The opening hole at Royal Portrush is a classic links hole. Modern architects who worry about such things as packed tee sheets and pace of play gridlock in the first three holes would not have the nerve to place a vending machine bunker in the face of the hill below the first green.
What is weird to me is that standing on the tee the bunker gets into your head even though you cannot reach it. It is like the architect is whispering in your ear, don’t hit this drive out of the fairway because your second shot will be incrementally more difficult if you do.
With a wee Irish breeze in your face you are tasked with trying to calibrate an additional club and a half up that hill on your approach. Not hitting from the short grass, it just takes the slightest timidity for a shot that clears the bunker to get sucked back off the false front into this sandy abyss. If you overswing and yank it the sand cavern 12 feet below green on the left is likely to see some action.
I remember walking off this green the first time I played it, after making a double, thinking this is going to be a difficult day.
The Annual First Tee Mentor Outing returned to Woodmont Country Club after a bit of an hiatus but we were sure glad to share once again in celebrating the work of the First Tee of Greater Washington.
The First Tee of Greater Washington brought 23 amazing kids from ages 8 to 17 to participate in another afternoon of fun in the sun. We had 10 volunteers from our club along with capable professional golf staff as our guides for our array of golf clinics, a picnic lunch, and a couple of hours of course time with these young men and women.
The whole gang…..participants and volunteers….together made this a great day for all
The First Tee program has introduced these kids to the principles of golf and building relationships. It is teaching them the etiquette, course awareness, and basic skills of the game. What you see as a result is self-confidence, poise, and grace in their ability to interact with each other and adults they have to deal with along the way.
Sherry Green and Kelly Levy lending a hand
Our volunteers provide the high fives, cheers, and a few hugs as well helping these kids understand how much they already have accomplished with this game.
Steve Keller and Mark Director being gophers for the chipping clinicDavid Ruben had Roy, Rohan, and Jeremiah in his group on the coursePhil Schulman hanging with his boys Luke and EthanMoe Dweck watches Spencer’s putting techniqueSteve Keller showing Vincent and Summer a little love
It takes the help of the staff of the First Tee of Greater Washington and supportive parents who encourage their kids participate in this wonderful program to help us pull this off year after year.
Steve with Roger and Ben from the First Tee
As tradition would have it, the cost of today’s picnic lunch was covered by the sponsorship of The Keepers, who started this annual event a long long time ago. We are also pleased to report that over 60 generous Woodmont members contributed to our effort in raising $4,500 to support the programs of the First Tee of Greater Washington.
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The kids were split into three groups based on their golf experience and rotated through instruction clinics for full swing, short game, and putting-led by our professional staff.
Nick saw swings on the range that came in all shapes and sizes….the common denominator was good fundamentals and sheer determination.
Legion of teens on the range under Nick’s watchful eyePascale has textbook full rotation hitting her fairway metalElliot is holding nothing back going after it with her driver
Eric and David worked the kids at the Sidney Harman Short Game area, fine tuning their pitching, chipping, and putting.
Volunteers Miles, David, Craig, and Phil heed Eric’s chipping instructionOlder guys critical interest in the chipping competitionSilas and Andrew head-to-head in the team chipping competitionNow how is this for youthful technique?Sophie and Summer hanging outLine Putting-Vincent, Sophie, and IanFrom the other side Audrey, Eleanor, Sersha, and SummerSilas working on his stroke David officiates the Line Putting CompetitionOne of the older guys walks one in
The clinics always work up an appetite and there were plenty of healthy wraps, real chips, fresh fruit, and some chocolate chip cookies for the lunchtime chat around.
Young guys chowing downElliot, Arianna, and Pascale enjoying the break with friendsCool older guys take this part more seriously
Then it was out to the South Course and The Loop, our new short course, to put what they learned to the test. Here is where the mentor bonds are freshly made or simply renewed.
Yash bump and runs it to a pin around the bunker on #1 at the loopVeer and Yash trying to sort out play from the Riviera Bunker on #5 on The Loop
It is amazing how the First Tee prepares these kids to handle themselves on the course. All divots are repaired, bunkers are raked, balls are marked properly and they respectfully understand who’s turn is next.
