“Play-Write” Golf Courses

Edgewood Tahoe; Host of Celebrity Golf at its Best!

June 6, 2012 By admin

Golf Writer Andy Reistetter continues his exclusive “Play-Write” series with a round at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, site of this weekend’s American Century Celebrity Championship. The playground between Lake Tahoe and the forested slopes of the High Sierra will be occupied by the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Ray Romano. With boaters tossing footballs back-and-forth to celebrity quarterbacks on the lakeside links, the 23rd rendition of America’s golf gala is not-to-miss television on NBC. Join Reistetter as he plays one of Fazio’s best designs and gets excited about this year’s premier celebrity tournament.

Aerial of Edgewood Tahoe. Courtesy of Celebrity Golf.

We all think of “golfing heaven” as someplace above the clouds where all golfers eventually go and play endless rounds on beautiful courses in perfect weather. If you ever have played golf in the High Sierra then you know that, like some par-5s, doing so is “reachable” right here on earth. Specifically this weekend, the “stars” align and come down to earth where we can see them play up close and personal at Edgewood Tahoe.

I found Edgewood Tahoe on my way to the U.S. Open this year, the day they had a media press conference with two veteran Tahoe celebrity golfers Ray Romano and Hank Haney and two first-timers Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboy wide receiver) and David Justice (two-time World Series champion).

I was the Prince of Basil Thai in Carson City!

After an incredible dinner at The Basil in Carson City, Nevada and a comfortable night at the Carson Valley Inn in Minden, I made my way up to golfing heaven via the NV-207 Kingsbury Grade Road. While the name does not sound spectacular, the view is as you take the switchback highway up to the lake nearly 1,500 feet above the valley floor.

As I ascended, all I could think about is that there is a whole lot of water up there being held back by a bunch of rocks. The average depth of Lake Tahoe is 1,000 feet. With a maximum depth of 1,645 feet, the reality is that the bottom of the lake is lower than where I slept the night before in the valley.

View I awoke to at the Carson Valley Inn!

To completely disorient me, the Daggett Pass at top (elevation 7,334 feet) is not the mountain top. Once you arrive at Edgewood Tahoe, Monument Peak at 10,067 feet, which is the Heavenly Valley Ski Area, towers over you and Lake Tahoe. The offseason there is a ski heaven that complements golf heaven in the summer. Does it get any better than that?

There are no professional golfers in Lake Tahoe this weekend competing in the American Century Celebrity Classic. They are “across the pond” competing in the (British) Open in England. Not that golfers like Tiger Woods are not celebrities in their own right.

Road to Tahoe and I know there is a lake up there!

Technically, this is a Celeb-Am (Celebrity-Amateur), not a Pro-Am (Professional-Amateur). Nevertheless, this is the “major,” where sports and celebrity entertainers compete for the right to be called the best American golfer in America—that is not a professional golfer.

Are you as confused as I am? Aren’t they all athletes and celebrities?

There are a lot of professional athletes that would like to become professional golfers. It seems most of them are quarterbacks as there are 10 entered in this event by my count—Chris Chandler (Atlanta Falcons, lost 1998 Super Bowl); John Elway (won last two of five Super Bowls with Denver Broncos); Jim McMahon (won two Super Bowls with Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers); Carson Palmer (2002 Heisman Trophy); Aaron Rodgers (2011 Super Bowl MVP with Green Bay Packers); Tony Romo; (Mark Rypien (won 1992 Super Bowl with Washington Redskins); Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers); Vinny Testaverde (1986 Heisman Trophy); Joe Theismann (won 1983 Super Bowl with Washington Redskins) and Billy Joe Tolliver.

Mr Hickory Golf at Edgewood home of American Century Celebrity Classic on Lake Tahoe.

Wait, isn’t he an actor from Chickasaw County that jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge? Actually, Tolliver was a good quarterback and is a regular competitor at the American Century Championship, winning the tournament three times in 1996, 2005, and 2010.

Rick Rhoden, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, pursued golf as a second career and played on the Champions Tour with three career top-10 finishes, the most recent in 2006. He is the most prolific winner at Edgewood Tahoe, winning the American Century eight times, most recently back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.

Actor Jack Wagner became the first non-professional athlete to win the Celebrity Championship in 2006 and repeated the feat last year.

Even though there are about 10 guys (sorry Brandi Chastain) that can win it, this year’s favorite is Tony Romo and he is endorsed by Rick Rhoden. From ASAP Sports:

With Terry Knight, Bill Cottrill, and Vince Mastracco at Edgewood Tahoe!

“I think Tony’s probably the best guy of the group that’s come up in the last five or six years. He’s a good player. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won. I think he’s going to win a few of them before he gets through playing,” said Rhoden.

As far as my experience playing Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, well it was as spectacular as the scenery. The course design is really a Fazio PLUS with Uncle George doing the original design that opened in 1968 and nephew Tom renovating the course for the 1998 season. The first nine lead the golfer up a gentle slope through tall, towering pine trees while the second nine bring you quietly down to the lake. In a tranquil state, one plays the par-3 16th on the lake and putts out on the final green as gentle waves slap along the shoreline.

I wore knickers for the memorable round and played the iconic 16th with hickory-shafted golf clubs. Though considered a modern era golf course, Edgewood Tahoe seems to take you back to the early days of golf—water side, classic layout and playing the game for fun and having fun!

Mr. Hickory Golf at the par-3 17th at Edgewood Tahoe.

Wagner’s testified to the reason why Edgewood Tahoe and the celebrity event are so popular (via ASAP Sports):

“It’s an event unlike any other. I think anybody involved with it, celebrity‑wise, is grateful to come here, not only have we become friends but it’s an event that I think the public looks forward to, people plan their vacations around, and certainly all the guys that play in this event plan their summer around.”

Sounds like “golfing heaven” on earth to me. Go if you can and if not, experience it on NBC this weekend!

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer as well as a Spotter, Research and Broadcast Assistant for The Golf Channel, NBC and CBS Sports. He spends time on all four major American golf tours- the PGA TOUR, Champions, Nationwide and LPGA Tours.

Reistetter resides within two miles of the PGA TOUR headquarters and the home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

A lifetime golfer, Andy enjoys volunteering at the World Golf Hall of Fame and THE PLAYERS while pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it.

Friend Andy Reistetter on Facebook or contact him by e-mail at AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, Featured People, People in Golf, West Coast USA

NE Florida: Play Golf Club of Amelia Island & Visit Fernandina Beach!

