless shots. More than 600 feet of elevation changes call to mind an amusement park ride, but you'll find no gimmicks here. There's just one fun hole after the next, beginning and ending with gambler options on reachable par 5s. BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL COURSE OF THE YEAR Mission Hills Resort Haikou (Lava Fields) Haikou, Hainan Island, China 7,475 yards, par 72 $200 USD 011-86-898-6868-3888 missionhillschina.com The beautiful but brutal Blackstone course, Lava Fields's slightly elder sibling at Mission Hills Haikou, basked in the international spotlight when it played host to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in November. But Lava Fields has a different glow. It's the best course (of 10!) on the property and possibly the finest in China. Gigantic bunkers with irregular edges and black volcanic rock frame the driving zones, placing a premium on strategy and accuracy. Risk/reward decisions are required on nearly every tee shot at this Brian Curley design, and while there are plenty of dramatic forced carries over sand or rock-strewn canyons, the effect is mitigated by mostly friendly green surrounds. Highlights include the double-dogleg 615-yard, par-5 12th, which features a fairway landing area that slopes toward the hazard, and the lava-laced 187-yard 15th. If you're a shotmaker, you'll love the Lava from start to finish. RUNNER-UP: Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort (Gary Player) Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria 6,845 yards par 71 $116 USD 011-359 58-510-550 thraciancliffs.com BEST NEW PRIVATE COURSE OF THE YEAR Kukui'ula Kauai, Hawaii 7,028 yards, par 72 kukuiula.com "I had enough controversy as a player," Tom Weiskopf once said. "I don't need it as an architect." Indeed, the Weiskopf-designed Kukui'ula is an enjoyable—at times spectacular—spread on Kauai's sunny south coast. The 320-yard 14th is the most dramatic hole to debut in the U.S. this year—and perhaps the most vexing. A huge center-fairway bunker forces players either to lay up short, thread the needle left, or bail out to the right, where a severe slope funnels tee shots even farther rightward into a bowl. Massive bunkers and ever-present trade winds spice up play, but Weiskopf created wide fairways and spacious green fronts. Frankly, the hardest thing about the course is pronouncing the name (koo-koo-ee-OO-la). RENOVATION OF THE YEAR Pinehurst (No. 2) Pinehurst, N.C. 7,485 yards, par 72 Green fees: $350-$410 910-295-6811 pinehurst.com Not since the sand greens were converted to grass in 1935 has venerable Pinehurst No. 2 witnessed such a remarkable transformation as it did in 2011. Architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw yanked out 35 acres of primary Bermuda rough that had flanked the fairways, leaving in its stead hardpan, sandy scrub, pine straw and wispy wiregrass, all to reestablish the risk/reward driving experience established by Donald Ross. Fairway edges have a browner, more natural look that blends better with the sandy areas that seep into the pines. Fairway widths increased by 50 percent, the iconic greens were deflated—with unnatural crowns and wings reduced more to existing grade—and bunkers were restored and re-shaped. Restoring the course to its 1936 PGA Championship playability and returning the layout to the one revered by Hogan, Snead and Armour was a masterstroke. RUNNER-UP: Silverado (North) Napa, Calif. (Johnny MIller) 7,171 yards, par 72 Green fees: $75-$170 707-257-5460 silveradoresort.com ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR With more than 100 courses to their credit in 24 countries, Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley deserve to be household names among course connoisseurs. But many of their finest creations have been overshadowed by the reputations of their celebrity employers or design consultants—like Nick Faldo, Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. With this year's Best New International Course (Lava Fields) and the compelling Stoneforest International Leader's Peak layout—both successfuly created over difficult terrain—it's time that Schmidt-Curley get to bask in the spotlight themselves. Though based in Scottsdale, Ariz., their firm has blazed a trail in China, with offices in Haikou on Hainan Island and in Kunming on the mainland, and a roster of more than 30 Chinese designs. The partnership dates to 1997, but their relationship stretches to 1984, when both toiled on the early Pete Dye/Landmark designs, such as PGA West and the Ocean Course at Kiawah.
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Source: http://rss.golf.com/courses-and-travel/best-new-courses-2011