Special thanks to Event Chairs Craig Goodman, Steve Keller, and Moe Dweck, Golf Staff Nick Owens, Eric Schwarz, and David Quattrochhi, and Roger Brown from the First for all the hard work in assembling this event. Thanks to Woodmont Country Club for graciously hosting this picnic and the First Tee of Greater Washington for making it happen. And most important, thanks to these amazing kids who make this event such a special experience for all of us.
The 4th Annual U.S. Adaptive Open came to Woodmont Country Club to showcase the amazing golfing talents of 96 golfers from all over the globe who have taken on and conquered the impairment challenges that life has presented them to play the game they love. For our members and staff it was an honor and privilege to host this prestigious event and support the inclusion of these great athletes in a major U.S.G.A. Championship.
Woodmont has a long history of association with the U.S.G.A. We have hosted the annual final stage men’s U.S. Open qualifying for close to 40 years, been the site of 17 year old Rose Zhang’s historic come from behind playoff win in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and will be staging the Boys and Girls U.S. Junior Amateur in 2028.
Woodmont has a long tradition of the presence of Major winners playing competitions on our grounds
The U.S.G.A. has taken the admirable attitude to elevate the impact of this championship with all the bells and whistles of a major event. In just four years it has taken on a ground breaking reputation of inclusion, expanding the reach of the game in recognition of the determination and abilities of these players by embracing the use of adaptive methodologies that allow them to compete at the highest levels.
The pageantry of a major event was evident all across our campusPast Champions Alley…a prestigious place for your name to be seen
Woodmont became a perfect candidate to consider as a host venue for this event when we began a total renovation of the South Course in 2020 under the direction of course architect Joel Weiman. His concept was to replicate the look and feel of the Australian Sandbelt courses expanding the summer zoysia grass fairways to accommodate vast driving areas with very little rough, incorporating 30 plus yard short bermuda grass surrounds to sprawling and generously contoured green complexes to facilitate short game recovery, and throw in an accent of visually intimidating razor sharp bunker edges to complete the Melbourne look.
Clean look on the accessible approach of the Par 4 10thContrasted by some native grass accents that adds mishugas to a massive fairway bunker constellation on the 11thSignature look the short Par 3 12th which boasts a putting surface the size of a Walmart parking lot with seismic undulations
For 96 competitors with widely differing impairments, the U.S.G.A. has fashioned a competition that identifies a men and women’s champion with three days of medal play playing the course at four different tee lengths based on their impairment challenges. Champions are also identified for each gender in eight separate categories of impairment, Coordination Impairment, Intellectual Impairment, Lower Limb Impairment, Upper Limb Impairment, Multiple Limb Amputee, Seated Players, Short Stature, and Vision Impairment.
The renovated South Course allowed the competition committee to vary the set up every day. Playing in the same competition the longest Blue Tees challenged players at over 6,600 yards and the Purple Tees at a much more modest overall distance of about 4,600 yards.
Minimal walks between greens and tees, short grass everywhere, and low edge bunkers makes accessibility to the playing areas very fluid even for those playing in adaptive motorized devices.
Seated competitor putting from his VertaCat cart on the sprawling 5th greenPlayer from the Lower Leg Impairment category driving off the 1st teeing groundBrendon Lawlor of the Short Stature group hit this about 235 yards on the Par 5 7thFairway metal lay up is a piece of cake from the connecting fairway between the 3rd and the 5thEventual men’s champion Kipp Popert extricates himself from the shared fairway bunker constellation between the 2nd and the 6th hole
But at the end of the day this is a competitive U.S.G.A. national championship to be decided by talent, grit, and determination. Top competitors in both the men’s and women’s divisions displayed solid mechanics, strategic creativity, and flawless shot making acumen throughout the three days of competition.
Ladies overall champion Kim Moore coaxes one down the slope on the 14thKim shuts the door with this remarkable second shot on the Par 5 16th from 180 out to inside of 20 feet and a two-putt birdieKipp Propert textbook swing mechanics led to a 11 under par 61 on day one.Kipp’s distance control on 14 was astounding settling this 100 yard pitch to 6 feet between the bunker’s edge and the hole for another birdieAfter reaching the Par 5 16th in two he lagged his 14 foot eagle putt to the front lip for a tap in birdie
Kipp Popert registered a three-peat winning the Adaptive Open the first three years, lapping the men’s field with an astounding overall score of 24 under par. Kim Moore had won the inaugural event in 2022 and took her second Adaptive Open Championship posting 16 over for a three shot win on the ladies side.