January 24, 2012 By admin

The peace & tranquility of Amelia Island….

Now that was a luxury golf trip!!!

The peace & tranquility of Amelia Island….

Time for golf!

This is going to be a fun trip! Will try to stay away from the bunkers!:-)

Great foursome, with Katharine Dyson, Bruce Vittner, & Tony Leodora — in Amelia City, Florida.

Tee shot at par-5 12th hole at GC of Amelia Island. — in Amelia City, Florida.

Approach shot on par-4 14th hole…wedge to 9 feet, made the putt for Birdie, I am a happy Golfer!

Looking back at 17th hole… — in Amelia City, Florida.

View from room at Ritz- Carlton…

Nice way to say welcome… 🙂

Thinking women would like the shopping here at the Ritz Carlton, not sure, just saying…:-) — in Amelia City, Florida.

Great foursome, with Katharine Dyson, Bruce Vittner, & Tony Leodora — in Amelia City, Florida.

New bulkhead & reshaped bunker area on par-3 5th at Golf Club of Amelia Island, this place is well maintained and in outstanding shape!

Sunday 3some with Asst. Golf Professional Eric Cannon and Golf Travel Writer Tony Leodora.

Even lunch at the turn is a gourmet sort of experience. Director of Golf John Price with Dylan and Kevin in the background.

Par-3 16th hole- one of many beautiful holes at GC of Amelia Island

On the practice facility at GC of Amelia Island with Jacksonville’s own Gator Bubba Dickerson. Hitting it so pure… 2012 will be a big year on the Nationwide Tour for the 2001 U.S. Amateur.

The Spa at the Ritz Carlton… Mr. Reistetter, Brenda is ready for you… are nice words to hear!

NO I am not the JOKER… but no joking… the gentleman’s facial was quite invigorating!

Director of PR Joe Murphy hosting a Sports Night… Patriots and Giants on their way to the Super Bowl!

NO I am not the JOKER… but no joking… the gentleman’s facial was quite invigorating!

Trolley tour of Amelia Island! Hosted by Katharina Brierton Lane and conducted by David Edwards. What interesting and educational stories- great fun!

Sadly the end of my stay at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island came to an end… with Director of S&M Stephen Deucker, GM Jim McManemon and Director of PR Joe Murphy.

On Board with Captain McCarthy for Amelia River cruise… he took us into Georgian waters… Back home this afternoon… Leave for PGA Show in Orlando on Wednesday… — in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

With Tom Bedell who is a golf and beer writer! After a fabulous lunch at Karibrew Brew Pub.

More pics that go along with the above captions!

[Show slideshow]

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

Play the Slammer & Squire, then visit the World Golf Hall of Fame!

January 24, 2012 By admin

Playing with 67-year old Camilo Villegas… a.k.a Charlie Novitske…

Playing Slammer & Squire… par-3 7th is a spectacular Redan…

Visiting World Golf Hall of Fame with good friend & fellow Binghamtonian Charlie Novitske…

OMG IMAX is so inspiring… yes the technology but more so the storylines… saw Legends if Flight and Rescue… When did the birds start to come out of the screen and fly out over the audience? Soooo cool!

Playing Slammer & Squire… par-3 7th is a spectacular Redan…

Visiting World Golf Hall of Fame with good friend & fellow Binghamtonian Charlie Novitske…

OMG IMAX is so inspiring... yes the technology but more so the storylines... saw Legends if Flight and Rescue... When did the birds start to come out of the screen and fly out over the audience? Soooo cool!

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

The Sea Island Golf Club Defines Southeast Golf!

October 17, 2011 By admin

Golf writer Andy Reistetter continues his exclusive “Play-Write” series with a round of golf on the Seaside Course at Sea Island in Georgia. Ben Crane triumphed in the PGA Tour’s McGladrey Classic on the Seaside Course. Along with the Plantation and Retreat courses, Sea Island Golf Club is a premier golfing destination. But there is more to the story. Play along with Reistetter as he discovers a truly unique, world-class golfing experience at Sea Island.

Ben Crane kept his balance and his eye on the ball winning the 2011 McGladrey’s Classic on the Seaside Course. Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Seaside defines a timeless historic version of golf in America.

There may be five oceans and seven seas, but there is only one Sea Island.

What defines a golf course?

Eighteen holes?

What defines an ocean or a sea?

It gets complicated, isn’t it all salt water?

What defines golf in the southeast United States?

I grew up north of the Mason-Dixon Line, playing on golf courses with bent grass greens and Kentucky bluegrass rough.

After four years of living in the Southeast, Bermuda grass continues to challenge me.

How does one play a shot from the rough around the greens?

Why is it harder to read the break on Bermuda greens?

But isn’t Kentucky south of the Mason-Dixon Line?

Why does bluegrass, but not Bermuda grass, grow well up north?

Here’s the answer to the rub…

Red wicket baskets are a nice touch on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club.

Play the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island in Georgia.

Sea Island defines southeast golf… golf nestled in the salt marshes in the coastal plains of the Low Country.

There is a reason Sea Island has hosted the SEC golf championship since 2001.

Sea Island’s pedigree goes back to 1927, with Walter Travis designing the original nine holes of the Plantation Course.

Harry Colt and C.H. Alison designed a second nine in 1929.

In 1999, Tom Fazio redesigned Colt and Alison’s work, as well as Joe Lee’s Marshside nine (1973), to form the Seaside Course as it is known today.

Seaside is a design masterpiece.

The first nine goes out and back in a counterclockwise fashion, while the second nine follows a clockwise direction.

Each of the four par-3s faces its own unique direction.

In essence, the layout complicates the gauging of the ocean breezes.

Red wicker baskets are the norm on the Seaside Course.

The golfer is left in quiet isolation to feel the direction and strength of the wind without the aid of a flag on the stick locating the hole on the green.

Davis Love III played in the McGladrey’s Classic where his father was a distinguished golf instructor. Phote Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The PGA Tour thinks this is unfair for its players, so during the McGladrey Classic there are flagsticks on the greens.

Golfers with exceptional talent and a desire to have that talent challenged have always come to Sea Island.

Bobby Jones first played there in the summer of 1930, just before completing the Grand Slam at Merion Cricket Club in Pennsylvania.

Merion has wicker baskets but no crickets.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Louise Suggs has been a member of Sea Island since 1955.