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Cleveland CG Black and CG Black Tour Drivers

From GOLF Magazine ClubTest 2012 (March, 2012) Cleveland CG Black Category: Max Game-Improvement Drivers (See complete list) Price: $399 WE TESTED: 9°, 10.5°, 12° with Miyazaki C. Kua 39 graphite shaft KEY TECHNOLOGIES: Engineered for moderate swingers, the CG Black has an aerodynamic, teardropshaped profile to reduce drag and increase swing speed. The lightweight, 265-gram club features a Miyazaki 46” shaft. It has a shallower face than the Launcher Ultralite XL270 and generates a higher, more draw-biased trajectory. OUR TESTERS SAY: One of the top-rated drivers in its class. Receives high marks in all categories. PROS DISTANCE: Top-shelf length; many testers gain 10 yards versus their own. ACCURACY/FORGIVENESS: Among the most forgiving, accurate test clubs; a real fairway finder; shots don’t travel far off-line, which is surprising for a super-lightweight driver built for speed. FEEL: Exceptionally light but stable through impact; nice explosive feel to solid shots; well-balanced club swings easily without applying much effort. PLAYABILITY: High, penetrating, straight ball flight; several testers find they can hit a gentle draw with it. LOOK: Sleek, teardrop-shaped profile, all-black head and shaft; looks like it means business at address. CONS A few testers tend to overswing because of the lighter club—it requires a smooth, even transition at the start of the downswing; a minority of guys lose the lighter head, on occasion, during the swing. Schecter Lee Cleveland CG Black (left), CG Black Tour Cleveland CG Black Tour Category: Tour Drivers (See complete list) Price: $399 WE TESTED: 9°, 10.5° with Miyazaki C. Kua 59 graphite shaft KEY TECHNOLOGIES: The teardrop-shaped “speed crown” reduces air drag during the swing to help you swing faster. A rear weight screw positions the center of gravity (CG) low and deep for improved launch conditions. The clubface (variable thickness) is engineered to bolster ball speed and carry on off-center hits. OUR TESTERS SAY: Among the higher-rated drivers. One of the longest in its class. PROS DISTANCE: In the top tier of drivers tested; a majority of testers consider it to be “above average” to “long”—some guys achieve noteworthy distance gains over their own driver. ACCURACY/FORGIVENESS: One of the top models; noticeable sidespin reduction on mis-hits keeps balls in the fairway; provides repeatable shots. FEEL: Crisp, pleasing sound and hot sensation at impact; controllable, light feel through the swing for many testers. PLAYABILITY: Consistent, medium flight; draws and fades are relatively easy to create on solid strikes. LOOK: Sleek, traditional profile; classy black and gold color combo. CONS Lightweight feel is a turnoff for some testers; a few high-swing-speed players could benefit from slightly less spin. From The Shop Blog (October 17, 2011) The ultimate boxer would be as quick as welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao but would hit like heavyweight titleholder Wladimir Klitschko. Golf club makers have a similar goal when it comes to making drivers: build something that's light and easy for the average player, but make it pack a wallop. With its new CG Black driver, Cleveland Golf hopes that it has created this combination for players whose swing speed is less 100 mph. The CG Black features a head that is aerodynamically shaped to slip easily through the air, with a crown that slopes down in the back section more sharply than last season's Launcher Ultralight drivers. Cleveland's head of metalwood development, Nate Radcliffe, says that the shape of the crown decreases the club's drag throughout the downswing, which in turn helps players generate more clubhead speed. At the same time, the 460-cc head has one of the lightest and thinnest faces Cleveland Golf has ever designed. Radcliffe says the faceplate is very thin on the perimeter, which not only saves more weight, but also broadens the CG Black's sweetspot.   Add to that mix a new Golf Pride grip that Cleveland says is half the weight of a typical grip and a special edition Miyazaki C. Kua Gold shaft and you've got a driver on Weight Watchers. However, Cleveland put a little bit of that saved weight back into the head, adding a weight screw to the back of the sole plate. By adding weight to this key area, Radcliffe says the CG Black should naturally hit the ball on a higher launch angle to maximize carry distance, which is essential for slower-swinging golfers who want more distance. "The overall package is a club that is designed to generate speed and be really easy to hit," says Radcliffe. That's music to the ears of distance-hungry golfers looking to land a few haymakers on their opponents.  
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Source: http://rss.golf.com/equipment/cleveland-cg-black-and-cg-black-tour-drivers