For the third time in a row Kipp Propet of England hoisted the silver trophyThis was Michigander Kim Moore’s second go around as the women’s overall champion
Thanks to the U.S.G.A. and the over 200 staff members and volunteers who helped make this event a community success. For those who witnessed this event in person or who watched the final round on the Golf Channel they walked away with a sense of respect for the camaraderie this event engenders and the determination it takes for people like this to embrace their dreams and take life’s challenges head on.
Will Kipp finish the rare Adaptive Quadrilateral in 2026?
We look forward to seeing him try when once again when the prestigious U.S. Adaptive Open returns to Woodmont Country Club in 2026 for a second time around the block.
Found this super cool artifact on social media this week just in time for viewing the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Growing up and living in Latrobe in western Pennsylvania Oakmont Country Club, 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, was just a three-shot Par 5 from Arnie’s home. He played there quite often over the years and knew the course like the back of his hand. Here he transcribed his knowledge to a cheat sheet for playing the course.
Note, like most tour guys yardage books, the measurements are to the front of the green with the green sizes shown for further calibration. The Par 3’s Arnie gives the measurement to the middle (M) of the green. The overall measurement for each hole from the back of the championship tee is in the top left corner under the hole number.
I love the fact that he bothered to do this rendering in color and even shows the shape of tee boxes that are oddly configured. If you squint hard enough he has some pertinent carry yardages for hazards in the intended line of play.
Not sure when he authored this but my guess is in the 1970’s. Watching the course they are playing for the U.S. Open this year all the parameters of this yardage book still seem accurate.
It is so rare to go to a renowned club with only a couple of hundred members who come from old money and still run the place with a thrifty attitude of “why just change things for changing sake”. I was told the president of the club has been president for decades, that kind of says it all. Why change things that don’t need changing?
Newport Country Club was founded in 1893 by a group of well heeled guys who just wanted a place to hang with friends, watch some polo, and play a little golf. Under the guidance of Theodore Havenmeyer they went about acquiring the land for the course and hired Whitney Warren, a French trained architect, to build them a Louis the XIII style club house with all the bells and whistles they required.
You will get plenty of views like this through the day
Other than a brief spat with a hurricane in 1954 that required reconstruction of one wing, the palatial clubhouse on the hill looks like it has been there for 130 years with very few changes. By today’s high end club standards this place is far from excessive, in fact spartan in its amenities but more then adequate to meet the needs of the members who only spend a few months a year in their Newport second homes.
Ornate without being overdone
To me the simplicity of this place is refreshing. People come to play a round of golf, enjoy an after round libation or a snack, and sit around taking in the fabulous seaside scenery that falls below their feet looking out the bay windows. There is an honesty in an attitude of wealthy people who do not need to be reminded of their wealth.
All family members and guests are welcome here
The golf operation reflects this same attitude. This club was one of the original members of what was to become the United States Golf Association and it has held more then its share of major golfing events on this distinguished links. Recently at Newport Tiger Woods won his second U.S. Amateur in 1995, Annika Sorenstam won a U.S. Open in 2006, and Richard Bland won the U.S. Senior Open in 2024.
Champions have won prestigious stuff on these hills
The course plays hard and fast with a wind-blown links feel provided by stiff ocean breezes. They do not water anything but the tees and greens so there is no emerald green Augusta look that you take for granted at high end places. The fairways take on rock hard character all year round and no member is going to complain about inconsistent lies in the fairways or the rough. Windswept greens putt fast and true but trying to hold a spinning approach shot near the flag may be a big ask. What nature provides is what the course gets, it is up to the player to deal with it and converse with old man par accordingly.
The original course was done by the head professional William Davis in 1893 and in 1921, after acquiring additional acreage on the other side of Harrison Avenue, they hired one of the great Golden Age architects of his day, A.W. Tillinghast, to redesign the course which included seven new holes. What Tillie created was the splendid layout we play today. Little has changed in the last 100 years because the members understand what they have, a classic playable links course overlooking the sea, a true rarity in the U.S.