Whether it is a sponsor’s product or a golf club affiliation, Suggs never associates herself with anything other than the best and something she personally believes and trusts in.

Sea Island was the place where the best golfers would come for instruction by Davis Love Jr.

His son Davis Love III heads up a growing list of professional golfers who make Sea Island their home.

Hosted by Davis and his foundation, the McGladrey Classic is a family affair. His brother Mark is the executive director of the tournament.

Davis grew up at Sea Island. This is where his heart is.

To bring a PGA Tour event to his hometown must be as satisfying as winning the 1997 PGA Championship with Mark on the bag.

Every golf shot Love takes has something to do with his father.

Wildlife abounds on the tranquil Seaside Course.

When he sank the winning putt for his first major championship, a rainbow was present.

It was as if his father, who had died nine years earlier in an airplane accident, was there smiling his approval for a course well played, a job well done.

The golfing face of McGladrey is bigger than only Davis Love III. It includes Chris DiMarco, Natalie Gulbis, and another Sea Island resident, Zach Johnson.

While I have been trying for four years to understand how to play golf on Bermuda grass, it took me one round at Sea Island to understand Southern golf.

We all know that the lie dictates the shot.

Play shots from greenside Bermuda rough like bunker shots. Open the blade up, aim an inch or two behind the ball and blast it softly onto the green.

On the green, look for the grain at the edge of the hole cut and play one-third less break than you think you need.

We all know that the truth dictates one’s life experience.

Play Sea Island and enjoy a truly remarkable golfing experience!

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

Sawgrass Country Club: Original “Home” of THE PLAYERS Championship

May 10, 2011 By admin

Doing a little research with the Sawgrass CC archives.

Golf Writer Andy Reistetter continues his exclusive “Play-Write” series recently playing the East-West nines at Sawgrass CC that hosted THE PLAYERS Championship (then known as the Tournament Players Championship) from 1977 to 1981 .

THE Players Championship is synonymous with the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass with its iconic island green on the par-3 17^th hole.

This year (2012) is the 30^th anniversary of the first PLAYERS held at TPC Sawgrass when in 1982 Jerry Pate won by two strokes and three architect Pete Dye and Commissioner Deane Beman into the lake and then dove in himself.

That would be Jerry Pate’s last win on the PGA TOUR but the first of annual PLAYERS Championships on the Stadium Course.

The Ed Seay plaque found near the first tee of the East Nine. He and Arnold Plamer designed more than 250 golf courses together.

The Ed Seay plaque found near the first tee of the East Nine. He and Arnold Palmer designed more than 250 golf courses together.

The story of THE PLAYERS began many years before when Beman became commissioner of the PGA TOUR in March 1974 and implemented, then improved upon the idea of the first commissioner Joseph Day.

Beman, the only modern-era professional player to become commissioner of his own sport staged the first PLAYERS, then known as the Tournament Players Championship in August in his first year at the helm.

Fittingly, Jack Nicklaus the player of the time and of the 20^th century won that first event played at the Atlanta Country Club.

Al Geiberger won the next one which was contested in the 100-degree August heat of Texas at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

The tournament came to Florida for the first time with a new date on the schedule but with a familiar champion. Nicklaus won the third edition at Inverrary Golf & Country Club in South Florida on March 1^st, 1976.

The first hole on the East Nine. A gentle start but then things get topsy turvy quite quickly.

While successful, the tournament had the feel of a traveling circus with no home or even a good spot on the schedule.

Beman had a dream to bring the PGA TOUR headquarters to the Jacksonville, Florida area and to have a permanent home for the tour’s marquee event.

His successor, current Commissioner Tim Finchem made the March-to-May schedule change four years ago and the “fifth major” rising star came into perfect celestial alignment with its more historical peers.

Now we are able to enjoy the top five tournaments with a sense of measured buildup and timing: the Masters in April, The PLAYERS in May, The United States Open in June, the British Open in July and the PGA Championship in August.

In between that traveling circus pitched in three different states and the tradition we now know as The PLAYERS on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was a very important five year period.

It was then that the Tournament Players Championship, today’s PLAYERS was enacted at Sawgrass Country Club, its original “permanent” home.

The always dicey par-3 6th hole on the East Nine.

Beman brought the tour and the tournament to Ponte Vedra Beach in order to build upon the excellent volunteer organization support of the Jacksonville Open.

He found a golf course at Sawgrass Country Club that was a natural fit for a premium world-class golf tournament.

Sawgrass CC opened in 1974 and was designed by local golf course architect Ed Seay.

Seay went on to partner with golfing legend Arnold Palmer to design and build more than 250 golf courses worldwide.

Sawgrass CC is Seay’s masterpiece the same as Augusta National being the pride and joy of Alister MacKenzie.

Seay opens with a traditional short par-4 that lays there in its beauty all for the golfer to see including the flagstick on the green.

The ever present and difficult sawgrass, after which the club is named.after.

Then he begins to challenge the golfer by limiting the vision of what is in front of them by hiding the greens from the tee on the dog-leg right par-4 second, the par-5 dog-leg left fourth and the dog-leg-right par-4 fifth holes.

The presence of the ocean is introduced quickly with the roar of the surf clearly audible on the second tee. The fourth green is only a 9-iron shot from the sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

To befuddle the golfer even more amidst the unpredictable ocean breezes Seay routed the East nine in a counterclockwise fashion and the West nine in a clockwise fashion.

While each nine goes out and returns to the clubhouse area the golfer never arrives at a point of comfort with the magnitude or direction of the wind.

To get to that clubhouse the same large lake brings water into play right on the final three holes of the East and on the left of the final four holes of the West.

The variety and difficulty of Seay’s Sawgrass gem is evident in the champions it produced during those five years of hosting the TPC events.

Four of the five- Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd are World Golf Hall of Famers.

The first champion at Sawgrass Mark Hayes is the only exception.

The winning scores confirm the genius of Seay’s design and the impact of the ocean winds.

Both Nicklaus and Hayes won with plus-1 scores.

The shrubbery saws it all, Sawgrass Country Club.

Why were Beman and the PGA TOUR unable to purchase Sawgrass CC?

Perhaps the real reason is revealed in Beman’s recently released book Golf’s Driving Force.

Whatever the reason THE PLAYERS Championship moved another one-half mile inland on the golf course Beman conceived and with the help of Pete Dye had it designed and built.