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Best New Courses 2011

Due to the weak economy, only 15 new 18-hole equivalents—that's private and public tracks—opened across the country in the past 12 months, one of the lowest numbers ever, according to the National Golf Foundation. But lack of quantity does not mean lack of quality. This month we spotlight Golf Magazine's Best New Courses in a variety of categories from the U.S. and around the world. Leading the way is the Pacific Northwest, with two public standouts that follow in the geographical footsteps of Bandon Dunes and Chambers Bay. Hawaii's impressive roster adds a new private gem, while layouts in China and Bulgaria highlight international offerings. What's more, a handful of highly anticipated courses are slated to open in 2012—so if your resolution is to play some exceptional rookie tracks, it will be a happy new year indeed. BEST NEW COURSE OF THE YEAR Suncadia Resort (Rope Rider) Cle Elum, Wash. 7,271 yards, par 72 Green fees: $60-$100 509-649-6450 suncadiaresort.com Minors and miners alike will warm to this densely wooded Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy design, which is located 90 minutes east of Seattle on the dry side of the Cascade Mountains. Suncadia's third course (and the resort's second public facility) was hewn from the remnants of the Roslyn coal mines and named for the brave souls who balanced themselves on the roped coal cars that plunged deep into the steep mine shafts. Holes 7 through 9 skirt Tipple Hill, a 120-foot-high pile of now-covered coal tailings, while the 430-yard, par-4 18th is more conventional and arcs around a vast lake. Eleven of the holes were completed in 2006, which helps lend some maturity to this brand-new course. Rope Rider might be the most family-friendly of our top new courses—it's wide and walkable, and it features a set of junior tees. At nearly 7,300 yards from the tips, it's no easy Rider, but it sure is fun. BEST NEW COURSES YOU CAN PLAY Awarii Dunes Axtell, Neb. 6,888 yards, par 72 $190 (stay & play) 308-743-1111 awariidunes.com Central Nebraska is hardly in danger of becoming the next Myrtle Beach, but in May 2011, along came another distinctive layout to join the trend started by Sand Hills in the mid-1990s. Located four miles south of Kearney, Awarii Dunes is architect Jim Engh's marriage of Ireland and the Heartland. The wind either blows or howls (Awarii is derived from the Pawnee word for "windblown"), but Engh left fairways generously wide. You'll also find windmills, dunes, wispy fescue rough, blowout bunkers, blind shots and roller-coaster putting surfaces on this easily walkable 6,900-yard track. With its tight lies on firm fairways and tough-but-fair green complexes, semi-private Awarii Dunes resembles a Pinehurst of the Prairie. Firekeeper Mayetta, Kans. 7,560 yards, par 72 Green fees: $50-$60 785-966-2100 firekeepergolf.com Notah Begay III had already dipped a toe in the pool of course design, but with the fantastic Firekeeper, he has taken the plunge. Collaborating with architect Jeff Brauer, Begay—the only full-blooded Native American to win on the PGA Tour in the past 30 years—has crafted a lay-of-the-land modern classic for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Located north of Topeka, the partly wooded and partly open course melds seamlessly into its environment, thus keeping with tribal traditions of minimal disturbance. Standout holes include the boldly bunkered par-5 4th and the par-4 18th, which features two fairways. Tribal economics mean no housing or roads on the course, and Firekeeper won't be a blight on your bank account, either. Salish Cliffs Shelton, Wash. 7,269 yards, par 72 Green fees: $69-$89 360-462-3673 salish-cliffs.com After delays dating to 2008, this Gene Bates design for the Squaxin Island Indian Tribe's Little Creek Casino Resort finally opened this past summer. It was worth the wait. Located an hour southwest of Seattle, near Olympia, Salish Cliffs unfolds over 400 acres, without a home or road to scar the landscape. Generous fairways allow all to smack the driver with abandon, but sprawling (if shallow) bunkers, thick native grasses and towering firs punish careless shots. More than 600 feet of elevation changes call to mind an amusement park ride, but you'll find no gimmicks here. There's just one fun hole after the next, beginning and ending with gambler options on reachable par 