The fairway bunkering is free form, plentiful, and seemingly arbitrary in its disbursement but that is to allow for changes in wind direction from day-to-day. Driving is the key here, one must avoid the bunkers as well as get the best angle into the pin locations of the day. The green complexes are very Tillinghast in nature, accessible from the front, plenty of collaring bunkers and lots of internal contour in the putting surfaces. Originally constructed for much slower green speeds, with today’s agronomic improvements and dried out windblown surfaces staying below the hole on all approaches is essential.
One quirky thing I noticed is the sequential color of the tee markers from longest to shortest are Red, White, and Blue which is the opposite of what you would find at most places. I wonder if this was an intentional jab in the ribs at the traditional clubs of the day.
Opening hole has lots of elbow room
From the foot of the clubhouse the first hole is a somewhat gentle handshake Par 5 that reminds you that just because it appears open you need to focus on particular lines of play based on the day’s wind and the day’s pin. A bit of croquet to leave a proper angle into a green set on top of a chasm which will reject balls stuck without sufficient intent.
The next two medium length Par 4s give you the hopscotch pattern of avoiding fairway bunkers into green complexes surrounded by sand. Which brings you to the first of the very difficult Par 3s which, if played into the ocean breezes, can be as much club as you have in your bag. This one and the 14th are definitely drivable Par 4s in such conditions as described in the Hole-By-Hole Analysis link below.
#5 is the first bear of a Par 4….lots of bunkering to consider
You now are faced with the number one handicap hole of the day, a long wandering four par strewn with fairway bunkers everywhere. The approach is particularly enigmatic with a cross bunker encroaching from the right at about 75 yards. This might require a layup to the left and an accurate pitch to have a chance at a par.
#8 is about 165 but there is little wiggle room to miss here
A bit of a breather, not dissimilar to the second leads you into a tough finish for the outward half. A long meandering par 5 that plays similar to the fifth, followed by a tightly corseted medium length par three, and ending on the third handicap index hole, a long march back up the hill to the green set next to the majestic clubhouse. Stick your head into the bar to grab a snack and some hydration before heading out to the very difficult challenge ahead.
Long trek up the hill on the 9th…without wind help it is a three-shoter
Back nine sequence of 5-4-5-3-3 is kitchy and will demand a blend of solid decision making and shot execution to maintain balance on the scorecard. You will notice remnants of a rock quarry adorning the right on the Par 5 tenth and behind the green complex. Once through the highly technical short eleventh the quarry skirts the left of the second par 5 in two holes.
The Quarry Hole…check out the rocky embankment back right of the green
This now brings you to the strangest sequence of two Par 3 holes you have ever seen. From the doorstep of the green supervisor’s home you are staring up a billy goat hill to a green complex perched on a ridge adjacent to the clubhouse. It is an equestrian leap over an array of bunkers into a green dramatically sloped toward you which requires two to three clubs extra depending if the wind adds insult to injury of the severe elevation change from tee to green.
Super’s house….might want to Trick or Treat at this one
From the Super’s porch the 13th green looks like Everest
This is followed by the evil sister of the fourth, another possibly two-shot Par 3 across an abyss into a green perched above a chasm and a seriously fierce bunker left and below the green. If you get through these last two Par 3’s in eight shots you have gained ground on the field.
The second handicap index hole of the day is a sweeping dogear right Par 4 which can play a three shotter if the wind is in your face. The green complex is particularly interesting set into the foot of a low hill to the right featuring a two levels and a steep false front to boot.
#16 is the rare moment greenside water is in play on this links course
As you slowly turn your way back toward the clubhouse the 16th is the first truly non-links hole you play all day. A truncated short Par 4 this actually has a pond in play short and left of the green which you would never see on a links course in Scotland. Next is a very long par four and a half with a canal on your left and plenty of bunker turbulence between tee and green. Like many of the long ones it is possible that you need to lay up and then rely on a lawn dart pitch to save your par.
Rarely used back tee on 18…not sure you would survive the trek up to this cliff top
As you approach the final tee take a moment to notice the precipice above you and to the right which is the ceremonial back tee. You would need a burro and a Sherpa guide just to ascend to this pulpit ground but it presents an imposing look especially looking back walking off the final green complex.