Though still a shocker at times the new course snuggled within trees plays much easier than during the Sawgrass CC era.

David Duval’s minus-3 total in 1999 is the highest winning score on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.

To fully experience the history of THE PLAYERS Championship at its original home, play the East-West routing at Sawgrass CC, if given the opportunity.

With my buddy Stokes Hill…

A real treat to be a guest at an ocean side club and play a historic course today with my buddy Stokes, host of 5 PLAYERS, completely renovating the West now, playing the East & South which will be renovated next 2 years, Trevino won here & at Merion, great Ed Seay design, 40th anniversary if club in 2014! (Facebook Post with 4 pics, Andy Reistetter, 6-13-13)

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Hickory Golf, PGA TOUR Golf

Scioto CC: The Bridge from Bobby Jones To Jack Nicklaus and Beyond

July 21, 2010 By admin

‘Golf Voyager & Documentarian’ Andy Reistetter continues his exclusive “Play-Write” series with one of American golf’s true treasures- the Scioto CC. Having the opportunity to play shortly after Jack’s Memorial Tournament was a spiritual sojourn for the travel golf writer. Here is another article in the “Play-Write” series including the Andy’s thoughts on how vital Scioto CC is to what we now know as the modern game of golf and its fascinating legacy.

Scioto CC oozes golf history. Here in the Clubhouse in the Jack Nicklaus Room. Photo Credit: Jackie Davis

Twelve different British golfers won the first 16 United States Opens.

By the time Scioto Country Club hosted the U. S. Open in 1926 only 15 years had passed since John McDermott became the first American born golfer to win the prestigious title.

Then McDermott defended the title in 1912.

The very next year Francis Ouimet did the unthinkable at Brookline CC not only beating the British for a third year in a row but doing so as an amateur.

Another lifetime amateur American golfer named Bobby Jones would win that 1926 U.S. Open at Scioto CC in the middle of the Roaring Twenties.

It was surely a growth period for American golf much more so than what we experienced in the 1980s and 1990s with the boom in golf course construction.

This was the era of seeing golf for the very first time and wanting to learn how to play it.

At the 1922 U.S. Open spectator tickets were sold for the first time at Skokie Country Club just outside Chicago.

By 1924 the U.S.G.A. was forced to introduce sectional qualifying since there were more golfers that wanted to compete for the title of our Nation’s Champion.

Bobby Jones’ presence is felt in the Media Center at Jack’s Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Bobby Jones started his seven year conquest of majors with a victory in the 1923 U.S. Open at Inwood CC just outside Manhattan on Long Island.

His amazing streak of winning 13 of 20 majors that he entered ended with his retirement from golf after his win in the U.S. Amateur at Marion- the final leg of his 1930 Grand Slam.

In fact that British dominance in the U.S. Open would transition to an absolute amateur authority.

Jones himself would win 4 of 8 by the time he was done playing golf.

Beginning with Ouimet in 1913 and ending with Johnny Goodman in 1933 amateurs would win 8 of 19 National Opens.

In the city named for the man who discovered our country Jones would win and go on to do something in 1926 no other golfer had even done.

He would bridge the large pond and win both the U.S. and British Opens in the same year.

Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of the ultimate that happened in 1930 when he possessed the amateur and professional titles on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

In any account, Jones had a dramatic impact on the game of golf though potentially his biggest impact came though a man named Jack Nicklaus.

Bobby Jones’ plaque in the Memorial Garden at Muifield Village. It is not a coincidence that Bobby Jones was in the inaugural Honoree at Jack’s first Memorial Tournament in 1976.

The link between Nicklaus and Jones began at the Scioto CC in that U.S. Open in 1926.

The man who would take the golf baton from Arnold Palmer and pass it on to Tiger Woods was not even born in 1926.

His father Charlie though was there at Scioto. At age 13 he watched as the 24-year old Jones won his second of four U.S. Opens.

After graduating from The Ohio State University with a pharmacology degree, the man who would later become Papa Bear though the golfing exploits of his son, bought and managed several pharmacies.

That success led to a family membership at Scioto CC where less than two decades before he was inspired to play golf on the very same grounds by the greatest amateur the game of golf has ever known.

Son Jack took up golf when he turned 10 years old and shot a score of 51 at Scioto CC for the first nine holes he ever played.

In those formative years he not only heard stories about the great Bobby Jones from his father but as well from other members with firsthand knowledge of Jones’ triumph on their golf course.

The inspiration of Bobby Jones was not only responsible for getting Jack started in the game of golf but for what drove him to succeed for the next 60-some years until he retired in 2005 at the Open at St. Andrews.

Jack Nicklaus in 2008 after accepting the PGA TOUR’s Lifetime Achievement Award and hearing Tiger’s words that he will forever be the all-time greatest golfer!

Nicklaus will likely go down as the all-time greatest player in the game of golf with 73 PGA TOUR victories including 18 major championships.

Even Tiger Woods acknowledged the greatness of Nicklaus when he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the PGA TOUR in 2008.
“No one I can think of is more deserving.”

“Your impact on golf has been incredible to say the least and I count myself among the millions of fans who consider you to be the greatest of all time.”

“Your record of 118 (worldwide) tournament victories (including 73 sanctioned by the PGA TOUR) and 18 major championships alone is reason enough to receive this honor.”

“However equally important are your commitment to philanthropy, your skill as a course designer and your steadfast dedication to family.”

“These values insure your contribution to golf will forever be unmatched and make you the man whose path we all seek to emulate.”

“Thank you for being such a tremendous mentor to me and so many others.”

“Congratulations Jack.”

From Jones to Nicklaus to Woods and back to Nicklaus- the light will continue to shine on Jack all because of that bridge formed at Scioto CC nearly a century ago.

Playing Scioto CC was FUN! Great golf course Mr. Donald Ross! Photo Credit: Jackie Davis

Famed golf course architect Donald Ross’ prized design gem has a legacy all of its own as a world class golf course.

After the Jones’ Open came the 1931 Ryder Cup and then the 1950 PGA Championship won by Chandler Harper.

Bruce Fleisher won the U.S. Amateur in 1968 and Dale Douglas the U.S. Senior Open in 1986 on the course named for the nearby river.

Jack Nicklaus and Mike Hurdzan restored the course to its original Ross mastery in 2007.

False fronts, subtle contours and bunkers partially hidden from view challenged this amateur golfer.