5s. BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL COURSE OF THE YEAR Mission Hills Resort Haikou (Lava Fields) Haikou, Hainan Island, China 7,475 yards, par 72 $200 USD 011-86-898-6868-3888 missionhillschina.com The beautiful but brutal Blackstone course, Lava Fields's slightly elder sibling at Mission Hills Haikou, basked in the international spotlight when it played host to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in November. But Lava Fields has a different glow. It's the best course (of 10!) on the property and possibly the finest in China. Gigantic bunkers with irregular edges and black volcanic rock frame the driving zones, placing a premium on strategy and accuracy. Risk/reward decisions are required on nearly every tee shot at this Brian Curley design, and while there are plenty of dramatic forced carries over sand or rock-strewn canyons, the effect is mitigated by mostly friendly green surrounds. Highlights include the double-dogleg 615-yard, par-5 12th, which features a fairway landing area that slopes toward the hazard, and the lava-laced 187-yard 15th. If you're a shotmaker, you'll love the Lava from start to finish. RUNNER-UP: Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort (Gary Player) Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria 6,845 yards par 71 $116 USD 011-359 58-510-550 thraciancliffs.com BEST NEW PRIVATE COURSE OF THE YEAR Kukui'ula Kauai, Hawaii 7,028 yards, par 72 kukuiula.com "I had enough controversy as a player," Tom Weiskopf once said. "I don't need it as an architect." Indeed, the Weiskopf-designed Kukui'ula is an enjoyable—at times spectacular—spread on Kauai's sunny south coast. The 320-yard 14th is the most dramatic hole to debut in the U.S. this year—and perhaps the most vexing. A huge center-fairway bunker forces players either to lay up short, thread the needle left, or bail out to the right, where a severe slope funnels tee shots even farther rightward into a bowl. Massive bunkers and ever-present trade winds spice up play, but Weiskopf created wide fairways and spacious green fronts. Frankly, the hardest thing about the course is pronouncing the name (koo-koo-ee-OO-la). RENOVATION OF THE YEAR Pinehurst (No. 2) Pinehurst, N.C. 7,485 yards, par 72 Green fees: $350-$410 910-295-6811 pinehurst.com Not since the sand greens were converted to grass in 1935 has venerable Pinehurst No. 2 witnessed such a remarkable transformation as it did in 2011. Architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw yanked out 35 acres of primary Bermuda rough that had flanked the fairways, leaving in its stead hardpan, sandy scrub, pine straw and wispy wiregrass, all to reestablish the risk/reward driving experience established by Donald Ross. Fairway edges have a browner, more natural look that blends better with the sandy areas that seep into the pines. Fairway widths increased by 50 percent, the iconic greens were deflated—with unnatural crowns and wings reduced more to existing grade—and bunkers were restored and re-shaped. Restoring the course to its 1936 PGA Championship playability and returning the layout to the one revered by Hogan, Snead and Armour was a masterstroke. RUNNER-UP: Silverado (North) Napa, Calif. (Johnny MIller) 7,171 yards, par 72 Green fees: $75-$170 707-257-5460 silveradoresort.com ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR With more than 100 courses to their credit in 24 countries, Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley deserve to be household names among course connoisseurs. But many of their finest creations have been overshadowed by the reputations of their celebrity employers or design consultants—like Nick Faldo, Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. With this year's Best New International Course (Lava Fields) and the compelling Stoneforest International Leader's Peak layout—both successfuly created over difficult terrain—it's time that Schmidt-Curley get to bask in the spotlight themselves. Though based in Scottsdale, Ariz., their firm has blazed a trail in China, with offices in Haikou on Hainan Island and in Kunming on the mainland, and a roster of more than 30 Chinese designs. The partnership dates to 1997, but their relationship stretches to 1984, when both toiled on the early Pete Dye/Landmark designs, such as PGA West and the Ocean Course at Kiawah.
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Source: http://rss.golf.com/courses-and-travel/best-new-courses-2011