18 has the deepest green on the course and it is a full extra club to reach it
Like the ninth the finishing hole on this side traverses the steep terrain to return to the clubhouse. The views of the back of this majestic structure are a splendific as the front, it is quite an architectural statement in all directions.
From the 17th green the back of the clubhouse is as palatial looking as the front view.
.Newport, Rhode Island
Architect: William Davis (1893) A.W. Tillinghast (1921)
. Par Rating Slope Yardage
Black 70 75.5 135 7085
Red 72 72.5 128 6577
White 72 70.7 122 6194
Blue (L) 72 73.0 127 5601
If you would like a printable PDF of this posting including a yardage book quality hole-by-hole description of how to play the course hit the link below.
It is really cool when you walk into the bar area of a classic old course like this and see the names Brad Faxon, Billy Andrade, and Brett Quigly on the club championship plaques. These are the favorite sons of the state who grew up playing there and later went on to a career on the PGA Tour.
This place has tradition seeping out of every pore and you cannot help but anticipate the experience of playing a course where players of this caliber honed their skill before making it on the big stage.
What is even more enticing is the informality of the place, nothing is overstated it all just feels comfortable in its own skin. You might note that the logo features a muskrat, a critter that made its presence known as they were excavating the holes close to the shore line holes a century ago. A visit to the golf shop will give you the opportunity to by a cute muskrat hat as a piece of memorabilia.
Donald Ross routed this track in 1911 and very little has changed since. Like so many of his designs that populate this part of the country, Ross simply took what the ground was offering and found hole sequencing and strategic challenges there to be unveiled. Green complexes are the jewels here, plenty of challenging bunkering to deal with, but, as was custom in the hickory club age of the time, access to most of the greens can be handled using the ground as your friend.
The course plays to a par 71 with only three par threes and two par fives so you have a large inventory of four pars to encounter along the way. The low handicap holes are very long par fours that establish the challenge of the day but there are a number of short ones that require more tactical decisions and precise shot execution to help balance your scorecard.
A fairly simple handshake for the opening Par 4
The day begins with a simple downhill par four that introduces you to the first of two inverted bunkers on the course. These are nothing but large turtle back bunkers that present you with a sand shot below your feet. Both the one here and on the ninth are really not a factor in the playing strategy of the hole. What you do get on the first is the typical corridor of bunkers leading up to an accessible green complex with plenty of contour. This is a formula you will see throughout the day.
On the second you can see the strategic character of Ross green complexes
The next two holes start to define the character of this charming Ross creation. Driving the ball in the fairway is a premium for playing aggressively into the green complexes. The sloped ledged green setting on the second will challenge you keep your approach in the area of the day’s flag. The uphill third has a domed green that repels balls in all directions so a sharp short game is needed here to make a par.
All the architectural elements are in your face on the fourth
The fourth is the first harrowing visual statement you will encounter as the hole presents itself as a slippery downhill par four into a tiered green across a meandering creek. This is where paying attention to landing areas off the tee makes a huge difference in getting playable approaches into the greens. You will find full detail on a strategic approach to play in the printable Hole-by-Hole Analysis through the link at the bottom of the posting.
Two short, scoreable holes follow in a technical par three and a theoretically reachable par four. One of the things I really like about this course is the opportunity to hit precise short irons into small sloped targets to help your scorecard.
The short par 4 sixth will try to goad you into doing something you should not
The balance of the outward nine is a series of long holes where you just have to hitch up your pants and drive the ball solidly to have a prayer of reaching the greens in regulation. Don’t be surprised if you are hitting a 60-yard pitch and a putt on the longer holes in an effort to save a par.
When you make the turn take a moment to visit the halfway house next to ten tee for a hearty snack before you attack the second nine. Very old school looking structure with real character.
Very classic cottage style to the Halfway House
By now you have probably noticed that you have only played one par five and one par three so far. The odd sequencing of the non-par fours continues on the back nine. The tenth is a strong par three with a sweeping contoured putting surface that requires precision with a longer fairway club to get a reasonable two-putt opportunity for par.
Your last five par of the day gives you a stunning view of the clubhouse
The last par five of the day is next, a sweeping dogear left with a panoramic view of the clubhouse on the horizon. Scoring on this one and the short twelfth is a must because there are a couple of hearty par fours that follow before you cross the road and head to the four bayside holes that define the challenging finish.