Scioto CC is a golf course where you remember every hole and every shot even if you only play it once in your lifetime.

The island green of the par-5 8th hole sits below the grand Clubhouse at Scioto CC. Photo Credit: Jackie Davis

The 516-yard par-5 8th hole is memorable for both its beauty and design. Its island green was one of the very first in America. My birdie on this magnificent hole is forever etched in my mind.

Scioto CC is a fun course to play where whether as an amateur playing from 6,500 yards or a pro from 7,000 yards one uses every club in the bag.

This round of golf seemingly played with the game’s legends on a legendary course ended as my 35-foot birdie putt disappeared into the hole on the green of the par-4 446-yard home hole.

Astonishingly for this golfer the scorecard numbers for all 18 holes added up to 78.

The golf course is in as fine a shape as any and is ready to once again host a major championship.

Who knows what bridges will be built if and when that happens again.

Maybe lightening does strike twice and golfers in the 22nd century will look back at Scioto as we do with firsthand admiration and gratitude for the inspiration received.

When you play Scioto CC you feel the presence of Bobby Jones.

The spirit of Jack Nicklaus the boy is here.

Two junior golfers… from Jones to Nicklaus and Beyond is all happening at Scioto CC!

Two young lads played behind me with vigor, determination and knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game.

The spirit of Jack Nicklaus the legendary man is here as well.

His Memorial Tournament is orchestrated nearby in honor of all the greats of the game of golf.

Millions of golfers continue to be inspired by Bobby Jones through Jack Nicklaus and now through Tiger Woods.

Scioto CC is the bridge from Jones to Nicklaus and beyond!

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, Featured People, People in Golf

Play St. Johns Golf & Country Club- On the Road to the PGA TOUR

December 2, 2009 By admin

Golf writer Andy Reistetter has been tracking the road to the 2010 PGA TOUR.

He was on site at the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina where 25 golden golfers earned their 2010 PGA TOUR cards.

Two weeks ago he was at The Children’s Miracle Network Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort where the Top 125 on the money list were finalized and qualified for the 2010 PGA TOUR.

This week he heads to Bear Lakes CC in West Palm Beach to report on the Finals of Q-School and the Top 25 golfers and ties who will fill out the fields for the 2010 PGA TOUR.

Along the way he enjoys playing the golf courses the pros play in a series he is developing called “The Monday After.” How should an amateur play a golf course set up for professional golfers- from the tips, same hole locations, “The Monday After” the competition concludes.

In this installment he played the St. Johns Golf & Country Club as a guest of General Manager Dan Zimmer.

For some of the finalists in this week’s conclusion of Q-School the hopeful road to the PGA TOUR went directly through the St. Johns Golf & Country Club in late October.

Eight golfers are competing next week for a 2010 TOUR card because they advanced through the first stage held right here in our own backyard at the Clyde Johnson designed 7,236 yard gem off County Road 210 in northern St. Augustine.

Keep an eye on Alan Morin, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, David Lutterus, Jesse Hutchins, Joe Affrunti, Major Manning and Rafael Gomez and see if the guys who played at St. Johns Golf & Country Club make it to the PGA TOUR.

Then go out and play St. Johns’ to test your game versus some of the world’s best professional golfers.

That’s exactly what I did recently and quite frankly the results were as my friends say “keep your day job.”

But I did discover what a great golf course St. Johns G&CC is… especially for ladies.

I played with a lady friend and she really loved the playability and picturesque natural setting of a golf course that gently meanders through open forested land and around lakes and ponds.

The routing of the course is world class in that the front nine goes out in a clockwise direction to the south and returns to the clubhouse while the back nine is laid out in a counterclockwise direction.

The bottom line is that you are “lost in nature” never knowing exactly what direction you are heading in. The challenge of gauging the wind direction and its effect through the trees may very well be St. Johns’ hidden hazard.

As host for Q-School for five of the last six years this Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary had my number and the dismal 92 result far exceeded my 7-handicap expectations number wise.

Maybe I was being distracted by my lady friend or maybe the reason for posting such a high score was that I played the tips- the gold tees which are a challenging 74.7 rating and slope of 132.

Before teeing off I had the pleasure of meeting two brothers from Germany enrolled in the onsite world renowned Tom Burnett Golf Academy- 15-year old Willie and 20 year old Fritz Gabor.

With swings that appeared to be like that of new TOUR sensation Rickie Fowler these two golfers inspired by the likes of Martin Kaymer may be the ones who give Tiger Woods the old heave hoe in a few years.

Local PGA TOUR rookie Jeff Klauk who finished No. 71 on the money list this year winning over $1.2 million, Matt Kuchar and Aree Song are graduates of the Burnett Golf Academy.

Are you getting the picture here? Tremendous practice facilities, a world class designed golf course always in tip-top shape and a very friendly and accommodating staff that is “always exceeding your expectations” makes you feel like a member even if you play St. Johns only for a day.

For the record it is open for public play.

I started off well with a regulation par on the first hole which is a reasonably short par-4 of 400 yards from the tips.

On the other side of the practice facility is No. 10 which is a similar length par-4 of 407 yards.

Just like TPC Sawgrass home of THE PLAYERS Championship holes Nos. 1 and 10 are similar challenges from a design perspective. Why do golf course architects do that?

They do it so there is no advantage during competitions whether a golfer goes off No.1 or No. 10. Another subtle world class design element of St Johns Golf and Country Club.

I quickly put myself in trouble with an errant drive on the scenic par-5 second hole. Though managing a bogey the beauty of the pond down the right side of No. 2 that goes on to frame the green of the par-3 third hole mesmerized me into a quick feeling of tranquility on the links.

Not the competitive perspective one needs to score on a difficult but fair golf course.

Though the promoted signature hole is likely to be the finishing 18^th with an almost island like teeing area and the logoed bridge crossing this golfer thinks No. 4 is competitive in that regard.

Plus it was my only birdie of the day. Go figure that!

No. 4- the shortest par-4 on the golf course at 382 yards brings water into play off the tee on the right hand side. The water encapsulates the right half of the green which has a wooden bulkhead.

With a front right hole location my pitching wedge landed on the backboard behind the flagstick and zippered down past the hole leaving me the makeable 18-footer for birdie.

How exciting!

I am no Ben Crenshaw on the greens and the greens of St. Johns are no Augusta National but let me tell you taking 39 putts, 21 on the back nine is not my style.