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Wie still striving with 'gruesome' workload

From NY Times: Michelle Wie's career is still driven toward golf, but it has diversified of late. In the past year, Wie has stepped outside the lines of her paint-by-numbers life, pushing her limits and pursuing other interests. She prepared for her second full season on the L.P.G.A. Tour by cramming 20 units into her winter quarter at Stanford. Wie cheerfully described the workload as "pretty gruesome, actually" but necessary if she is to take off the spring quarter to play golf and graduate as planned in 2012, with a communications degree. Read the entire story at nytimes.com Comment, share...

Source: http://blogs.golf.com/golf-truth-rumors/2010/03/wie-still-striving-with-gruesome-workload.html

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Golf Magazine ClubTest 2012: Drivers

Fourteen thousand. Golf Magazine’s hardy band of 40 ClubTesters struck 14,000 shots (give or take a few) while evaluating 25 new drivers for 2012. These big sticks offer innovative advancements in weighting, adjustability, aerodynamics and optics. In short, these drivers are better than ever at delivering “high launch, low spin” flight characteristics to maximize carry and roll with your tee shots. Golf Magazine selected 40 average Joes to rate and review clubs at the World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Fla. Each tester assessed every model within one driver category on both the course and the driving range. Driver categories are: Tour (evaluated by ClubTesters with +1 to 10 handicaps), Game-Improvement (6 to 16 handicaps) and Maximum Game-Improvement (14 to 22 handicaps). Our exclusive research partner, Hot Stix Golf, custom-fit each tester and recommended clubs based on data gathered using the TrackMan launch monitor. Trained clubfitters can offer the same services to you, regardless of your handicap or playing ability. Using properly fit equipment is a smart investment in your game and will lead to longer, more accurate shots. Let’s get started. Tour Game-Improvement Max Game-Improvement Adams Speedline Fast 12 LS Adams Speedline Fast 12 Adams Speedline 9088UL Bridgestone J40 430 Callaway RAZR Fit Callaway RAZR X Black Cleveland CG Black Tour Cleveland Classic Cleveland CG Black Cobra ZL Encore Cobra AMP Cobra AMP Offset Nike VR Pro Limited Edition Nike VR_S TaylorMade RocketBallz Ping i20 Ping G20 Tour Edge Bazooka HT Max-D TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour TaylorMade R11S Wilson Staff DXi Superlight Titleist 910D3 Titleist 910D2 Yonex EZONE SD   Tour Edge Exotics XCG-5           Tour Drivers-->   Game-Improvement Drivers-->   Max Game-Improvement Drivers-->   Tour Drivers Video-->   Game-Improvement Drivers Video-->   Max Game-Improvement Drivers--> Many drivers that appeared in Golf Magazine ClubTest 2011 are still available. Click here to read those reviews.
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Source: http://rss.golf.com/equipment/golf-magazine-clubtest-2012-drivers

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