The twelfth is an eye candy short hole with an array of strategic elements in play throughout
As you cross the road to the fifteenth you cannot help but be a bit overwhelmed by the site of the lighthouse and the bay that will overlook your play on the last four. The wind now becomes a major factor in club selection and line so there is a strategy change at hand to control trajectory and mitigate wind effect from here to the house.
The visual the last four holes can be very distracting
The short three par 17th is a Kodak moment for sure and probably the place where the muskrats made their last stand before becoming part of the lore of this place. A beautiful and challenging finishing hole with a green majestically set into a hill behind presents a tantalizing finish to this classic old course.
.Barrington, Rhode Island
Architect: Donald Ross (1911)
. Par Rating Slope Yardage
Blue 71 71.1 130 6396
White 71 70.1 127 6117
Red (L) 71 68.6 124 5786
Gold 71 65.5 116 5259
If you would like a printable PDF of this posting including a yardage book quality hole-by-hole description of how to play the course hit the link below.
In the crowded universe of golf psychology books there are two that stand above all others in my mind. Along with Zen Golf by Joseph Parent, Bob Rotella’s 1995 contribution, Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect, is a regular re-read for me at the beginning of most golf seasons.
Unlike so many of the new age golf psych books you do not need to fill out any questionnaires, prepare any worksheets, or tabulate any mental acuity scores to satisfy your need to improve your mental outlook on the game. Rotella’s approach is based more on common sense observation of human tendencies as they relate to helping or impairing your performance on the golf course. I find his old school approach more intelligible and relatable for someone who has enjoyed the game as long as I have.
Rotella has had the ear of a litany of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour stars including Rory McIlroy who recently ended his 11 year Majors drought in winning the 2025 Masters and joining that very select group of those distinguished professionals who have won all four Majors in their careers. It was very evident through Rory’s comments during and after the tournament that he was relying on daily conversations with Rotella to keep him on an even keel and focused on what it would take to break through with this career defining victory.
Others from his client list include Tom Kite, Nick Price, Brad Faxon, Corey Pavin, John Daly, Davis Love, Seve Ballesteros, Pat Bradley, Val Skinner, and many more. The book is chock full of anecdotes involving his conversations with them that convey Rotella’s principles for successful mental management in the game of golf.
The basis of all of his thinking is that players have the free will to manage their thinking processes and must discipline themselves to confine their work on swing mechanics to the practice ground and trust their swing and feel once they stand over the ball on the course. When it comes to a swing process on the course they need to focus on small targets, a specific edge or a bunker or limb on their intended line, rather than a general side of the landing area or part of the green. Small targeting is essential to precise execution of a shot intended because it helps prevent distractions.
Visualization of the result as part of the pre-swing process is important because it is telling the body what you want to execute. Having a well honed pre-shot routine is the foundation of consistent performance on the course. Put succinctly he says “When great players are playing well, trust becomes a habit. He simply picks out a target, envisions the kind of shot he wants to hit, and hits it.”
Rotella emphasizes the importance of the short game, the last 120 yards to the hole, to success of his players. At this distance there are no swing thoughts just focusing on the target. He takes it a step further saying that for the best players pitching and chipping the ball, they do not think about getting it close, they think about holing the shot.
Maybe the most important principle is having a consistently positive attitude when you play and making sure you are having fun. As the title of the book says, golf is not a game of perfect and good golfers have to get over the notion that they only want to hit perfect shots, they have to learn to enjoy winning ugly. Smothering perfectionism and unrealistic expectations lead to a sense of constant disappointment and a lousy golf disposition. He says the best thing to do when you step on the course is cast away your expectations and just play golf.
There is lots more to glean from this read, so for the good of your game take the time to read what Bob Rotella has to say about managing your thoughts and playing your best golf.
Following golf over the last fifty years the image of Tom Watson chipping in on #17 at Pebble Beach to take the lead in the 1982 U.S. Open is firmly wedged in my golf consciousness as his most triumphant moment in a folkloric golf career. So when I heard that Back Nine Press had recently published this book “The Shot-Watson, Nicklaus, Pebble Beach, and The Chip That Changed Everything” by Chris Millard I clamored to their website to order a copy.