Surely I was being distracted by something or someone?

To keep me in the game my lady golfer friend and I decided to engage into a match for the final five holes.

Brilliant or not so brilliant?

I am fortunate and happy to report the match ended in a draw with me winning the last with a 3-putt bogey. The logoed bridge depicted on the scorecard was like a bridge over troubled waters for me.

Though not winning the match it was my pleasure to buy lunch. The Grille Room is in a remarkable clubhouse and overlooks the 9^th and 18^th green complex.

As I sat there enjoying a tasty lunch and how lucky I was to win the final hole to draw the match to even I recalled coming out last year and watching some Q-School action around the Nos. 9 & 18 greens.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rod Curl the first full-blooded Native American to win a PGA TOUR event when he beat no one other than Jack Nicklaus down the stretch in the 1974 Colonial National Invitation.

His son Jeff advanced through the first round at St. Johns though he did not earn a 2009 TOUR card.

I remembered entering the clubhouse under the large clock as it struck high noon.

Isn’t it time for you to play St. Johns Golf & Country Club and find out where your game stands?

Or better yet take a lady friend and your best golfing buddy or two and enjoy the tranquility of an afternoon out on the links.

Situated equidistant from the hearts of Jacksonville and St. Augustine less than a mile off Interstate 95 its location is convenient whether or not you are on the road to the PGA TOUR.

Good golfing!

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. See more of Andy’s golf travel on his website Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary. Feel free to e-mail him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Northeast Florida

The Charm of Charleston; The Daniel Island Golf Club

October 30, 2009 By admin

Daniel Island Club hosted the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Championship from 2009 to 2011.

Golf writer Andy Reistetter was on site at the 2009 Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina last week. He helped cover the action for The Golf Channel and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing in person the crowning tournament of the Nationwide Tour where 25 golden golfers earned their 2010 PGA TOUR cards.

To top that experience he was invited by Greg Keating, Vice President of Club Operations and Bobby Donnellan, Director of Golf to play the Rees Jones designed Ralston Creek Course on Monday morning. From the tips and with Sunday hole locations this devoted amateur golfer tells the story of the Nationwide Tour Championship and his “Monday Morning Golf” outing in his own words.

I have always wanted to go to Charleston, South Carolina so it was a no-brainer to drive up from Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Thursday morning to catch all the action of the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club.

The Prince of Tides is a 1991 romantic drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Pat Conroy; the film stars Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte. Photo credit: Wiki.

My connection with Charleston was through the movie The Prince of Tides. You know the one nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1991 with Barbara Streisand and Nick Nolte. I loved it when Nolte drove over the picturesque bridge in a convertible. So my dream was always to go to Charleston and drive over that bridge with the top down.

The Daniel Island Club is a couple of miles off the interstate highway. It’s a Wizard of Oz Munchkin like moment. It is that dramatic of an entrance into an enchanted land of Low country natural oaks, beautiful palms and saltwater marshes.

What is the quickest way to paradise from Interstate 526 around Charleston, South Carolina? Take Exit 24- Daniel Island and proceed to the Daniel Island Club.

Sixty of the best golfers on the Nationwide Tour did exactly that for their championship event- the culmination of the landmark 20thseason of PGA TOUR Driven excellence. There is no question that the skill, desire and work ethic of these golfers mirror that of the big tour.

In fact the PGA TOUR is simply the grown up version of its younger brother. Nationwide Tour graduates account for 258 PGA TOUR wins including 13 Major and 3 PLAYERS Championships. Make that 259 PGA TOUR wins with Nationwide Tour alumni Troy Matteson winning the Frys.com Open last week.

You do the math on that one- 20 years, about 40 PGA events a year is about 800 events… so about one in three come from the Nationwide Tour. With Tiger Woods with 71 victories and players coming directly from the European Tour being the key exceptions.

Matt Every, 2009 Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Champion.

Matt Every who came in at No. 49 shot 63 in Friday’s second round and a pair of 67s on the weekend to overcome the tour’s best golfer Michael Sim who came out firing on all cylinders with a 64 on Thursday. The 25-year old Every would make his first win on the Nationwide Tour his biggest and hopefully his last. His stellar performance vaulted him to No. 10 on the money list. That gold status earned him his playing card on the PGA TOUR in 2010.

The heart pounding and heartwarming story of the week on Daniel Island was 44-year old Fran Quinn. Turning pro in 1988 he made it to the PGA TOUR for the first and only time in 1992 when he finished T8 at Q-School.

First and only time until now.

After twelve straight seasons on the Nationwide Tour where he is now ranked third in all-time starts at 324, Quinn fought off a painful bladder infection and was inspired by his 11-year-old son Owen. “Dad, you’re going to do it. You’re going to have a great day,” were the words spoken early Sunday morning though it was the tone that was really inspiring.

With Fran Quinn who finished No. 25 to earn his 2010 tour card.

The son in his heart already knew his father was a champion and all he hoped was that everyone else would know the same thing come the end of competition on Sunday. His father was locked in as No. 25 when Brian Stuard missed an eight foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish T14 in the Championship and only $2,844 out of the Top 25 and a golden passport to the big show next year.

Quinn’s success really was determined by his finish on Saturday. At 6-under par for the tournament he missed a short par putt on the 13th green. He then hit a poor iron from the fairway bunker on No. 14 failing to get out which led to double bogey.

On the par-3 15th he hit a poor chip shot and then a good one for a one-putt bogey. On the 16th he drove it left into the water and came away with another double bogey. In total, he was 6-over par for four holes and back to even par for the tournament. It easily could have been the end of the story but not for this gutsy competitor playing hurt.

Beware of the ill golfer. After steadying the ship with a two-putt par on No. 17 he finished strong with a birdie on No. 18. That was the key to the tournament for Quinn. Despite his ailment, he finished with a birdie put the poor stretch of golf behind him. He came through with a decent 74 on Sunday, a T46 finish and the $3,750 he needed to finish in the 25th slot after starting the week at No. 20.

“Those words (of my son) were an inspiration for me all day,” the elated Quinn said afterwards.

Fran Quinn was one of 25 players to sign the Top 25 flag at the end of the day.

While Quinn was fortunate to remain in the Top 25, another golfer named Steve Wheatcroft came into the gold with Every. The 31-year old Indiana University graduate from Indiana, Pennsylvania shot three rounds in the 60s and an even par 72 on Sunday to finish T3, win $58,000 and vault from No. 31 to No. 20.

In the tough reality of championship golf and a limited number of PGA TOUR cards to pass out at the awards ceremony late Sunday afternoon when two come in two have to go out.

Along with Brian Stuard who started at No. 23 Alastair Presnell the “bubble boy” at No. 25 coming in slipped to No. 28 despite a respectable T19 finish.

The big picture of the Top 25 movement for 2009 was that Matt Every (1^st) and Steve Wheatcroft (T3) came out of nowhere and surged ahead to No. 10 and No. 20 respectively on the final money list.

Quinn held on for dear life to remain in the Top 25 while Stuard and Presnell were bumped out despite reasonable finishes in the Tour Championship at Daniel Island.

Welcoming entrance to the Daniel Island Club for the 2009 Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour Championship.

Daniel Island was the perfect place for the championship with the difficult “U.S. Open Doctor” designed Ralston Creek course, superb facilities and near perfect weather. The winning score of 21-under par on the 7,446 yard par 72 masterpiece was due surprisingly to a lack of wind in this beautiful coastal community. Generous fairway widths in the landing zones despite the deep Rees bunkers was also good news for the bombers.

The winding 557-yard par 5 9th hole with water right off the tee and water short left of the green on the second shot was an exciting finishing hole. A perfect drive meant an opportunity to reach the green in two and possibly make eagle.

The beauty of the grounds with the purplish hue to the whimsical vegetation and the majestic clubhouse setting on high ground to the left as the player walks down the 18th fairway for the last time on Sunday afternoon.

Imagine the thoughts, feelings and emotions of Michael Sim as he completed perhaps the most dominant season ever on the Nationwide Tour.

Or Matt Every who triumphed as Nationwide Tour Champion just in time to catch the train to the PGA TOUR for 2010.

The informal hospitality of the Low country and that of Daniel Island was certainly evident on the grassed plateau behind the clubhouse. Overlooking the vast marsh the view is literally endless with natural beauty as far as the eye can see.

An open hospitality tent designated the 19th hole provided spirits and musical tunes to dance to as the evening sun set over the marshland.

Jerry Foltz, the broadcasting face of the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour, mc’d the tour card presentation ceremony.

On Sunday afternoon the festivities were taken inside the large ballroom where Golf Channel Host Jerry Foltz emceed the final chapter of the Quest for the Card series where the 25 golden graduates of the 2009 Nationwide Tour receive their official 2010 PGA TOUR card.

The graduation ceremony started with 25 empty chairs on stage draped in the numbered gold caddie bibs. One by one the successors are introduced and come across the stage to shake hands with Bill Calfee, President of the Nationwide Tour and Jim Lyski, Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide.

Better than a high school or college graduation, this ceremony utilizes high tech life size portraits of each golfer with a twirling PGA TOUR card framing the background for the handshakes and presentations. There is no pomp and circumstance playing over and over again.

Family and friends whoop it up a bit as each player is introduced. This ceremony being the culmination of the hard work of a year or of a career brings out the emotions and tears of joy especially for the successful bubble boys and streakers like Every and Wheatcroft.

The joyous gathering spilled out to the grassy plateau where Jerry Foltz continued the festivities recognizing a Nationwide Tour volunteer for the past 31 years in a very inspiration manner.

Lady Lainey and her new car exemplify the family spirit of The Golf Channel and the Nationwide (now Web.com) Tour.

Lady Lainey drives to many tournaments from her home in South Carolina. Her car with over 300,000 miles on the odometer has seen better days. A grassroots collection was taken up with contributions received from players, caddies, other volunteers, and the media among others to purchase her a new car so she could continue her volunteer activities.

Though she did not leap on the car like Rich Beem did when he aced the 14th hole at Riviera in the 2007 Northern Trust Open Lainey was obviously moved by the outpouring of love and respect for all she has accomplished in a humble manner the last 31 years.

The celebrations on the grassy plateau continued on into the darkness on Sunday evening with hugs and kisses and pictures and toasts occurring nonstop for a few hours as players, caddies, family, friends and fans milled around enjoying the special moment.

Want to experience the Nationwide Tour family up close and personal? Make plans to attend the 2010 Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina.

I was like a kid on Christmas morning amongst the purple pageantry of the Daniel Island Club.

I was like a kid that simply could not wait for Christmas morning to come. An opportunity to play the Ralston Course with exactly the same setup of the tour players was granted to me for which I am extremely thankful. My peg was in the ground at 8 a.m. walking and playing in a twosome with a distinguished member named Richard. He was distinguished to me in that it was immediately evident he loved the game and cherished the walk in the park we would surely enjoy over the next few hours.

Off we went with me playing from the tips a la my friend Sir Walter’s way… go to the back of the back tee, take one step with your right foot, then another step with your left, bend over and put the tee in the ground at the tip of your left shoe.

Wait a minute, this course measures 7,446 yards. Even for a 7-handicapper that is quite the challenge. Especially for a 7-handicapper who doesn’t get out as much as he use to. It is definitely try what they say about being in the golf business—you do play less golf.

I lied about my drives carrying 270 and rolling to 300… this one stopped well short of 250!

The key to being able to play a golf course of this length is having the fairways hard and fast so the ball rolls like crazy. That is the only way my 260 yard drives will ever stretch to the needed 300 yards. Looking back the length of the golf course was not overwhelming to me. It was long and I did hit every club in my bag. I was hitting the ball extremely solid and straight for the most part.

On the four par-3s I hit two hybrid 4 irons and two drivers to carry the marsh on the 250-yard 9th hole and to carry the water into the wind on the 227-yard 12th hole. I bogeyed No. 9 pulling my drive way left though I two-putt for par on No. 12.

On the par-5s after reasonable second shots I hit 6-iron, 8-iron and pitching wedges into Nos. 6 and 18. I played the par-5s one over par and the par-3s two-over par sadly three-putting No. 15 from 30 feet.

The heart of the Daniel Island Club like any golf course is the 14 par-4s which bring the designer’s challenge and intrigue into play. The shortest iron I had into any par-4 was an 8-iron on No. 17 which I played from the back tees at 368 yards. The longest was a 3-wood into No. 10 playing 468 yards into the wind.

The green at the par-3 third hole.