Millard is an accomplished golf journalist and writer and he did a wonderful job sewing together a very readable tale of Watson’s first and only U.S. Open victory at Pebble in 1982. But the book offers so much more as Millard made a diligent research effort to track the history of Pebble Beach Golf Links and its role as a host to USGA events over the last 100 years.
The book catalogs the course’s evolution from it’s creation in 1919 at the capable hands of Jack Neville and Douglas Grant. Then under the stewardship and promotion of Samuel F.B. Morse, with significant renovations by W. Herbert Fowler and H. Chandler Egan, it became the site of the prestigious U.S. Amateur in 1929. This was a big leap of faith because previously the USGA had not held a championship west of the Mississippi River. But the 1929 U.S. Am had a stellar field including Bobby Jones and the tournament’s success established Pebble Beach as a destination resort for the wealthy and famous.
Over the next half forty years Morse continued to promote Pebble Beach for significant golf events, including the annual National Celebrity Pro-Am (a.k.a. the Crosby Clambake) starting in the 1940’s, the U.S. Amateur in 1961, and the U.S. Open in 1972, the last two won by none other then Jack Nicklaus. The celebrity exposure of Crosby each year at Pebble Beach provided a significant crucible for the development of broadcast coverage of golf on TV.
The U.S. Open in 1972 and 1982 were two more quantum leaps for Pebble’s notoriety as well as premier broadcast events for ABC the undisputed giant in sports network television. With Nicklaus and Watson at the height of their competitive powers the 1982 U.S. Open promised to be another chapter in the developing rivalry that transcended the Majors the previous 10 years. Four days on the shores of Monterey Peninsula did not disappoint and it came down to the outrageous chip shot on the penultimate hole to pave the way to Tom Watson’s long sought win of our national championship.
This book is chock full of interesting factoids and anecdotes about the development of Pebble Beach and the careers of Jack and Tom. There is even a chapter devoted to Tom’s 30-year relationship with Bruce Edwards his long time caddie.
I highly recommend this if you have played Pebble, admired Pebble annually on TV, or simply have an architectural interest in how Pebble Beach became one of the most famous golf venues in America.
For those of you who read the previous posting about my fascinating golf round with Josh and William playing ApapTee Golf, here is your opportunity to see this in person on Tuesday September 10th at Sligo Creek Golf Course in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Josh giving Andrew last minute adjustments for tee height, foot alignment, and shaft angle to get the intended result.
Josh and Andrew, his golf facilitator, will be hosting a demonstration of the ApapTee equipment starting at 2:00 pm at Sligo. It will be followed by a 3:00 pm Exhibition Match between Josh and Andrew and the head pro at Sligo Creek Dave and his son Nick.
William carefully examines the initial flight trajectory as well as how far to pull the sling back. To the elbow? To the arm pit? Decisions…Decisions.
This is an opportunity to see the AdapTee concept up-close-and-personal plus to even try your hand at using the equipment. As an added bonus any wheelchair user can schedule a future 9-hole round with Andrew as their caddy.
This is a unique and cutting edge experience you will want to see for yourself. Click on the link below for the details of this Demonstration and Exhibition Match.
I recently had one of the most delightful and interesting golf experiences of recent memory. I had the pleasure of playing 9 holes at one of our local muni’s with two quadriplegic power wheelchair users. I am talking about two guys who spend their entire lives in a power wheelchair and have no functional use of their arms or legs.
You are scratching your head right now going no way this was real golf. But take my word for it, they played every shot from the tee through the green, including putting, and as a threesome (and then some). We covered the nine in under two hours, kept up with the group in front of us, and never held up the group behind us up the entire nine holes.
Our Seven-Some: Moe, Andrew (the golf facilitator), Tomeka and Shan (William’s caregivers), Nyasha (not pictured-Josh’s caregiver), William, and Josh.
A little back story here will give this some context. Josh Basile was an elementary school classmate of my son Noah and, about 20 years ago, experienced a calamitous spinal injury that left him totally paralyzed from the neck down. Josh, being the type of person he is, came out of this incident and the initial recovery determined to do whatever it would take to reclaim control over his life. He finished his college education, got a law degree, and set out to lay claim to the rest of his life. With the help of his family he created the Determined2Heal Foundation, the purpose of which was “To simplify the transition into life with paralysis. We provide information and advice for people with spinal cord injuries, their families and friends, as well as rehabilitative adventures”.