With Richard as a wonderful playing companion I started off well with hybrid 3-irons into the par-4 Nos. 1 and 2 and coming away with par. Thinking I was off to a good start with the third hole a par-5 coming up I pulled out my 3-wood to advance the ball as far as I could on the second shot on the 618-yard hole. A quick swing trying to hit the ball from the top of my backswing resulted in a duck hook that rolled to a stop in the left fairway bunker.

Now I was in Rees Jones country—a fairly deep fairway bunker with 160+ yards to the hole over water and the front part of the bunker. Another quick swing resulted in a top shot that encountered the signature Jones grassed finger trying to escape the bunker.

With the ball still in the bunker I was challenged with the same shot only ten yards shorter. Trying to calm myself down a bit I exchanged my 6-iron for a 7-iron. Taking a deep breath I made a perfect swing with the ball rising over the lip of the bunker, carrying the water, covering the back left flagstick all the way to the hole.

I chipped delicately from slightly past the putting surface from light Bermuda rough with an 8-iron. The challenge of disaster had passed as I tapped in for a bogey. Still a good start one over par after three holes.

The marsh views are spectacular and make for a memorable experience no matter how good one’s golf game is that day playing the Daniel Island Club.

After a hybrid four iron to 30 feet and a two-putt regulation par on the 188-yard par-3 4th hole disaster struck quietly but soundly on the 402 yard par-4 5th hole.

My drive right landed in another fairly deep fairway bunker. Failing to get my 8-iron I managed to escape barely with a 9-iron. Granted I am not the most skilled fairway bunker player but I am not bad. There is something about these bunkers that subtlety pull you into misjudging the lie or height needed to escape in a routine manner.

A skulled wedge over the green left me with a snarly heavy Bermuda rough lie that I was fortunate to get up near the green only to mischip and two-putt my way to a quadruple bogey 8- a snowman on a warm Charleston morning.

So much for the good start at least score wise. Though battered a bit I felt confident this was still my day. After parring the par-5 6th hole I drove right again on the par-4 458-yard 7th. Forced to punch out with a 5-iron I wedged to the green only to lip out a 40-footer and make bogey.

After a perfect drive on the 395-yard dog-leg-left par-4 8th hole the beauty of the Daniel Island Club unfolds with a vast marsh to the left of the fairway. The marsh goes forever necessitating a carry over it on the long par-3 9th hole.

The openness continues the full length of the 468-yard par-4 10th hole and then simply expands in all directions. To the north along holes nos. 11, 12, 13, and 14, To the east as far as the eye can see. If the marsh was an ocean you would be at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.

What a feeling to be in awe of these natural surroundings.

The par-3 ninth hole with a intimidating carry over the marsh.

A good par on the 8th and the previously mentioned driver over the marsh pulled to safety left on the 9th and I carded a plus-7 43 on the front nine holes. Not bad but I played really well though the score does not indicate it.

I hit a pro long bunker shot from the short right bunker on the 10th green only to miss a 6-footer for par. Other than that putt and a similar 6-footer for par on No. 9 and the 3-putt on No. 15 I putted well all day.

An alligator-less par on the 583-yard par-5 11th hole and a solid driver par on the par-3 12th got my round back to stable condition. Another plus-1 start over the first three holes. I was determined to post a good score on the back nine possibly break 40 for my normal low 80s posting.

Though this was not a normal course. At 7,446 yards it carried a rating of 77.3 and a slope of 143. Who said only Pete Dye was diabolical? Honestly thought the course played fairly with no tricked up holes. Only solid well designed good golf holes coming at you.

I made a good par on the dog-keg-left par-4 467-yard 13th hole. Driving left I hit a flyer with a hybrid 4-iron that just kept rolling and rolling down the firm fairway. A nice chip and tap in gave me confidence.

Plus the back nine holes were the ones I covered for the Golf Channel so I knew them well. I had seen some great golf shots over four days. In fact, I have seen a lot of good golf shots at over 40 PGA TOUR events in the last two years.

Not that I am one of them but I have seen and know how it can be done. Get the ball in the hole however you can—great drive, recovery shot, long putt whatever just get it in the hole in as few strokes as possible and there you have the game of golf.

The par-3 15th hole at the Daniel Island Club.

A key to success for my back nine performance came after I pulled a 6-iron in the left bunker on the par-4 424-yard 14th hole. I had to carry 30 feet of sand, an embankment to a near sided hole location.

An honest assessment is that I did not have the skills let alone the lie to carry that shot off. I played out sideways and two-putted from 30 feet for a “good” bogey.

Two over after five holes on the back nine with a par-3, tough par-4, short par-4 and the par-5 finishing hole left I started to actively think about how good it would be to break 40.

Distracted I three-putted the 15th after a nice hybrid 2-iron to 30 feet. There’s nothing worse than a 3-putt to kill the mojo on a golf course.

Now I had the toughest hole of the Nationwide Tour Championship in front of me—a 450-yard par-4 dog-leg-left with water all the way down the left side with bunkers right.

After a solid drive I hit a hybrid 4-iron to 25 feet and drained the putt for my only birdie of the day. What a treat to birdie the toughest hole on the golf course. Richard was beginning to think maybe I was a pro disguised as a golf writer if there ever could be such a thing.

I tried to step up an 8-iron from 140 yards on No. 17 and fell short hitting the bank and rolling back in the bunker. Though I did not get my bunker shot all the way to the green I did perform well with a delicate chip and tap-in bogey.

Four bogeys and a birdie on the back nine. With a par on the closing par-5 I will shoot a respectable 39 on the back nine.

After a drive and a lay-up hybrid 4-iron my wedge fell short of the ridge protecting the back hole location I was faced with a difficult two-putt from 60 feet. The lag putt almost went in and left with a tap-in par for 39.

The 18-hole score of 82 putt a smile on my face.

The Top 25 Class of 2009!

Though no Top 25 finish or 2010 PGA TOUR card awaits this golf writer it was a fantastic round to play the course after seeing the professionals compete for four days.

I guess I should keep my day job if only I had one.

Daniel Island Club—Charleston’s in-town country club amidst a remarkable planned community.

Only a dream for some but if you can make it a reality I would highly recommend doing it. Did I mention the “other” golf course there is the Tom Fazio designed Beresford Creek?

By the way I did drive over the bridge a few times with the top down.

I think it’s a new replacement bridge but quite spectacular with its twin towers and streaming cables.

With great sadness, I leave the Charleston area for now.

Remember if you can; catch the Nationwide championship there in 2010.