You can click on the logo above to see the unbelievable array of initiatives, projects, and information sources Josh has brought together for this purpose.
Recently Josh said to me that he wanted to get out and play some golf so he could introduce me to the AdapTee Golf concept he had been working on. Our family being an annual supporter of his good work, I was totally intrigued by this invitation.
Josh decided a number of years ago to flesh out this AdapTee Golf idea. He started by accumulating available equipment, modifying other existing stuff, and creating his own implement if none existed for his purpose. With the help of his friend and Golf Facilitator Andrew, Josh has been playing golf this way for a number of years, as well as introducing it to others, and plays at least a couple of times a month through the golf season.
He started by locating a propulsion golf club made by Power2Golf to use from the tee to about 75 yards from the green. This club was invented by a retired NASA engineer who wanted to help his older golf friends who had lost their agility to swing a golf club continue to play golf. The Power2 uses a cartridge to propel the ball anywhere from 75 to about 200 yards based on player set adjustments on the back of the club.
Trajectory of the ball, carry, and spin can be controlled by the facilitator at the direction of the player, who sits behind and calls the parameters of each shot.
For shots inside of 75 yards, Josh modified a hunter’s sling shot, making the ammo pouch large enough to handle the golf ball. Again, the player behind the facilitator directs the angle of his arm and the length of the pull back to get the appropriate shot result for the circumstance.
There was no appropriate putting device on the market so Josh went into his workshop and created one of his own. The pendulum putting device he fabricated is aligned by the player from the edge of the green (his wheelchair is too heavy to drive on the green). He then directs the facilitator how far back to pull the putter head before letting go and implementing the stroke. You will note that Josh put a protractor with an adjustable pointer on the shaft of the putter so the player can instruct the facilitator exactly what degree to pull it back to get the desired roll out distance.
So how did it go on the course….kind of like a typical round with your buddies. There was conversation about various strategies to play the hole, avoiding the short side approach, respecting the false front of the green, and all the related trash talk to go with it.
Josh giving Andrew last minute adjustments for tee height, foot alignment, and shaft angle to get the intended result.
On approach shots the key is trajectory and roll out with the sling shot. As in our regular game it is always tempting to go for the high flopper/lawn dart, but something lower with a bit of roll out might be a better option.
William carefully examines the initial flight trajectory as well as how far to pull the sling back. To the elbow? To the arm pit? Decisions…Decisions.
On this 230-yard uphill Par 4 with a sharp dogleg left into the green, Josh decided the risk vs reward made it worth trying to cut the corner, cover the tallest tree top 165 yards away, and try to catch a piece of the green. To my amazement it worked and he had a 75-foot eagle putt from the front edge.
Solid lag putt left them with a 7-footer for birdie, which after considerable collaborative conversation they rolled in for a three.
On every putt Josh or William would stalk the putt, wheeling themselves around the perimeter of the green to get the low side read before ending up directly behind Andrew for final adjustments for line and pace. Lots of conversation on every putt before agreeing to the exact angle of the protractor pointer and directing Andrew to release the putter.
So where does AdapTee go from here?
Josh has big plans to share this concept with quadriplegic power wheelchair users all over the country. He has gotten the backing of a private foundation to the tune of a $189,000 two-year grant to support Determined2Heal’s roll-out of this program to metropolitan facilities all over the country. They will provide the equipment and facilitator training in conjunction with a local municipal golf provider to allow wheelchair users with limited or no arm movement to play golf with their friends.
If Josh and Andrew have their way, there will be AdapTee facilities in Washington, DC, Nashviille, Minneapolis, and San Diego the first year. Two more metropolitan areas to follow in year two. This is an ambitious goal, but from what I know of Josh Basile’s track record I would not doubt that they can pull this off.
Josh and Andrew are contemplating soaring heights for this program.
If you are interested in learning more about this program and other Determined2Heal initiatives or to provide support to their ambitious efforts, you can click the link below to get to his Determined2Heal-Contact Us page on their website.
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